Mark Brolin, a London based geopolitical and geoeconomic strategist, author and Valona Intelligence strategic partner, offers precisely the kind of independent actionable geopolitical analysis that quite obviously could have saved countless companies (and organisations) loads of money and troubles during recent years. Meaning when mainstream (herd mentality) predictions have typically... Read more
Mark Brolin, a London based geopolitical and geoeconomic strategist, author and Valona Intelligence strategic partner, offers precisely the kind of independent actionable geopolitical analysis that quite obviously could have saved countless companies (and organisations) loads of money and troubles during recent years. Meaning when mainstream (herd mentality) predictions have typically been dead wrong. For example in relation to the economic health and economic prospects of Europe, Brexit Britain, the US, China and Russia.
Mark holds a degree from the Stockholm School of Economics and has a rich professional background, including roles in the Swedish Foreign Ministry, Nasdaq, and Cantor Fitzgerald. His shift from corporate development to geopolitics and geoeconomics was profoundly influenced by the tragic events of September 11, where he lost 650 colleagues.
In his latest book, Healing Broken Democracies: All You Need to Know About Populism, Mark details why he is convinced that the transition period playing out in real time – like all transition periods characterized by lots of tribal anger, posturing, and intellectual confusion – will end up on a much more positive note than reflected by today’s doom-and-gloom sentiment. The book was produced in cooperation with international thought leaders Jonathan Haidt, Luigi Zingales, David Goodhart, Eric Kaufmann, Matthew Goodwin and Daron Acemoglu.
Brolin is known for cutting through politicised or in other ways biased “noise” to deliver straightforward, factual insights with bearing on the field of practical reality. Unlike many others in his field who typically focus on short term risks and downsides (endless firefighting), Brolin emphasizes also not only neglected long term risks but also neglected long term opportunities. So risks and opportunities key to the bottom line even if and when not headline grabbing. Mark’s focus on all sorts of impactful fundamentals (whether or not politically convenient and momentarily in vogue, has left him sometimes deviate considerably from mainstream thought. For example on issues such as:
– US prospects. According to Mark there is far too much huffing and puffing relating to the individual in the White House. Due to the power sharing wisdom of the Founding Fathers the choice of US President does not matter remotely as much as the continuous innovation mini-miracles on the field of practical US reality. So, as Mark sees it, those arguing that the US is facing “Roman decline” neither gets the chaotic vitality of contemporary US society nor the weakness of “glorious” ancient Rome once the Republic was abandoned.
– EU prospects. In Mark’s view history leaves no doubt that amassing vast amounts of power in one political center has always been a foolproof recipe for well intended glorious narratives but also for polarising paternalist groupthink and a static economy. Meaning precisely what the eurozone has turned into for those not looking away.
– Brexit Britain. For a long time underestimated, compared to the rest of the EU, for political reasons. As illustrated by the implosion of not the UK economy but the German economy.
– Russian prospects. The Russian regime is in Mark’s view a lot weaker than many are incentivised to claim both inside and outside Russia. Even if the US counterweight is more than helpful Europe could face down Vladimir Putin also on its own.
– Indian prospects. Federalist India, the nation shapeshifting the geopolitical map more than any other nation on the planet, is not facing a Julius Caesar moment (moving towards despotism) but an Alexander Hamilton moment (centralisation, yes, but from a highly decentralised level).
– General prospects. Yes, some problems are immense but so is the capacity of humankind to overcome problems when the going gets tough. As long as democracy is not eroded and with it the capacity for reinvention. Mark also likes to point out to the revealing incentive structure of the peddlers of doom and gloom. It is surely no coincidence that they tend to follow a long history of doom-mongery. By typically claiming that the world as we know it will end unless more money and power is sent in, hrm, their direction.