Wednesday Night #2237

Among monarchs and presidents, focus of Auschwitz anniversary is on 50 survivors
Former inmates of Nazi concentration camp in Poland speak at ceremony marking 80 years since its liberation
(The Guardian) On Monday, kings and queens, presidents, prime ministers and dignitaries from 54 countries assembled at Auschwitz to mark the 80th anniversary of the death camp’s liberation, but the world’s focus is firmly on its few remaining survivors.
About 50 former inmates were expected to attend the ceremony at the complex in southern Poland where Nazi Germany murdered more than a million people, most of them Jews, but also Poles, Roma and Sinti, Soviet prisoners of war and gay people. …
A recent eight-country survey of the US, UK, France, Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary and Romania found that majorities in all except Romania believed that something like the Holocaust could happen again. Nevertheless, up to a fifth of respondents, especially young adults, believed the numbers of Jews killed had been exaggerated. Significant portions of 18- to 29-year-olds – 46% in France – said they had not heard, or did not think they had heard, of the Holocaust.

At Auschwitz, a Solemn Ceremony at a Time of Rising Nationalism
(NYT) World leaders and a dwindling group of survivors are joining ceremonies to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp by the Red Army.

Happy Chinese New Year and welcome to the Year of the Snake! Although tradition holds that the Year of the Snake brings wisdom, adaptability, and a sense of transformation, in light of current news, we are with Harrison Ford with respect to snakes, and inclined to consider less desirable snake attributes as more fitting.

The New Year is an appropriate moment to examine the future of U.S.-China relations under the new U.S. regime; we suggest starting with an examination of the past.
Mark Leon Goldberg draws an important parallel: Trump 2.0 Will Accelerate China’s Rise–Lessons from the Bush Administration
Thomas Friedman offers an early (December 2024) indication of the decline in the vital exchanges that lead to deepened cultural understanding I Never Felt Like This in China Before.

Israel, Gaza, West Bank
So far it is holding, but many consider that The Israel-Hamas ceasefire is a deal that cannot last and the conduct of some of the parties is not encouraging – Israeli Army Raids Home of Freed Hamas Member Amid Tensions Over Hostage Deal
Trump’s statement that he would like to “just clean out” Gaza, has certainly not been helpful. Nor have Israel’s assaults on the West Bank
Ben Reiff is convincing: Make no mistake: Israel’s far right is planning for a Gaza without Palestinians Despite the ceasefire, Benjamin Netanyahu is capitulating to extremists who have no problem with ethnic cleansing. And they’ve found an ally in Donald Trump
I used to be a great fan of Jeffrey Sachs, but have not followed him for some years. However, I applaud his recent statement during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored in which he argues that “the wars and conflicts in which America has involved itself over the last few decades have one common factor between them; Benjamin Netanyahu” – On Netanyahu, Syria and Israel

Belarus held an election. To nobody’s surprise Alexander Lukashenko is extending his 31-year rule with a massive win in a presidential election on Sunday that Western governments rejected as a sham.

Davos 2025 —Collaboration for the Intelligent Age ended on Friday (24 Jan).
GZERO media reports on the topic of AI and the global economy: AI in 2025: The “new electricity” could create huge economic growth
David Mitchell forwarded a link to (his son) Parker Mitchell‘s brief account of his participation at Davos which led to TIME Magazine What Leadership Looks Like When Everyone Has AI
Founder and current CEO of Valence, Parker visited Wednesday Night many years ago when he was then co-founder of Engineers Without Borders, just starting out on his spectacular career.

Trump Bets It All on OpenAI
Earlier this week, he unveiled perhaps the most ambitious infrastructure project in history—and all but dedicated it to Sam Altman.
The project, known as Stargate, is a joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank, and several other corporate partners that aims to invest $500 billion over the next four years in America’s AI infrastructure: data centers, energy plants, power lines, and everything else needed to develop superintelligent computer programs (See long reads below for Jeremy Kinsman‘s observations regarding the energy-dependent artificial intelligence AI race).
All well and good until the recent emergence of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup claiming it’s developed a top large language model without access to top Nvidia chips or extensive data center infrastructure, has raised questions about the importance of such a massive scale in developing and deploying AI.
If DeepSeek is telling the truth about its breakthrough, that could throw Stargate’s entire premise out the door and reset the AI market entirely. Suddenly, AI demand for data centers could fall through the floor.
We have been waiting to hear from Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, and THE most important non-member of the Tech Titans Club. At last: Bill Gates calls Elon Musk’s embrace of far-right politicians abroad ‘insane shit’. He also explains his own relationship with Trump.

Trump’s fund freeze
Bullies can be beaten!
It took less than 48 hours for the White House to cave to the strong reaction -including court challenge- from Democrats and many others, including strong behind-the-scenes pushback from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
BUT, wait! David A. Graham wants you to know that: There Is a Strategy Behind the Chaos – The drama over federal-grant spending this week isn’t mere disorganization; it’s part of a broader effort to remake the government from the inside.
So heed Charles M. Blow: Stop Feeling Stunned and Wounded, Liberals. It’s Time to Fight Back. and take heart, actively support Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) as she embraces her role as attack dog against Trump

Heather Cox Richardson’s column of January 25, 2025 is devoted to two events that illustrate President Donald Trump’s deliberate demonstration of dominance over Republican lawmakers. The first is the confirmation (only when JD Vance broke the 50-50 tie) of Pete Hegseth as the US defense secretary despite his total lack of qualifications. The second is the ‘late night purge’ of Trump’s firing of some 17 independent inspectors general of U.S. government departments, in line with Project 2025.

Canada
In this week’s column for the Hill Times, Trump’s threat is a wake-up call for Canada, Andrew Caddell traces the history of interprovincial barriers in trade and services and concludes “while there is a clear connection between productivity and internal trade barriers, it is only now—thanks to threats from United States President Donald Trump—that our leaders are giving more than lip service to the idea. … Being a country means making sacrifices, and working together. Trump has now offered us, as Canadians, the opportunity to make the changes to our economy and our mentality that we should have undertaken decades ago. We need to stand up and act.”
Border communities working toward unified message on tariffs
Echoing Peter Frise‘s statements about the interconnectedness of the Detroit/Windsor trade and economies, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says leaders in Canada’s border communities are coming together to put forward a unified message as the threat of U.S. tariffs looms. Part of that, he says, is working to ‘link arms’ with mayors on the other side of the border to ‘activate them to be allies for us.
Wednesday UPDATE: Canada, Mexico can avoid immediate U.S. tariffs with border action but broader review is coming, Trump’s commerce pick says Lutnick said Trump’s Saturday deadline for imposing 25 per cent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico was meant to pressure the two countries to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. The threatened duties are separate from the broad review of U.S. tariffs, trade deals and other trade policy ordered by Trump when he took office last week.
Doug Ford calls for snap election before his record catches up says Campbell Clark.
Luckily, U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to impose tariffs and make Canada the 51st state are just about all anybody can think about right now – and Mr. Ford has cast himself as Captain Canada.
Justice Marie-Josée Hogue issued her seven-volume final report on foreign interference in Canada. Her findings include what she thinks are the greatest threats to Canadian democracy, how federal party leadership contests should be reformed and the challenges associated with interpreting intelligence. She wrote that while foreign states targeting parliamentarians has garnered much attention, the greatest threat to Canadian democracy is the spread of misinformation and disinformation in the media and on social networks.
Coast-to-coast Carney
Liberal caucus members are increasingly rallying around Mark Carney, who has more than doubled the number of endorsements received by top leadership rival Chrystia Freeland. However, all is not smooth sailing in Quebec/Montreal, where he stated that French is on the decline at a visit to a bookstore in Verdun. Reaction was swift and at times explosive. There is also some criticism of his French and especially of the quality of French on his official website. One would think that with the high-powered help he has attracted (Champagne, Joly, Lametti) he would be better served.
Sandy W. posted a fond account of her friendship of many years with Chrystia Freeland, concluding: “I’m telling you she always was, and still is The Smartest Kid In The Room. She would make an AMAZING PM. Our very own Angela Merkel. So I am voting for Chrystia.”
It is good to see that the problem of integrating international medical graduates (IMGs) is being seriously addressed, including André Picard’s recent citation of last October’s report by Independent Senators Maximizing Medical Talent: How Canada can increase the supply of family doctors by 50% quickly and cost effectively.

Varia
A very loud shout-out to Paul Wells for his brilliant The “near abroad” comes home.
First, for his linking of Trump’s threats to the independence of Greenland, the Panama Canal and, yes, Canada with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and, second, the segue to the brilliant NYT columnist William Safire, who also wrote on English usage, and examined the origins of the expression “near abroad”. Third, Wells then constructs the relationship between Trump and Putin as it may relate to above-mentioned Trump threats and explores the relevance of the Monroe Doctrine and the (Teddy) Roosevelt Corollary. Fourth, the icing on the cake: using the clip of Allison Janney as US vice president in the Netflix series The Diplomat to illustrate the vital strategic importance of Greenland. Bravo Mr. Wells!
Some Protestants Felt Invisible. Then Came Bishop Budde.
The bishop asked President Trump publicly to “have mercy,” electrifying some liberal churchgoers in an era dominated by conservative versions of Christianity.
Speaking at a prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington the day after President Trump’s inauguration, she faced the president and made a direct plea: “Have mercy.”
After the service, Mr. Trump called Bishop Budde a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater” in a social media post. His foes immediately hailed her as an icon of the resistance. But for many progressive Christians and their leaders, the confrontation was more than a moment of political catharsis. It was about more than Mr. Trump. It was an eloquent expression of basic Christian theology, expressed in an extraordinarily public forum.
Trump: A Man, a Plan, a Canal, Panama
What the president is after with his pledge to take back the waterway
The dodo bird is extinct. This scientist says she can bring it back.
The company she works for is betting millions it can realize a once-far-fetched idea of “de-extinction.”
Inside, between rows of incubators and microscopes, Beth Shapiro and her team are attempting a feat straight out of science fiction: reviving the dodo, a bird that’s been extinct for more than three centuries.
A growing group of scientists is trying to bring back extinct animals, an idea that is drawing closer than ever because of recent advances in gene editing.
Quebec snowbirds fleeing Sunshine State in droves due to high costs, weak loonie
Many are selling their U.S. properties, migrating back north

From Byron, a most enjoyable diversion Today begins a new lunar year

What’s behind the rising cost of your pet’s care? (YouTube)
In a special joint investigation by The Fifth Estate, Marketplace and Radio-Canada’s Enquête and La Facture, we investigate what is driving up your bills.
Marketplace reveals the growing number of vet clinics being bought by international corporations across the country and reveals how those takeovers drive up cost of care across Canada.
Pet Care Inc  (CBC) The cost of owning a pet has skyrocketed. Independent vet clinics are being gobbled up by multinational corporations and private equity and some workers say it’s about profit.
You need to be careful about the future of your sector and the future of veterinary care.
[Steven D’Souza] We’ll show you what happens when multinational corporations and private equity take over your local vet clinic.
And we’ll take you inside the battle over who can sell you pet medicine.
Why do they want to shut you down? They want to keep vet medication only being sold in vet clinics.
How far will companies go to profit off your love for your pet?

Long reads
Paul Wells: The “near abroad” comes home.
Ezra Klein is focused on Donald Trump’ relationship with the ‘attention titans’
Trump Has Something He Would Like to Bring to Your Attention
Attention, not money, is now the fuel of American politics.
See also Attention Is Power (long podcast)
Ezra Klein with MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes on why attention has become more valuable than money in politics.
Trump Has Something He Would Like to Bring to Your Attention
We’ve been warned for decades that America is or is becoming an oligarchy. But something has felt different about the early days of President Trump’s second term, and I think it’s this: Attention, not cash, is the form of power that most interests him.
‘We’re watching mass delusion happen’: Trump’s return to White House brings cascade of lies
In first week in office, president has made false claims on topics from immigration and economy to Panama canal
Jeremy Kinsman‘s Falsehoods, Boasts and Bravado: The Surreal Launch of the Second Trump Presidency
…Energy domination ambition partly explains Trump’s determination of a “national energy emergency”, that makes “drill, baby, drill” his energy mantra. The US leads the world in oil and gas production but needs more to win the energy-dependent artificial intelligence AI race with China.
Consumption of US energy by AI data centres has risen from 1.9% of US electricity use in 2018 to 4.4% in 2023, and could rise to as high as 12% in 2028. Oil and gas production at 13 million barrels a day is already shy of US energy needs, causing the US to import 8.5 million barrels a day, with Canada being the largest source. …
Robert Reich: Trump’s crypto-ligarchy
It will blow up in his face — and possibly take the financial system with it

We conclude with Peter Berezin’s Thought Of The Day: The AI Meltdown – Two Economic Terms To Remember
Just because a new technology lifts productivity does not mean it will lift profits. The internet is a classic example. The rollout of the internet helped boost US productivity growth by about one percentage point between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s (Chart 1). However, it was only around the mid-2000s that companies started making serious money from the internet, by which point the dotcom bubble had already burst and productivity growth had started to go back down.
In other words, the productivity preceded the profits by 10 years!
When tech companies finally did figure out how to monetize the internet, they did so by harnessing two economic forces that allowed them to create natural monopolies for their businesses: 1) network effects; and 2) economies of scale.
Network effects stem from the fact that certain technologies become increasingly attractive when more people use them. Social media platforms are a classic example: Lots of people use Facebook and Instagram because many other people use them.
Bitcoin is another example. People value Bitcoin simply because other people value Bitcoin. There is nothing special about Bitcoin’s algorithm other than it was the first to come on the scene.
Network effects tend to apply to software in general. I am currently typing this note on a Windows PC – not because I like Windows but because that is what most of my colleagues use.
The problem for large language models is that they do not benefit from network effects to any great degree. If I use ChatGPT, it does not really matter to me if others use it too.
This brings me to the second force that sustains tech profits: economies of scale. Economies of scale occur in cases where there are high fixed costs and low marginal costs. Again, software is a good example: It takes a lot of money to produce a good piece of software but once the code is written, creating additional copies is almost costless.
Large language models do not fit neatly into this fold. As it turns out, creating large language models may not be that expensive (especially if they are based on open source technologies). In contrast, using them on an ongoing basis is expensive, not just because of the pricey chips required for inference, but also because of the energy costs needed to run all those data centers where those chips are housed.
In that respect, large language models are a lot like airlines. Airlines are indispensable for global commerce but never seem to make much money because of their high operating costs and the fact that they are largely indistinguishable from one another.
A few weeks ago, Sam Altman admitted that OpenAI is losing money on its $200 per month ChatGPT Pro plan. However, he spun this news in a positive light, emphasizing that OpenAI was losing money on the service only because people were using it so much. This raises the question: When will OpenAI be able to eventually raise prices to cover its costs? As the fracas over DeepSeek reveals, the answer may be “not anytime soon.”