Notebook

Independent essays on geopolitics, political economy, sovereign debt, physical infrastructure, and global economic power.

Werner Mouton 4/16/26 Werner Mouton 4/16/26

The American project.

The note argues the American project is fracturing; Trump widened cracks but successors will exploit them. Institutions decay and only patient, long‑term work, not quick fixes, can repair the tear.

Werner Mouton 4/16/26 Werner Mouton 4/16/26

There Was No Golden Age

Referencing Weyl, the essay rejects myths of a bygone golden age, saying Trump’s MAGA exploits nostalgia and scapegoating and lets people ignore past injustices and avoid thinking about building future.

Werner Mouton 4/15/26 Werner Mouton 4/15/26

The Strait and the Trap

Invoking Thucydides, the essay shows Iran’s harassment of ships in the Strait of Hormuz turned insurance risk into strategic leverage after US‑Israeli strikes, revealing a structural trap beyond military strength.

Werner Mouton 4/15/26 Werner Mouton 4/15/26

The Pope

A Pope urges humanity and peace amid Israel’s bombing of Lebanon, while Trump attacks him, shares an AI image of himself as God and boasts he could destroy Iran.