random parts parte doce

I’ve had a lot of thoughts swirling in my head lately, especially about the state of the world, politics, history—everything feels connected in ways that are hard to ignore.

Are we in the fuck around and find out stage now? Or are we still fucking around. I can’t tell.

Japan, Korea, and China forming stronger economic and technological alliances.

Do you know how wild it is to see these three powerhouses joining forces like they’re trying to form Voltron? These are nations with deeply complicated histories—centuries of tension, wars, colonization, and deep-seated trauma. And now they’re teaming up, reshaping global dynamics in a way that feels both inevitable and unsettling.

Take Korea’s history under Japanese colonial rule.
From 1910 to 1945, Korea wasn’t just occupied—it was systematically dismantled. The Japanese Empire banned Korean language and history from being taught in schools. They erased identities, forcing Korean people to adopt Japanese names, speak Japanese, and conform to Japanese customs and religion. It was cultural genocide for my family.

And the atrocities went even deeper.
Korean women—many of them still teenagers—were taken from their homes and made to serve as “comfort women,” a haunting euphemism for sex slaves used in Japanese military brothels during WWII. There is an undisclosed number of Koreans who died while under the Japanese regime as they were not invited to participate in the War Crimes Trial.

Meanwhile, China wasn’t spared either.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japan invaded China with brutal force. In what became known as the Nanjing Massacre, Japanese troops slaughtered an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers and raped tens of thousands of women and girls. Entire communities were decimated. The trauma from that event alone left China in ruins—physically, emotionally, and culturally.

So yes, seeing these three countries now dominating the global tech and manufacturing scene is surreal.

Speaking of tariffs—don’t even get me started.

These tariffs are spiraling out of control. Everything is more expensive. People are getting laid off. Inflation is disrespectful. Whilst billionaires are out here joyriding in space.

And I can’t keep track of the percentage of tariffs for all the different countries. It keeps changing on the daily.

Then there’s California.

Governor Newsom (“Daddy Newsom” if you’re nasty) has been trying to do some damage control, lobbying global trade partners to exempt California from retaliatory tariffs. And you know what? It makes sense. California is not just a state—it’s the fifth-largest economy in the WORLD.

We’re responsible for 14% of the entire U.S. GDP, with over $675 billion in two-way trade, and a GDP of $3.9 trillion. We send $83 billion to the federal government every single year. That’s a lot of zeroes and yet, we’re still getting hit hard by policies that don’t serve us.

Also—minorities?
From tech to healthcare, the backbone of this state is built on the labor, intellect, and resilience of Black, Brown, Asian, Middle Eastern, and immigrant communities. If you magically removed all the minorities working in hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, labs, codebases, and data centers—California would crumble.

Lastly, are the luxury brands crashing out now?

Luxury brands might be in hot water after China exposed their dirty little secret—that up to 90% of high-end goods are actually manufactured in China, not France or Italy as advertised. The items are then sent to Europe for minor finishing touches so they can legally carry the coveted “Made in France” or “Made in Italy” label.

Now, China’s doubling down, saying:

“Skip the middleman—buy directly from us for less. Same quality, same product.”

Naturally, my friends who just dropped thousands on Hermès and Chanel are not okay. And honestly? I don’t blame them. With the illusion of exclusivity fading, luxury brands may have to rethink how they define value while Americans hold on to their cash a little bit tighter.