MoA—After the U.S. invaded Iraq its viceroy Paul Bremer planned to install a proxy government without any elections. It was Ayatollah Sistani who prevented that when he publicly decreed that the U.S. had to let the Iraqis decide for themselves. The Marja had spoken, the U.S. had to back down and elections were held. His statement today is of similar importance and weight.
SERGE HALIMI—De Gaulle opposed the UK’s accession to the EEC because he thought it would become a Trojan horse for the US, but Washington no longer has any reason to fear Brexit: over the years, the EU has become an entire US stable.
ANDRE VLTCHEK—If you mingle with North American and British people, one thing that would strike you, is that most of the individuals living there are very confused, insecure and uncertain about countless basic things. There is a lot of fear there. People are scared of getting sick or old. They are terrified of ending up without a job, in the streets. Many are incredibly lonely.
PANDAVI100—Being like water does not equate well with being wet behind the ears. The protesters are predominantly young, a lost generation of misplaced hopes. What does water mean to them? What are their objectives? Recall Lip Man’s words to Bruce Lee: “never be in frontal opposition to any problems, but control it by swinging with it.” Is it in that spirit that they act?
PEPE ESCOBAR—The opposition sees the internal Saudi dynamics as MBS being Trump’s man in Riyadh – because of the oil angle – while the CIA, like Khashoggi, would rather deal with a constitutional monarchy and have its own asset in command. Total instability reigns. The only certainty is that the Houthi movement’s increasingly sophisticated offensive will continue to be deployed inside Saudi Arabia, unless MBS shelves his vicious war. Otherwise, he’d better start booking a one-way ticket to London.