Category: United States
Why Is Saudi Arabia Reducing Its Oil Production?
Why did the Saudi authorities reduce production, despite receiving US advice to the contrary?
Ukrainian Marshall Plan: A Financial and Psychological Endeavor
The western political discussion on Ukraine remains largely focused on military support. But, as the war continues, foreign ministers and finance ministers across Europe are appropriately starting to discuss the financial cost of the war today and in the future when the international community must help rebuild the country…
Turning U.S. Attention from Middle East to China and Asia
The current dynamics in the Middle East are creating an opportune time for U.S. leadership to strategically shift priorities on the global stage, especially as the U.S. is not entangled in any war…
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia: A Rendezvous in the Desert…
U.S. President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman must come together for a long awaited rendezvous in the desert…ideally the two leaders can employ some modern rules of dating in making the alliance work…
U.S. Infrastructure and Its Challenges…
U.S. infrastructure is the never-ending problem that all administrations want to solve. Yet attempts to find a solution generally creates more questions and angst…
Lessons for Americans (and the World) from France and Le Pen
The French recently re-elected Emmanuel Macron for a second term as president. It is not clear that most French like Macron but we do know that a majority of French favored Macron over his 2nd round runoff opponent, Marine Le Pen. The election itself garnered more attention than many French probably could have expected. Portuguese, Spanish, and German leaders (Antonio Costa, Pedro Sanchez and Olaf Scholz respectively) thought it necessary to pen a letter in support of Macron. The Macron victory should not overshadow the economic realities underpinning the relative success of the Le Pen campaign.
Distressed Investors Are Watching These Markets
To think many people predicted 2021 couldn’t get any worse than 2020. Little did they know that 2021 would bring delta, omicron, and inflation with a lot of messiness in-between. The result is 2022 will be volatile with a covid overhang and inflation coupled with aggressive interest rate hikes (by the U.S. Federal Reserve and other similar authorities across the globe) to combat the inflation – as a result, 2022 may present more distress than 2021. These are the markets distressed investors will, as a result, be watching in 2022.
Takeaways from COP26 and Modi’s Messaging
Modi may have appeared brash in his approach and his words at COP26…but that cannot overshadow the hard truths raised by his speech…
France and the United States: “Fait l’un pour l’autre?”
France is “America’s oldest friend and Ally” with a relationship “built upon [..] shared commitment to the same values – democracy, human rights, the rule of law, security, and prosperity” according to the State Department. The debacle of last month regarding submarine sales by the U.S. to Australia and a subsequent voiding of a French contract with Australia raises questions about the French-American alliance. Yet an assessment of the other two options in Europe – the U.K. and Germany – suggests France and the U.S. are made for each other…
