The Ball Is In / Out

From a Baby Boom to a Baby Bust generation

Amerika vs Europa

Presumed guilty

Hongarije

Politics versus Money

From shrinkflation to upflation??

Overstaying your welcome

Forever labor shortage

Will Tory incompetence transfer to Labour?

Is decoupling causing supply-side inflation?

Welke “Ruk naar Rechts”?

What happened to liberal conservatism?

Friendships: different or similar like you?

Inflation: from supply-side to demand-side?

Is Apple a monopoly??

Nato needs a bland, non-ideological leader. Mark Rutte will be perfect (FT)

Exit strategy (2)

Why regulating AI will be difficult — or even impossible (WE)

Does a Superpower need pragmatism?

Brexit, Dexit en Nexit

‘Derisking’ China-Reliant Supply Chains Is Creating New Risks (WSJ)

VVD spelletjes

From Dutch anger to European anger?

The Dutch anti-woke backlash

Facebook in Europe: pay per month OR accept personalized ads

If you appoint monkeys then you get peanuts

“Elk mens heeft recht op zijn eigen afwijking”

Josep Borrell: “Europe has become a geopolitical power”

Hybrids are hot (Bloomberg)

Strategy vs tactics

EV probes (Bloomberg)

Mitigating country risk in supply-chain management

What defines a SuperPower?

Home prices defy gravity (Axios)

Asking questions = answering questions (2)

EU looks to ban companies from making sensitive tech in China (Politico)

Pasta producers in hot water over soaring prices (FT)

Biden’s industrial policy is missing a key ingredient: Allies (WaPo)

It’s Xi, not the West, busy humiliating Putin (The Times)

Inequality and polarization

They’re openly saying it: Brexit has failed. But what comes next may be very dark indeed (the Guardian)

Washington isn’t listening to business on China any more (FT)

Europe Is Waking Up to Threat of an Eastern Version of Brexit (Bloomberg)

Britons ‘need to accept’ they’re poorer, says Bank of England economist (the Guardian)

The rich world’s housing crunch is far from over (The Economist)

The 7 Belief systems – a 2023 update

China and Russia (GPF)

What Happens If Ukraine Falls? (GPF)

How long can this go on?

Russia’s energy weapon weakens (Axios)

Demographics

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer can barely say the B-word (The Times)

Jobs keep booming (Axios Markets)

The 3 stages of ignorance

Hallmark Christmas films

Investors flee China (Axios Markets)

Money does not buy Power

Analysis: Decade of central bank largesse haunts taxpayers as losses loom (Reuters)

The human cycle of Change

Still a Unipolar World (GPF)

The Global Economy Enters ‘Eye of a New Storm’ (Bloomberg)

Balancing competition and cooperation (3)

The War (GPF)

Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Shows Time Isn’t on Putin’s Side (Bloomberg)

Truss will only make the UK more miserable. That could be good (FT)

Little by little the truth of lockdown is being admitted: it was a disaster (the Times)

Climate change hits electric-car making (Bloomberg)

China and Russia’s Strategic Problem (GPF)

Calculating women vs opportunistic men

Global housing meltdown (Bloomberg)

From Hanseatic League to ‘Friend-Shoring’

Parenting

Inflation? Recession? Both?

Russia’s got problems (Axios)

The media are the virus in our society

The U.S. and Europe Have Different Inflation Problems (WSJ)

Will the war with Russia prevent a global recession?

The reverse currency wars have begun (Axios Macro)

Collective vs individual behaviour

Is Turkey more trouble to NATO than it is worth? (Economist)

Western Europe’s cynicism about Ukrainian suffering (FT)

The lesser of two evils principle

Struggling to Find the Exit From War (George Friedman)

The interconnectedness dilemma

Seizing oligarch assets is a slippery slope (Reuters)

Controlling the narrative

Why leave Russia and stay in China?

Urban legend: Apple’s market dominance

The Beginning of a New Era (GPF)

US interest goes up, others go down

The World and a Small War (GPF)

Time For Putin’s Hail Mary Pass (GPF)

New: a proxy World War

Zelenskyy Says Post-war Ukraine Will Emulate Israel, Won’t Be ‘Liberal, European’ (Haaretz)

What’s next after globalization?

Irrational exuberance

Why does a kleptocracy believe in its superiority?

How the Ukrainian Battlefield Redefines the World (GPF)

Ukraine Is Changing the World Order, Just Not How Putin Hoped (Bloomberg)

The world economy depends on geopolitics (Axios Markets)

Accountability vs responsibility for war

Sanctions

Too little, too late

Russian Oil Embargo Pushes OPEC to Take Sides (WSJ)

A Russian template for decoupling from China

Peace dividends and European welfare states

How can anything be weak AND a threat?

Francis Fukuyama: Putin’s war on the liberal order (FT)

Ukraine marks an end to Brexit illusions (FT)

We need a common enemy to unite us

One for all, all for one

No one can live without Hope

Shrinkflation

The Great Lockdown Lie (National Review)

Meta’s European mess (Bloomberg)

We’re Fine Without Facebook, German and French Ministers Say (Bloomberg)

Russia’s True Strategy Shows Itself (GPF)

From pandemic to endemic

Stagflation versus inflation

The Russian Treaty Proposal (GPF)

From the Great Resignation to Lying Flat, Workers Are Opting Out (Bloomberg)

The Public-Health Mafia (National Review)

Cain and Abel revisited

The EU Bankrolled a Rebellion That Threatens to Tear It Apart (Bloomberg)

Vaccine mandates vs labour shortages

China Has Started Making the Same Mistakes as the Soviets (Bloomberg)

Is Europe Wrong? Or Are We? (National Review)

Just-in-Time Economy Becoming a Problem for Europe, Lagarde Says (Bloomberg)

Will the German Federal court confirm the Polish ruling?

Collateral damage

South Korea hikes interest rates, the first developed economy to do so in pandemic era (CNBC)

Stewing Conflict Between German High Court and the EU Could Boil Over (der Spiegel)

Is a dissolution of the EU and UK, like the Soviet Union, unavoidable?

Critocracy, dikastocracy, or kritarchy

Afghanistan

Political nationalism vs economic internationalism

Plato’s 5 regimes and its belief systems

The war between Politics and Big Business

In Zwitserland is de liefde voor Europa voorbij: ‘Zwexit’ dreigt (Volkskrant)

Switzerland’s slow-motion Swexit will still be harmful (FT)

EU: the balancing of a back office and its front offices

An American Epidemic of ‘Covid Mania’ (WSJ)

EU vaccine passport a.k.a. Digital Green Certificate

Bitcoin’s rise reflects America’s decline (FT)

A new Great Divide: Ideology vs Pragmatism

Bread and circuses in 2020

Fear sells

Dollar Loses to Euro as Payment Currency for First Time in Years (Bloomberg)

Europe: Identity vs Power (4)

The Great Reset

No matter who wins, America has already lost

Is Target 2 de ultieme samenzweringstheorie? (VK)

Click. Bait. Fight. Regulate.

Why Europeans no longer dream of America (FT)

Vacancy: rule-breakers for post-Covid politics (FT)

Decline is invisible from the inside

Euro Surge Is ECB’s Newest Complication for Pandemic Economy (Bloomberg)

The dollar is our currency, but your problem (2)

Giving versus Taking

The Art of War

Divide and conquer (Reuters BreakingViews)

In Xi Jinping’s effort to make China No. 1, he’s forgotten the basics (Sydney Morning Herald)

“The nation state has no future standing alone” (Angela Merkel)

Governance Envy (National Review)

US is a mess but China isn’t the solution: Niall Ferguson (Nikkei Asian Review)

Blue-state coronavirus bailouts are unfair to Republicans, Trump says (NY Post)

Will Johnson smuggle a bad Brexit through the coronavirus crisis? (Guardian)

‘Het is tijd om mentaal afscheid te nemen van Amerika’ (FD)

EU Officials Ask If They Have the Wrong Person Running the Show (Bloomberg)

Middle powers tackle diplomatic void (NYT)

Onder Trumps machtsstrijd met China verbrokkelt de wereld (Trouw)

Debt forgiveness is, unfortunately, a bad idea (Reuters)

Euroscepsis groeit straks exponentieel (NRC)

Separation of Powers in European Union

Red and Blue America Agree That Now Is the Time to Violate the Constitution (Atlantic)

Why China is losing the coronavirus narrative (FT)

Democracy: a micro vs macro perspective

A Universal Basic Income may arise from COVID-19’s ashes

The coronavirus gulf dividing Europe and America (FT)

You can only hurt someone with the truth (2)

Why did China lie to us about its coronavirus deaths?

Why 150% is the new 100% for public debt/GDP (Reuters Breakingviews)

Brexit, trade issues and the coronavirus: 3 strikes out?

Top City bosses reject post-Brexit ‘Singapore on Thames’ (FT)

EU-27: wie betaalt, die bepaalt ?

Brexit is a crisis, not an opportunity. But we’ll see that too late (Guardian)

European Central Bank has one item left in its toolkit: dual rates (FT)

Poland may have to leave EU, Supreme Court warns (BBC)

When an assassination becomes an act of war

“All media are liberal-left”

Boris’ binary choice: Leave EU or Remain in UK

Don’t patronize me

The Best Parenting Advice Is to Go Live in Europe (Atlantic)

Is Brexit causing a Stockholm syndrome for the remaining EU members?

For Eastern Europe, Brussels Is the New Moscow (Foreign Policy)

Breaking the economic cycle of every 10 year a new US recession (2)

‘Japanification’ stalks the US and Europe (FT)

A New Order: the coupling of Money and Big Tech

China to impose ‘social credit’ system on foreign companies (FT)

New Kind of Recession Threat Presents Problem for Powell and Fed (Bloomberg)

What to make of the strife at the ECB (Economist)

The financial establishment have labelled Mario Draghi’s tenure a disaster for Europe – they might be right (Independent)

Boris Johnson can play the Brexit blame game all he likes – the world won’t fall for it (Guardian)

An emerging European Electoral College system

Deutsche Bank CEO warns central banks have no tools left to ‘cushion’ a ‘real economic crisis’ (CNBC)

Merkel warns of danger to EU of Singapore-style UK on its border (Guardian)

The height of civilizations moves West

Greenland

Greenland is not for sale, but the UK might be (Reuters)

The end of Politics as a belief system

De ECB moet juist genieten van de lage inflatie (FD)

Needs, Wants & Belief: mismatches

A global crisis of faith

The Observer view on Boris Johnson’s Brexit fantasies (Observer)

The Self-Destruction of American Power (Foreign Affairs)

Boris Johnson’s no-deal Brexit plan ‘will trigger early election’ (Guardian)

How Brexit is playing into Erdoğan’s hands in Turkey (Guardian)

Brexit: Seeing Britain’s failure has ‘vaccinated’ other EU countries against Euroscepticism, EU president Tusk says (Independent)

EU/NATO expansion vs Russian (military) expansion

Skin Lightening: Africa’s Multibillion Dollar Post-Colonial Hangover (Bright)

Brexit: what happens in the UK stays in the UK

The best place to build a life in English? The Netherlands (FT)

European Union: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”.

Switzerland’s highest court overturns referendum as voters were poorly informed in country first (Independent)

The United Kingdom Has Gone Mad (NYT)

Another Brexit extension will come with punishing conditions attached (Times)

One thing now unites Britons – a sense of national humiliation (Guardian)

A divorce without a separation

Well done, Brexit ultras – the EU has never had more power over Britain (Guardian)

Misschien is het maar beter dat de Britten gaan (NRC)

May ‘did not understand EU when she triggered Brexit’ (Guardian)

Identity vs Power (3) – energy and matter

Fear grows in UK car industry that Honda is just first domino to fall (Guardian)

It’s not just the EU that is alienated by Brexit. It’s Japan too (Guardian)

What the 17th century’s “Little Ice Age” teaches us about climate change (Quartz)

Conservatives ‘manipulated’ by Eurosceptic ‘zealots’, former PM John Major says (FT)

EU’s Tusk rebuffs May, says no-plan Brexiteers deserve ‘place in hell’ (Reuters)

A new Moscow on the Hudson (2)

Would the EU welcome a UK U-turn on Brexit? Don’t bet on it (EuroNews)

After this staggering defeat for May, our country is left lost and adrift (Guardian)

Mrs. May-Day

Corbyn faces furious Labour backlash over backing Brexit (Guardian)

Corbyn: Brexit would go ahead even if Labour won snap election (Guardian)

No-deal Brexit travel warning: don’t go on holiday after March 29 (Times)

Brexit Britain: Small, boring and stupid (Politico)

‘Gevolgen Brexit voor EU veel ernstiger dan voor Britten’ (NRC)

Why are Labour’s leaders so quiet on Europe? Maybe it’s the lure of disaster (Guardian)

Brexit ‘delusions’ risk putting UK into crisis, warns Ivan Rogers (Guardian)

To Brexit or not to Brexit, that is the question

Macron’s crisis in France is a danger to all of Europe (Guardian)

Take it from a Norwegian MP: we don’t want Britain in the EEA (Guardian)

Let’s be honest about what’s really driving Brexit: bigotry (Guardian)

The new American dream? Northern Europe (FT)

New ‘Hanseatic’ states stick together in EU big league (FT)

We’ll all pay for the EU obsession of the right (Times)

Mrs May’s Machiavellian Moves (11) – choices

Theresa May’s Brexit plan: a split cabinet, a split party and a split nation (Guardian)

The Brexit illusions shattered by Theresa May’s impending deal (FT)

Different worldviews

Retail canaries in a coal mine (3)

Urbanization, car ownership, and house ownership

Big Short’s Eisman Is Shorting Two U.K. Banks on Brexit (Bloomberg)

Has nobody told Dominic Raab that Britain is an island? (Guardian)

Brexit is teaching Britain its true place in the world (FT)

Our rudeness to European allies is shameful (Sunday Times)

There May Soon Be Three Internets. America’s Won’t Necessarily Be the Best. (NYT)

The Mistake Countries Repeatedly Make When Dealing With the EU (New Republic)

Britain’s magical thinking won’t make the EU accept the impossible (Guardian)

Brexit panic has started on the Continent. Seriously? Where?

Vladimir Putin’s plan to divide Europe is backfiring (Guardian)

Brexiters misunderstand the European project (FT)

Why Theresa May’s plan to bypass Barnier was doomed (Irish Times)

Sir Mark Ivan Rogers speech on Brexit

The Observer view on Theresa May’s calamitous Brexit strategy (Guardian)

Val niet voor valse retoriek uit Londen over Brexit (NRC)

When the going gets tough, the tough get going

A World With Fewer Babies Spells Economic Trouble (Bloomberg)

Why no one else is rushing for EU exit (FT)

Big Tech (2) – from credit score to social credit score

The Rise and Fall of Labour

Germany and US Grapple With Wealth Inequality (GPF)

The 2020 recession: who will be hit?

The United Sanctions of America

The Human Diaspora

Stockpile food in the event of a no-deal Brexit? Dream on (Guardian)

British food stores ridicule Brexit stockpiling plans (FT)

Mrs May’s Machiavellian Moves (10) – free choice

G.M. Says New Wave of Trump Tariffs Could Force U.S. Job Cuts (NYT)

Decoupling of Business and Politics (3)

US steel users file legal challenge to Trump’s tariffs (FT)

Decoupling of Business and Politics in the UK (2)

Boris Johnson’s outburst reveals commerce has lost out to nationalism (FT)

Trump threatens Harley-Davidson with taxes ‘like never before’ and predicts its eventual collapse (WaPo)

“America First” President threatens to destroy American company (Vanity Fair)

Trump Says Harley Move Abroad Would Be ‘Beginning of the End’ (Bloomberg)

Donald Trump ‘surprised’ Harley-Davidson will ‘wave white flag’ in battle over EU tariffs (Telegraph)

Dealmaker-in-Chief cuts deal to annihilate American Business (VF)

Harley-Davidson to shift some production outside US over EU tariffs (FT)

Theresa May casts doubt on UK status as ‘tier one’ military power (FT)

Seeking advantage

Brexit is a sideshow for Germany (FT)

Which territory is in more disarray: Europe or USA?

Parallel societies

Merkel warns that EU is at threat from impasse over asylum (FT)

Why do we believe in diversity and also dislike it?

U.S. (in)credibility

Nationalism funded by the EU

Waves (4): Nationalism and Internationalism

The U.S. President Is Destroying the American World Order (Der Spiegel)

Brexit and Occam’s razor

Artificial sweeteners linked to diabetes and obesity (the Conversation)

Trump’s revolution of disruption, chaos and destruction (5)

The complexities of international affairs

At last, good news on Brexit: Britain is heading for Norway (Guardian)

Equality, happiness and health

Britain is still clueless about the EU’s motives in Brexit negotiations (written by Tom Kibasi)

Dutch take on Macron with ‘red lines’ over eurozone integration (FT)

Why the Netherlands is rejecting referendums (FT)

Power dimensions and danger zones (4) – cohesive societies

Mrs May’s Machiavellian Moves (9) – Labour’s U-turn

Britain sees Europe through the distorting mirror of Brexit

Does atheism cause materialism?

The drivers of an asset bubble and a recession

The platform economy vs the ECJ

Power dimensions and danger zones (2)

Power dimensions and danger zones

Brexit minus minus minus

Mrs May’s Machiavellian Moves (8) – Titanic

The Trump-Bannon Revolution of disruption, chaos and destruction (3)

Waves (2)

Project Europe

Demographics and the rise & fall of nations (6)

The rise and fall of nations (4)

Use somebody

The forbidden fruits of self-determination

Liberalism vs Political Islam

Individualism

De kosten van zelfbeschikking

Banning fossil fuel cars

The Ball Is In / Out

Federal Republic of Europe (5)

The behavioral impact of natural disasters

Alt-Left vs Alt-Right

That special UK-US relationship

When will a cyber war become an act of war?

The Partisan

Stalemate

Mrs May’s Machiavellian Moves (5)

Redemption

Tolerance

Paris, People, Planet & Profit

Trump’s Divide becomes Merkel’s Rule

Lonely Boy

Mrs May’s Machiavellian Moves (4)

Identity vs Power

Nationalism vs Internationalism: France and UK

Upside down

Why is there no European blueprint?

African starvation vs Western climate change

Political Islam in Europe (5) – a Turkish Jihad

Political Islam in Europe (4) – Ottoman Empire

Political Islam in Europe (3) – Look who’s back

Political Islam in Europe (2)

Political Islam in Europe

The ignorance of Nationalism and arrogance of Globalism

Arrogance of Left and Ignorance of Right

Bremain vs Brexit in UK Parliament

The Australian option for EU debt relief to Greece

Federal Republic of Europe (4) – Less is More

The 45th President and Indiana Jones

The 45th President and Captain America

Mrs May’s Machiavellian Moves (2)

Globalization: Trade and Technology (2)

Globalization: Trade & Technology

Nationalism vs Internationalism (3) – Multiculturalism (2)

The War on Christmas

A Left turn to Nationalism

Federal Republic of Europe (3)

The Russian Connection

Follow the Money (2)

Political correctness, anti-globalization and nationalism

Follow the Money (1)

UK: lessons in humility

Political Islam

The Elite vs the People

United States of Europe (2)

USA 2016 – What’s in it for Europe?

A new oxymoron: binding consultative referendum

Power – Europe vs USA

Banks are bleeding

May’s Machiavellian Moves

Demagogues

Dead or Alive

Micro management

General Elections – collision course

2017 General Elections

The Ukraine connection

Temperature, temperament and (the export of) violence

The Dark Side (2)

White Supremacy (2)