This article is great and discusses more or less exactly what you want to know Cosmonaut: why machines dont create value

De-dollarisation and the new development bank would be the best examples. Leverage away from unipolarity and entrenched institutions like the World Bank and IMF were the topics on my mind.

I don’t know a lot about the Non-Aligned Movement, but I would see all BRICS members as somehow bringing the NAM into the modern day. Clearly NAM and BRICS are not the same, but it sparked my question.

The fact that “Jakarta Method” exists as a term shows that the goals of the NAM, however neutral or pragmatic they may have been, were seen as a threat by the US

While Russia and China see it as an anti-hegemonic tool, Brazil and India prioritize neutrality and pragmatism.

I don’t think anyone would argue that India and Brazil are using BRICS to it’s full geopolitical potential, but even a position of “neutrality and pragmatism” is seen by the US as unacceptable.

Framing it as though the leverage Brazil and India are finding through BRICS isn’t anti-hegemonic feels wrong to me. Am I missing something?

Trip was good, saw a small slice of Serbia, need to go back for more.

During my stay in Belgrade there was no large protest, I can’t really comment on transport/infrastructure for that reason. Regarding daily life, there are small reminders around the city everywhere.

The only “active” protest I saw was the “students 2.0” encampment near the presidential palace…that was some astroturfing

Short personal anecdote from me. I was recently in Serbia (I do not speak Serbian, which could mean that I got heavily biased answers) and I got the chance to ask a few people this question directly.

Some takeaway points:

1. The idea that Serbia can/will be part of the EU and everyone will live happily ever after has taken hold of most people I spoke with;

2. If the beginning of the protests were astroturfed, they have been extremely successful at bringing people into this movement; because at the heart of it, people ARE pissed off about corruption;

3. Apparently talking politics in Serbia was a somewhat taboo topic…now it is completely reversed, it is taboo to NOT state your position on these protests.

One family (middle aged mother, father and kids) walked past my campsite where I was having a chat with a Serbian couple, the father talked to them for less than one minute, in that time he managed to ask them if they support the government or not.

4. I forgot to look this up because I’m a lazy piece of shit, but two people said to me that the renovated train station that collapsed and sparked this protest was done by a Chinese company. This is leading people to believe that every piece of Chinese-built infrastructure in the country (which is quite a lot) is a scam/corrupt and it will fall over within a week of opening.

As I said, all personal anecdotes from the mouths of some Serbs I met last month, take it with a grain of salt.

The Bob Vylan guys are the real deal

If there weren’t so many bootlicking nations, almost the entire planet could “unionise” and agree a deal with the US…what could have been. Would be hilarious to watch, hopefully in my lifetime the conditions will be right for this scenario