Rising Star
Adam Elkus. The most prolific writer I know with a deep understanding of the full history and breadth of conflict (rare in this business). He’s headed to DC at the end of this summer to Georgetown’s graduate Security Studies program, focusing on military operations.
Note to the Small Wars Council Crowd
History/progress did not end in 1832.
If Only We Were Sweden…
The right play:
Sweden did not just bail out its financial institutions by having the government take over the bad debts. It extracted pounds of flesh from bank shareholders before writing checks. Banks had to write down losses and issue warrants to the government.
That strategy held banks responsible and turned the government into an owner. When distressed assets were sold, the profits flowed to taxpayers, and the government was able to recoup more money later by selling its shares in the companies as well.
“If I go into a bank,” said Bo Lundgren, who was Sweden’s minister for fiscal and financial affairs at the time, “I’d rather get equity so that there is some upside for the taxpayer.”
An Adaptive Community
I first saw this on Coming Anarchy a few years ago. A Bangkok market built along the train system.
Bleh.
Healthcare is just an issue that resonates a lot right now.