China's harsh, deflationary economic environment and intense domestic competition, while causing many companies to fail, effectively hones a select few into highly resilient and efficient champions. These survivors are now prepared for successful global expansion.
Britain's tendency to study Scandinavian countries for policy lessons is flawed because they are too different in size, wealth, and social contentment. Spain offers a more comparable model across economic, cultural, and demographic metrics, making it a more relevant source for policy inspiration.
The capybara's rise as a cultural icon is not just about cuteness; it's about its perceived "chill" and unbothered nature. In an anxious world, this unflappability has become an aspirational trait, leading people to embrace the animal—whose collective noun is fittingly a "meditation"—as a symbol of tranquility.
Contrary to perceptions of rigid control, China accelerates tech progress by empowering local regulators to be agile. These regulators create urban "test beds" for technologies like autonomous taxis, which entices talent and investment, turbocharging development cycles far ahead of Western counterparts.
A key driver of the capybara's recent online fame was a real-world event where they overran a luxury gated community in Argentina built on their former habitat. This narrative of nature reclaiming territory from the wealthy cast them as unexpected anti-capitalist symbols, significantly boosting their meme potential.