Listen

November 3, 2023 - Look at me trumps listen

Nov 03, 2023

Happy birthday Minh-Thu!

Congrats to Leta Hong Fincher on the release of the 10th anniversary edition of Leftover Women. Win a copy in our giveaway below.

And congrats to my amazingly talented gal pal Robin Epstein. Her short film Animal Attraction will screen at the Greenwich Village Film Festival on Monday night. If you’re in NYC, come to the Quad Cinema.

LeVar Burton is hosting a new podcast called Sound Detectives. The storied host of Reading Rainbow, which encouraged children to love reading, is now working to help children learn to listen. Can we get an adult version of that?

That’s especially come into focus for me over the past month. Few of us are listening. Amid Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok (I’m probably missing others - for example there’s something called Yik Yak…👵🏻), the masses are eager to project — selfies, accomplishments, and opinions. Look at me! Look at me! The desire to be seen, heard, and validated seems to have reached an all-time high. That has pushed listening and understanding to an all-time low. Echo chambers and likes for the win.

Tensions surrounding Israel and Palestine are at a fever pitch, not just on the ground in Israel and Gaza but worldwide. In the US, college campuses and communities are divided. Students, faculty, and writers have been doxxed. Job offers have been rescinded. Both Jews and Muslims have faced threats and bigotry.

We’ve seen this before: Brexit, the 2020 election, the Covid vaccine. I’m right and you’re wrong. Worse, I’m right and you shouldn’t have the ability to say anything to the contrary. It has given rise to cancel culture and fake news, while contributing to not only polarization but conflict and extremism. That it is happening at a time when we are pushing for more diversity and inclusion is not coincidental. We idealize the melting pot, but can’t let go of the status quo. That is literally heartbreaking and, worse, just breaking us. — Elmira

On our radar...

AI Summit

President Biden signed a much-anticipated executive order this week on AI regulation. Sara Morrison breaks it down and explains why it’s not enough. (Vox)
The UK hosted the Bletchley Park AI Safety summit this week. China was among the countries on the guest list, to the chagrin of many. Joyce Hakmeh on the importance of including the world’s second largest economy. (Chatham House)
The US and China’s tech rivalry is distracting from the real issue – keeping AI risks under control. Angela Huyue Zhang explains ahead of the UK AI summit. (Nikkei Asia)
How will AI transform the military? Michèle Flournoy dives deep into the ways AI is already being used in war. (Foreign Affairs)

Israel-Palestine

As Israel’s bombardment of Gaza continues, Lubna Masarwa lays out the choices before the West: push for a genuine peace process or allow death and destruction. (Middle East Eye)
The world is witnessing horrific crimes in Israel and Gaza. Balkees Jarrah notes that it’s time to bring in the International Criminal Court. Might the UN General Assembly take it up at the next emergency session? (Human Rights Watch)
“Hamas doesn’t speak for me.” Yasmine Mohammed on how many Palestinians do not support Hamas. (CNN)
In Israel, there is danger to taking an anti-war stance, says Lisa Goldman. She looks at the silencing through firings, threats, and harassment and the larger implications on Israeli democracy and free expression. (New Lines)
The current conflict didn’t just start on October 7. Sabrina Fernandes and Bruno Huberman stress the importance of understanding and acknowledging not only history but colonization. (Africa is a Country)
On Sunday, people rushed a flight from Israel landing in Dagestan, a Russian enclave, looking for Jews. Yulia Latynina on how Putin’s Russia has erased diversity and tolerance and, instead, manifested into growing anti-semistism. (The Hill)
As Israel is locked in war in the south, there are questions whether Hezbollah, stationed in Lebanon, will strike in the north. Rania Abouzeid takes a look at the potential for a wider conflict. (New Yorker)
If Hamas is defeated, Iran loses an ally. But does it risk entering into a war with Israel in order to defend it? Louise Kettle on the dilemmas facing the mullahs in Tehran. (Royal United Service Institute)

US

After three weeks, the US House of Representatives finally has a speaker, Mike Johnson. #slowclap Who is he? Well, he doesn’t believe in the separation of church and state, says Molly Olmstead. 👀 (Slate)

Shocker: US use of “lethal force” outside of conflicts, such as drones, as part of “counter terrorism” violates international law, says the UN Committee on Human Rights. We should all read this analysis by Annie Shiel, Priyanka Motaparthy, Heather Brandon-Smith, Daphne Eviatar, Sarah Yager, and Shivan Sarin. (Just Security)

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) turns 45 this month. (Welcome to middle age FISA!) Created to limit domestic surveillance, in a different time, it has been used to justify the post 9/11 collection of information. Jessica Katzenstein takes a look at Section 702, which allows massive surveillance. It's set to elapse at the end of the year. Should we let it go away or ensure more protections for citizens? (The Hill)

Africa

It’s been a year since Ethiopia and Tigran forces signed a peace agreement. Is it working? Martina Schwikowski and Million Haileselassie on the lack of implementation and continued humanitarian crisis. (DW)

King Charles visited Kenya this week. There he said there were “no excuses” for the “abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans” during their struggle for independence from Britain. But he did not offer a full apology. Karla Adam and Rael Ombour have more. (Washington Post)

Asia

Last Friday, China’s former premier and the number two in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), died. Emily Fang on why his sudden death, at 68, has moved many in the country. (NPR)

China’s leader Xi Jinping has an ambitious vision for the country’s role in the world, which includes rewriting the current world order. That includes assembling the “Global South” to support its efforts. Mary Gallagher notes that the Israel-Hamas war has complicated that — and shown how Beijing is unprepared to take center stage. (WPR)

We noted last week that China is antagonizing the Philippines in the South China Sea. The timing of that, coinciding with the war in the Middle East, may not be a coincidence. Beijing, Lisa Curtis believes, is testing not only Manila’s resolve, but also Washington’s. Is the crisis between Israel and Hamas distracting the US from the Indo-Pacific? (The Diplomat)

From worse to…. worser? Honoring the November 1 it set out, Pakistan has started to expel undocumented Afghans. Pakistan hosts about 4 million Afghans, 1.7 million of whom are undocumented. Caroline Davies on the unfolding disaster. (BBC)

The Americas

In Venezuela, the country’s top court suspended María Corina Machado’s win in the recent primary. She’s a former member of Congress, representing the opposition party. So much for a fair election, notes Marina Franco (Axios)

Following an unexpected election result in the first round on October 22, Argentina heads to a runoff election on November 19. Kezia McKeague, Juan Cruz Diaz, Benjamin Gedan, Horacio Verbitsky, Mariano Machado, and Carlos Fara share their analyses and projections. (The Dialogue)

Europe

Ukraine needs significantly more financial support from its partners to fight Russia, states Anna Kornyliuk. Kornyliuk explores Ukraine’s financial opportunities in the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights and urges for new financial assistance. (Atlantic Council)

Memorial is one of Russia’s largest human rights groups. Before it won a Nobel Peace Prize for its work in 2022, the Russian government ordered it to be “liquidated.” Several years on, the organization still stands, largely due to its sound planning and understanding of Putin’s authoritarianism, writes Katia Patin. (Coda Story)

In Italy, the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, is pro-family. Except when it comes to same sex couples. She campaigned on an anti LGBTQ+ platform. Now a prosecutor in Padua has requested the removal of 27 same-sex parents’ names from birth certificates. Luisa Rizzitelli says legislation like this could increase stigma against LGBTQ+ people. (The Guardian)

The far right is winning Europe’s immigration debate, argues Anchal Vohra. (Foreign Policy)

Middle East

Saudi Arabia is eager for a bigger role on the world stage. Gabriela Bernal dives into understanding how the Muslim kingdom is going about it and whether it will succeed. (The Lowy Institute)

In Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has adopted a 360 approach to the country’s foreign policy. That is Turkey will engage with both the West and East, particularly China and Russia. How’s that working out? Beatrix Geaghan-Breiner, Christopher Chivvis, and Alper Coskun take a look. (Carnegie Europe)

Science and Climate Change

Dubai will host COP28. Ironic? A little say Isabelle Négrier and Dr Marc Nebojsa Vukadinović. The UN climate summit has struggled to make any progress since 2015 in Paris. Perhaps it’s time to set up new forms of organization. 🤔 (EuroNews)

Hurricane Otis hit Acapulco, Mexico on Wednesday, part of extreme weather trends due to climate change. Elizabeth Kolbert writes how time for action is running out, despite the continued exacerbation of the planet's resources. (New Yorker)

Technology

Forty-one states and the District of Columbia sued Meta on October 24, accusing it of intentionally designing Facebook and Instagram to harm teens. Christia Brown explains that how Meta responds is crucial. (The Conversation)

One of our favorite Interuptrr writers is Leta Hong Fincher. The 10th anniversary edition of her must read book, Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China is just out. And we’re doing a giveaway to celebrate! Fill out this form to enter a drawing for a copy. Entry closes on Monday, November 6 at 9am. Winners will be chosen sometime next week.

Links We Loved....

There is nothing we get more excited about than pumpkin flavors in the fall. Try out this recipe for pumpkin cinnamon rolls here!
Are you a fan of Korean Art? The Guggenheim Museum is hosting an exhibition named Only the Young. You don’t want to miss this in-gallery performance by artist Sung Neung Kyung this November.
November 1 marked the Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. What is it exactly? This News Hour piece explains.
We love the music of Maria José Llergo.
Still in the Halloween spirit? Check out this Bride of Plankenspine yoga video for back pain and spinal health.
World’s best companies for women.

Opportunities

In DC: Howard University is hiring a Deputy Program Director for the Thomas Pickering Graduate Fellowship Program

Humanity United is eager to hire an Advisor, Policy & Government Relations

Refer a friend

Editorial Team

Elmira Bayrasli - Editor-in-Chief

Editors:

Pin-Shan Lai
Catherine Lovizio
Maya Scott
Emily Smith