15 Nov, 2022
Several people and/or countries demand reparations for past wrongful acts (eg, climate change, slavery, WWII). In case of countries, these demands often feel like blackmail or extortion. In case of people, these demands often lack causality due to time elapsed (eg, centuries). Moreover, there is an indirect and implicit claim of a collective sin, like the Germans...
9 Nov, 2022
Recently, the FT mentioned a 2022 book by Andy Borowitz, an American satirist: Profiles in Ignorance: How America’s Politicians Got Dumber and Dumber (eg, Amazon). I just listened to his interview on PBS. He mentions 3 stages in ignorance: (i) ridicule, (ii) acceptance, and (iii) celebration. According to Andy Borowitz, stage 1 was in the 1970s (eg, Ronald Reagan)....
9 Oct, 2022
GeoPolitical Futures title: What Is Russia Thinking?? By: George Friedman Date: 4 October 2022 "The reason for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was clear: Moscow wanted strategic depth. Nothing Russia has done since, however, has been clear. The military has suffered several reversals, but this alone is not unexpected. Reversals are part of war, and prudent commanders...
21 Sep, 2022
Recently, a friend proposed a move in our online game. I advised against it as I feared revenge or retaliation. My friend said (s)he would ask for permission. That permission was denied. Much to my surprise, my friend made that move anyway. Now, (s)he is seeking for forgiveness following the consequences. My 2019 blog, It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to...
8 Sep, 2022
Dutch Private Equity (PE) firm Waterland, ranked #1 in Europe and #2 worldwide, is buying stakes in medium-sized audit firms. PE firms are not philanthropists. They care about an exit within a "few" years. It's hard to see that exit unless a major change in audit legislation will occur, which is not imaginary. A recent interview in the Dutch Financial Times claimed...
29 Jul, 2022
Late last century, international businesses stopped using the word 'problem'. People had gotten fed up hearing it. Hence, new words arrived describing the very same; mostly challenge and issue. In 2022, it seems that every single problem has become a crisis or even a disaster. In 1975, Supertramp released its album Crisis? What crisis? The album title was more about...
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