A decline in attention for Ukraine offers an opening to Putin. To avoid the worst, the US must have an entirely new vision for the Middle East. Why the super-rich should spurn selfishness.  Where the global talent is going, and why. Today’s definition of wellness is shifting. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Ukraine’s fight against Putin’s aggression is a marathon, not a sprint” (US Defense Secretary Austin in the first article).

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

Natalia Drozdiak, Daryna Krasnolutska and Alberto Nardelli, Ukraine’s Struggle for Arms and Attention Gives Putin an Opening
(Bloomberg, 24 November 2023)
The mood has darkened. At a time of a military stalemate and with an international focus that has shifted firmly to the conflict in Gaza and the Middle East, many in the West are pondering whether the current funding for Ukraine can go on. In private, most US and EU officials acknowledge that arms shipments have slowed, and financial aid stalled by domestic politics. The upcoming US election is the decisive factor. Insufficient Western aid could force Zelenskiy to enter peace talks with Russia from a position of weakness. The worst case but plausible scenario: it could enable Russia to break through Ukrainian lines and give Putin no incentive to negotiate (gifted article, reads in 5-7 min).
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Maria Fantappie and Vali Nasr, The War That Remade the Middle East
(Foreign Affairs, 20 November 2023)
The Italian academic and her Iranian American colleague argue that US support for Israel’s war has compromised its credibility in the region and standing in the global South. This means the US will have to craft a new strategy for the Middle East that no longer neglects the Palestinian issue. Simply put: the US cannot tackle any issue in the region (including the future of Arab Israeli ties) until there is a credible path to a viable future Palestinian state. It must also address Iran’s rising power. The two academics neatly delineate the broad contours of what this new strategy could look like. Their key point: avoiding the worst requires an entirely new vision (metered paywall that requires prior registration, 10 min).
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Guido Alfani, What Happens When the Super Rich Are This Selfish? (It Isn’t Pretty.)
(The New York Times, 19 November 2023)
Throughout much of the Western world’s history, the wealthiest have always attempted to support their societies in times of crises like plagues, famines or wars, either by generosity or interest. Today, the academic argues, this symbiotic relationship no longer exists, as the ‘rich’ are opposing reforms aimed at tapping their resources to fund mitigation policies of all kinds. This is unusual and concerning. In the past, when the wealthiest were perceived as insensitive to the plight of the masses, society tended to become unstable, leading to riots, open revolts and anti-rich violence (gifted article, reads in 5-7 min).
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These are the world’s most ‘talent-competitive’ countries, according to INSEAD
(World Economic Forum, 23 November 2023)
The INSEAD’s Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) scrutinizes the world’s nations to identify the havens for top-tier talent. Every year, Switzerland stands out as the reigning champion, with Singapore and the US following closely behind. As this short video shows, the key factors that determine a country’s talent competitiveness are (1) the high output of new innovations, (2) strong pensions and social protections, and (3) an education system that aligns closely with the demands of its economy (free access, 2 min).
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Alexandra Jones, Is This End of Our Wellness Era?
(Elle, 20 November 2023)
Wellness is big business (the Global Wellness Institute currently measures it at $5.6tr a year and forecasts it will reach $8.5tr in 3 years from now). Yet, wellness is an amorphous, hard to rigorously define, notion. This article claims that wellness as we knew it – as an obsessional quest for self-optimization – is ‘dead’. Instead, a raucous energy centered on fun and hedonism is taking hold. Elle’s verdict: “commodified wellness that is productivity-focused, pressurized, consumerist and individualistic has fallen out of fashion.” In its place: a new ‘wellness’ which should not equate to work and with mental health reigning supreme. The Gen Z is pushing hard for this. We’ll see (metered paywall, reads in 6-8 min).
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