The Monocle, Semafor, ArtNews, and e-flux newsletters from May 12-14, 2025, offer a kaleidoscopic window into the turbulence and transformation of global affairs. From geopolitical shifts and economic recalibrations to epistemological crises and cultural preservation, it is a testament to the polyphonic complexity of our era.
The newsletter snippets provide a fascinating glimpse into the complex and interconnected forces shaping the contemporary world. From geopolitical maneuvering and economic shifts to technological advancements and cultural preservation efforts, these dispatches reveal underlying tensions, emergent trends, and enduring human concerns.
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The US-China trade negotiations and tariff suspensions form a recurring leitmotif in the newsletter. Though ostensibly signaling de-escalation, these developments echo the broader systemic tensions of a decentered world economy. As Piketty (2014) argues, global capitalism tends toward increasing concentration of wealth unless actively redistributed. Here, trade policy becomes a proxy battleground not only for state interests but for the contestation of hegemony. Trump’s imposition and later rollback of tariffs resonate with what David Harvey (2005) describes as “accumulation by dispossession,” wherein state apparatuses serve capital rather than citizenry.
China’s army expanding its media personnel and Sweden’s rearmament effort underscore a shift from the post-Cold War demilitarization to a new age of techno-military spectacle. The PLA’s recruitment of media professionals invokes Virilio’s (1994) concept of the “logistics of perception,” where war is waged not just through hardware but through images. Meanwhile, Sweden’s inconsistent defense policies, critiqued for their performative logic, resemble what James C. Scott (1998) terms “state simplifications”: efforts that prioritize legibility over efficacy.
The newsletter notes the growing consumer reluctance within China, revealing a deep cultural-economic contradiction. Chinese frugality, often romanticized, is tethered to structural insecurities—a weak welfare state, volatile property markets, and stringent social controls. This aligns with Guy Standing’s (2011) thesis on the “precariat,” a class formed by the erosion of stable employment and social guarantees.
The snippets on US-China trade talks and US President Trump’s visits to the Gulf to secure deals highlight the ongoing dynamics of global economic power and political alliances. The “tease” and subsequent suspension of tariffs between the US and China underscore the volatile nature of international trade relations, heavily influenced by political rhetoric and national interests. This resonates with theories of international political economy, particularly in discussions of mercantilism and strategic trade policy, where states use economic tools to achieve geopolitical objectives (Gilpin, 1987).
Trump’s focus on securing deals over traditional diplomacy in the Gulf and the massive arms and technology deals struck with Saudi Arabia reflect a transactional approach to foreign policy. This approach, prioritizing economic gains and strategic partnerships based on mutual benefit (often perceived in monetary terms), can be analyzed through the lens of realist international relations theory, where states are the primary actors pursuing self-interest in an anarchic system (Mearsheimer, 2001). The description of the Gulf as Trump’s “happy place” due to the lack of criticism further emphasizes the personal and political motivations intertwined with economic dealmaking.
The plunging profits of Aramco due to low oil prices and Saudi Arabia’s push to diversify its economy away from fossil fuels illustrate the economic challenges faced by rentier states in a changing global energy landscape. This transition involves significant social and economic restructuring, as explored in studies of resource curse and development economics, which examine how reliance on natural resources can impact a nation’s long-term growth and stability (Ross, 2012). The need for oil prices above $90 a barrel for Saudi Arabia to balance its budget highlights the continued, albeit shifting, importance of oil in the global economy and the fiscal pressures faced by producers.
The discussion of China’s frugal consumers and the need to sell to other countries to compensate for low domestic spending points to an economic model heavily reliant on exports. This has significant implications for global trade imbalances and the interconnectedness of national economies. The cultural aspect of high saving rates in China, influenced by factors like sales tax and a weak social security system, can be contrasted with consumer-driven economies, prompting reflection on cultural values and their impact on economic behavior (Weber, 1905/2002).
France’s inheritance wave, totaling $10 trillion by 2040, calls to mind Honoré de Balzac’s Père Goriot, referenced aptly in the newsletter. Balzac depicted a society where social mobility was stymied by dynastic wealth, a theme now eerily prescient. Inherited wealth forming 60% of France’s national assets exemplifies what Thomas Piketty (2020) describes as “patrimonial capitalism.” This regression toward feudal economic structures has social-theoretical implications. Bourdieu’s (1986) theory of capital—economic, social, and cultural—suggests that inheritance consolidates advantage not merely materially but symbolically, through elite habitus and institutional networks.
The spotlight on “Inequalities” at the Triennale Milano International Exhibition brings a crucial social issue to the forefront. The concentration of wealth and the impact of inherited riches are central themes, echoing concerns about social stratification and opportunity that have been perennial subjects in literature and social theory. Honoré de Balzac’s 1835 novel Father Goriot, mentioned in the snippet, serves as a literary precursor to contemporary discussions on how inherited wealth shapes lives and perpetuates inequality across generations. Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2014) provides a modern, data-driven analysis of this phenomenon, demonstrating the historical trajectory of wealth inequality and the role of inheritance. The exhibition’s focus on how inequality impacts life expectancy and health underscores the profound social and biological consequences of economic disparity, a topic explored in public health and social epidemiology.
Japan’s Manga-Art Heritage project seeks to preserve traditional printing and typesetting in the face of digitization. This initiative resonates with Walter Benjamin’s (1936/1968) concern over the “aura” of the artwork in the age of mechanical reproduction. Manga, as a cultural form, embodies the aesthetic and political unconscious of Japan’s postwar modernity. Its artisanal production processes carry with them modes of cognition and affect that digital formats risk erasing.
The snippets on media literacy in Portugal highlight the challenges of combating disinformation in the digital age. The rapid spread of rumors during a blackout exemplifies the vulnerability of societies to misinformation when traditional channels are disrupted. Portugal’s initiative to provide teenagers with free digital subscriptions to vetted media outlets is a practical response to this challenge, aiming to cultivate critical thinking and informed citizenship. This connects to broader discussions in communication studies and educational theory regarding media effects, digital literacy, and the role of education in fostering a well-informed public (Livingstone, 2014). The distinction between journalism and social media opinion is crucial in this context, pointing to the need to understand different forms of information dissemination and their varying degrees of reliability.
Portugal’s initiative to provide free subscriptions to trusted media for teenagers is a bold intervention into the epistemic crisis of our age. Gaia Lutz’s op-ed frames it as a remedy for misinformation, but more deeply, it is about cultivating what Matthew Crawford (2015) calls “the world beyond your head”: the capacity to sustain attention in a distracted age. Media literacy, if done well, becomes an ethics of care for the democratic commons.
The unearthing of a time capsule in San Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid and the efforts to revitalize the downtown area touch upon urban development, historical memory, and the evolving identity of a city. The initial protests against the building reflect the tension between modernization and the preservation of a city’s character, a theme often explored in urban studies and architectural criticism. The current challenges facing downtown San Francisco due to the shift to remote work highlight the social and economic impacts of technological change on urban spaces, prompting questions about the future of work and the city.
San Francisco’s revival through the Transamerica Pyramid’s restoration offers a symbolic counterpoint to narratives of urban decay. The unearthed time capsule from 1974 becomes a metaphor for what Andreas Huyssen (2003) calls “present pasts”: the tendency of cities to reclaim memory as a strategy of survival. Architecture here is not merely space but palimpsest, inscribed with layers of contestation and aspiration.
The snippet on the Eurovision Song Contest offers a cultural counterpoint to the more serious geopolitical and economic discussions. Described as the “Super Bowl on steroids”, Eurovision is a phenomenon that blends music, national identity, and political undertones. Its ability to draw a “titanic, international crowd” and feature a diverse range of performances speaks to the power of cultural events to foster a sense of shared experience and friendly competition across borders, despite underlying political tensions. This can be analyzed through the lens of cultural studies and the role of popular culture in shaping national identities and international perceptions.
The discussion on teaching AI to know what it doesn’t know delves into the theoretical underpinnings and future direction of artificial intelligence. The concept of “meta-cognition” in AI, enabling models to think about their own reasoning, is a significant step towards creating more robust and reliable AI systems. The characterization of current AI models as “professional bullshit generators” due to their lack of uncertainty recognition highlights a critical limitation that researchers are actively addressing. This relates to philosophical discussions on consciousness, knowledge, and the nature of intelligence, questioning whether true intelligence requires self-awareness and the ability to acknowledge limitations.
The “Phantasma” exhibition and accompanying texts explore the intersection of architecture, perception, and social interaction through the concept of “phantasma” as the necessary interface between thought and materiality. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s distinction between intelligence and thought, and Averroes’ idea of phantasma as embodied traces of sensory experience, the exhibition challenges the notion of pure abstraction in thinking and design. This theoretical framework, which emphasizes the situatedness of knowledge and the role of embodied experience in shaping our understanding of the world, aligns with phenomenological approaches in philosophy and architectural theory (Merleau-Ponty, 1962). The idea of gathering as an architectural gesture, where space is actively produced through collective performance, offers a dynamic perspective on the relationship between people and their built environment.
The “Phantasma” project at the Venice Architecture Biennale foregrounds embodied spatiality as a mode of knowing. Drawing on Arendt, it distinguishes thought from intelligence, inviting a recovery of “phantasma” as Averroes defined it—the sensual residue essential to cognition. Exhibitions are thus not neutral displays but “contact zones” (Clifford, 1997), where sensory, political, and epistemic flows collide. Architecture is reimagined not as object but as rhythm, a space for relationality, echoing Sara Ahmed’s (2006) claim that orientations shape our dwelling in the world.
The exhibition “Pressure Cooker” at the UAE Pavilion, focusing on how architecture can contribute to food security in arid landscapes, demonstrates a practical application of architectural thinking to address pressing social and environmental challenges. The proposal of experimental adaptive greenhouse assemblies and the integration of food production into built environments highlight the potential of design to foster resilience and sustainability. This connects to discussions in environmental studies, sustainable development, and urban planning regarding the role of architecture in creating more livable and resource-efficient cities (Beatley, 2011). The use of a cookbook format for the accompanying publication is a creative approach to presenting research and engaging the public with the topic of food and architecture.
Teaching AI to “know what it doesn’t know” marks an epistemological milestone. The critique of current models as “professional bullshit generators” mirrors Harry Frankfurt’s (2005) classic definition of bullshit as discourse indifferent to truth. The introduction of metacognition could herald a transition from statistical mimicry to forms of deliberative computation, gesturing toward Hubert Dreyfus’s (1972) early critiques of AI’s incapacity for human-level intentionality.
Yet, the philosophical implications are profound: Can a machine recognize aporia? Can it dwell in uncertainty, as Socratic thinking requires? Hannah Arendt’s (1958) distinction between labor, work, and action becomes relevant here: AI excels at labor and even work, but remains alien to action—the capacity for initiating the unexpected.
The newsletter snippets, when viewed collectively, offer a snapshot of a world in flux, grappling with economic inequalities, technological advancements, geopolitical shifts, and the evolving nature of communication and culture. The connections to scholarly works, literature, and philosophy reveal that many of these contemporary issues have deep historical roots and theoretical underpinnings.
From the enduring concerns about wealth distribution highlighted by Balzac and Piketty to the philosophical questions about intelligence raised by advancements in AI, these snippets provide fertile ground for reflection and further inquiry into the forces shaping our shared future.
These newsletters, thus, represent not merely a chronicle of events but a diagnostic instrument. They reveal the fault lines of our conjuncture: the return of patrimony, the militarization of media, the commodification of cognition, and the fragility of democratic knowledge. Yet, these also gesture toward renewal: through revived artisanal practices, urban memory, and experimental pedagogy.
We stand, to borrow from Gramsci (1971), in an interregnum where “the old is dying and the new cannot be born.” In such moments, critical reflection is not a luxury but a necessity.
Ahmed, S. (2006). Queer phenomenology: Orientations, objects, others. Duke University Press.
Arendt, H. (1958). The human condition. University of Chicago Press.
Beatley, T. (2011). Biophilic cities: Integrating nature into urban design and planning. Island Press.
Benjamin, W. (1968). Illuminations (H. Zohn, Trans.). Schocken. (Original work published 1936)
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education (pp. 241-258). Greenwood.
Clifford, J. (1997). Routes: Travel and translation in the late twentieth century. Harvard University Press.
Crawford, M. (2015). The world beyond your head: On becoming an individual in an age of distraction. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Dreyfus, H. L. (1972). What computers can’t do: A critique of artificial reason. Harper & Row.
Frankfurt, H. (2005). On bullshit. Princeton University Press.
Gilpin, R. (1987). The political economy of international relations. Princeton University Press.
Gramsci, A. (1971). Selections from the Prison Notebooks. International Publishers.
Harvey, D. (2005). A brief history of neoliberalism. Oxford University Press.
Huyssen, A. (2003). Present pasts: Urban palimpsests and the politics of memory. Stanford University Press.
Livingstone, S. (2014). Developing critical evaluations of media and internet content. Council of Europe.
Mearsheimer, J. J. (2001). The tragedy of great power politics. W. W. Norton & Company.
Merleau-Ponty, M. (1962). Phenomenology of perception (C. Smith, Trans.). Routledge. (Original work published 1945)
Piketty, T. (2014). Capital in the twenty-first century (A. Goldhammer, Trans.). Belknap Press. (Original work published 2013)
Piketty, T. (2020). Capital and ideology. Harvard University Press.
Ross, M. L. (2012). The oil curse: How petroleum wealth shapes the development of nations. Princeton University Press.
Scott, J. C. (1998). Seeing like a state: How certain schemes to improve the human condition have failed. Yale University Press.
Standing, G. (2011). The precariat: The new dangerous class. Bloomsbury Academic.
Virilio, P. (1994). The vision machine. Indiana University Press.
Weber, M. (2002). The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism (S. Kalberg, Trans.). Roxbury Company. (Original work published 1905)
[Written, Researched, and Edited by Pablo Markin. Some parts of the text have been produced with the aid of ChatGPT, OpenAI, and Gemini, Google, Alphabet, tools (April 28, 2025). The featured image has been generated in Canva (May 14, 2025).]
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