Theater of Power and the Cost of Stupidity

We are living through one of the most transformative periods in human history. AI is rewriting economies. Fusion energy is within reach. Space exploration is no longer just a billionaire’s playground.

AI generated image of nobody winning - Freepik

Someone once said they would broker peace in two days if elected.
We all knew that was a sham.

Now that same person is pointing fingers, shifting blame, claiming others don’t want peace—anything to distract from the fact that their promise was a fantasy. This moment reveals exactly what kind of leader they are when faced with real, complex global problems: one who postures, deflects, and ultimately, fails.

It’s easy to wave the dictator’s pen around and sign executive orders. Don’t be fooled—EOs are just a modern shortcut to ruling by decree, a tool of convenience rather than governance. It doesn’t matter who uses them. They are a crutch for those who can’t negotiate, can’t build consensus, and can’t lead.

Now, if we step back—way back, from where I usually sit—this whole situation looks like a sharp thorn wedged in the world’s side. Everyone talks big. Plenty of hand-waving, grandstanding, and clever wordplay. But let’s not forget the fundamental truth: one country invaded another, with the explicit goal of wiping it off the map. That is the singular, undeniable cause of this war.

If the world really wants peace, the answer is painfully simple.

The invader leaves. Withdraw the troops. Sign a peace treaty. That’s it. No long negotiations, no half-measures, no spin. Anything less sets a catastrophic precedent—one that tells war-hungry governments everywhere that land grabs are back in style, that it’s “okay” in 2025 to redraw borders by force.

We are living through one of the most transformative periods in human history. AI is rewriting economies. Fusion energy is within reach. Space exploration is no longer just a billionaire’s playground. We are standing on the edge of an era that could redefine humanity—and yet, we remain trapped in the same dumb cycle of war, tribalism, and self-inflicted division.

It’s not just the war itself. It’s the way the world is reacting to it. The West, once defined by its ability to argue fiercely but respect boundaries, has become a global laughingstock—a schoolyard of name-calling and kindergarten theatrics. Worse, this brand of polarization is spreading, deliberately exported by those who want to fracture alliances, pit allies against each other, and create a world where no one trusts anyone.

Some people have reached out, applauding me for standing up for what I believe in. Others are angry, thinking I have something against their country. The truth? All of this sucks. Every side is losing in different ways, and no one is thinking ahead.

This isn’t a Cold War sequel. Or at least, it shouldn’t be. The worst mistake we could make right now is locking ourselves into opposing camps, shutting down trade, retreating inward. Yes, it might bring short-term security, but history is clear: isolationism doesn’t solve problems—it delays them, creating messes that take decades to clean up.

Each region of the world has its own reckoning ahead. The U.S. needs to stop running the world’s biggest payday loan scheme and get its $35 trillion deficit under control. Europe needs to stop treating security as an afterthought and start acting like a real geopolitical force—maybe even bring the UK back into the fold, because whether the paperwork says so or not, the UK is Europe.

And then there’s the East. It’s on track to dominate the next century, and that’s fine. Empires rise, empires fall. The torch gets passed. But what matters is how a nation carries its power. Will it lead in a way that builds bridges, creates trade, and advances civilization? Or will it repeat the same tired playbook of conquest and control?

Because in the end, it truly doesn’t matter who holds the title of “most powerful nation.” Not in the long run. Zoom out far enough, and you’ll see that we have way bigger fish to fry: artificial superintelligence, climate collapse, asteroid deflection, keeping this planet habitable for another thousand years. And yet, here we are, still bickering over borders and burning time fighting battles we should have outgrown centuries ago.

War is not the way. Free markets always win.
Taking care of humanity matters more than who holds the torch.

And if we can’t figure that out now, history will make us learn it the hard way. Again.

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Linus Ekenstam
4 March 2025