Macron is threatening Russia--without NATO. This security queen is writing grandiose checks that his modest military cannot cash. Is he banking on the US flying in as Superman to save the day?
Very good read (again). Funny you mentioned about the lack of income / taxes for the EU. I just read a good piece by Tom Luongo how the EU is trying to get around that by issuing bonds (SURE bonds during Covid, and now possibly a 100b euro bond for weapons). But for that they’ll need to demonstrate that they have an income source, so they may find a way to introduce taxes …
Thanks. I meant to listen to an interview with Luongo before finishing this. I was wondering the same thing, how do you issue bonds without an income stream to repay them?
Great essay, it crystallised a lot of what I've been thinking. Do you hail from the North (Northern Ireland, Ulster, the 6 counties ect) yourself? That's a pretty obscure reference to the travelers.
Thanks! I have several half-siblings who grew up in Andersonstown and so I visit Belfast often. One of my favourite pastimes is comparing the Loyalist--Nationalist conflict in NI to White--Black tensions in the US, where I grew up. I tend to annoy my family in Belfast by looking at things from a strange point of view. I once attended a nephew's Holy Communion and they told me about the travelers, which fascinated me to no end.
Sidebar about the “traveler”. My favorite distillery in KY (Buffalo Trace) just introduced a whisky called “Traveler”. Not bad, but their bourbon is better. Especially the Eagle Rare.
Very good read (again). Funny you mentioned about the lack of income / taxes for the EU. I just read a good piece by Tom Luongo how the EU is trying to get around that by issuing bonds (SURE bonds during Covid, and now possibly a 100b euro bond for weapons). But for that they’ll need to demonstrate that they have an income source, so they may find a way to introduce taxes …
Thanks. I meant to listen to an interview with Luongo before finishing this. I was wondering the same thing, how do you issue bonds without an income stream to repay them?
They will try to introduce taxes somehow. Their ultimate wet dream.
OTOH, the SURE bonds ended up being a total failure.
Great essay, it crystallised a lot of what I've been thinking. Do you hail from the North (Northern Ireland, Ulster, the 6 counties ect) yourself? That's a pretty obscure reference to the travelers.
Thanks! I have several half-siblings who grew up in Andersonstown and so I visit Belfast often. One of my favourite pastimes is comparing the Loyalist--Nationalist conflict in NI to White--Black tensions in the US, where I grew up. I tend to annoy my family in Belfast by looking at things from a strange point of view. I once attended a nephew's Holy Communion and they told me about the travelers, which fascinated me to no end.
Sidebar about the “traveler”. My favorite distillery in KY (Buffalo Trace) just introduced a whisky called “Traveler”. Not bad, but their bourbon is better. Especially the Eagle Rare.
Thanks! I was a little worried about whether people would get this one.