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In The Blind Spot: Dario’s takeover bonus

  SNEAK PEEK — Why Georgia’s election controversy is even more interesting and geopolitically important than appreciated. — How little Martinique may be part of a big French puzzle that some say shouldn’t be solved. — Flooding in Valencia leads to more accusations of weather manipulation on social media and why traditional media needs to […]

In the Blind Spot: Why everyone’s the ‘resistance’ now

  SNEAK PEEK — Why the Trump 2.0 regime really does represent a technocratic takeover of the U.S. government. But maybe that’s not a bad thing? — How JD Vance has primed the U.S. legislative machine for a Chinese selective default based on the non-payment of antique Chinese bonds. — The reinvention of Kazakhstan’s Mukhtar […]

Spotlight on Israel’s permanent state of exception

By Dario Garcia Giner To many in the West, Israel’s fierce military posture clashes jarringly with its image as a beacon of democracy and progress in the Middle East. How can a society known for its rule of law, cutting-edge innovation, and bustling nightlife in Tel Aviv also maintain a harsh grip over millions of […]

In the Blind Spot (Technocratic coups)

  SNEAK PEEK — Is a coalition of tech bros and industrialists planning to rescue America in the event all hell breaks loose after the November 5 U.S. election? — Rumors of the dollar’s demise are greatly exaggerated because alternatives are still too expensive and require even more pre-paid capital. — China’s economic model faces […]

Britain’s art-loving elite fumes at money laundering crackdown (POLITICO)

By Eleanor Myers · Oct 23, 2024 LONDON — At London’s annual Frieze art fair, attendees trickle into a fake sauna. Inside, a screen shows a person dressed as a pink alien in fuchsia lingerie, gyrating in an abandoned swimming pool. Thumping techno accompanies the spectacle. An employee speaks over the deep bass to lament […]

Digital euro sparks sovereignty battle between EU governments and ECB (POLITICO)

By Giovanna Faggionato, Ben Munster · Oct 24, 2024, BRUSSELS — A battle is brewing between Europe’s most powerful nations and the European Central Bank (ECB) over control of a new monetary tool that both sides fear could destabilize the continent’s banking system if mismanaged. At the heart of the conflict lies the digital euro […]

In the Blind Spot (In defense of forward deployed engineers)

  SNEAK PEEK — Is spytech contractor Palantir miscast as the source of all evil? As the company takes control of the U.K MoD’s contracting review, Izzy considers the counter-narrative. — U.K. Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ National Wealth Fund announcement invited more questions than answers. We look at what we know for sure. — There’s a […]

In the Blind Spot (The West’s regulatory chainsaw massacre)

SNEAK PEEK — Regulators finally catch on to the liquidity vulnerabilities associated with intraday liquidity mismatches brought on by instant payments and mobile apps. — Why the West’s incoming red-tape “chainsaw massacre” risks creating a two-tier capital market. — Dario argues that by giving back the Chagos islands, the British risk opening up a destabilizing […]

In the Blind Spot (Why the internet might never be the same again)

  SNEAK PEEK   — Authoritarian states are using a UN process to extinguish the internet’s borderless and free nature by transforming it at the root level into a fragmented patchwork of centrally governed protocols. — An upcoming HBO documentary claims to know Satoshi’s identity, and Izzy knows who it is. — Dario argues that […]

Spotlight on ‘Dam Diplomacy’

Damned dams: Why Egypt’s alliance with Somalia is underpinned by dam diplomacy By Dario Garcia Giner KEY POINTS: — Ethiopia’s construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile has escalated tensions with Egypt, which fears the dam could threaten its crucial water supply, leading to military alliances and proxy conflict in […]