The Atlantic Monthly has been granted intimate access to MBS and his mindset in the last wo years. This article is a great follow up to the Saudi book and the future of the USA and Saudi Arabia and MBS. Also it highlights how our government has in how to deal with autocratic regimes in the modern world. Link to this article.

Mike's excellent Recap of Tuchman's Stillwell book lead to a great dsicsusioin last evening.

Below: Nanjing Massacre Monument

Another interesting historical record that Tuchamn recounted in her book that we did not bring up last night was the viciousness and horror of the Japanese attack in China, especially in places like Nanjing, but really throughout China.

If you are trying to understand modern Chinese 'culture' I think that the ruthless Japanese attack in this period as well as the result of the Opium wars are dominant forces even today. There are two other strong memes driving Chinese culture that she hints at, but we can save those for another time and book.

added by Gary Doolittle 2-12-2022