Domino Effect: Falling Governments Everywhere

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What you need to know—no more, no less:

Who would've thought we’d see the governments of France, Germany, and Canada crumble in a few tense weeks? Scholz's once-stable coalition of "traffic-light" partners fell apart after he fired his finance minister. Canada's prime minister is reeling from the resignation of a key figure who was supposed to help navigate threats from a hostile U.S.

Similarly, France's snap elections blew up in Macron's face. Voters everywhere seem fed up with his centrist alliance—ask the Brits, Americans, South Koreans, or anyone else who swept their party from power.

The message is loud and global: People are done with more of the same politics and half-measures. Rising costs, cultural friction, and a general sense of "nobody’s listening" have all fueled a wave of political earthquakes this year. The world's biggest economies and oldest parties thought they were safe. Turns out, they're not.

Fear in the Penthouse

CEOs and billionaires weren't sleeping well before, but now they're doubling down on personal protection. Even before a high-profile executive's murder in New York put everyone on edge, the ultra-rich had bulletproofed windows, added panic rooms, and made their houses into fortresses. Business has boomed since the pandemic, and the Capitol riot rattled everyone's nerves. Now, post-tragedy, it's gone next level.

There's more to this than steel doors and a quiet basement nook. We’re talking infrared cameras, ballistic-grade walls, and jet-skiable moats (yes, moats!) to keep intruders and angry activists at bay. It sounds paranoid—until you realize how cheering online "fans" were after one executive's death. Previously, the wealthy sought peace of mind from safe rooms, but now they do it because the world seems angrier outside their gates.

War, Profit, Pills

There's a twist that's still hard to grasp: Assad's regime wasn't just a vicious dictatorship; it ran a full-blown drug empire. Rebels are discovering makeshift "factories" churning out Captagon, a cheap, highly addictive amphetamine. This isn't about a few pills; it's about billions smuggled in fake fruit and hidden compartments.

Assad's neighbors pleaded with him for years to stop, even offering boatloads of cash. But the regime never let up. Why would they? Captagon was their lifeline, financing armies and militias, filling the gap left by sanctions and a battered economy. Assad's fall has revealed just how deeply these drug operations ran, and it's even worse than anyone could have imagined.

Hawk Tuah to the Moon

We live in a world where "Fartcoins" and "Hawks" turn into billion-dollar jackpots, and Trump's election just fueled the bonfire. Their names are literally derived from passing gas, inside jokes, or squirrel drama. Yet here we are, watching people gamble on them to turn chump change into a mansion's down payment.

Of course, everyone knows it’s ridiculous, which seems to be half the appeal. Invest early, pray it spikes, dump it on the next poor soul, and laugh nervously. Is it stable? Nah. Is it safe? Absolutely not. But when real estate and stocks seem too far away, throwing a few bucks at “Fartcoin” looks like a moonshot at an upside-down American Dream. Enjoy the ride; just remember to hold your nose.

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

Photos from this year's SantaCon.

🧮 Core Count: 500

The number of functions your liver performs.

🗓️ Flashback:

1398 - Tamerlane captures and sacks Delhi.

1531 - "Cum ad nihil magis" is published by Pope Clement VII, introducing the Inquisition to Portugal at Evora, Coimbra, and Lisbon.

1903 - The Wright brothers fly their first motorized aircraft at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

1986 - Davina Thompson makes medical history by having the first heart, lung, and liver transplant at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England.

1989 - "The Simpsons" premieres on Fox TV as a full animated series with the episode, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”

I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Fatih Taskiran