During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the documentary filmmaker Ken Burns quoted a famous Mark Twain line: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” He was making the point about why it is important to listen to the voices of the past, even if their messages offend you today.
The conversation was in the context of his upcoming project on the American Revolution. Burns argued that it is the most important historical event in terms of shaping the world we live in now, because it created a unique political and economic engine, the impact of which we are still struggling to get to grips with 250 years later.
Less than a fortnight after the Rogan-Burns podcast came out, a less refined, more combative exchange took place between two other individuals, which underscores how the definition of what the US is has kept evolving since the 18th century.
When the journalist Tucker Carlson confronted US Senator Ted Cruz in a now-viral interview, it marked the beginning of the end for an expectation of how the US conducts itself on the global stage – with obvious implications for those of us living in this region.
Mr Cruz, for long a dependable voice for hawkish Republican policy and unwavering support for Israel, found himself cornered. Carlson, representing a surging populist strain of “America First” conservatism that is aligned with President Donald Trump’s political base, was pushing Mr Cruz to properly articulate why it was important for the US to topple the Iranian establishment. The backdrop to this interview had been pressure from senior Republicans in Congress to join Israel’s attack on Iran – championed by Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu – with the stated aim of removing any nuclear threat it poses. Mr Netanyahu, it’s important to point out, also called for ordinary Iranians to rise up against their rulers.
Digging into questions about why America should risk a war with Iran, why its support for Israel needs to always be unconditional and if American interests have been co-opted by the agendas of other nations, Carlson sought a rational explanation for such long-standing beliefs of what was good for the country and its people, despite clear evidence to the contrary.
Instead, Mr Cruz fumbled over his responses. He jumped from religious justifications to security jargon and then to accusations about his interviewer’s motives, including suggesting that anti-Semitism and support for Russian President Vladimir Putin were behind his challenging posture. Mr Cruz came across as highly cynical and manipulative, lacking moral and intellectual depth, while Carlson seemed earnest and committed. It may have been wholly performative, but it still made my jaw drop.
The exchange, quite because it was between two heavyweights from the same political and cultural strata, represents the rupture of a long-assumed ideological and religious alliance between the traditional Republican guard, still clinging to post-9/11 doctrines, and the newer class, increasingly sceptical of endless wars and foreign entanglements following the mistakes in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mr Cruz’s inability to make a sensible case for decades-long foreign policies represents a breaking point for anyone who had still been working under the illusion that there aren’t a multitude of transactional interests at work beyond what might benefit the average American.
History resonates with examples of such stunning revelations.
The one that has a similar cadence comes from the Fourth Crusade, when European knights, on their way to try to reclaim Jerusalem from Muslim control, instead attacked and looted Constantinople – considered then to be the greatest Christian city in the East – in 1204. Fuelled by Venetian debt and Byzantine intrigue, the result was a catastrophic betrayal of values that had stood for more than a century.
In the wake of it, public trust eroded, unity fractured and the Great Crusades were undermined. They were exposed for what they were – political, cynical and morally hollow. It would become increasingly more difficult for people in Europe to justify spending resources, lives and years on a cause so far away from home.
Yet this failure had been years in the making. The corruption of crusader kingdoms in the Holy Land, their inability to survive without external support, evolving military technology and tactics that made battlefield victories harder to attain, as well as political and economic shifts at home had made them more costly and less successful. The early religious fervour for war and its legitimacy in the eyes of the populace had begun to fade.
The Cruz-Carlson interview is revelatory in its own way. It has unequivocally brought to the centre stage the widespread suspicion among Americans in the idea that US involvement in the Middle East is fundamentally necessary or noble. By shining a spotlight on this national mood, it may have contributed to a more limited engagement by Mr Trump over the past week.
The “America First” movement appears to have passed its first major test, on its way to being the loudest voice shaping the future of its country and defining a new paradigm for US support to Israel.
Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Honeymoonish
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The%20Killer
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
