Stopping off in Naples

More and more, Naples has become a stopping-off place for all kinds of people delivering all kinds of messages. I happened across a few of them.

Gordon Chang, one of America’s foremost experts on China, rode into town with guns blazing. He didn’t mince words.

“China is undertaking the fastest military buildup since World War II. We disregard that at our peril … China and Russia have a ‘no limits’ partnership. There are Chinese circuit boards in Russian tanks.”

“The Chinese political and economic systems are under real stress, and Xi Jinping will do whatever is necessary to survive. He’s more dangerous now than ever.”

Chang’s best line: “There’s reason to be concerned about the Canadian border because Justin Trudeau is on the other side.”

Janet Kennedy, a Microsoft and Google alum, dropped by to talk about her 40- year journey from early computers to artificial intelligence — a rollicking trip from skepticism to disbelief to incredulity.

TRECKER

Growth has been spectacular. Recently ChatGPT racked up a million users in 5 days. The equity market cap for the industry is projected to grow 15-fold from 2022 to 2030. In a tongue-in-cheek understatement, Kennedy said, “There’s big money in this business.”

What about job risk? The answer is a grabber. Kennedy said, “Your job will be replaced by someone who understands AI.”

The Cato Institute, America’s citadel of libertarianism, brought its heavy guns to Naples to bombard big government. Cato president Peter Goettler was very clear: “Government insists on pushing itself further and further into our lives … [and] it has failed miserably at everything it’s ever done.”

Cato VP Gene Healy doubled down, damning the “administrative state” for promoting the culture wars. According to Healy, President Biden has used executive orders to tell us who can use which restrooms, when gender-changing surgery must be provided, how LGBTQ rules should be applied. Enough is enough, said Healy. “Get government out of the culture wars.”

Mollie Hemingway, ultra-conservative editor of The Federalist, stopped by to slam the Democrats.

“Elections are no longer about the candidates and their beliefs,” she said. “They’re about the balloting process. From now on, that will determine how elections are won.”

George Will, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, visited and sounded a familiar theme. Free enterprise, he said, is and always has been the key to liberty. “Lasting success doesn’t begin at the ballot box.”

Ironically, according to Will, one of the things responsible for our bloated welfare state are advances made in slowing aging. There are more people around and they live longer than they used to. He pointed out the fastest-growing segment is the over-80 crowd, which needs a good bit of medical attention to keep going. That, in turn, helps justify big government.

Emily Rogalski, professor of neurology at the University of Chicago, followed up on Will’s comments in a venue across town. Rogalski heads the SuperAging Research Initiative, a scientific look at how some 80+ year-olds successfully cope with getting older.

While it’s still early days, her study suggests there’s no strong correlation of aging with education, wealth, genetics, diet or vigorous exercise. Science does show oldsters resist Alzheimer’s if they have an abundance of “von Economo” neurons in their brains.

What about lifestyle? That’s important, according to Rogalski. She recommended lots of social engagement and staying active. Challenging your brain is the key, she said. Knitting and photography are particularly good stimulants. (That’s good news since I do one of those and my wife does the other.)

Above all, Rogalski said, stay positive. “80 is the new 50!” ¦

— Dave Trecker is a chemist and retired Pfizer executive living in Florida.

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