Pinned
There’s been a lot of chatter about the #SilkRoads lately. Some of it a little muddled. Here’s a (long) thread to untangle a few things 🧵
Peter Frankopan
78.7K posts
Peter Frankopan
@peterfrankopan
Professor of Global History at Oxford. Director, Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research. Silk Roads. Environment & Climate Change. Co-host of the Legacy podcast
- On one of the worst intelligence failures of the modern era. Four points stand out 1/4
- Some thoughts on the tariff disaster: 1. Tech bros took pride of place at Trump's inauguration two months ago 2. They showed up in the expectation that the new administration would help their companies soar even higher 1/3
- Most serious moment since Tiananmen in 89. Hard to see the genie get put back in the bottle. A soft touch needed; a hammer much more likely to come next. And then who knows…
- Replying to @peterfrankopan5. That has turned out to be one of the worst bets in history. The values of their companies went down by c.$1tr yesterday in one day. Apple alone lost more than $300bn. 6. Finally, Trump has done the impossible: to join Liz Truss in the Economic Mismanagement Hall of Shame More
- Main takeaway here: the new variant was identified in Kent in late Sept. If it has caught fire since then and now accounts for 60%+ in London and SE, it shows that gov policy and response not just been wrong re Christmas - but have been wrong for months.
- Replying to @peterfrankopan3. They figured that Trump would push Europe to loosen regulation - and put pressure on China. 4. To show fealty, some dropped DEI policies (Meta), others interfered with editorial policy (WaPo) and others prepared to serve (DOGE)
- Replying to @peterfrankopanPS Apple down $865bn since the start of the year (that's more than the value of Walmart)
- Replying to @peterfrankopan3. The use of disappearing messages re lethal action - no need to say more. 4. The role of JD Vance - and his views re Europe in particular.
- Replying to @peterfrankopan1. The sheer sloppiness. Proper amateur hour. 2. the use of an unapproved app to do government business
- PM Cameron in Witney - no longer a Conservative seat PM May in Maidenhead - no longer a Conservative seat PM Johnson in Uxbridge & Ruislip - no longer a Conservative seat PM Truss in SW Norfolk - no longer a Conservative seat Astonishing. The most telling stat of the night
