Where We Are This Week
A new installment from The Common Denominator
Let’s try something new, shall we? I’m starting a new weekly column over here. I tend to labor over these long pieces, constructing narrative, organizing my thoughts, making conclusions, etc. While I do that, a million other things have happened in the world that deserve attention.
So, in addition to my normal editorial pieces, we’ll be adding the weekly Where We Are to the mix, catching you up on the stories I found to be important over the last seven days.
Maybe you’ll discover stories you didn’t know about, or maybe it’ll just be one more place we can asynchronously commiserate and celebrate the things we both already know. Because if you’re like me, nothing makes you feel saner than other people noticing the same things you do.
So, here we are, and what we’ll do with this new column is answer the question: Where is that, exactly?
The Twitter Files
For as much as I rail against social media companies, Twitter is the one that actually matters. Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram et al can’t boast that they helped foster a cultural revolution, can they? In Facebook’s case, they may have actually aided a military coup in Myanmar last year. Twitter, at its best, has supplanted the public square with an online forum in the - to quote Bo Burnham - “much more real, much more vital” digital space.
Twitter hasn’t been at its best, though, much to the chagrin of Elon Musk. After Musk bought the company last month, he’s been airing their dirty laundry. Musk handed over what looks like a mountain of internal documents to Matt Taibbi who unveiled the first installment of The Twitter Files one week ago today.
What Taibbi’s 36-part thread revealed was the collusion between the Biden campaign, and high-ranking Twitter employees. Emails showed Twitter employees actively removing, or suppressing, stories that weren’t to the Biden camp’s liking - namely, the NY Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story.
It’s a great business move from Musk. While he might be on the way to restoring faith in the company, he’s made at least made the site interesting again. My wife and I read the thread together in entertaining disbelief last Thursday night.
Yesterday, Bari Weiss released the second part of the Twitter Files that detailed the “shadow banning” of prominent accounts ranging from Jay Bhattacharya to Libs of TikTok. The thread ended, throwing it back to Matt Taibbi for the next dispatch. Really, after the newest season of The Great British Baking Show concluded, it’s nice to have regular entertainment, again.
Morocco beat Spain in the World Cup
In a thrilling nil-nil draw - okay, it wasn’t the most riveting match I’ve ever watched but its exactly the type of giant-slaying we want to see in the World Cup.
Morocco held on to the 0-0 scoreline for 120 minutes. At times it seemed they might sneak a goal past the Spanish defense in a quick counterattack in a game where Spain dominated possession, albeit fruitless possession.
Hope was alive for the North African nation as the game moved to penalties, and the dream was nearly in their grasp once Pablo Sarabia struck the post with La Roja’s first attempt. Spain, somehow, managed to pass the ball to the Moroccan goalkeeper each time they stepped to the penalty spot.
Then, Madrid-born and former Real Madrid academy player, Achraf Hakimi, strolled to the spot to score the winning penalty for Morocco. Hakimi coolly chipped the ball in the center of the net, Panenka-style, sealing victory in the most absurdly casual way. HBO ought to pick up some of these football scriptwriters for their next drama.
Morocco becomes only the fourth African nation to reach the World Cup quarterfinals where they will face Portugal, essentially another local derby. Morocco has the unique position of representing all of Africa and the Arab world in a competition taking place in the Middle East. Portugal demolished Switzerland without the club-less Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting 11. Could Messi and Ronaldo actually be en route to a World Cup finals? I doubt it, but that would be one for the history books.
Trump demands retribution AGAIN
In light of the aforementioned Twitter files, former President Donald Trump has called for the elimination of “all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution” in order to instate the “RIGHTFUL WINNER” of the 2020 election. Any guesses as to who he thinks that is?
I understand the man’s frustration, but let’s give it a rest. He’s no longer president, he didn’t win the election despite his constant protestations. And, if the failures of his endorsees in last month’s midterms weren’t enough, Herschel Walker’s defeat in Georgia's senate run-off this week surely removes any ambiguity from the present situation. Trump is a detriment to his party.
As I told my dad via text earlier this week - Dad, you can skip this part - Trump’s candidacy for 2024 is political blackmail for the GOP. As long as he remains in the race, they’ll likely be forced to run him. There is still a MAGA caucus inside the party, and Trump, himself, retains the support of a sizable bloc of Republican voters. Trump could intentionally tank the GOP’s chances by running third party, which he’s threatened in the past. He probably won’t, but the threat is enough to keep him in the driver’s seat. Even if he wins the nomination, Ron DeSantis is more popular than Ted Cruz ever was, and watching Trump insult and smear DeSantis for a whole year will lose more votes than he’ll gain.
If the Republican Party runs Trump, it ensures the Democrats will run Biden, even though his approval rating is pretty dismal. I don’t think Americans can stomach another Trump/Biden election cycle. Then again, I said that about Hillary v. Trump in 2016, and even that has been touted as a potential rerun.
But there will be plenty of time to discuss 2024 in 2023. For now, let’s enjoy the last moments of 2022. Have a great weekend.
Cheers,
~FA