What Actually Mattered This Week: Biden’s Saudi Arabia Reversal, Putin’s War Passes 100 Days

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WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERED THIS WEEK

Some quick thoughts on this week’s biggest news stories:

100 Days of War: Death, Destruction and Loss

Russia will not be defeated…because nobody is attacking Russia.

When Putin decides to end the war—whatever the outcome—he, the Russian government, & the Russian media will portray it as a stunning success.

The issue is convincing Putin to stop fighting. That requires continued unity, strength and resolve.

Soaring Oil Prices Force Biden to Engage With Saudis He’d Spurned

On the campaign trail, Biden said he would make Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud into an international pariah over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

But that was never credible.

Proven by the fact that he’s planning a visit to beg for more oil.

US, South Korea fire missiles to sea, matching North’s launches

At some level this feels stupid.

TRUTHS, DAMNED TRUTHS, AND STATISTICS

Support for same-sex marriage in the United States:

2010: 44%

2014: 55%

2018: 67%

2022: 71% (all time high)

-Gallup

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Where I make sense of global affairs with whatever I decide is honest & fair analysis.

Fault lines are emerging in the Western front against Russia

Macron says the west should be careful not to 'humiliate' Russia. But Russia is already humiliating itself.

War in Ukraine puts 280 million at risk of hunger

Before Russia’s invasion: 1.2 billion facing food insecurity, 39 million at risk of famine.

?After: 1.6 billion facing food insecurity, 49 million at risk of famine.

This crisis isn’t going away, it's getting worse.

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THE GZERO WORLD WE’RE JUST LIVING IN

GRAPHIC TRUTH

YOUR GZERO WORLD

For years, titans of industry and government have visited the tiny alpine village of Davos in Switzerland to discuss how to fix the world's problems.

They pushed a globalist agenda, promoting things like liberal democracy and cooperation to address big problems like climate change.

But less people are buying what Davos is selling in 2022. Blame the pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine. So, what were the main takeaways at this year's geopolitical WEF?

On GZERO World, I spoke to thought leaders Wolfgang Ischinge, Moisés Naim, and Gillian Tett at this year's World Economic Forum.

For a longer, wider-ranging version of my interview with Ischinge, Naim, and Tett, check out the GZERO World podcast.

WORLD IN 60 SECONDS

Boris Johnson survives a no-confidence vote, but are his days as prime minister still numbered?

Despite boycotts and exclusions, is the Summit of the Americas still relevant?

Are mass shootings a global humanitarian threat?

Find out in this week’s World in 60 Seconds!

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BECAUSE THE INTERNET

Friendship without (many) benefits.

WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK

The Man Who Broke Capitalism: How Jack Welch Gutted the Heartland and Crushed the Soul of Corporate America―and How to Undo His Legacy by David Gelles

With The Man Who Broke Capitalism, columnist David Gelles has given us more than a vivid portrait of one of the nation’s most controversial corporate titans and a book with a fantastically long subtitle. He’s provided a compelling diagnosis of the sickness ailing American capitalism and what we might do about it. Capitalism with a human face.?

DEEP THOUGHTS

“I’m not going to continue knocking that old door that doesn’t open for me. I’m going to create my own door and walk through that.” - Ava Duvernay

Thanks for reading!?Please subscribe to Signal for daily coverage from GZERO Media and my Bulletin for weekly deep dives from yours truly. And make sure to read my new book?The Power of Crisis?for a roadmap of this decade's great crises and how they might help us build a better world.

I am president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media and foreign affairs columnist at TIME. I currently teach at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University. You can follow me on?Twitter,?Facebook, and?Instagram.