By Marcus Aurelius (121-180)
From his “The Meditations”

Here’s a welcome optimistic construal of the effects off the Coronavirus
--Marvin Zonis

By A Former Student

I don't doubt the accuracy of your forecast. But if I can be so bold: What is to be done? What prescription follows from it?

A startlingly original piece by a former student. Your comments are very welcome. Please respond to marvin.zonis@chicagobooth.edu
-- Marvin Zonis

By Marvin Zonis

Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Representative for Afghanistan, has pulled off a peace deal with the Taliban. There are obvious benefits for the United States. But the outcome for Afghanistan and for all of South Asia is much more dire.

Over the last few month’s I’ve been working with Lawrie Philpott of Philpott Black in London to create a brand new website totally dedicated to the demanding and complex subject of leadership in today’s world - and, equally importantly, leadership in the future.

This week we’ve launched the site and I want you to be aware of it and, hopefully, to look it over and also to tell your friends. Here’s an overview of what’s on offer:

There are good reasons to imagine that when the epidemic is over, President Xi will liberalize China’s economy to restore economic growth. This is a time to hang tough and even buy the dip.
——Marvin Zonis

President Trump has released his FY 2021 budget. While unpacking the numbers for all military related expenditures is tricky, it appears that U.S. expenditures on war will exceed $1 trillion.
——Marvin Zonis

An Israel negotiator with the Palestinians criticizes the President’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan on many grounds. But what shines through his criticisms are two issues that are characteristics of Trump’s own personality.

*He shows absolutely no empathy for the Palestinians and what they perceive to be the central tragedy of their history — the establishment of the State of Israel and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the creation of Israeli settlements by seizing Palestinian land. Virtually every account of the President’s life describes his failure to be able to empathize with other — from members of his own family to Senator John McCain to separating children from their parents at our southern border.

*The plan claims to be a plan for peace but, in every regard, inflicts humiliation on the already humiliated Palestinian people. President Trump characteristically inflicts humiliation — constantly through his tweets and at his rallies. Obama: “Bad ( or sick) guy;” Jeb Bush: “a total embarrassment to himself and his family;” Canada: “they’ve taken advantage of our Country for many years;” Turkey: “a total disgrace;” Robert De Niro: “a very low IQ individual;” Jamie Dimon: “doesn’t have the smarts;” Maureen Dowd: “a neurotic dope;” Cokie Roberts: “kooky;” Angela Merkl: “ruining Germany.” Actually, the list of inflicted humiliations is endless. But crucially, the peace plan is a collection of humiliations.

While the peace plan specifies that the Palestinians will have a state, its birth will depend on Israel’s determination that the Palestinians have met all the criteria for statehood specified by Israel and the deal. Once their state is declared, Palestine will remain under Israeli control in almost all significant regards.

The Palestinians have always insisted that their capital would have to be in Jerusalem. But the peace plan specifies that their capital would be in the Arab village of Abu Dis. Perversely, Israel had earlier ensured that the Palestinians would not be able to call Abu Dis part of Jerusalem. When Israel conquered the West Bank in the 1967 war, they immediately combined West Jerusalem, which had been under Israel control, with East Jerusalem, under the control of Jordan. The combined city totaled 38 square kilometers. Shortly after, Israel dramatically expanded the boundaries of the city to 108 square kilometers in order to include neighboring Israeli villages to insure a permanent Jewish majority. Explicitly excluded from the “new” Jerusalem was the abutting Arab village, Abu Dis. To make that completely clear, Israel then built its security wall along the new border of Jerusalem, cutting off Abu Dis,. That village, under the Israel security wall is designated by the U.S. as the Palestinian capital.

It is clear that the plan fits the President’s character and fits the commitments of his evangelical Christian base. It fits Prime Minister Netanyahu’s wishes as well as Israel’s right wing. Only the Palestinians are left out of consideration.

----Marvin Zonis

By any meaningful definition of a democracy, the U.S. is not one.
——Marvin Zonis

By Marvin Zonis

Weijian Shan finds the highly touted trade deal wanting and suggests what’s needed to move U.S.-China relations forward
——Marvin Zonis

By Marvin Zonis

Iran’s Muslims observe a forty-day mourning period. On the 40th day after the death, intense mourning rights are held. Then the mourning period is over.

The forty-day mourning rights for General Suleimani will be held on February 12.

Then the Iranians are likely to seek their revenge.