It's our duty to constantly learn, question and discover. Join me in doing just that. Weekly takes on what's going on in our world from an independent perspective. "The wise learn from every person" - Ben Zoma
To a year of independent thought! Happy New Year!
Well, I was on vacation at work.Hey Reader, Welcome back to my newsletter. It's no secret I've been away for a bit. Literally and figuratively. For the first time since having my child I went away alone with my wife. Then Q4 ramped up where big things were happening. Oh yeah, by the way check out my full time gig. I don't do this full time, eCommerce is my gig. We have an storefronts on Amazon and on our own. But rest assured, I've been just as plugged in to the world around me. Fun Fact: @teamdean2024 followed me for 24 hours or so. I tee-ed up a few different perspectives on some things I observed and thought of sharing with my TEN (that's right, we're now in double digits) subscribers. Truly you guys are my base of support. While they not be the most timely perspectives, I think they nonetheless show a larger point about the world we live in. Not to overwhelm you I'll be spreading these out over the next few newsletters (just like before December). Without further ado. Here's the first one. "From the River to the Sea:" There was a HUGE mishap yesterday where a translator translated Netanyahu's words as "From the River to the Sea." This is a very common chant we hear at Pro-Palestine rallies. The fundamental question here, is this necessarily anti-Semitic? Or generally speaking, is it necessarily racist.
The College Presidents: Literally on the way to the airport, I was listening to this testimony. The past few weeks supplies more than enough fodder, from testimony, to reactions, to Ackman. And that fodder shall come in that independent, thought provoking-esque Charles Chakkalo way you graciously allow for me to provide to you.
Amazon and the pool-side data breach: My full time gig mainly selling on Amazon consumes most of my life. While on vacation last month, there was a rumor going around that Amazon experienced a data breach and "everyone should check their Amazon accounts for unauthorized purchases." I literally heard two women saying this in multiple places over the course of two hours. But I found no verifiable source! Had the rumor been true, it literally would've affected me greatly. More on this later. Israel on Trial, for Genocide: At the ICJ, South Africa thought they'd be macho and sue Israel for breaching the genocide convention. I literally sat and watched all the six plus hours of oral arguments to immerse myself in both sides (isn't that what we're all about?!) of this suit.
Record number of Independents: Shout out to Gallup and Mohamed Yunis's poll work. Unsurprisingly, people are becoming frustrated with the stupidity of the two parties here in the US. On the positive side (literally) people are identifying as independents/unaffiliated at an all time high. Well, that's good news. There is yet more of a craving for centrism and moderation. As before, more on this later. I loved this so much I pinned it to my X profile. What a platform.
My take on Iowa & New Hampshire. In one word, altruistic. The second before Iowa, Chis Christie (I just can't get over that name. Imagine his parents while naming him. They knew there last name was Christie. Were they just like, "hey it'll be funny if ....") bowed out to tip whatever momentum he had, to Haley. DeSantis fell on his own sword a mere 24ish hours before the New Hampshire polls opened, racing to endorse Trump. At least there's one common theme here, considering what the populous wants. DeSantis could've spoiled New Hampshire like he did Iowa, but he didn't. In all honesty, after he hit all 99 counties in Iowa, he earned it to stay in the race. Christie could've rotted Haley's win in one Iowa district (I mean she won by one vote), but didn't. If Christie didn't bow out he could've spoiled New Hampshire and the coveted independent votes.
While a Young Turk, at least she was honest: Ana had the journalistic honesty to call out the crazies on her side. Respect. A ton of people hide behind a veil of "I'm not pro-Hamas, but pro-Palestine." Coincidentally, the positions they take happen to be pro-Hamas.
Almost always, those cowards are on the left. Ana Kasparian of The Young Turks, a very left leaning channel, called out the leftists that flaunt their approval of Hamas. It was refreshing to see some semblance of sanity (on either end of the ideological spectrum, here it happens to be the left). Fareed Zakaria and the Middle East Special + Today's analysis on the Israel-Gaza War: Over the past month, Fareed Zakaria heavily covered the Middle East at large, and worked in an Israel focus. While, in my opinion, he skews to the left ideologically, in this coverage, I think he reported right down the reasonable and centrist middle.
I'm going to finish up these points and get these into your inbox as soon as I have the finishing touches. I'm hoping they'll add perspective and value to your thoughts on what's going on in the world around us. Here's to promoting conversation, centrism and the exploration of ideas. As my friend Romeen told me: "As the year ended, I took a break from writing for ... weeks. I'm excited to get back into it in 2024 and reconnect with many of you - I can't promise that I'll be writing weekly, but I can promise that I enter your inbox, I'll always try to share insights that pushes your thinking forward." Missed me too much? Follow me on X (Twitter). It's a world I dip in and out of. Or if you're more into video, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube shorts. I invite dialogue. Reply to this email, let me know your thoughts. Disagree, compliment, or insult me. All is welcomed! |
No one knows anything. Keep learning. Stay curious. Never stop questioning.
P.S - If you think a friend would enjoy this, forward them a copy! Have them subscribe at Chakkalo.com! P.S.S - Did you miss any of the past newsletters? Check all my past posts out here. 569 Ave Y, Brooklyn, NY 11235 |
Charles Chakkalo
It's our duty to constantly learn, question and discover. Join me in doing just that. Weekly takes on what's going on in our world from an independent perspective. "The wise learn from every person" - Ben Zoma
Dear Reader, As we approach the one-year mark since the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, I find myself reflecting on the horror, the trauma, and the twisted celebration of violence that has since unfolded. My family was in Israel that day, and the fear that gripped me is something I’ll never forget. It’s a fear that echoes the centuries of persecution my people have faced, even as we’ve sought refuge in Western democracies. This video is in podcast form too. A...
In my newsletter last night I reported that Donald Trump was shot at and his most recent assassination attempt. That was incorrect, my, my apologies. A big thank you to Pete for pointing that out. Apparently in the haste of the aftermath and me trying to get this letter and me trying to get this letter out, I missed that nuance. Donald Trump was not shot at this week, but there was an apparent assassination attempt on him. On September 15, 2024, an individual armed with a rifle was spotted...
To: Reader Sorry guys, I forgot to change the subject line this week. Excuse the double send! Harris’s Scripted Victory, Terrorist Retribution, and a Near Miss for Trump Hi Reader, This week, we witnessed political theater, justice served in blood, and a near-fatal assassination attempt that barely raised eyebrows. Here’s my raw take on this week’s top headlines—unfiltered and as real as it gets: The Presidential Debate: Did Harris Really Win? Everyone’s talking about Kamala Harris “winning”...