America Needs a Mass Movement—Now
It’s not too late. But it sure feels like tipping points are scary close. What will stop America from sinking into autocracy?
From Weekly Filet #547, in October 2025.
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Nothing matters more than what you pay attention to.
Welcome to my little corner of the internet. I'm David, a journalist and a curious generalist.
The Weekly Filet is my humble part in the necessary rebellion against the enshittification of the greatest information ecosystem we've ever had.
We live in an age where trustworthy and substantial information is hard to come by.
- Sloppy AI content is flooding the zone.
- Autocrats and their billionaire friends attack free speech and undermine any sense of shared reality.
- Entertainment is where the money flows, while serious news organisations and journalists struggle.
If we don't actively resist, all of this is imposed on us through hyperpersonalised, superaddictive feeds.
They are convenient. And they work so well because they show you what you already like, confirm what you already believe, and get you enraged about what you're convinced is wrong.
Real value, though, comes from things that make you pause. That invite you to take a different perspective. That make you rethink.
That pause and the brief moment of reflection is a win in itself, always. Sometimes, though, it's the seed that grows into something bigger. Changes in how you see the world and how you choose to act often start with that one irritation: Huh, I never thought of it that way!
It comes down to this: Nothing matters more than what you pay attention to. Where you invest your time, what you open your heart and your mind to.
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2852 recommended links since 2011
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10 questions to answer before you die
One day after I had read this and had earmarked it for the newsletter, I learned that a colleague of mine, barely older than myself, had died unexpectedly. A terrible reminder that it’s never too early to prepare. Quite likely, none of these ten questions will be new to you. And yet chances are, you haven’t found answers and made arrangements for all of them – I know I haven’t. While some only take a few clicks, others require time and mental space – both of which I’m not overly keen on spending on contemplating my own death. But one day, it will be too late.
From Weekly Filet #547, in October 2025.
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How One Snail Inspired Two Novels on Two Different Continents
What a beautiful conversation. Six years ago, Ed Yong wrote a story about the life and death of a snail. An endling, that’s the term for the last surviving member of a species. That story inspired two women, unbeknownst to one another, to write novels, both with the same title: Endling. Here, they meet for the first time.
From Weekly Filet #547, in October 2025.
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Has Trump Brought Peace to Gaza?
It was obviously absurd to even consider Donald Trump as a potential recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. However, with a ceasefire and peace plan in effect, you might still have wondered in how far Trump deserves credit for bringing peace to Gaza. I found this analysis illuminating. The argument: Yes, Trump was uniquely positioned to force a peace agreement – for all the worst reasons («the bond of authoritarianism and corruption»). For now, let’s take it («He can do it. He is doing it. And I’m glad he’s doing it.»).
From Weekly Filet #547, in October 2025.
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The Electric Slide
One beast of an article (my reading app says 2 hours and 34 minutes), but you’ll take away some «Huh, I never thought of it that way!» moments from reading the introduction alone – so I highly recommend you at least do that. The author argues that we might be looking at the race for AI dominance all wrong. Yes, the US is leading the race in building artificial intelligence. But what if the intelligence part won’t matter all that much – and instead it will be all about the electric hardware stack, where China is far ahead of everyone else?
From Weekly Filet #547, in October 2025.
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The product of the railways is the timetable
A nerdy observation, but a consequential one. And what are we here for if not nerdy, consequential «Huh, I never thought of it that way!» moments?
From Weekly Filet #546, in October 2025.
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The 25 Most Interesting Ideas I’ve Found in 2025 (So Far)
A very nice collection of charts and observations, each of which can serve as a starting point for further exploration.
From Weekly Filet #546, in October 2025.
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Sigur Rós – Ára Bátur (Royal Albert Hall London)
Last Friday, I got to see Sigur Rós live at Royal Albert Hall in London – truly a once in a lifetime experience. The culmination of a breathtaking two-hour show was the rarely performed Ára Bátur featuring a children’s choir and the massive pipe organ. No recording can do this performance justice, but I invite you to dive in nonetheless.
From Weekly Filet #546, in October 2025.
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5 Wars That Experts Fear Could Start in the Next 5 Years
«The rise of new disruptive technologies and asymmetric advantages (…) will likely make the years ahead more unstable in ways that haven’t been considered.» As compared to the…checks notes…very stable and peaceful times in 2025, that is 😬
From Weekly Filet #546, in October 2025.
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Planet Money is Making a Board Game
The makers of the best economics podcast bar none have set out to create a board game. The only little problem (and what makes this making-of interesting to listen to): They have never made a game before, let alone a popular one. Their starting point: a Nobel Prize winning paper about the asymmetry of information in the used car market.
From Weekly Filet #546, in October 2025.
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