Earlier this year my kid brother, Rich, took his own life. Rich loved this country and devoted his adult life to its defense, first as a combat infantry officer in the Army, during which time he fought in Iraq, then as part of the US Intelligence Community, where he served in a covert capacity until his suicide. He will be missed by his three kids who brought light to his dark inner world, by their mom who tried tirelessly to help him, and by the warfighters and intelligence officers who operated steadfastly alongside him. I don’t pretend to understand the range of factors that produced this tragic result. What’s clear, though, is that combat exacted a heavy toll on Rich’s mental health and changed him in profound ways. He hid his anguish behind smiles and jokes and hid it well. Most were never aware of his struggle. But those closest to Rich observed that, over the years, he was increasingly haunted by flashbacks, became ever more hypervigilant and detached, and sunk deeper into negative thoughts about the world and his place in it. For many of us, war is distilled into words and images that we consume on social media. We remark upon it with concern, but have the luxury of setting the unpleasantness aside. The horrors touch them, way over there. Those on the front lines have an entirely different experience. They don’t forget the sight of men they’ve come to consider brothers, torn apart; the smell of burning flesh in an exploded car; the sound of grenades, hurled at them, detonating nearby. We can’t expect our warfighters to snap back to their former selves after being steeped in such brutal violence. Too often they don’t. My brother was just one of a significant minority of combat vets from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who carried the hell of war back home. To honor Rich, I’ve set up a gofundme for The Boulder Crest Foundation (@BoulderCrestPTG). Since 2013, this charity has helped more than 100,000 veterans, active servicemembers, and first responders transform their struggle with trauma into strength. Their Warrior PATHH training includes a 7-day in-person retreat, followed by 90 days of support and accountability. It is offered to participants at no cost. I wish my brother had the opportunity to be part of this program. If you can, please join me in supporting the brave men and women who have made enormous sacrifices on our behalf. I will match all contributions up to $10,000. Thank you for taking the time to consider this cause, it means a great deal to me. gofund.me/bf1e6fbb

Again the flip flopping of the tech right on this has been hilarious to watch and also completely predictable.

Your stocks went DOWN because AI stocks went UP So naturally you thought that your stocks would go UP when AI stocks went DOWN! You thought wrong, you dumb bitch!

[scuttleslops] $AMZN, $CME, $IQV, $WIX, $SNOW, $VEEV, $GWRE classic scuttleblurb.com/scuttleslop… substack scuttleblurb.substack.com/p/…

I have never once in my life encountered someone expressing this sentiment. Either I live in quite a bubble, or Ezra Klein does.

$vrsk [VRSK] Verisk has standards classic scuttleblurb.com/vrsk1 s ub st ack scuttleblurb.substack.com/p/…

This is an actual page on the White House web site. It reads like something written about a third world dictator. So embarrassing. I have not seen any branch of the federal government sink this low in my lifetime.

Hunter Biden is straight up a MAGA whisperer 😭😭. Like those tv shows where an animal expert calms down a rabid dog.

"Late Kakistocracy" is that phase of democratic decline where the regime starts running out of ppl who will work for it, and so the folks who aren't qualified for their current positions are promoted to even larger positions for which they are even more unqualified

$iac and $mgm update: part 2 classic: scuttleblurb.com/iac-mgm-2 substack: scuttleblurb.substack.com/p/…

The very first scuttleslop! Let me know what you think. [scuttleslops] $SPOT, $UMG, $TXN, $SPGI, $TRU, $ADSK, $MTCH, $CSGP, $DLTR classic: scuttleblurb.com/scuttleslop… substack: scuttleblurb.substack.com/p/…

GMO seeing EM outperform finally, but it's because of growth, not value

"its not tremendous value, but this is a free addition to scuttleblurb, i dont think its negative value...." - @jerrycap

America's cultural ideal has been the self-made entrepreneur while Europe's was rooted in aristocracy, with status inherited rather than earned. Europe's inheritance laws show this divide. Many European countries have "forced heirship" laws that require people to leave 50-75% of their estates to their children. Want to leave the majority of your wealth to charity? not allowed. Your kids are estranged from you, struggling with addiction, or irresponsible? still required to give them the money. Want your kids to avoid a life of entitlement? tough. Incredibly, these laws look back at transfers made during your lifetime. If you have 3 children in France, you're required to bequeath them a minimum of 75% of your estate. Because French law calculates this based on your assets at death plus all lifetime gifts, giving away more than 25% of your wealth while alive means your heirs can legally sue to force charities or foundations to return the funds. This has limited the development of the nonprofit sector on the continent. The cultural gap between an entrepreneurial society and one shaped by dynastic wealth is enormous. If you make it yourself, you tend to want your kids to do the same. If you inherit it, the primary goal is protecting the estate for the next gen. Countries like Spain, France, and Italy legally entrench family dynasties, while America has historically sought to limit them through estate taxes. The result is not only a weaker culture of philanthropy and civil society in Europe, but also less economic dynamism.