Davos — The Breakdown and the Shakedown

Hello Brave Reader,

What a week — what a week! I started writing this post about the week in general, but reviewing what happened at Davos was already enough. I’ll dive deeper into other developments in later posts.

Also, while I was writing this, the footage of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen, being shot by ICE, came across my feed. It is shocking and horrific and a tragedy. I might write something about this tomorrow, but I just want to say that my heart is with Minnesota right now, as they are under siege. It is beyond comprehension what is happening there.

DAVOS: Let’s Break it Down

One of the outstanding speeches — without a doubt — was Canada’s Mark Carney, who courageously named this moment for what it is and called on all of us to do the same. His words were intelligent, well-structured, and clear:

We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.

He delivered his speech with calm, measured steeliness that I think inspired other nations to then rise to the occasion (Europe). I genuinely believe his speech will go down in history.

Then we have Trump’s speech, which was a disaster. There he was, standing before world leaders, calling Greenland “Iceland,” and then claiming that NATO nations wouldn’t be there for the U.S. — displaying a stunning ignorance of history. I found myself wondering: Is he just making things up as he goes? To say this to countries that did show up for the U.S., that went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq — to say it in front of veterans — shows how self-centered and obtuse he is. And no one has forgotten that he is a draft dodger either, which adds to the insult.

Overall, the speech was a meandering, incoherent mess and an affront to people’s intelligence and time — but, of course, he couldn’t care less about that. He has no respect for others — unless you’re a failing, cruel despot, in which case he will roll out the red carpet for you.

Meanwhile, I just watched Sean Hannity of FOX talking to Stephen Miller calling Trump’s speech a “masterclass” and a “beat down.” Wow — they are living in an alternate universe and clearly attempting to rewrite reality. It is despicable.

Finally, I want to give a special call-out to Zelenskyy, whose speech was even braver than Mark Carney’s because it named names. Visibly exhausted and with his people’s lives on the line, he said something succinct and unflinching: Trump is not going to change, and Europe must unite, put on its big-boy pants, and act in defense of democracy.

This was a powerful accompaniment to Carney’s line:

Middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.

And now let’s look at this Board of Peace that was launched at Davos. Originally created to “promote peacekeeping, reconstruction, and post-war stability” for Gaza, it has drawn a great deal of criticism — particularly because Palestinians were not consulted or included in its leadership. The Board’s intentions for Gaza are macabre and appalling given that there are roughly two million Palestinian people affected and they have not been part of shaping the plan. Where will these people go as Trump and his cronies develop the “realestate”?

At Davos, we also learned that the Board of Peace intends to expand its interests beyond Gaza to other global conflicts. Trump has named himself Chairman for life in the board’s charter, with exclusive authority over membership. About 20 countries have signed on, while France, the UK, and Canada were absent. Do I even need to say this is a joke? It’s also an affront to the United Nations and our intelligence. But who doesn’t Trump offend? Below are some reactions to this Board of Peace.

So what did Davos show us?
It showed a world at a decisive fork in the road: between leaders willing to name reality, speak with moral clarity, and act collectively — and leaders who reduce politics to ego and spectacle. This isn’t just geopolitics; it’s a test of whether democratic power and honest leadership can still shape the future — or whether we will allow spectacle and brute force to define it. Our voices will matter in how this is decided.

But also, when you heard Mark Carney’s words didn’t you feel some sense of relief? Our bodies recognize the truth. While lies don’t just mislead; they disorient us.

Some reactions to this Board of Peace:

Mosab Abu Toha

And R Qureshi 🧿 has been bringing this to our attention since September, and she already foresaw how they would want to expand this to other Countries in strife. It is very predatory :

Ana Kasparian of the TYT Network I The Young Turks breaks this down quite effectively here:

https://substack.com/@tytnetwork/note/p-185573689?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=quklp