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Thank you Rahul. Will you please tell me what/who you see as the “establishment”?

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That is a trillion dollar question.

I look at them as transaction chains. Some time during post Vietnam and fall of USSR there developed unique financial and geopolitical channels (transaction chains) of sorts - these comprise financial flows, power flows, benefits flows.

Firms (military industry and conglomerates / MNCs), individuals (politicians) and institutions (NGOs and consulting types and banks and international finance) grew around those pathways. They have financial interest in keeping those pathways operational. Those are the establishment.

Just that these actors do not come together and conspire actively. Their interests are aligned more through something like Adam Smith's invisible hand. Thus, it is the incentive structure that makes them an establishment not conspiracy.

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Thank you.

Do you think they are consciously aware that they are part of this “establishment”? Is it intentional? Or, has it simply grown into existence from circumstance — and those who are a part cannot see the forest — because they are trees?

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You put it very well - they are trees

Most living their lives running their businesses and exploring avenues that maximise their revenues / profits. Most people are not evil. They follow the law.

But I think many in the regulatory sphere have deliberately turned a blind eye to certain laws and strategies - particularly their threat perception of certain nations and active using financial and geopolitical interventions.

The pork-chops bargaining at the Congress has left a trail of regulation that makes no sense resulting in distorted benefits to same parties deemed to be enemies by other branches.

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Thank you Rahul..

Have you read The Art of Possibility? In particular, the chapter about giving everyone an A?

Here is a link:

https://youtu.be/qTKEBygQic0

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I dont know how you thought about it but I am glad you did. I definitely needed to listen to that video. Thank you so much.

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You are welcome Rahul.

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