Monday 7 September, 2026

Non-potable Quote of the Day “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” William Faulkner Musical alternative to the morning’s radio news Alison Krauss & Union Station | Dimming Of The Day Link Long Read of the Day ‘Empire’s tolling bell’: What China hears from America This is an interesting essay by Michael Ignatieff speculating on what the Chinese leadership might be thinking as they watch the chaos in Washington. According to a recent Chinese report, the sound that Xi Jing Ping and the Chinese leaders hear when they listen to America is “the heavy and haunting toll of an empire’s evening bell.” What does it mean for the stability of the world when a rising power hears only a melancholy echo of fading power from its once dominant rival? Will this encourage Xi Jing Ping to make a play for global dominance now, or will he bide his time and wait patiently for his rival to collapse? What happens if America comes to believe its power is ebbing away? Does it make peace with its rival…