History Does Not Repeat Itself. People Do.
It is said that Mark Twain once commented, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Maybe a more accurate version is that history doesn’t repeat itself, but people often …
From the AGI Bookshelf: Mittelstand ist eine Haltung
There are some words in German that are hard to translate: Gemütlich, fahrvernügnen, or Gesamtkonzept Mittelstand is another example. Technically it means small and middle-sized firms. But that is an elastic …
From the AGI Bookshelf: Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations
Thomas Friedman has the talent to write about complicated subjects in a way that normal people can wrap their heads around. He does this by choosing an overarching theme and …
A Hinge Moment for Transatlantic Relations
After the events of 2016, the future of the transatlantic relationship at times seems tenuous, fraught with national interests and publics that seem tired of looking beyond one’s own borders. …
Not Yet the End of the World
When Barack Obama meets with Angela Merkel in Berlin next week, it will be the last time they will meet as President and Chancellor. Not only is it an opportunity for …
Elections – The DNA of Democracies
There is a German expression describing the continuous competition in the soccer world: nach dem Spiel ist vor dem Spiel. The last game is right before the next. The rules, …
Merkel: One More Time
Yogi Bera – that immortal American philosopher – once said that it is tough to make predictions, especially about the future. Well, here is one prediction. A year from now, …
Political Signals and Populist Noises
Following the two party conventions last month in Cleveland and Philadelphia, many undecided American voters and many millions watching from around the world might have concluded that they had just …
Brexit’s Alarm Bell
Is Brexit a warning shot or a mortal wound for the European project? “What is past is prologue,” wrote Shakespeare in The Tempest, a play about the fragility of life …
From the AGI Bookshelf: The United States Is an Exceptional Nation—Except When It Is Not
The story of how the United States sees itself and how others see it, its foreign policy in particular, underlines its exceptionalism. It is the convergence of national interests and …
The Dawning or Dimming of Europe
Twenty five years ago—as the Balkan wars were descending into hell—Jacques Poos, the then-Prime Minister of Luxembourg, declared that “the hour of Europe has dawned.” That declaration followed the unification …