Far from out of the geopolitical woods – we’re heading back into the law of the jungle. The paradox of American power in context. Trump’s ‘peace through strength’ strategy heralds anything but. Think twice before embarking on a ‘glowing up’ journey. It would be far better for you to take a caring journey into nature.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
Ian Bremmer and Cliff Kupchan, Top Risks 2025
(Eurasia Group, January 2025)
The much-awaited Eurasia’s yearly geopolitical ‘forecast’. In short: the world is not on a sustainable trajectory, and we are heading back to the law of the jungle: “a world where the strongest do what they can, while the weakest are condemned to suffer what they must.” The strongest top 10 trends or ‘forecasts’: (1) The G-Zero wins, (2) the Rule of Don, (3) US-China breakdown, (4) Trumponomics, (5) Russia still rogue, (6) Iran on the ropes, (7) Beggar thy world, (8) AI unbound, (9) Ungoverned spaces, (10) Mexican standoff. The three red herrings: (1) Trump fails, (2) Europe breaks, (3) Global energy transition stalls (free access that requires registration, can be read à la carte: 4-6 min. for each point).
Click here to read the full article
The Strange Triumph of a Broken America
(Foreign Affairs, January – February 2025)
“By all appearances, the US is a mess” – an economic boom coexisting with a civic bust, so the question is: how come American dysfunction has had such remarkably little effect on American power? The political scientist describes this as “the paradox of American power: the US is a divided country, perpetually perceived as in decline, yet it consistently remains the wealthiest and most powerful state in the world – leaving competitors behind.” An enlightening analysis of America’s structural advantages (geography, immigration and labour force, decentralized political institutions empowering a thriving private sector), and major vulnerabilities (domestic fragmentation and strategic insolvency), put into the context of US contenders (both adversaries and allies) slipping into long-term decline (metered paywall that may require prior registration, 15-20 min).
Click here to read the full article
Andreas Kluth, Trump’s Trash Talk Revives the Worst of World Politics
(Bloomberg, 6 January 2025)
How to make sense of president-elect Trump’s recent “microaggressions”? He won’t invade Panama, seize Greenland, or annex Canada, but he’s putting psychological pressure on foreign (friendly) nations and their leaders to destabilize them now and bend them to his will later. He calls it “peace through strength”, and it amounts to dropping principle for power and carving up the globe into spheres of influence. This signals a reversion to the historical norm in international affairs called anarchy (gifted article, reads in 5-6 min).
Click here to read the full article
Rebecca Jennings, Did my quest to become beautiful just make me uglier?
(Vox, 6 January 2025)
An account that is both sad and hilarious about “Glowing up”: committing time and money to an endless quest of self-improvement by embarking on “skin care journeys”, “hair growth journeys”, “gut health journeys” or whatever it may be. It’s fed by social media virality and doesn’t end well, with the journalist “consumed by anxiety about the most inconsequential problems imaginable.” In short, people obsessed with self-improvement (it’s normally the quest for a perfect body), end up with a mental breakdown. Spoiler alert: the glowing up journey never ends. It can’t (metered paywall, reads in 6-8 min).
Click here to read the full article
Keridwen Cornelius, The new travel retreats addressing depression and grief
(BBC, 3 January 2025)
A rising trend and music to the ears of the Monthly Barometer and its Summits of Minds! Abundant research in medicine, psychology and neuroscience shows that people who feel more connected to nature report happier and more meaningful lives. This article focuses on how some travel companies now combine outdoor pursuits and mental health support for anyone who wants to improve their wellbeing, with or without a diagnosis (free access, 5-6 min).
Click here to read the full article
