We all know the ancient Chinese curse: May you live in interesting times!
Oh, OK, it’s not ancient and it’s not Chinese, but it’s a good curse, nonetheless. And it’s hard to think of a more apt description of 2025 than “interesting.”
It seems like every day this year there’s been a new, blockbuster story to displace yesterday’s blockbuster story from the 24/7 doomscroll feed.
Israel is preparing a “Hell Plan” for Gaza.
The EU is creating its own army and setting up its own nuclear deterrence.
A 108-year-old Japanese woman has just been recognized as the world’s oldest female barber.
Truly, we are living in world-historical times.
Given all of these amazing events, it would be easy to overlook the decidedly less-sexy story about tariffs and trade disputes. But if we do ignore the global trade war that is currently brewing, we run the risk of overlooking one of the most important stories of all.
As we shall see, the trade war isn’t just a spat over the flow of fentanyl or the price of aluminum. It’s about the future of the global economy, and, ultimately, the next Great Powers war. In other words, the future of you, your family and civilization itself is on the line here.
Today, let’s explore what’s happening, why it’s happening and what you can do about it.
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