21 Feb 2021
International Politics
February 21, 2021 Ali

Insanity # 6 – Best Time to Invest in Renewables – Gusty Winds of Hot Air Continue to Blow!

Insanely Sane: Calling Out Absurdities & Curating Common Sense for The Greater Good


Calling Out Absurdities & Curating Common Sense for The Greater Good

                       Insanity # 6 – Best Time to Invest in Renewables – Gusty Winds of Hot Air Continue to Blow!

 

  • “Time Flies” sounds ever more poignant – global anniversary of lockdowns/ravage of COVID-19 is just a few weeks away
  • Past 12 months have been like a “commercial coma” for real estate, F&B/hospitality, travel-tourism, education & retail etc.
  • Meanwhile the FANGs/tech are “whistling to the bank” and have carved out A BIG SLICE of the economy
  • First the banks were Too Big to Fail & now The Tech: Too Big To Tame. Say hello to their offspring Techno-Capitalism
  • Fin-Tech, Ed-Tech, Health-Tech all things tech as we slumber into numbness – our societies may soon feel: “AutocraTech”
  • Race to “Colonise Mars” by Musk/Bezos is an indicator of how our earthly hubris & ego is shooting for the stars
  • Given the gravity of earth & its unsolved problems left behind, The Martians will not appreciate our 15th century lingo!

 

Staying Sober, Sound & Sensible

  • COVID Pandemic is akin to a luge spinning around the world with a dizzying speed. Western governments like Skips, not in a luge, but in a game of curling, sweeping & brooming behind the virus. Their legs wide open between vaccination targets at home & the shifting moral obligation to COVAX for providing equitable access to jabs for the entire world incl. underdeveloped & developing countries – yet they continue to hit that stone further down on the cold ice!

 

  • If someone asks your views on 501, don’t talk about your Levi’s 501– this is the new COVID variant swinging it on the pandemic catwalk. Talking of fashion, one wonders how fashionable of Big Pharma CEO’s to preach that everyone MUST TAKE the jab, while they themselves are yet to do so, and yet cashing their multi-million £ bonuses this year.

 

 

  • To the U.S politics: For those who think that Democrats will bring out a magic wand to solve all problems at home and abroad there will be some major hangovers in making. U.S is where it is today, on equal playtime by both parties. There is a major generational inflection point and both parties are running on an empty tank. U.S needs some political physiotherapy, a moral shrink to help it solve the complex of “American Exceptionalism”, a pair of new lenses to recognise the changing world & an ENT specialist to clean it’s earwax to better hear and listen.

 

  • JCPOA Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action the Nuclear Deal with Iran is making news. When Donald Trump left the deal, Iran’s population of 85m were left in the cold. The JCPOA soon turned into JCPOI Joint Comprehensive Plan of Inaction. Now with Biden administration, we are into JCPOR or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Reaction. Parties are waiting to see who will “blink first”. Meanwhile, Persians counting and banking that Antony Blinken may be quicker in Blinking!

 

  • While Donald J. Trump was acquitted, some anticipate an avalanche of lawsuits to follow. Many protagonists of Trumpolitics will be trying hard to bring him back to the election piste & to put him on a major financing chairlift for 2024. Some capitals around the world celebrate the change in D.C and yet must be cringing at the thought that they may witness a Donald J. Trump or a Donald – Joe – Trump presidency again. Key Q: will U.S be standing by what gets signed during the next 4 years?

 

  • Transparency International rankings for 2020 are telling. Mexico stands at 124th as highly corrupt & Russia few spots behind at 129. Mexico is an integral partner of NAFTA/USMCA trade agreement & a major leg in U.S manufacturing and competition in North American prosperity. On the other side of the Pacific and in 21st c., Japan a staunch ally of U.S and its LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) have for the 1st time invited 5 women to board meetings, Only to Watch But Not Talk!

 

  • The revolving door of politics & banking spins faster than ever, and now Chuka Umunna (Labour) joining Sajid Javid (Conservative) at JP Morgan, and George Osborne went to Robey Warshaw. One hopes they can at least set up a SPAC/blank cheque company to invest in future of this wonderful country and not the banks only.

 

  • In U.K everything is up for sale! Nvidia buying Arm UK Chip designer, London resembles a Pound Shop these days. U.S Private Equity firms are pushing their shopping carts in “British Aisles”. Signature Aviation being bought out by GIP and Blackstone, the football clubs owned by Middle Eastern royal families, automotive groups by Indian conglomerates, the pubs sold to H.K conglomerates, Cobham to Advent and the list goes on and on.

 

  • There is a rush by oil majors Total & BP to win the auctions by Crown Estates for seabeds around British Isles. With all the hot air blowing from 10 Downing St. the payback of the wind farms should be very attractive. On ample supply of hot air trust Jacob Rees-Mogg who after Brexit deal for fisheries said:

“They’re now British fish & they’re better and happier fish for it!”

 

Ali Borhani is the Managing Director of 3Sixty Strategic Advisors Ltd. It is the readers’ responsibility to verify their own
facts. The views and opinions expressed in this article/commentary are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other individual, agency, organization, employer or company.