Global Ghettoes

And in order to navigate through the complexities, patterns, realities, and trends of a postmodern age which in turn coincide with a digital and information age, one is required to have nothing short of an incredible and supernatural combination or package of four attributes and qualities, namely, foresight, intuition, sagacity, and an eye for detail and subtlety. But who can teach these attributes and qualities to others or bestow such attributes and qualities onto other people? These attributes and qualities are largely innate, and while education and learning help to develop these attributes and qualities in a person, they are for the most part a gift which not everyone will be able to possess. 

And one of these details and subtleties of international affairs which one may or may not be able to catch these days is the tendency for economically and socially advanced peoples and societies to get bogged down and vexed by what Zbigniew Brzezinski called the “Global Ghettoes.” These “Global Ghettoes” such as Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Afghanistan, and a few others have an uncanny and mysterious way of dragging economically and socially advanced and sophisticated nations and societies into their mess and into their frustrations and miseries. When one is focused on bolstering Europe in the face of Russia or investing in an exciting and dynamic place like Asia, either Israel or these other “Global Ghettoes” somehow steer the attention of Washington and other Western capitals away from what matters and towards their own direction and towards their own misery and insanity. 

Quite frankly, if Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist and fanatical allies and right-hand people are not inclined towards peace either with their own people or with their neighbors, then Washington and other Western capitals should simply shun them and not get involved in their misery and their problems and in turn focus on what matters. As Yair Lapid said, there is a confluence of problems which are hitting Israeli society, one of which is a combination of ‘brain drain’ and ‘capital flight’ which indicates the furthering of the deterioration of socioeconomic and sociopolitical conditions in these “Global Ghettoes.” At least half of the people who live in Israel would leave and go to an economically and socially advanced society if they had the means to do so and if they were not forced to stay where they are. I have heard stories of Israeli businessmen taking billions worth of dollars and capital out of Israel and into Morocco after the two countries signed a peace deal as part of the “Abraham Accords” during the Trump Administration. As Milton Friedman said, people vote with their feet, and there is generally no desire to live in a place like Israel or even visit a place like Israel to be quite frank. 

And at home here in the United States, there is perhaps a stalemate that will arise in the “Global Ghetto” war between Alvin Bragg and the Republicans, given that the Republicans are not entirely defenseless against Bragg’s machinations. For one, the Republicans can bring the “Department of Justice” (DOJ) to its knees by using the upcoming budget negotiations as leverage. And second, the Republicans can compel Bragg to make the commute from New York to Washington every other day through congressional subpoenas and in turn hold him in “Contempt of Congress” and perhaps put him in jail if he does not comply with congressional demands and subpoenas. I myself have gone through situations where I had to endure such abuses and shenanigans simply because people did not like me, and from experience, I can tell you that Trump is not entirely defenseless and that he can get through this current dilemma or predicament which he faces. In fact, the two likely outcomes for Trump are either an all-out victory, or political chaos, gridlock, and stalemate. Which one of these two likely outcomes will arise is something we should perhaps watch for over the coming months and years.