The Third Slip: Issue 188 - Injecting hope in vain
Hello, Slippers! Welcome to The Third Slip - the weekly newsletter that’s like your mask. It helps you traverse the crazy world outside, and relays the unfiltered truth about how you’re doing right to your nose. It’s a massive pain in your ear, but it’s elastic enough to make you comfortable. And in all honesty, it should be updated more than once a week but this is the best we can do.
This is issue 188. 1, 8 and 8, of course, is an accurate explanation of how the lockdown has gone for half of us. “What did you do since March?” “One ate and ate!”. Meanwhile, the other half has gotten insanely fit. So much so that if you were to dream up a scenario where you put one TTS author each on either side of a see-saw, this would be the first time that we are perfectly balanced and floating in the air. We don’t know why you are dreaming up scenarios involving us, but hey, what you do in your own free time is none of our business. Unlike the news...
Have we peaked your interest?
Let’s start with some uncharacteristically good news. Even as cases are surging in the US & Europe, it looks like our country’s cases have peaked, and things could be okay by Feb 2021. Industry seems upbeat too. Tech companies are hiring again. Bored middle-class folks are splurging during e-comm festival sales. Even auto is going to see its highest output in 2 years. Your friend who has never invested in their life has missed the best window of the decade. In the middle of all this, a low-cost test from IIT KGP has been approved, and Remdesivir becomes the first Covid drug to get FDA approval.
Okay, we’re sorry for subjecting you to that much good news so early in an issue. We’ll try our best to not repeat - so now let’s balance things out.
Who knew the V in EVM stood for vaccine?
E-comm sales might be upon us, but the mother of all exchange offers is actually being made by the BJP, promising free vaccines for all in the state if it comes to power. And now there’s outrage. We’re not sure why - it’s not like the BJP has ever kept any of their electoral promises that don’t involve vilifying minorities. So calm down, all you wokesters. Bihar, like the rest of us, is likely to struggle with vaccine delivery.
Illustration by Harini Kannan
Bungled desh no more
How poetic that the NRC controversy is having wind taken out of its sails: Not because the BJP came to its senses, but because Bangladesh’s better economy means they don’t need to illegally migrate here in the first place. Maybe they’ll want to plan a ban on us now (or at least the pollutants we keep sending their way).
What else
Disagreeculture: Rajasthan & Punjab reject the new farm laws.
Congress ke (left) haath: In Bengal, INC & the Left have a ‘pact’ to team up and beat the Trinamool. We know how this turned out last time. CoughUPA1cough
Thought for food: In case the heady sensex and hiring numbers are cheering you up, remember 72% of our countrymen can’t afford a nutritious diet.
ICU on your way out: The doctor who dared contradicted the UP Police on the Hathras rape case has been predictably sacked.
Visarjan: As the US makes visas harder, India’s making them easier.
The US Elections
Okay, we don’t want to sound too optimistic, but it looks increasingly likely that Joe Biden will be America’s next President. Actually, in words that actually matter: It looks like Donald Trump will not continue to be America’s president.
Millions have already voted, the lines are long in what is becoming the biggest turnout since 1908. As the virus continues to surge, it’s clear the average American isn’t too fussed about who the Supreme Court nominee is. Trump calling the country’s top infectious disease expert an idiot is unlikely to help his image. Trump’s campaign is actually running out of funds (while Biden’s rakin’ it in), his Republican bros are distancing themselves (metaphorically, if not physically), and even right-wing disinformation proponents are preparing for life after their beloved Orange. And despite Iran & Russia’s efforts to interfere, it looks like it’s gonna be Joe. Of course, if Biden wins, he might find beating Trump was the easy part. And if Trump wins, the rest of the world is just going to move on.
I’m feeling antitrusty
It’s happened! The US government has filed an antitrust case against Google - saying it abuses its monopoly power and quashes competition. Google will obviously fight back because it got a lot of lawyers in exchange for all those ‘Don’t Be Evil’ signs. This case is not going to end cleanly - it’s quite different from the traditional antitrust cases, and the fact is most people still do prefer Google (or maybe they don’t have a choice). There are many memories of the Microsoft-Internet Explorer case from the late 90s. But either way, it’s worth reflecting on how Google searches themselves have changed over time and push people to ‘paid’ options.
Other things
Growing viral: China’s economy is not just growing, it’s freaking thriving. And unlike people recovering from Covid, the economy is not showing any signs of fatigue.
Francis v/s Franchise: The Pope is okay with same-sex unions, but the Kerala Catholic Bishop’s Council refuses to budge from their regressive position.
Winter of this content: FB’s Supreme Court arrives - this is a worthy experiment on how a reasonably neutral body can regulate content.
Jair ho!: Bolsanaro’s popularity surges, proving that the pandemic has acted as a shot in the arm for authoritarians.
Thai thai phiss: Thailand protests have unnerved the PM, who tried to make peace with protestors, but he’s still not quitting as demanded by the protesters.
Greyhound: Pak returns to terror watchdog FATF’s ‘grey list’, which is strange considering that our barometer for measuring this indicates otherwise. Yes, England is most likely touring Pak early in 2021 for a cricket series for the first time in 15 years.
#endSARS: A campaign in Nigeria to end police brutality is now finding celebrity support.
LinkedOut
Biology is having its industrial revolution
Clearly, ‘secular’ is a bad word now
25 moments in tech from the last 25 years.
Sunita Narain on possible solutions to crop burning
The astonishing resurgence of Microsoft.
The Ken did an amazing graphic novel-like thing. Please read. The product head already scolded one of our authors for sharing the wrong link on Twitter :’(
That’s all for this week. If you’d like, you can get in touch: Instagram (Chuck | Tony), Twitter (Chuck | Tony), email. And again, if you REALLY like us and can afford to, consider supporting us on UPI, Instamojo or Patreon. Until next week, may the scales that are weighing you down fall from your eyes. Bye!