Yesterday, over 250,000 people marched in Amsterdam against the genocide in Gaza. To me, it symbolizes not only a growing number of people here in the Netherlands but also globally who are discontented with their governments' lack of action at best and support at worst of Israel's actions in Palestine. This march very literally showed a quarter of a million very engaged people.

When I encounter people in my daily life who lack empathy with Palestine's plight, I find that it comes from a place of ignorance, racism, misinformation, or all of the above.

I can't entirely pin people's illogical support for Israel, despite its committing genocide, on anti-intellectualism; it is a cornerstone. The trend of people backing ideas, policies, and politicians or even deciding not to vote is rooted in anti-intellectualism and apathy. Parliamentary elections are on the 29th here in the Netherlands, and you better believe I'll be casting my ballot to help stem the tide of right-wing politics here. (Fittingly, stem is the Dutch word for voice and to vote!)

While preparing for this issue, I encountered the usual pro-AI posts & opinions, but actually, more critical articles. (Thus, the theme this week!) At the risk of being a luddite, I remain more than sceptical and actively distancing myself from the downward slide intellectually that AI is facilitating. I'd place myself between the doubters & doomers:

"AI is dividing us into multiple camps: early adopters, skeptics/doubters, doomers/doomsayers, dynamists, effective accelerationists, de-growthers, safety-aligners, human-centered critics/designers, open-source advocates, optimists, regulators, and “normies,” not to mention charlatans and snake oil salesmen." – Hollis Robbins

Yesterday, I read Kyle Chayka's Revenge of Elitism & Nicolas Colin's AI, Productivity, and Prosperity | Economic gains from AI depend on who captures and reinvests them. Both very much worth the click!

And the ephiphany, for this issue at least, was reading Malcom Jenkin's Substack article about Anti-intellectualism is the Pedagogy of the Oppressed:

"In the age of artificial intelligence, where tools like ChatGPT can reinforce narrow perspectives, where deep fakes abound, and where billionaire-owned media dominates, we can’t take anything at face value. We must demand sources and evidence. We must continuously ask why." – Malcom Jenkins

AI is a tool of class subjugation. We're witnessing critical thinking dissolving in modern society & anti-intellectualism continue to gain speed. Books like Paulo Freire's 1968 Pedagogy of the Oppressed continue to offer the advice we need; even 60 years later! [PDF version here.]

An article from The Cut below has tips on incorporating reading into your routine. Educate yourself, reject 'AI-enabled creativity' & make sure to show up and speak out against social injustice, cultural sameness and political ignorance. ✊

Thank you for reading,

Jon

p.s. because I love aphorism lists, this abbreviated collection is from Shane Parrish after his conversation with Barry Diller. You can watch the interview here too.

1. No job is below you.
2. Conflict is better than consensus.
3. Conventional wisdom is uninteresting.
4. Don't treat your job as a stepping stone.
5. To get the job you want, master the one you have.
6. If you don't get what you want, be prepared to walk away.
7. "The world belongs to the discontented." - Robert Woodruff
8. Make all decisions from a place of optimism, not pessimism.
9. "Data can tell you what has happened, not what can or will happen."
10. Most of the time, you don't need to ask for responsibility; you can take it.

p.p.s.

This Thursday is the Amsterdam Edition of the Bike Messenger Film Festival. Swing by! I leave that evening for BESPOKED & will be back for The International Cargo Bike Festival! Hope to see you all one or more of these!

October

• 🇳🇱 8 Wheelrunner Wednesday Ride (Weekly at 6:30am)
• 🇳🇱 9 The Mechanics of Joy Nº49
• 🇳🇱 9 Bike Messenger Film Festival at Workspace 6
• 🇩🇪 10-12 BESPOKED Dresden
• 🇳🇱 13-14 International Cargo Bike Festival, Utrecht
  • FInding Nessie Screenings at the ICBF
• 🇬🇧 21-21 ADE CYCLE | London to Amsterdam
• 🇩🇰 25 Finding Nessie Screening at OMNIUM HQ in Copenhagen
• 🇳🇱 26 AMS CX COMP | HSV DE KAMPIOEN

November

• 🇳🇱 2 AMS CX COMP | LRTV SWIFT – DE BULT LEIDEN
• 🇩🇪 3-4 DT Swiss Craft Days w/ Quirk Cycles
• 🇳🇱 9 AMS CX COMP | HSC DE BATAAF
• 🇬🇧 13-15 Rouleur Live w/ Remco Tools & Gravaa
• 🇳🇱 16 AMS CX COMP | WV DE AMSTEL – OUDERKERK AAN DE AMSTEL
• 🇳🇱 23 AMS CX COMP | WV AMSTERDAM – SPORTPARK SLOTEN
• 🇳🇱 30 AMS CX COMP | FC TRAPPIST – ‘T TWISKE

December

• 🇳🇱 7 AMS CX COMP | ARC ULYSSES
• 🇳🇱 12 Twotone 11 Year Party | Food, beverages, tattoos & live music!
• 🇳🇱 14 AMS CX COMP | ASC OLYMPIA – SPORTPARK SLOTEN
• 🇳🇱 20 AMS CX COMP | ZWC DTS (Evening Edition!)
• 🇳🇱 31 AMS CX COMP | WV AMSTERDAM – SPORTPARK SLOTEN

January

• 🇳🇱 4 AMS CX COMP | UWTC – UITHOORN
• 🇧🇪 16-18 Velofollies

Bikes

The Bicycle as a Vehicle of Protest

International Cargo Bike Festival 2025 Pivots To Professionals As It Returns To Utrecht

Trans Pyrenees Race 2025 Coverage on DotWatcher

Ideas

Video: Building the Next Generation of Micromobility Vehicles

The Revenge of Elitism by Kyle Chayka

The Cut asked book critics, authors, Substackers, New York staffers, and other well-read people how they find the time. 

Friends

Genevieve Stars In IRIS' New Collection Campaign

Joachim Baan On Controlled Chaos, Storytelling, and Building a Meaningful Creative Life

VISUALSANDOVERKILLS

Radness

A Rough Guide To: Hardcore

Thank you very much for reading!
Here's to rejecting AI & embracing intellectualism this week!