Notebook
Writer. Essays and notes on how the world works and how we live in it.
When Trust Becomes a Risk
Countries can work with a president they dislike. They cannot organise defence, trade, finance and diplomacy around a government whose commitments may change without warning.
The License as Chokepoint
Tightening export licences turned Chinese battery‑metal supplies into chokepoints. The note shows how the licence itself becomes the weapon, making critical minerals unobtainable and highlighting the urgency of diversification.