German men of conscription age will no longer be able to leave the country, according to an item posted on the Daily Romania X account. Since I have never heard of the Daily Romania — I’m more of a Weekly Romania guy — I decided to see if this was true. The truth is a bit more complex.
In Germany, men between the ages of 17 and 45 have to tell the military if they plan to leave the country for more than three months. Really? Forty-five? That suggests Germany, in the event of war, would cut right to the end-stage “conscript the shopkeepers and office managers, and send them into combat with sharpened sticks.” But will it really affect anyone? The Guardian:
The [defense] ministry said it remained largely without consequence for the men in question.
“The regulation already applied during the cold war and had no practical relevance; in particular, it is not subject to sanctions,” the [ministry] spokesperson said.
Well, okay then. But the news was still upsetting to the younger cohort, which protested by placing 150 pairs of empty boots on the Reichstag with a note saying they would not fill them. Kremlin bosses must have smiled a little at that. Ah, it’ll be easier this time.
James looks at other various proposals (Canada, Washington State, California) to discourage outmigration,
aimed mostly at the well-off, for revenue-raising reasons.
Not to beat you over the head with it or anything, but:
Today's headline (and accompanying Getty image) reminisces about the good old days of
East Germany's "Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart".
Also of note:
Who am I to disagree?
Gee, it seems like it's only been a few days … er, because it has only been a few days …
since I
defended Clarence Thomas against
the charge of "making an unhinged rant about 'intellectuals'". Not guilty, your honor.
Idiots don’t update their views about the world when new information comes in. Idiots try to shut down discourse rather than engage with it. Idiots will argue over the definitions of words like “the” and “it.” Idiots will look at something plain and obvious and claim that it’s actually complicated, you see, because if you factor the binomial of quantum rate of the social construct and divide by zero, you’ll discover, like Nietzsche once said, that what is right is right if only what is right is left and what’s left alleviates the burden of the proletariat to the liberation of all peoples, under god, whatever and ever, amen.
Look, the world is a scary and unpredictable place. It is human nature to crave some model to give it some sense of predictability. But, the real problem is that our models of reality also give us an identity and a sense of belonging and fighting for them gives our empty lives a sense of meaning.
(paid link)
Mark's article is full of examples supporting his thesis, and advice on how to avoid being a bleeping idiot. I've added his substack to my reading list, so we'll see how that goes. I might even check out his best-selling book. (Amazon link at your right.)
Coming soon to a university near you.
Andrew Stuttaford previews
Vape Wars.
Over the years, the campaign against smoking degenerated from a much needed educational effort into an assertion of state power, a means of moneygrubbing (both by governments and various anti-smoking activist groups), and an opportunity for moral preening by the fiercer anti-smokers. There are few better examples of this than the way that EU regulators prohibit the sale of Swedish (noncarcinogenic) snus anywhere in the bloc other than in Sweden — a decision, given the close association between snus and low rates of smoking in that country, that will come with a heavy toll.
Another example comes from efforts on both sides of the Atlantic to stigmatize, heavily tax, and restrict access to vapes (for adults), much of which (purportedly) rests on the dangers of nicotine, an addictive substance, to be sure, but one that carries few health risks and far, far fewer than smoking, an argument that this administration understands much better than its predecessor.
The White House is pushing to allow more vape flavors on the market for the first time in years, but Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary opposes the move and is blocking the plan, people familiar with the matter said.
A memo from Makary’s office prevented the authorization of several flavors including menthol, mango and blueberry from Los Angeles-based vape maker Glas, according to agency documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, after FDA scientific reviewers had OK’d the flavors.
“The White House and FDA are completely aligned on expanding the availability of flavored vape products for adults, and adults only,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai. “The Biden administration completely disregarded evidence finding these products are beneficial for adults trying to quit smoking, and the Trump administration remains committed to rectifying this poor policymaking.”
All this led me to check out the University Near Here, and it didn't take long
to find a dire warning from Nancy Bushinsky ("MSW, LICSW, the Alcohol, Nicotine and Other Drug (ANOD) Educator/Counselor at UNH Health & Wellness."):
Nicotine Pouches on Campus: A Hidden Threat to Health & Sustainability.
Ask students about nicotine, and you’ll quickly notice trends have shifted based on which products they mention. Cigarettes and vapes remain, but more students are turning to nicotine pouches—tiny packets sold in round plastic containers under names like Zyn or Velo. Marketed as “tobacco-free”, “smokeless,” and even eco-friendly, pouches are framed as cleaner less risky alternatives. But are they really harmless? And how do they fit—or clash—with campus sustainability goals?
I bet you can guess Nancy's answer to those questions!
Nancy recognizes the problem with prohibiting those pouches, though.
Accountability Matters
While nicotine pouches can be used without detection, undetectable doesn’t mean harmless. Students have a responsibility to hold themselves and each other accountable to the policy, not only out of respect for the rules, but also to protect the well-being of our community, and to contribute to a campus culture that prioritizes health and sustainability.
![[Amazon Link]](/ps/asin_imgs/B019MMUA8S.jpg)
![[The Blogger]](/ps/images/barred.jpg)
