Just suppose it feasible to refreeze the Arctic. Is it something that all parties would want to do? Who might resist this? How can the dissenters be persuaded otherwise? The White Arctic. A narrative of climate repair. | by Stephen Aguilar-Millan | Buttering The Parsnips

Is the United States in a period of malaise? If so, is it permanent? Could it represent the peak of American influence? If that is the case, what sort of world would arise from a post-American world order? In whose image would the new order emerge? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

What is the mechanism by which the rich get richer? Is it a feature that is built into society? How does the wealth pump work? By what means can the wealth pump be switched off? What is our recent experience of this? And what does it hold for our future? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

Can we slow down global warming by refreezing the Arctic? Is it technically feasible? How? Can we do this at scale? Is this something we would want to do? What might be the impediments to doing this? What levels of international agreement are needed? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

Is there something about capitalism that connects with the human condition? What factors account for the endurance of capitalism as a system of human organisation? Is it our acquisitive nature? Or our desire to trade for a better situation? Or both? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

Forecasters were confident that 2023 would see a recession. It didn't happen. Why didn't it happen? Were there material changes to account for? Is there a problem with forecasting? Or do things act to make us look foolish? What does that mean for 2024? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

What trends could disrupt us in 2024? How do they interact? And what would the consequences be if they were to happen? How far are they visible now? And how much is obscured to us at present? If these are threats, how can we plan for them? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

Why are nations falling behind in their climate commitments? Are the costs too high? Could it be that Net Zero is not a truly popular policy? If so, can a democracy achieve Net Zero? Can we only improve the climate by suspending democracy? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

Does it pay to go to university? If so, why are graduate salaries stagnant? If it doesn't, is the lure of the lifestyle that great? Should we be concerned? What does it mean for the current labour market? What could it mean to a future labour markets? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

Is the BRI a means for China to project itself internationally? If so, what does it mean that the pace of growth of the BRI has slackened? Is this a change of course? Or does it mean that the BRI is running out of steam? What does it mean for the future? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

Why do public sector jobs tend to pay less than private sector ones? Do we value public services less? Or is there something else going on? If so, what might that be? Could there be a way to pay more to public sector workers? What is it? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

Why is there a common assumption of a future confrontation between China and the US over Taiwan? Would that be in the interest of China? What factors are constraining Chinese action? Could such a move have hazards for China? Would that make it wary? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

When could a ruling elite work for the public good? Who are the elite of today? How did they manage to gain that position? And does that serve all of us well? If we need reform, to where should we look for it? Can we envisage an alternative? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

What is the link between debt, inflation, and conflict? Does it follow that increased debt will lead to inflation? Does it then follow that inflation gives rise to conflict? If inflation has become entrenched, do we face conflict in the near future? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

Are we likely to experience a Sterling crisis in the near future? What are the long term pressures that would lead us to that event? What can we do about it in order to prevent it? Or is it beyond the capacity of politicians to avoid that fate? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

How cyclical are historical cycles? When one era feels like another, are they an exact match? Or do events differ in critical ways? Does the present time resemble the 1970s? In what way does it and doesn't it? What can we learn from that about the future? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

How much can a government achieve in a single term? What happens when long term problems manifest? Is the next government doomed to fail? What can it do to change this situation? Will a change in government mean more failure, only with a different label? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

If we are no longer path dependent and can have alternative versions of the past and present, then should we adjust the way in which we think about the future? If we remove our anchor to a fixed past, is that a way to unlock radically different futures? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

How can we break free of the weight of the past? Must our future be tied down by what has previously happened? Could a consideration of alternative pasts be the key to different possibilities for today? Is that the key to transformational futures? medium.com/buttering-the-par…

Could the NHS collapse? What are the factors driving it in this direction? If it were to collapse, what would that look like? How large could the consequences be of a collapse? More to the point, what could be done to prevent that from happening? link.medium.com/D8RFXCc29ub