‘Authoritarianism without the good stuff’

Welcome to the weekend!

This week Paramount acquired the exclusive rights to show all events from a certain US sports league whose early tagline was "There are no rules." (It has since instituted rules.) Which league? Find out with the Pointed quiz.

What has exclusive rights to audio versions of Bloomberg Weekend stories? Our playlist in the Bloomberg app. Learn what one WWII battle tells us about humanity and why cadaver dogs are tricky to train.

Don't miss Sunday's Forecast, in which we look at what the US can learn from China's engineering prowess. For unlimited access to Bloomberg.com, please subscribe.

The American Image

Donald Trump's crackdown in Washington, DC, is ostensibly about crime. But there is a broader vision baked into the president's rhetoric, one that involves not just collaring criminals and clearing homeless camps but grandiose building projects and golden ballrooms. This obsession with crime and ornament harks back to an urban planning movement known as City Beautiful, Kriston Capps writes. But what started as an effort to build plazas and gardens often morphed into a tool for bolstering segregation and displacing visible poverty.

Weekend Essay

Trump's Politics of Urban Disgust

The president is advancing a gilded version of remaking the capital.

Read the Story

The debate over DC speaks to a larger question: Is there one demographic, region, lifestyle or aesthetic that embodies American ideals? After the past 30 years, Amanda Mull writes, a strong case could be made for the South. The region's expanding population has heralded a host of changes in the country's economic, social and political life, from where cars are made and movies are filmed to what Americans wear and where the upwardly mobile sends their kids to college. As the South becomes more like the rest of the US, the US is becoming more like it.

Weekend Essay

The United States Is Southern Now

The South has become a demographic and cultural powerhouse.

Read the Story

Dan Wang has another view on the demographic that defines America. In his new book Breakneck, Wang writes that the key difference between the US and China is that China is run by engineers and the US is run by lawyers. As a result, China prioritizes building colossal public works and exportable products, while the US excels at making and enforcing rules. "What we have in the US is authoritarianism without the good stuff," Wang says, arguing that the disconnect is a recipe for lost superpower status.

Weekend Profile

Engineering Lessons from China

America could learn from Beijing's focus on technical innovation.

Read the Story

Dignity in Death

Hong Kong
Holding back a boyish enthusiasm, Tony Banham holds up a piece of shrapnel. "You don't want to be hit by one of those," he quips. It's one of several physical remnants from a long-forgotten battle with which Banham is obsessed: Japan's Dec. 8, 1941 assault on Hong Kong. The historian has traced the stories of almost every defender. While the history of war so often focuses on military strategy and national impact, Banham drills into the personal — and in doing so has made a study of humanity.

An air raid exercise in Hong Kong in December 1941. Photographer: Hon Lt. Fred Palmer/ Imperial War Museums via Getty Images

Koblenz, Germany
On a sunny Saturday in May, a group of cadaver dogs and their trainers gathered at an abandoned spa to hunt for a three-month-old piece of placenta. A fuzzy black Briard called Zaya circled an empty swimming pool before pausing at a pile of rubble and barking — exam passed. Used since the 1970s, "civilian" cadaver dogs are becoming more relevant as natural disasters increase. Forensic tech is no match for a trained dog's abilities, but finding training material isn't always easy.

A cadaver dog training session in May. Photographer: Ben Kilb/Bloomberg

Agree or Disagree?

Forget Trump-Putin-Xi — we're living in Orwell's world. In 1984, three matched superpowers fight over poorer countries. That caricature seems less exaggerated today, John Authers writes for Bloomberg Opinion.

Harvard should learn from the University of Florida. The revival of "civic" education should be seen as a return to tradition, not an intervention in politics, Adrian Wooldridge writes for Bloomberg Opinion.

Shaking Up Indonesia

"He wants to leave a mark different to the reputation that others have labeled on him. He craves for some sort of hero worship — adoration from the masses and esteem from the elites."

Achmad Sukarsono

Lead analyst for Indonesia at risk consultancy Control Risks

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto sees himself as a transformational figure in the mold of China's Deng Xiaoping, aiming to revive state-led development while redeeming his personal legacy. Since taking office, he has centralized power, launched ambitious social programs and sought to boost growth through a sovereign wealth fund. But his early moves have rattled markets, exposed governance gaps and raised doubts about economic stability.

Weekend Plans

What we're reading: The Lobster Trap, by Greg Mercer. The treatise on a luxury food's uncertain future is thoughtful, fair-minded and globally researched, even if its avoidance of clear predictions and takeaways can be a bit unsatisfying.

What we're buying: a house. But as of June, renting in the US was on average $908 a month cheaper than investing in a starter home. Now home sales are hitting near-record lows, putting a cornerstone of the American dream in question.

What we're not buying: anything at Target. Atlanta pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant says the retailer's backpedaling on diversity, equity and inclusion makes boycotting the store a tactic in line with the broader civil rights movement.

What we're watching: Premier League soccer. In the season that kicked off (heh) on Friday, 11 out of 20 clubs feature the names of gambling companies on their uniforms, a testament to the league's growing dependence on the industry.

What we're wearing: a Swatch watch. The $10 billion company has seen its value fall precipitously since the pandemic, thanks largely to luxury trends in China. With shares down 75% in a year, one US investor is pushing for reform from within.