Washington Post (March 9)
European leaders may “attest to a continent fully awakened to the reality of the war. But the truth is that Europe has not taken its defense seriously before now, and it cannot be strategically ‘autonomous’ until it does.” Home to 450 million people with a $17 trillion GDP, defense spending in excess of $200 billion annually, the EU needs to get its act together. “A strong, autonomous Europe benefits the United States as much as it does Europe itself: Partners working in tandem present a more formidable front against any military threat.”
Tags: $17 trillion, Autonomous, Awakened, Defense, Europe, GDP, Leaders, Partners, Reality, Spending, Strategic, U.S., War
Foreign Affairs (July 11)
“Today, globalization has stalled, and the new vogue for stockpiling strategic commodities and “friend-shoring” supplies will be inflationary. Add in the aging of populations and the possibility that young workers will insist on a flexible approach to work, and the Fed may have to run tighter policy than in the past quarter of a century.”
Tags: Aging, Commodities, Flexible, Friend-shoring, Globalization, Inflationary, Populations, Stalled, Stockpiling, Strategic, Supplies, Work, Young workers
The Economist (March 9)
Interest in Africa is booming. “Outsiders have noticed that the continent is important and becoming more so, not least because of its growing share of the global population (by 2025 the UN predicts that there will be more Africans than Chinese people). Governments and businesses from all around the world are rushing to strengthen diplomatic, strategic and commercial ties. This creates vast opportunities. If Africa handles the new scramble wisely, the main winners will be Africans themselves.”
Tags: Africa, Booming, Businesses, China, Diplomatic, Governments, Population, Strategic, UN
Bloomberg (November 12)
“The U.S. and China are on the brink of a new Cold War, with experts such as former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson warning of a new “Economic Iron Curtain” between the world’s two largest economies if they cannot resolve their strategic differences.”
Tags: China, Cold war, Differences, Economic Iron Curtain, Economies, Paulson, Resolve, Strategic, U.S.
Wall Street Journal (January 21)
Carl Icahn the largest investor in Xerox has formed an alliance with billionaire Darwin Deason, the third largest investor, “to encourage the printer and copier giant to explore a potential sale…. The fact that they are working together and own such a big stake is sure to ratchet up the pressure on a company that is grappling with slumping demand as the world becomes more digital—and is already considering a major transaction.” Due to its “strategic importance,” the Fuji Xerox joint venture “would likely be at the center of any review.”
Tags: Alliance, Deason, Demand, Digital, Fuji Xerox, Icahn, Investor, JV, Sale, Strategic, Transaction, Xerox
Reuters (August 6)
“Watching the slow-motion crash of Britain’s exit negotiations with the European Union is a disconcerting experience. A state that once ran a global empire is looking second-rate.” Realism has all but been abandoned. “The government’s implausible expectations about what it may be able to achieve” reveal a “dismaying lack of historical and strategic understanding about how Britain lost its clout outside the European club more than half a century ago.”
Tags: Brexit, Clout, Crash, Disconcerting, EU, Expectations, Global empire, Implausible, Negotiations, Realism, Strategic, UK, Understanding
LA Times (August 3)
“In reality, a grand bargain with China” is unrealistic for North Korea. It would be difficult for China to shut down Kim Jong Un. Moreover, a grand bargain would “destroy America’s global influence, making it impossible for Washington to maintain stability in strategic areas, particularly in Asia and Europe. Indeed, merely proposing an agreement of this sort would make the U.S. into a paper tiger and compromise American credibility in Asia and around the world.”
Tags: Asia, China, Europe, Grand bargain, Influence, Kim Jong Un, North Korea, Stability, Strategic
New York Times (June 3)
“If T.P.P. falls apart, China wins. It’s as simple as that. Nonratification would signal that Beijing gets to dictate policy in the region…. “Like the best trade accords, the Trans-Pacific Partnership is also a strategic boost to liberty and stability in the fastest-growing part of the globe. Congress should resist populist ranting and ratify it.”
Tags: China, Congress, Liberty, Nonratification, Policy, Populists, Ratify, Stability, Strategic, T.P.P., Trade accords
New York Times (April 21)
President Obama’s trip should provide opportunity to explain that America’s strategic tilt toward Asia does not mean the U.S. will abandon the rest of the world. “A volatile and chaotic world will continue to demand America’s attention, but Asia is the future and warrants being a top priority.”
