What Actually Mattered This Week: Death of a Statesman, Update on Gaza
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WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERED THIS WEEK
Former Secretary of State Kissinger was the only centenarian that I actually knew well.
Many people were writing about what an amazing diplomat he was. Even more are writing about his war crimes. Maybe not surprising to anyone, I lie in between both of those views.
It was always interesting to sit down with him and hear his perspective. He came from another time in international relations, with a very specific, strategic, and transactional approach to American foreign policy.
I would tell him when I disagreed with him. I wasn’t a big proponent of his worldview that left many innocent civilians dead.
Henry Kissinger was one of the few men who had the greatest impact on American diplomacy in the past 50 years. That wasn’t always a good thing.
Could the Israel-Hamas temporary ceasefire and hostage release potentially signal the beginning of the end of the war? ?Unfortunately, no.
Despite the truce, the outlook for the near future in Gaza still is not good: more war, and fewer opportunities for building peace.
Come on…read the room, guys.
Xi Jinping’s trip to San Francisco to speak at APEC was a major step forward after months of strain in the US-China relationship.
This breakdown of Xi’s 34-minute speech from the Asia Society will save you some time and provide some much-needed context about the future of your favorite geopolitical frenemies.
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TRUTHS, DAMNED TRUTHS, AND STATISTICS
The highest number of senators/reps not seeking reelection to Congress in more than a decade:
THE GZERO WORLD WE’RE JUST LIVING IN
THE GRAPHIC TRUTH
YOUR GZERO WORLD
Is a two-state solution still possible for Israel and Palestine?
On GZERO World, I sat down with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to discuss the ongoing war with Hamas, the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and whether the idea of a two-state solution with Palestine is still realistic. Barak participated in the 2000 Camp David summit with Yasser Arafat and has arguably come closer than any Israeli leader in modern to securing peace, though he ultimately failed.
“I’ve never lost sight of the idea that the only viable, long-term solution for this conflict in the Middle East remains, unfortunately, the two-state solution,” Barak tells me.
Today, Barak is critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies of tacitly viewing Hamas in Gaza as an asset and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank as a liability, instead of the other way around. He also admits that they should have gotten more humanitarian aid into Gaza sooner, but argues that the goal of destroying Hamas is critical for Israel’s future. Ultimately, he says the 240 estimated hostages still being held captive should be prioritized above all else, and that failing to rescue them would amount to “abandonment” by the Israeli government.
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For a longer, wider-ranging version of my interviews check out the GZERO World podcast.
WORLD IN 60
Will the UAE’s pursuit of oil deals during COP28 undermine the summit's climate goals?
How will Taiwan's upcoming election affect the US-China relationship?
Will Elon Musk provide Starlink to Gaza?
Find out in this week’s World in 60 Seconds!
DIG DEEPER: GZERO DAILY BY IAN BREMMER
Just like every COP before, COP28 will fail to resolve a trillion-dollar roadblock: who’s to blame for climate change and who should foot the bill to fix it.
The US and Europe blame China/developing countries and China/developing countries blame the West’s historical emissions.
And they’re both right.
Do you like what you’ve seen??Sign up for GZERO Daily by Ian Bremmer?
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BECAUSE THE INTERNET
Bringing new meaning to Santa Con:
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
Scale of 1-10: How worried are you about next year's US presidential election? Scared that a triumphant Trump or increasingly sleepy Biden will destroy the world? Are you worried enough to consider a big move? Before you do, please read "A City on Mars." This thought-provoking (and funny) book by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith might just persuade you to get more involved in fixing politics here at home.
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DEEP THOUGHTS
“All happiness depends on courage and work.” ― Honoré de Balzac
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Thanks for reading!?Please subscribe to GZERO Daily for coverage of global politics. And make sure to read my latest book?The Power of Crisis?for a roadmap of this decade's great crises and how they might help us build a better world.
Independent consultant, Solving the impossible problems every day, contributing to the world in a positive way. Created the unpressedented course into reading behavior, lie detection and all major investigations.
11 个月You should have hust said i lie and leave it at that. It would be truthful. You can get away with anything if your willing to find false data to support your argument. Here is an example i just made up to show you how he does it. Breaking news UFO caught on tape.
Data Governance at Regeneron's Commercial Strategy, Insights and Analytics
12 个月The culture de jour feverently rush to eliminate words like “complex” and “but” by yelling “relativism!” To me, Kissinger was a man who sought lasting peace however the price of that peace was a heavy one that not everyone was along to paying it. Kissinger’s “realpolitik” was developed from the 19th century where he wrote favorably of the Peace Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815. The hyper-rational division of lands that created a peace in Europe that lasted until WW1. That raid the foundation for his philosophy. The problem is that the solution that fit the post-Napoleonic world, needed to evolve. Realpolitik failed in the 20th and 21st centuries. Kissinger’s detente - the appeasing of the Soviets - failed to bring down the USSR. It was Regan’s and Thatcher’s aggressive intolerance that finally did. I believe he sought peace but many differ at the price so many innocents payed for it.
Hotel Profesional and Hotel Consultant ( E Commerce and Digital Transformation )
12 个月.https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-lessons-of-henry-kissingers-diplomacy
Hotel Profesional and Hotel Consultant ( E Commerce and Digital Transformation )
12 个月https://www.dailydot.com/debug/henry-kissinger-death-memes/