Domestic politics and planetary change
Brazil's new politics of taxation is a big deal
China's 'all of the above'
Industrial supremacy, Gen Z protests, debt
Many good things to read
The tipping point on energy in China, maybe the US?
China China China
Also: the insurance-climate nexus
Trump is BRICS' greatest champion
De-hegemonic achievement unlocked
Taco is Dead. Long Live Empanada
EMPANDA — Everyone Makes Promises And Never Actually Does Anything? The last two weeks have seen a flurry of Trump tariff deals before the August 1st...
Got problems of our own
But we're still doing Summer Book Club
Sputnik or steampunk
And other metaphors for China-US competition in 2025.
The new, new chaos
Europe and China talk up their currencies' expanded roles; RIP SDRM (again).
Would very much prefer a no bombing version of this
The energy of geopolitics
Post-neoliberalism tag goes here
Beyond Neoliberalism, beyond dollar-carbon nexus, and beyond US export market dependency
Around and without the US
Many countries are saying this
Autarky or resilience or chimera
Yet another acknowledgement that private finance doesn't really do development; plus China's latest energy transition milestone.
Minerals stockpiles, 'geoeconomics' and debt
Hello readers! This week we look at stockpiling minerals as a security and transition strategy; “geoeconomics” [scare quotes: correct]; and how to evaluate...
Exhorbitant privilege, exits, and elections
This week we are looking at the recent elections in Canada and Australia; what Europe has to face up to as the inevitable new hegemon; and India’s transition...
Energy security and other co-benefits, quantified
Thanks to Colin on our Discord The world may be going to hell in a handbasket but at least there’s a lot of good research and reporting to read. We’ll have...
The sorts of things that could happen
Our recurring theme this year is how the rest of the world might work around and without an unreliable US; and this past week has underlined that that...
Tariffs, around the world
The Trump tariffs were announced, and perhaps the numbers being based on a daft formula reluctantly suggested by four out of four AI chatbots is a welcome...
Uncertainty
Hello! Our recent preoccupation with LNG has been realised in a new Polycrisis / Phenomenal World essay. This fuel has the allure of versatility and...
Global conjuncture; new extractivism
The new green New International Economic Order, and why you should be watching the Democratic Republic of Congo