Last Thursday in Paris, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told French business leaders that Europe has savings — “unfortunately,” she said in French, “cette épargne est paresseuse.” Lazy. She pointed to roughly €10 trillion sitting in bank accounts, and to the large share of European savings invested outside the continent. Then came the punchline: … Continue reading Enough is enough. Brussels just called European household savings lazy.
Politics & Society
Why a Swede Can’t Just Buy VOO
I can buy a new car that starts losing money the second I drive it off the lot. I can buy individual stocks I barely understand. What I cannot do, as an ordinary EU retail investor, is tap “buy” on VOO, VTI, SPY or QQQ. That is not a glitch. It is PRIIPs. The rule … Continue reading Why a Swede Can’t Just Buy VOO
The trade war just reached the bathroom
Toilet paper is about to become a talking point again. Not because society is collapsing. Because two governments decided a trade fight should include the bathroom. Canada announced dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods after Washington put 50 percent duties on a slice of Canadian exports. Ottawa’s package takes effect September 8. Pulp and paper … Continue reading The trade war just reached the bathroom
You can’t back into the future
Albert Einstein supposedly said he didn’t know what weapons would be used in World War III, but World War IV would be fought with sticks and stones. Looking at the energy choices of the last decade and the current mess in the Gulf, it feels less like a prediction and more like an instruction manual … Continue reading You can’t back into the future
Will Iran Attack Oman to Keep Hormuz?
After the 60-day U.S.–Iran memorandum expired this week, tankers have been trying the southern route through Omani waters instead of the Iranian side of the Strait of Hormuz. That is not Iran “losing control.” It is Iran being bypassed. Tehran still says the strait stays shut until Washington lifts the blockade, the oil sanctions, the … Continue reading Will Iran Attack Oman to Keep Hormuz?
Even Champagne Can’t Escape the Strait of Hormuz
It’s starting to feel like there’s literally nothing left in the world that the mess in the Strait of Hormuz can’t touch. Take champagne. France is in the middle of a brutal heat wave that’s forced the earliest Champagne harvest in modern recorded history. The official start was August 12. Some houses got special permission … Continue reading Even Champagne Can’t Escape the Strait of Hormuz
Groundhog Day in the Strait of Hormuz (Again)
Two days ago I wrote about the latest tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and how crude was already climbing . Last night the situation took another turn for the worse. According to Bloomberg, U.S. President Donald Trump flatly rejected any extension of the 60-day ceasefire agreement with Iran. Tehran responded by announcing it … Continue reading Groundhog Day in the Strait of Hormuz (Again)
Cancelled Military Exercises Just Made My Skincare Cheaper (Apparently)
I woke up this morning to the news that Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to substantially scale back the big joint US–South Korea military exercises that were supposed to start today. Too late to cancel entirely, he said, but “substantially reduce.” Costly. Hostile signal to North Korea. Very good relationship with Kim. South Korea … Continue reading Cancelled Military Exercises Just Made My Skincare Cheaper (Apparently)
They photographed her voting no. Then the outrage began.
The vote The VoteOn 13 August 2026 the Swedish Parliament voted 176–171 to scrap the quantity discount for multiple crimes. The Social Democrats, the Centre Party, the Left Party and the Greens voted against. Magdalena Andersson, leader of the country’s largest party, pressed the red button with the rest of them. The photo and the … Continue reading They photographed her voting no. Then the outrage began.
The longest strike in modern Swedish history just ended. The union lost. I called it almost three years ago.
The longest strike in modern Swedish history just ended. The union lost. I called it almost three years ago. On August 19, 2026, IF Metall’s nearly three-year conflict with Tesla formally ends. No collective agreement. Tesla simply bought out the remaining striking members. Sveriges Radio’s economic commentator called it a fiasco. Fair description. Back on … Continue reading The longest strike in modern Swedish history just ended. The union lost. I called it almost three years ago.