Current Information#
Time Period: 24/12/02-08
Keywords: Sanctions, Time Management, Job Background Check, Wage—Price Spiral, Nobel Prize in Economics, Double Standards, Workers, South Korean Coup, Communication
Table of Contents#
- 【WSJ: China Learns from Russia on How to Respond to Comprehensive Sanctions】（https://x.com/jefflijun/status/1863425185744838914?s=61）
- 【High Efficiency Period】（https://ashore.io/journal/crossover-creativity/poisoning-the-day）
- 【Job Hunting Notes on Reverse Background Check Companies】(https://www.huazhuhui.fun/archives/lfE5C09D)
- 【Your Unlimited Low Prices Erode Other People's Wages】（https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/s7K87Rbzv-YVBTIU3Fj-5g）
- 【The 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics is Worthless】（https://prologue.dev/blog/the-nobel-prize-for-economics-in-2024-is-worthless）
- 【Xu Jilin: Wu Liufang's Ban is Lifted, I've Also Increased My Attention to Her】（https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/fsKNm2IrCdZE_lEyqZNHpw）
- 【Feature Article: The Accidental Death of a Returning Migrant Worker: After Ten Years of Working in the City, the Couple Returns to the Village to Farm, and the Wife is Caught in a Harvester】（https://www.sohu.com/a/832298710_116237）
- 【The U.S. Closely Watches Samsung's Major Strike, Uncovering a Deeply Taboo Issue for Korean Companies｜Cultural Perspective】（https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/2IwRGgGa4hKGKK9PEfn98Q）
- 【Analysis of the South Korean Presidential System Since the 1980s】（https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/EOlfhika0GsiU1zIxn7_PA）
- 【Life is Like Carrying a Heavy Load Over Long Distances】（http://www.qncd.com/?p=10958）
- 【What is the Best Group Size for Scientific Communication, and Why is it Two People?】（https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_hhCVsQ1eGeMMQ0X0VVv4w）
#1【WSJ: China Learns from Russia on How to Respond to Comprehensive Sanctions】#
Excerpt#
【1】A few months after Russia's full-scale invasion, China established a cross-departmental group to study the impact of sanctions and regularly report to the leadership. The group reports to Vice Premier He Lifeng, who is responsible for economic and financial affairs.
【2】Throughout the Ukraine war, the Russian economy has shown remarkable resilience, until recently when new signs of collapse emerged under pressure.
【3】Chinese officials regularly visit Moscow to meet with the Russian central bank, the Ministry of Finance, and other agencies involved in counter-sanctions to learn from their experiences. For China, Russia is essentially a "sandbox" for understanding how sanctions work and how to manage them.
【4】One area of particular concern for China is the over $3.3 trillion in foreign exchange reserves. After the invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and its allies froze Russian assets abroad. Beijing is actively seeking ways to diversify its foreign exchange reserves and move away from dollar-denominated assets like U.S. Treasury bonds.
【5】An important lesson China learned from Russia's experience is the importance of preparedness. Before the war, Russia sought to diversify its foreign exchange reserves, de-dollarize its economy, and build domestic financial channels. Although the success of these initiatives has been mixed, they helped protect the Russian economy and bought it time to adapt.
【6】Another lesson for China is the value and limitations of alliances. The U.S., U.K., EU, and other allies worked together to expel major Russian banks from the global financial settlement network SWIFT and implemented a price cap on oil. In response, Russia strengthened its ties with China, Iran, and North Korea.
【7】As a manufacturing powerhouse, China also learned about the potential pitfalls of being connected to global supply chains from Russia's experience. When sanctions hit, Moscow found itself lacking self-sufficiency, leading to shortages and temporary shutdowns in entire industries like automotive manufacturing. When Russian automakers later resumed production, the cars they initially produced lacked airbags and other safety features due to a shortage of parts.
【8】In countering embargoes, Russia utilized a network of tankers not belonging to Western countries or insured by Western companies. More than half of Russia's maritime oil is now transported by a "shadow fleet." Russia also found a route to acquire Western embargoed goods through former Soviet republics, ranging from luxury cars to dual-use military goods like chips.
Notes#
China and Russia have formed a de facto political and economic alliance, with several satellite countries such as North Korea and Belarus. The international political landscape, centered around U.S.-China relations, has divided into a confrontation between two major camps.
#2【High Efficiency Period】#
Excerpt#
In a 24-hour day, you cannot maintain focus all the time.
A person's high-efficiency period can only last for a while each day before it disappears and cannot be restored. So, if at some point you cannot maintain focus, do not keep trying; accept this fact and turn to do something simpler that does not require as much concentration.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once said, "I like to hold important meetings at 10 a.m. If it gets to 5 p.m., my mind can't think of anything, and I can only push things to the next day at 10 a.m."
Therefore, your best choice is to complete as much work as possible early in the day. During this time, limit external distractions and tackle difficult tasks until you feel fatigued. When you feel tired and unable to maintain focus, do not resist it; postpone unfinished tasks to the next day, turn to simpler tasks, or simply do nothing.
Some people wake up early every day to focus on work. One of my friends prefers to work intensely from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. They both avoid the peak daytime hours: the hot weather, everyone is busy, and information is flying everywhere. Even if you are highly capable, you cannot escape external distractions at this time.
Remember, every day when you wake up, time passes second by second, and you do not know how long your energy will last. What you need to do is ask yourself: How much can you accomplish before you can no longer maintain focus?
Notes#
Everyone's high-efficiency period is different. Some are in the early morning, some in the afternoon, and some late at night. I also find it difficult to concentrate once my high-efficiency period has passed.
#3【Job Hunting Notes on Reverse Background Check Companies】#
Excerpt#
Before the Interview
Step 1: Check Professional Websites
Channels:
Tianyancha, Qichacha, Aiqicha, National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System
If you see these situations, run away quickly!!!
- Check the establishment date: It's best not to go to newly established small companies, as they have low risk resistance and may go bankrupt while you're working there.
- Check the paid-in capital: Note that it is not the registered capital, but the paid-in capital!! If it is less than 500,000, it's not recommended to go.
- Personnel scale: Companies with fewer than 20 employees often have multiple roles for one person, making it inconvenient for future job changes, so it's not recommended to go.
- Check the number of insured individuals: A company with zero insured individuals is definitely a garbage company.
- Check legal disputes: Focus on whether there are labor or contract disputes.
- Check shareholder information: Frequent changes in shareholders are not a good sign.
- Check operational risks: Avoid companies with various operational violations.
Step 2: Determine if the Job Description (JD) is Reliable
Channels:
Boss Zhipin, Zhilian Recruitment, 51Job, and other recruitment software
Note:
The job JD refers to the job description. Pay attention to whether the job description matches the job title, whether the salary structure is clearly indicated, and whether the salary range is too broad.
Step 3: Check the Company's Reputation Online
Channels:
Xiaohongshu, Zhihu, Maimai, Zhiyouji, news platforms, WeChat search
Inquiry Methods:
① Use Maimai/Xiaohongshu to post: Does anyone know about this company?
② Search for the company on various platforms to see if there are current employees sharing their experiences.
#4 【Your Unlimited Low Prices Erode Other People's Wages】#
Excerpt#
Under multiple pressures, Zhang Liang's company experienced losses in the second half of this year. He could only force workers to voluntarily resign by reducing their working hours, ultimately achieving a reduction in capacity.
Some companies use "shared gig workers" to cut costs, while others are turning their attention to college graduates.
Due to the volatility of export orders, rising labor costs, and the increasing awareness of workers' rights, the trend of gig work in manufacturing has expanded in recent years.
Notes#
China is often mocked on foreign networks as a "human rights lowland." For lower-level workers, lacking union protection, no collective wage negotiations, and not being able to pay social security without working, how can there be any talk of development rights? Chinese companies like to "compete on low prices," which reflects on grassroots employees, ultimately eroding the income, families, and futures of these lower-level workers!
#6 【Xu Jilin: Wu Liufang's Ban is Lifted, I've Also Increased My Attention to Her】#
Notes#
Even former Olympic champions and athletes who represented the country have fallen into a relatively tragic fate, what about ordinary people? People condemn her from a moral standpoint, but what about the thousands of fringe streamers on the platform? One cannot have double standards.
#7 【Feature Article: The Accidental Death of a Returning Migrant Worker: After Ten Years of Working in the City, the Couple Returns to the Village to Farm, and the Wife is Caught in a Harvester】#
Excerpt#
The wife has left forever, the harvester driver was fined and sentenced, and Lao Ma is unclear about the driver's later fate, but their family's life has been completely changed.
In May of this year, in Songjiaping Village, Southern Sichuan, Lao Ma's wife, He Mouhua, was accidentally caught in a harvester while picking wheat in their own field and died on the spot. This happened just a few years after they returned to the village to farm.
Notes#
Ordinary people face various hardships and casualties. Meanwhile, those sitting in offices consider much less. There is a huge disparity in labor conditions.
#8, 9 【South Korean Political Turmoil】#
Notes#
Yoon Suk-yeol is much worse than Chun Doo-hwan. Due to the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and historical issues, South Korea's constitutional democracy is distorted. South Korea may have a more pronounced democratic political color due to the "West vs. East" struggle, but compared to the U.S., it pales in comparison. South Korean cultural products always give me a petit bourgeois vibe. As for the constitutional crises in the U.S. and South Korea, I wonder how they will resolve them. Politically learning from Europe and the U.S., culturally rooted in China, is inherently twisted.
Some people laugh at the political turmoil in South Korea. We should note that the awareness and ability of the South Korean people to participate in democratic politics far exceed that of the Chinese. They dare to confront the military, police, and troops to uphold constitutional democracy, which is worth learning from. We don't even have the right to assemble or protest guaranteed.
#10 【Life is Like Carrying a Heavy Load Over Long Distances】#
Excerpt#
The ability to pose questions is very important because self-directed learning begins with asking questions. The emergence of new questions is not about lingering in the known world or the traps of pre-set knowledge, but rather about unknown, fruitless conjectures, which is an important pathway to trigger inquiry and interest—this is "problem-based learning." These questions do not always have answers because "problem-based learning" can also be a pursuit of interest and pleasure, which is the emotional value of learning.
Notes#
Learning to ask questions is a skill. Asking a good question requires keen insight and meticulous thinking. How can one promote their learning through questions? I think one should ask what, why, how to do it, and whether there are other options or better solutions.
#11 【What is the Best Group Size for Scientific Communication, and Why is it Two People?】#
Excerpt#
The core of science is a creative "night science" process, during which we freely piece together the foundational thoughts to build the future scientific edifice. Scientists have practiced various creative methods, among which the technique of "talking to someone" has proven effective in helping people generate new ideas but is often overlooked. This may seem like an inconspicuous technique, but it is simple and durable. By talking with others, we can not only gather everyone's information or ideas but also spontaneously collide to create unprecedented new ideas.
Language provides a framework for thought, forcing us to transform tangled webs of thought into strings composed of linear, logical words and ideas. We often only realize what we are thinking by expressing it through writing or speaking. Engaging in conversations with wise individuals can provide constructive feedback, including identifying flaws in our reasoning, proposing new directions for thought, or pointing out potentially overlooked supporting or opposing evidence. Breaking free from existing thought patterns is a challenging step, often requiring a mental breakthrough, but if we communicate our ideas with others more often, this step becomes much easier. Communication also has significant psychological effects: receiving encouragement from those who understand our work and motivations is uplifting.
Is it better to have more people in communication? Not necessarily; the dynamics of large groups may not be suitable for creative discussions. In traditional "brainstorming" scenarios, everyone in the room contributes their ideas on a given topic. In such cases, responsibility is inevitably dispersed, and many participants may remain silent. The strongest voices often dominate the direction of the entire discussion. Due to implicit evaluations within the group, many ideas go unexpressed or further developed. The typical result is "groupthink": many participants unconsciously adjust their behavior or thinking to align with perceived group standards. In many social situations, our ability to think independently seems limited.
……
Therefore, we can borrow the "Yes, and" principle from improvisational theater: maintain a positive, supportive attitude and suppress the impulse to say "no" or "but." When discussing impromptu conversations with his scientific partner Amos Tversky, Daniel Kahneman said, "Whenever one of us says something, our attitude is always: there must be some value in that... The premise of this approach is that whatever the other person says, if it is surprising, it is worth exploring further." Additionally, maintaining a positive "Yes, and" attitude can build mutual trust. Only in a trusting environment can we freely express our thoughts without worrying that they sound foolish. In fact, when people receive encouraging words, their creativity can also be enhanced.
Notes#
For deep communication, choose one-on-one conversations. For diverse thinking and brainstorming, it's best to have a small group of 3-4 people. When faced with new viewpoints and clashes of ideas, maintain an open and inclusive attitude, allowing everyone to express their thoughts freely and promote deep thinking.