Wednesday Night #2230

A week ago, no-one was predicting the incredibly swift collapse of Syria‘s Assad regime. Anne Applebaum appropriately cites Hemingway —  The Syrian Regime Collapsed Gradually —And Then Suddenly
Jeremy Kinsman writes in Policy Magazine Finally, Hope for the Syrian People -At last, an event the world’s humanists might celebrate.
What next? Some fear a fundamentalist Taliban-like governing body.
On Monday, AP reported that the leader of the insurgency says he has renounced past ties to al-Qaida, and he has gone out of his way to assert a vision of creating a pluralistic Syria governed by civil institutions — not dictators and not ideology. BUT he is not the only player. And so far so good on Tuesday as BBC reports Syria’s new transitional PM calls for stability and calm
The overthrow of the Assad regime has far-reaching consequences – Humbled Iran Weighs Next Steps After Assad Exit ;
‘A blow to Putin’s prestige’: What al-Assad’s fall means for Russia ;
Four reasons why Turkey is excited about the fall of Assad.
No one is sure what the end of the Assad regime in Syria will bring, but few in the region are happier about it than Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. For years, Erdogan, whose Islamist AKP party has governed Turkey since 2003, had sought the ouster of Assad, a secular despot backed by Shia Iran, a regional rival.
and, inevitably,
Israel: Preparing for potential ‘chaos’ in post-Assad Syria, Israel goes on the offensive

As he continues to propose (mostly) outrageous nominees for cabinet and other senior positions in the in-coming administration, Trump Lays Out Agenda in Extended Interview.
There was lots not to like in Donald Trump’s first sit-down broadcast network interview since winning re-election. Among his more egregious statements is his vow to lock up political foes like Liz Cheney. Should Canada offer her asylum?
Andrew Caddell writes this week that Global Health is threatened with RFK Jr. as US Health Secretary, echoing the sentiments of More than 75 Nobel laureates sign letter slamming Trump’s choice of RFK Jr for US health secretary
Meanwhile, Trump isn’t back in office but he’s already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders
GZERO offers a consoling thought as we contemplate the inauguration of Trump 2.0; Donald Trump is about to be something most voters can’t stand (See Long reads below)
“…now Trump faces a familiar challenge: Elected by people who are unhappy about the way things are going, he will soon be the person responsible for the way things are going”.

As Notre-Dame reopens, Macron stands in ashes of French political edifice
As was the case for the Olympics -and despite on-going political upheaval- France and Macron successfully pulled off a spectacular reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris in front of a by-invitation-only audience that included Donald Trump and François Legault.
Now Macron must confront his political problems France to Set Out Emergency Law to Avert Government Shutdown
Special finance bill needed after Barnier government collapsed
Stopgap measures to have uncertain impact on finances, economy

The most influential person in Europe
Politico Europe’s annual ranking of the most influential people in Europe is out today and the list is marked by a conspicuous absence. The familiar faces who typically dominate the power corridors — like the French president or German chancellor — didn’t make the cut.
The list of those poised to shape European politics and policy in the year ahead is divided into three categories: Doers (those most adept at imposing their will), Disrupters (those shaking up the status quo), and Dreamers (whose bold ideas are driving the conversation). Together, the 28 power players in those categories are revealing. The leader ranked as the most powerful person in Europe?   — Giorgia Meloni, prime minister of Italy.

Have you been following the latest developments in the TikTok saga?
US TikTok content creators warn followers to find them on Instagram, YouTube after a federal appeals court ruled that the social media app could be banned if it is not sold to a U.S.-based company by Jan. 19.
TikTok has become a major U.S. digital force as it has grown to 170 million U.S. users, especially younger people drawn to its short, often irreverent videos. It has sucked away advertisers from some of the largest U.S. players and added commerce platform TikTok Shop, which has become a marketplace for small businesses.

Canada, Quebec
Canada & the Arctic
So much media attention is devoted to the Trudeau-Trump Tariff fight that many may have overlooked last week’s important policy initiative The Great White North
The federal government’s new Arctic foreign policy looks to secure Canada’s northernmost region from potential threats amid rising geopolitical tensions. …the policy introduces several new measures aimed at strengthening relationships with other northern nations, and advancing the interests of local Indigenous peoples.
Trudeau will have to ‘kiss the ring’ to achieve smoother bilateral relations: John Bolton
Dealing with Trump will be ‘a little more challenging’ than last time: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said dealing with incoming president Donald Trump and his thundering on trade will be “a little more challenging” than the last time he was in the White House.
Speaking at an event put on by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Trudeau said that’s because Trump’s team is coming in with a much clearer set of ideas of what they want to do right away than after his first election win in 2016.
Even still, Trudeau said the answer is not to panic and that Canada can rally together to address the tough scenario the nation will face following Trump’s inauguration in January.
On Human Rights Day, historic setbacks in Quebec By Sam Boskey, Laurence Guénette and Paul-Etienne Rainville
Doug Sweet adds to the interest in/reaction to “Legault’s threat to use the NWC to ban public prayers in parks and on the streets which is garnering enormous media attention today, from Mulcair to Auger to others, including Quebec’s Catholic bishops, who disagreed with the premier. Mulcair in The Gazette and Michel-C Auger in La Presse are in violent agreement; and Auger, who has a ton more space to play with, gets to frame it as another fin de siècle moment for Legault.”
Mulcair: It’s CAQ versus PQ in Quebec’s intolerance sweepstakes
Quebec’s leaders should be creating bridges, not divisions
By Luqman Ahmed, imam in Brossard with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at:
Catholic bishops, federal minister [Marc Miller] criticize Legault’s proposed prayer ban :
From La Presse
Auger: https://www.lapresse.ca/dialogue/chroniques/2024-12-11/politique/ramener-ce-qui-a-deja-bien-marche.php
Longer piece on bishops: https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/2024-12-10/priere-dans-les-lieux-publics/les-eveques-du-quebec-s-opposent-a-l-interdiction.php
In case you missed it Most Quebecers want Premier François Legault to resign, new poll suggests

Ali notes that Wednesday was a special day. “My PhD student Nicholas Poirier defended his amazing work on quantum resource estimation. It’s a special feeling filled with joy and pride. Congratulations Dr. Poirier!” And congratulations to Ali, whose role as Mentor was no doubt critical.

Varia
Dancing on the grave of the detested Elon Musk’s Cybertruck.
Tesla suspends Cybertruck production. Who could have predicted this?
Elon Musk’s controversial electric truck may have dug its own box-shaped grave.
‘Polarization’ is Merriam-Webster’s 2024 word of the year
“Polarization means division, but it’s a very specific kind of division,” said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday’s announcement. “Polarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center.”
BUT
Surprise! America is less polarized than it used to be.
The gulfs between groups of voters shrank in the recent election.
Trump appoints ambassadors Kimberly Guilfoyle [to Greece] and Tom Barrack [to Turkey], plus 5 more picks
Guilfoyle, a former fundraiser for Trump and a former host on Fox News, is currently in an established relationship with Donald Trump Jr. From 2001 to 2006, she was married to Democratic politician Gavin Newsom, and was first lady of San Francisco during Newsom’s first two years as mayor of that city

Long reads
A number of surprises – and some names that we did not recognize.
Ranking the most influential people in Europe: Class of 2025
The doers, disrupters and dreamers shaping European politics and policy in the year ahead.

The Middle East’s Dangerous New Normal
Iran, Israel, and the Delicate Balance of Disorder

Donald Trump is about to be something most voters can’t stand
“…now Trump faces a familiar challenge: Elected by people who are unhappy about the way things are going, he will soon be the person responsible for the way things are going.

Psychoanalysis explains why Donald Trump is taunting Canada and ‘Governor Justin Trudeau

America Needs to Radically Rethink What It Means to Be Old
As 100-year lifespans become more common, the time has come for a new approach to school, work, and retirement.
By Jonathan Rauch