25 Apr, 2022
Recently, the Dutch FT published a story about a well-known start-up company facing production problems: from cool to faltering. This story can be summarized by: quantity up, quality down. To a large extent, it resembles capillary action: if you push the liquid in one tube down, the other one goes up, despite gravity. In 1855, Robert Browning wrote his poem Andrea...
16 Apr, 2022
GeoPolitical Futures title: Time For Putin’s Hail Mary PassBy: George Friedman Date: 12 April 2022 “Alexander Dvornikov isn’t exactly a household name, but it could be soon. He’s the Russian general President Vladimir Putin has put in charge of the war in Ukraine after what can generously be described as a disappointing start for Moscow. Dvornikov is credited with...
15 Apr, 2022
My title above is an English translation of a saying by Dutch statesman Johan Rudolph Thorbecke (1798-1872): "Vertrouwen komt te voet en gaat te paard." His saying is valid on a micro or individual and on a macro or (inter-) national level. Trust can be restored though, albeit neither blind nor full. I suppose our doubt and our fear, for renewed betrayal of our...
13 Apr, 2022
Last Friday, I had an epiphany. In my 2015 blog, I wrote about the 4 ingredients that constitute a relationship. My 2016 blog added another 3. My 2021 blog was a summary. These 7 ingredients define many (or all) types of relationships: communication, forgiveness, intimacy, respect, togetherness, trust and vulnerability. Any type of relationship starts - and ends -...
4 Apr, 2022
Recently, a new old friend suddenly asked me: "Why do you trust me?" I did not have an immediate answer and made a note of her question. Our history indeed justifies that her question to me is appropriate and valid. Perhaps, I should neither trust her, nor the Russian president. Hence, why do we trust people? My initial consideration was: do I have an alternative?...
31 Mar, 2022
Several articles express that the Western sanctions, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, mark the end of globalization (eg, Axios). I tend to agree with that. Hence, my blog's title: what's next after globalization? See Wikipedia for illustration. To a large extent, these changes are like swing of a pendulum. This results in swings between (amongst others):...
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