Weekend edition—North Korea’s nukes, Trump’s presidential library, cowardice’s praise

[Quartz - qz.com]() Quartz Daily Brief sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! North Korea has long been one of the most secretive nations in the world, and making predictions about it has, correspondingly, long been inadvisable. Keeping that in mind, we’ll make one here anyway: 2018 is when something finally gives on North Korea—one way or another. It’s unlikely that next year will offer a mere continuation of events in 2017, with North Korea testing [ever more advanced]( weapons, the UN and various nations applying [ever stricter sanctions]( against it, and the rhetoric between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un—or “dotard” and “little rocket man”—[escalating ever higher](. It seems likely, meanwhile, that North Korea will soon be able to reach all of the US with nuclear weapons that can survive long rocket journeys in working order. Some experts caution it [might already be there]( despite Trump tweeting “[It won’t happen!]( in January. Trump has been giving strengthened sanctions more time to work, but he doubts they will and [has signaled]( the US will deploy force if necessary to stop the nuclear threat. China, for its part, is [already preparing]( for the flood of refugees expected to cross its border should chaos break out. Something has to give. Or maybe not. In foreign policy, Trump has [been accused of]( “speaking loudly and carrying a small stick,” in which he harangues or threatens foreign leaders, promises drastic policy changes, and then, in the end, backtracks or backs down. He’s often been accused of doing that with China, [most recently this week](. He could be behaving similarly with North Korea. It’s possible that a year from now not much will have changed: no war, no talks, no significant results from sanctions. The Kim regime could still be routinely testing ever-better missiles and the occasional nuclear bomb. Perhaps it will have even demonstrated it can “break out” by exploding a nuclear missile somewhere over the Pacific, as it’s [threatened to do]( and received nothing but admonishments from leaders and environmentalists—and interest from rogue states and shady groups in [buying such weapons](. If we find ourselves in the same place this time next year, it’s possible to see that as a standstill. But another read could be that North Korea has inched closer to gaining the world’s tacit acceptance of its status [as a nuclear-weapons power](. That, too, would represent a significant shift in 2018.—Steve Mollman (Read an [extended version of this article]( covering the most likely scenarios.) Sponsor content by Doctors Without Borders In war-torn or remote areas, there aren’t always hospitals. That’s why Doctors Without Borders treats patients throughout the world by continuously improving its mobile medical facilities. For example, its MUST—a mobile surgical unit—can be rapidly deployed, and has saved [numerous lives](. Six things on Quartz we especially liked Someday, Trump will have a presidential library. No matter history’s verdict on each US president—some have been impeached, others ineffective, and one resigned in disgrace—they all have monuments honoring them. Someday, the 45th man to hold that office will also have a site of remembrance. [Michael Stahl chronicles]( the history of America’s shrines to its chief executives, and speaks with experts to discover why a mini Trump Tower is but one idea percolating in their minds. Silicon Valley’s crisis of conscience could have been averted. Tech company executives are now worried that the tools they’re creating aren’t making the world a better place, and wondering what to do next. [Ephrat Livni reports on]( the questions the New-Age inclined nouveau riche are confronting at Esalen, a retreat by Big Sur, California that once hosted the most radical thinkers in the world. If only the techies had read the works of Esalen’s early visitors—still widely available—they would have known to ask questions first and make tools second. A visualization exercise can help you stop procrastinating. To procrastinate is to create a burden for someone else: the future you. That self can feel entirely separate from the self of today, say psychologists, but the more you recognize how much you have in common, the less likely you’ll be to put off your obligations. That’s why, as [Lila MacLellan reports]( a researcher in Ottawa, Canada devised this guided daily visualization exercise to forge a deep present- and future-self connection in 10 minutes per day. A severe drought in Sicily in 1893 created the Mafia. The Mafia is the world’s most notorious criminal organization, but it had humble beginnings in Sicily in the 19th century, [Oliver Staley writes](. According to new research, in 1893 a severe drought led the island’s peasants to organize in protest against high taxes and rents. When the Italian government didn’t respond to the landowning elite’s plea for helps, they looked to the Mafia, turning local thugs into a private militia, and fueling its growth. The tax cut is a win for globalization. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to stop corporations from shifting jobs overseas with punitive tax hikes. Yesterday, he signed an enormous tax cut for those same companies. [Tim Fernholz examines]( why the man in the White House changed his tune, and whether his strategy will lead American prosperity to trickle down—or trickle out. Watch: Common houseplants that do double-duty. A little potted greenery can do wonders to brighten up your living space. But as [Arielle Ray’s animated video explains]( houseplants can also clear the air of harmful chemicals. The top three plants for surface area to chemical removal, according to a 1989 NASA study? The Gerbera daisy, snake plant, and English ivy. Quartz announcement Are you reading this on a) a phone, b) a tablet, c) a laptop, or d) something else? No, really, we want to know. We're doing some research on how you like to get news—take our [survey here](. Four things elsewhere that made us smarter The green energy scam is not what you think. For a while, a debate raged in the US about the wisdom of federal investment into green energy companies (despite a decades-long history of government support in other industries vital to economic growth and national security). This is not that story. It’s one about unscrupulous contractors bilking vulnerable homeowners into taking out loans for solar panels, energy efficient windows, and other such upgrades, and then massively overcharging them, placing liens on their homes and generally making their lives hell, as [David Dayen explains]( for the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, and Vice. In praise of cowardice. Emily Weinstein’s grandfather invaded Europe in World War 2—as part of the US Army’s 53rd finance, a unit of accountants who kept the books balanced. One night while a corporal ironed his pants, Sam Mandelbaum sent another soldier out for toilet paper, who promptly discovered their unit was surrounded by Nazis. Rather than fight, they went to bed. In a touching, hilarious, ribald essay, [Weinstein writes]( for Longreads that Mandelbaum “saved if not six million Jews, at least six — his progeny, us, a boy and a girl who each had a boy and a girl of their own, the eldest of whom is me.” The tech industry is blind to its own backlash. Silicon Valley’s image of itself is as a home to nerdy, mission-driven underdogs. But as [Erin Griffith writes]( for Wired, the general public now sees tech founders as the contemporary equivalent of Wall Street bankers in the 1980s. “It’s the exact same story of too many people with too much money,” one investor tells Griffith. “That breeds arrogance, bad behavior, and jealousy, and society just loves to take it down.” Madness is “a koan, a puzzle that teaches by its resistance to solution.” For Nev Jones, whose genius fell under the sway of madness, it led to her life’s work understanding how culture shapes our unique insanity. [David Dobbs chronicles]( her intense journey for Pacific Standard. Our best wishes for a relaxing but thought-filled weekend, and happy, peaceful holidays. Please send any news, comments, houseplants, and toilet paper to hi@qz.com. You can follow us[on Twitter here]( for updates throughout the day, or download[our apps for iPhone]( and[Android](. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( Want to receive the Daily Brief at a different time? [Click here]( to change your edition. To unsubscribe entirely, [click here](. Quartz | 675 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10011 | United States