Iran War - Geopolitics and Strategic Shifts

It's time to end the world's delusions over the Iran energy crisis
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/its-time-end-worlds-delusions-over-iran-energy-crisis-2026-04-07/

Electrostates vs. Petrostates
https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/23/climate-change-world-order-green-transition-fossil-fuel/
China is building a new green bloc, while the United States is doubling down on oil.

The Iran War Is Making the American Economy More Dominant Than Ever
https://www.wsj.com/economy/the-iran-war-is-making-the-american-economy-more-dominant-than-ever-287f9569
America’s role as a major oil-and-gas exporter tempts President Trump to walk away from the Strait of Hormuz and wield leverage over others.
 
A New Oil Shock Accelerates a Return to Nuclear Power
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/06/business/nuclear-energy-iran-war.html
Shocks to natural gas supplies are spurring countries in Asia and elsewhere to rethink their rejection of nuclear energy after the 2011 disaster in Fukushima, Japan. 

 
Iran War Effect
Fareed's Take: https://youtu.be/w2FoG5s1WGQ
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/04/03/iran-war-trump-hormuz-mistake/
 
The Iran Shock
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/iran-shock
And the Dangerous Allure of Energy Autarky. 

The West cannot understand Iran
https://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2026/03/the-west-cannot-understand-iran
Complacent commentators are obscuring the realities of the conflict.

Big Picture View:

The Follies of Predicting War

https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/20/book-review-war-and-power-phillips-payson-obrien/

One excellent contribution to this debate is a recently published book by Phillips Payson O’Brien. In War and Power: Who Wins Wars—and Why, O’Brien, who is a professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, reminds us that the outcome of war may indeed be influenced by aspects beyond guns, air power, and the number of soldiers. He argues that a more holistic approach to how military might is usually measured will improve our understanding of who wins wars and why—and potentially even deter states from going to war in the first place.

An Underappreciated Cost of Home Ownership

The Typical U.S. Home Is 44 Years Old—And Needs Tons of Work
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/the-typical-u-s-home-is-44-years-oldand-needs-tons-of-work-a1fd89ea
The costs of home maintenance and upgrades on America’s aging housing stock are vast and rising fast. 

Airlines Bet on Premium Seats

First-class airline bet is economically well-timed
https://www.reuters.com/commentary/breakingviews/first-class-airline-bet-is-economically-well-timed-2026-04-02/
It’s also possible that sustained high oil prices could ​hit equity markets hard, leading to a negative “wealth effect” that dents animal spirits and therefore travel ​among the world’s richest ⁠fliers. Still, markets are not quite there yet. And higher fuel costs necessarily call for higher fares. Leaning on those better able to afford it simply makes financial sense. 

Financial Deregulation and Crisis Risk

Is Financial Deregulation Under Trump Going Too Far?
https://www.fa-mag.com/news/is-financial-deregulation-under-trump-going-too-far-86520.html

Although the Trump administration is rightly rethinking the heavy-handed banking measures implemented after the 2008 financial crisis, it is also slashing staff at key regulatory agencies, reducing capital requirements, and pushing through other changes. No matter how you slice it, the odds of a bad ending have risen. 

Private credit sector stresses could be catastrophic, but not just yet
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/private-credit-sector-stresses-could-be-catastrophic-not-just-yet-2026-04-03/

US Budgetary Priorities

Trump’s Budget Has New Vision for the Government but Not the Deficit
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-federal-budget-spending-deficit-2027-f2ce08ba
The president aims to cut federal jobs and health spending, while extending tax breaks and boosting military outlays. 

Is Adam Smith Still Relevant?

Adam Smith started a revolution 250 years ago. There’s still time to rescue it
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2026/02/28/adam-smith-started-a-revolution-250-years-ago/
Shy Scot’s economic theory introduced new way of seeing the world, but free markets are under attack in post-Enlightenment age.
 
Honor Adam Smith by making markets great again
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/03/16/honour-adam-smith-by-making-markets-great-again/
Expecting trading not to be rigged in this day and age seems naïve and almost utopian.
 
The lesson of The Wealth of Nations is not nostalgia but renewal.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/09/adam-smith-250-years-anniversary-free-markets/ 

An Ivy League Education

What an Ivy League Education Really Gets You
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/04/ivy-league-education-income/686682/