The Musings Of A Politics Junkie & Closet Economist

As Israel escalates its confrontation with Iran, Donald Trump faces a defining foreign policy test. The choice before him is not between diplomacy and war. Diplomacy has largely been exhausted; war, in some form, is already underway. The real question is more consequential and more concrete: should the United States supply Israel with its most formidable non-nuclear weapon, the 30,000-pound bunker buster, which only America has the air power capability to deliver…

The global sukuk market for Islamic finance faces a pivotal moment. A new framework from the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) threatens to destabilise a $1tn market that has become a vital funding source for sovereigns and corporates across the Middle East, Asia and beyond. The spiritual imperative behind proposed changes to AAOIFI’s Shariah Standard 62 is deeply respected. They seek to make sukuk debt appear less like debt with charged interest, something that is prohibited under Islamic law. However, the real-world effects could fracture a market that has flourished precisely because of its consistency and investor confidence. The stakes for global Islamic finance could not be higher…

If America wants to stay competitive, it must rethink its approach to Africa, and fast…

At a time when domestic political turmoil seemed to engulf his second term, Emmanuel Macron is experiencing a remarkable political resurrection. His approval rating has jumped from 24 percent in March to 31 percent in April — a phenomenon whose origins lie not in domestic successes but in an unexpected international circumstance: Donald Trump’s hostility toward NATO has suddenly transformed Macron’s long-ridiculed vision of European strategic autonomy into a lucid premonition…

In our era of lightning-fast news cycles, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has claimed a peculiar distinction: surpassing South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond’s notorious 24-hour civil rights filibuster to deliver the longest speech in Senate history. This feat, while impressive in its physical endurance, inadvertently illustrates the fundamental disconnect between Democratic messaging strategy and today’s media reality…

As Donald Trump heads back to the White House, leaders across the Middle East anticipate the revival of a pragmatic partnership centered on economic growth, security, and regional stability. Trump’s first term resonated with Gulf leaders and beyond, emphasizing results over ideology—a stark contrast to the Biden administration. His tenure’s signature accomplishments, including the Abraham Accords, a robust stance on Iran, and business-driven diplomacy, are seen as a roadmap for renewed progress in the region…

The United States spends trillions of dollars annually on military and foreign aid. Yet, it lacks the financial tools necessary to secure its economic future. While the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act provide welcome investments in clean energy and semiconductors, they fail to address the more significant, long-term need for sustained and strategic industrial policy. The United States needs a sovereign wealth fund (SWF) — a national investment vehicle capable of turning tax dollars into high-yield returns that can reshape the economy for decades to come…

The dramatic fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad marks a watershed moment in the tumultuous history of the Middle East. Mr. Assad’s regime, sustained for years by the external lifelines of Russia and Iran, finally crumbled under the weight of its contradictions and the enduring pressures of civil war. For the United States, his fall underscores critical lessons about our foreign policy failures and raises urgent questions about the road ahead…

Trump’s coming trade war will drive more supply chains out of China, opening opportunities for select others to fill the gaps…