Interview, Podcast
Shock and thaw: Syria’s frozen war resumes
- The rebel offensive, described as the result of months to years of preparation, has succeeded, with Hayat al-Hirsham establishing a professionalized government and military infrastructure, including a military college for officer training.
- HTS leader Abu Muhammad al-Jolani has engaged in outreach to reassure Christians and minorities and funded church reconstruction over the past few years, though the extent to which he can convince civilians in Aleppo and elsewhere to trust the group remains uncertain.
- Uncertainty persists regarding whether rebel forces will adhere to orders to protect civilians and prisoners, and it is unclear if Turkey will extend protection to Aleppo or prevent the Syrian regime from launching an offensive to retake the city.
- Concerns exist that while capacity for Syrian and Russian airstrikes targeting civilians in Idlib and Aleppo may be limited, some brutality is already occurring, creating deep anxiety among residents of Aleppo and critics of the Assad regime about the prospect of the city once again becoming a front line.
- The process of deleting personal information from the internet is considered impossible in the current environment, as Google can only remove search items within specific jurisdictions and data scrapers compile "quiet data" like location and search history without explicit user knowledge.
- Manually removing oneself from the internet is estimated to require approximately 100 hours and must be repeated every three months, while free apps may monetize by selling user data, and unknown Wi-Fi networks pose risks for sensitive activities such as bank transfers.
- Users are warned that input into AI tools is recorded as data and that social media engagement creates a reciprocal visibility where those searching for others can also be searched by them.
- Major American firms anticipate lower taxes, reduced regulation, and higher economic growth following Donald Trump's re-election, with financial services, private prisons, and crypto firms expected to be primary beneficiaries.
- The government plans to outsource the deportation of millions of illegal immigrants to the private sector, while the president-elect has pledged to make the U.S. the "crypto capital of the planet," prompting rallies in mining, minting, and trading digital currency companies.
- Benefits for the banking sector include an easing of capital requirements and less scrutiny of mergers and acquisitions, though some Trump-themed investments have underperformed, with shares in American steel companies falling after an initial rise and oil and gas driller shares returning to pre-election levels after an 8% election day gain.
- Shares in Trump Media have tumbled since the election, illustrating that investing in Mr. Trump does not always yield profitable returns.