international analysis and commentary

Waste is a terrible thing to mind

Several years ago, Kentucky Fried Chicken changed its name to “KFC”, jettisoning the word “fried”, which had come to read like an advertisement for arteriosclerosis. Not long after, British Petroleum changed its name to “BP”, avoiding clear…

The shape of tomorrow

The post-pandemic world doesn’t look peaceful at a first glance, and that impression is likely to continue: conflict will intensify and unrest will necessarily follow due to underlying, long-term realities. The existing chasm between the…

The Flying Machine

“Airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly. Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT,” President Donald Trump tweeted some time ago. He added, “I see it all the time in many products.” Of course he does: The…