On Our Final "Virtual Route 66" For January 2024

Your mother really did know the secret to a better world: "Play nicely together. Don't fight." Compromise is the worst way to address human differences, except for all the others. (modeled on Churchill's quote "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.") The alternative to compromise is conflict. When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves. - William Arthur Ward Unless both sides win, no agreement can be permanent. - Jimmy Carter Today's affirmation: I feel unity with Spirit and with all that is. My life is richer for sharing my being with all those I meet. Each experience, however it appears at the time, highlights and strengthens the fabric of my life. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie POLITICS Court allows razor wire cuts on US-Mexico border. A divided US Supreme Court allowed Border Patrol agents to resume cutting razor wire that Texas installed along a stretch of the US-Mexico border at the centre of an escalating standoff between the Biden administration and Texas state over immigration enforcement. Somalia rejects mediation efforts with Ethiopia over port deal. Ethiopia was considering recognising Somaliland's independence in return for gaining access to the Red Sea, partly through the port lease. But Somalia says there is no space for mediation unless Ethiopia retracts its illegal MOU and reaffirms the sovereignty and integrity of Somalia. German farmers converge on Berlin to protest higher taxes. Some 3,000 tractors, 2,000 trucks and an estimated 10,000 people crammed the avenue leading to Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. The government is facing fierce backlash after cutting agricultural subsidies to fix its budget deficit. Felix Tshisekedi sworn in as DRC’s President after a contested election victory. His inauguration speech was attended by several African presidents and made sweeping promises to fix the many challenges faced by his nation. Modi inaugurates Hindu temple on site of razed mosque in India. More than 30 years after militant Hindu radicals razed a mosque in the Indian town of Ayodhya, Indian PM Modi has inaugurated the new Hindu temple that will stand in its place. CONFLICT Pakistan missiles strike Iran in retaliatory bombing as tensions soar. Pakistan has hit Iran with what it described as “highly coordinated” military strikes, a little more than 24 hours after Iranian air raids in Balochistan, further raising tensions between the neighbours amid fears of a broader conflict. Ecuador police capture Colombian rebel leader. Ecuador's police said they have captured the leader of Colombian armed group Oliver Sinisterra and he will be returned to Colombia. It comes amid a government military offensive to combat criminal gangs. African leaders call for an immediate end to hostilities in Gaza during Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meeting. The NAM is a collection of 120 countries not officially connected to major global blocs. This call was accompanied by a criticism of Israel’s actions in the conflict. US base in Iraq attacked after Iran vows revenge. US military said "multiple ballistic missiles and rockets were launched" at its Al-Assad based in western Iraq. The attack came after Iran vowed revenge and blamed Israel for a deadly attack on a building housing its elite forces in Syria North Korea ends policy of reunification with South Korea. Kim Jong Un called for the constitution to be revised to say that the South is the country’s “primary foe and invariable principal enemy”. ECONOMICS EU adopts new law banning greenwashing and misleading information. Members voted in favour of the directive which aims to protect consumers from misleading marketing practices and help them make better purchasing choices. Suez Canal diversions add pressure on Egypt’s distressed economy. After Yemen’s Houthis sea attacks, Suez Canal revenue sees a sharp downturn. Nearly all of Egypt's main sources of foreign currency have come under severe pressure. Top economists predict global growth will weaken. The International Monetary Fund predicts a 0.1% fall compared to 2023. Geopolitical rifts and world fragmentation continue to grow while global economic activity and financial conditions remain slow and tight. Billionaires say they would be proud to pay more taxes. In a letter penned by more than 250 of the mega-rich, the group has asked global leaders gathering in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum to tax "extreme wealth". WHO reports global decline in use of tobacco. One in five adults worldwide currently uses tobacco, compared to one in three in 2000. This is despite interference by the tobacco industry. DEVELOPMENT CHART: Battery prices are forecast to fall 40% by 2025. African Swine Fever hits Borneo's people and forests, near 100% fatality. ASF wreaks havoc among domestic and wild swine populations, threatening ecosystems, food security, and centuries-old cultural practices. It has quietly become one of the most devastating viral diseases globally. Nobel laureates call on EU to ease rules on genetic modification. In an open letter, 34 Nobel Prize winners called for lawmakers to embrace new gene code-editing techniques. This would make crops more resistant to disease and more likely to survive extreme weather events. ExxonMobil sues investors to block climate petition. Oil giant ExxonMobil has sued climate activist investors in a bid to prevent their climate proposal from going to a vote at its annual investor meeting. SOCIAL Largest deep-sea coral reef mapped by scientists off US. Scientists used new underwater mapping technology to create 3D images of the ocean floor, allowing them to map the largest coral reef stretching hundreds of miles off the US Atlantic coast. German parliament approves easing rules for dual citizenship. Restrictions on holding dual citizenship dropped after this decision, with people being eligible for it after five years in the country or three in case of “special integration accomplishments.” Zero-waste air purifier removes over 99% of viruses. Engineers at the University of Bath have revealed a zero-waste air purifier that uses FOAM3R technology to achieve 99.999% virus removal efficiency. The foam, made up of high-temperature polymer and active media, uses selective adsorbents to capture contaminants and antibacterial agents to combat microbes. China’s population falls for 2nd straight year as births drop. The number of deaths rose by 690,000 to 11.1 million in 2023, more than double the previous year’s increase. Demographers said the rise was driven by population aging and widespread COVID-19 outbreaks that started in late 2022.  Zambia cholera outbreak leaves 400 dead, 10,000 cases. Cholera has been detected in nearly half of the country’s districts and nine out of 10 provinces, and the nation of about 20 million people has been recording more than 400 cases a day. Russia’s aging heating system causing dissatisfaction with Kremlin. With temperatures reaching below minus 20c there is a growing chorus of complaints on social media about infrastructure issues are affecting almost every corner of the country.

- Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) giving a pretty unimpeachable analysis of this GOP Congress and their sycophancy to Trump.

After weeks of deliberation following South Africa’s landmark accusations of genocide against Israel, judges in the World Court reached a decision.    The International Court of Justice on Friday ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and increase efforts to help civilians, but stopped short of ordering the ceasefire sought by South Africa, which brought the case to The Hague. It’s not quite the outcome hoped for by many Palestinians. But does represent a significant legal setback for Israel, as the country had hoped to get the case thrown out entirely.    The ICJ found that “at least some of the acts and omissions alleged by South Africa to have been committed by Israel in Gaza to be capable of falling within the provisions of the [Genocide] Convention.” The ruling requires Israel to prevent and punish any public incitements to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and to preserve evidence related to such allegations. The judges also ruled that Israel must take measures to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Fifteen of 17 judges on the panel voted in favor of imposing these provisional measures, including the court’s president from the United States, Joan Donoghue.   So what happens now? Well, Israel is required to submit a report to the court on steps it has taken to comply with the orders within one month of today’s ruling. The process of the courts examining the merits of the case could take years. Israeli Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu has called the charges of genocide brought against Israel “outrageous” and said that the country would defend itself by any means necessary. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mocked the ruling, posting on X, “Hague Schmague.”

The ICJ’s ruling lacks immediate practical consequences, but its implications are deeply symbolic for both Israelis and Palestinians. For Israel—which was was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust—to be directly ordered to comply with the Genocide Convention (also created in response to the Holocaust) sends a powerful message.    The United Nations Agency that facilitates aid to Palestinians, known as UNRWA said that it had dismissed several employees accused of being involved in the October 7 Hamas attack, and has launched an official investigation. Israel had previously accused the agency of fueling anti-Israeli sentiment, which the U.N. has repeatedly denied. The head of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini said that the dismissals were carried out to “protect the Agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance.” No evidence of wrongdoing has yet been uncovered, but Lazzarini said that if any UNRWA worker is found to have been involved, they “will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.”    Lazzarini did not specify how many of UNRWA’s 13,000-person workforce in Gaza had been accused, but the U.S. State Department released a statement noting that the allegations involved 12 people. The State Department release asserted that it has “temporarily paused additional funding for UNRWA while we review these allegations and the steps the United Nations is taking to address them.” It also commended UNRWA for its “critical role in providing lifesaving assistants to Palestinians,” and said the administration welcomes the U.N.’s announcement of a “comprehensive and independent” review of the agency.    The United States is UNRWA’s largest donor, so the suspension of aid at a time when more than 93 percent of the population in Gaza experiences “crisis levels of hunger,” will be a major blow to the agency’s already-stretched resources. Lazzarini stated that the goal of the independent investigation will be to “establish the truth without delay.”

New year, new tour shows, same need for comedy as a coping mechanism as the news cycle spits out its weekly glob of horrors! We have so much in store for you, but to kick us off, Lovett or Leave It will be coming to Washington, DC on April 25 for another barnburner of a show at The Lincoln Theatre. Trust us—you won’t want to miss this one. Join our Friend of the Pod subscription service for exclusive access to pre-sale tickets today!

A New York City jury ordered disgraced former president Donald Trump to pay columnist E. Jean Caroll $83.3 million for defaming her in 2019 by derisively denying her accusation that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 90’s. The sum exceeded even the amount Carroll’s lawyers’ explicitly asked for. Trump called the ruling “absolutely ridiculous” and vowed to appeal. Carroll’s lawyers used Trump’s own testimony from the civil fraud trial brought against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James (in which he bragged about how much money he has) as proof that he could afford such a hefty fine. But there’s little hope that Carroll will be awarded the money anytime soon. Trump’s appeal means that the $83 million will be held by the court during what could be years of legal battles. He could also secure a bond, which would not require him to pay the full amount up front. The civil fraud case is due to be decided next week, which could add significantly to Trump’s list of legal debts. State Attorney General James is seeking $370 million from the Trump Organization, as well as banning him from doing business in New York real estate for life.

A bipartisan group of over two dozen members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to President Biden on Friday arguing that he must seek congressional authorization before launching additional strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.    Nearly a dozen mainstream media outlets have gutted their staff and newsrooms since the beginning of the year, including the Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, Business Insider, and the New York Daily News.    A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pressing the assisted-living industry for answers on Thursday in a hearing about the industry-wide problems of inadequate staffing, high costs, and a lack of transparency about insufficient care and preventable deaths of elderly residents.    The NFL issued a ruling that players on the two teams competing in the Super Bowl will be prohibited from gambling during the week of the game, which will be held in Las Vegas this year.  Washington D.C. saw temperatures nearing 80 degrees on Friday, 35 degrees above average. Okay climate change, you got us!

The Justice Department formally concluded its investigation into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) and settled the case with the New York executive chamber. According to the settlement, Cuomo “repeatedly subjected [current and former state] female employees to unwelcome, non-consensual sexual contact; ogling; unwelcome sexual comments; gender-based nicknames; comments on their physical appearances; and/or preferential treatment based on their physical appearances.” The executive chamber, DOJ concluded, “failed to effectively remediate the harassment on a systemic level,” and senior staff in the Cuomo administration were aware of the behavior and retaliated against some of the women involved. The chamber will be forced to implement a variety of new preventative measures, some of which have already been adopted by the administration of Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY).

January 23-24 By Marc Cooper So you didn't have to, I spent Tuesday watching the coverage of the faux New Hampshire primary and all I can say is that it has been stultifying, depressing and enraging. Let me save you time by informing you that in spite of all the hot air and rat-tat-tat of data points that the media is obsessed with, it makes NO difference whatsoever if Haley finished five, ten or fifty points behind Trump (looks like it's going to be about 15). This "primary" season was over before it started as from the beginning Trump was going to be the nominee for two simple reasons: he long ago captured the mass of a degenerate and degraded GOP who is in his thrall and who dreams of dictatorship and second, there was never any serious challenger to him because they were all cowards and at best were running to be a lackey of his in any future cabinet. Only Chris Christie challenged his own party base. I watched the whole thing on the putatively liberal MSNBC and it came off as one prolonged gigantic smoking train wreck. When Trump showed up for a "press gaggle" they ran his demented and impaired and mendacious rant live with NO context, pushback or even a tough question. He rambled on for several minutes completely making up an incoherent but fear-filled pitch about the danger of immigrants -- like "they are opening up to all the mental hospitals in the world…all the criminals…” yada yada. And, somehow, the only voters that were interviewed seemed like until 10 minutes before getting on camera they were uprooted from a turnip patch. These yo-yos were inarticulate and irrational and as ill-informed as possible, a lethal mix only amplified by the corps of MSNBC reporters who, apparently, were ordered to never ask a single important follow up. And MSNBC could not find ONE voter who could form an entire paragraph of linear thought? Or would that be too long for a 7 second sound bite? When one dolt after another was asked who did you vote for and they grunted "Trump" they were sometimes asked why and for those capable of answering most said "immigration." End of interview. You'd think at least ONE reporter might ask, um, what is it about immigration that affects your life? Or do you worry that your choice is facing a panoply of criminal trials? Or are you Okay voting for a guy who says he will be a dictator? Or, even, have you ever read a newspaper? But nothing, nada, zip. Then it's back to that frickin’ Big Board where Steve Kornacki breaks down the 2024 turnout in East Jesus County compared to that of 2016 and it is basically all totally pointless and worthless information. Sorry. Talk about horse race coverage! This was like trying to explain the voting by sifting through clumps of horse shit. Perhaps the follow up coverage later Tuesday nite or Wednesday might delve a bit deeper but I did not see ONE minute of coverage during the day (and I watched from 9 AM onward) that dealt with this circus as anything except one more absolutely normal election. Not a moment of analysis (and I mean analysis not opinion) on how we are moving closer to the death of democracy, not one moment delving into the appeal of naked xenophobia...just one common place or threadbare cliche after another. As I write this at 5:30 PM PST, Haley is making a "victory" speech claiming she is in for the long run. My God, she is an empty vessel and quite a right winger herself! As if anybody cares if she is going to "stay in," as if she is going to NOT get crushed in hew own state of South Carolina next month. As if she, and the bootlickers like Tim Scott and Ron DeSantis are going to be anything other than asterisks by November. As I said last week after the ridiculous Iowa caucuses, the general election has already started and what went down in NH was a sideshow that entertained --and mattered to-- only the media who did it’s damndest to give this horror show a varnish of respectability and gravity. The only good news coming out this week is that the Republicans have saddled themselves with Trump as its virtual nominee and has thereby created the longest general election campaign in recent history. And that is bad for Trump and his party. He will be going on trial at least on that most important federal charge on the January 6 conspiracy before the election and, if convicted as he probably will be, the Republican Party will be going into November with a convicted felon as its standard bearer. Not a winning idea strategy. More than 40% of even these NH voters said if he is convicted they will not vote for him. Though the media continues to pee its pants over Biden's age, they are very very very slowly catching on to just how muddled and impaired Trump's mental acuity has become. The more he talks in the coming months, the worse it will be for him. And for his soft supporters. As for cable "news" today -- it would have been more useful to just play re-runs of the Twilight Zone and then late Tuesday, take maybe 5 minutes to sum up the New Hampshire results. It would have been a greater public service than uncapping the open sewer pipe they drowned us in today. ++

JANUARY 28, 2024 This week at Project Syndicate, Stephen S. Roach warns that, without a more imaginative approach to economic stewardship, China could remain stuck; Nina L. Khrushcheva explains that the goal of current Kremlin propaganda is not to convince people that life in Russia is safe and prosperous, but to prepare Russians for more war; Jim O'Neill asks whether global economic forecasts are overly optimistic; and more. Politics & World Affairs China’s Imagination Deficit Stephen S. Roach warns that the government’s response to tough problems is being driven by stale tactics and ideology. Politics & World Affairs Preparing Russia for Permanent War Nina L. Khrushcheva deciphers the significance of the Kremlin’s latest propaganda push – and hears ominous echoes of the past. Economics & Finance Is the Outlook for the Global Economy Still Bullish? Jim O'Neill considers whether less favorable inflation data changes the overall forecast for 2024 and beyond. Economics & Finance Are Electric Cars a Dead End? Todd G. Buchholz explains why consumers remain wary of the technology despite all the policies designed to boost adoption. The Redemocratization of Poland Adam Michnik interviewed by Irena Grudzińska Gross about the challenges of overcoming eight years of populist misrule. Sustainability Now How to Enforce Climate Agreements with Trade Measures Scott Barrett, Noah Kaufman, and Joseph E. Stiglitz call for more narrow, binding agreements that follow the successful model of the Montreal Protocol. Politics & World Affairs Has the “Polycrisis” Overwhelmed Us? Mark Leonard reports on the debates that defined this year’s summit of global political and business leaders in Davos. Falling inflation, rising growth give U.S. the world’s best recovery (Matt Rourke/AP) After posting faster annual growth last year than in 2022, the U.S. economy is quashing fears of a new recession while offering lessons for future crisis-fighting. By David J. Lynch Read more World Pakistan battles rising terror threat in Afghan border regions Islamabad blames Taliban for harbouring militants despite supporting the group during US occupation Politics Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger quit regional bloc in escalation of tension West African states accuse Ecowas of being a threat to its members and under the influence of foreign powers JANUARY 28, 2024 by Aanu Adeoye in Lagos   In the news this month Recent events as seen through our archive The high price of deregulating the EU's electricity Aurélien Bernier, October 2023 TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2024.French electricity prices will increase by almost 10% from 1 February, the economy minister Bruno Le Maire announced on Sunday. The government presents this hike as a 'return to normality', linked to the 'gradual end of the tariff shield' put in place in the autumn of 2021, but according to Aurélien Bernier, the inflation that has caused bills to grow over the last few years is 'deliberate'. Back in October, Bernier dissected the pricing mechanisms that lead to the increase in prices, and showed how EU-led deregulation explains this phenomenon. Ecuador: the road to hell Maurice Lemoine, December 2023 THURSDAY 11 JANUARY 2024.Violence in Ecuador has reached a new pitch since the leader of the Los Choneros drug cartel, José Macías Villamar (also known as 'Fito'), escaped Guayaquil prison on 7 January. On Tuesday 9 January, the country witnessed masked gunmen storm a live TV broadcast and terrorise staff. President Daniel Noboa, only recently come to power, has declared a state of emergency and ordered the armed forces to 'neutralise' criminal gangs. 'Some now call this city "Guayakill",' noted Maurice Lemoine in December, in an analysis of the security collapse of a nation once renowned for its tranquility. Even war has rules Anne-Cécile Robert, December 2023 TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2024.This Thursday 11 and Friday 12 January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague will hear South Africa's case alleging that Israel is committing 'genocidal acts' in Gaza. South Africa's 84-page filing to the court argues that Israel is creating conditions 'calculated to bring about [Palestinians'] physical destruction'. In our December issue, Anne-Cécile Robert traced the history of the rules of war, quoting Max Huber, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, in 1944: 'War, as it becomes more and more total, annuls the differences which formerly existed between armies and civilian populations in regard to exposure to injury and danger ... We were coming to grips with war itself, since it was no longer merely a case of alleviating suffering, but of attacking the evil at its root'. As Robert argues, 'Current events in the Middle East are a textbook case of practices the [Geneva] convention negotiators felt should be banned and, if they occurred, should be stopped immediately.' Israel's strategic error Charles Enderlin, January 2024 MONDAY 8 JANUARY 2024.Saleh Al-Arouri, a senior leader of Hamas (in the West Bank), was killed in a targeted strike in Beirut on Tuesday 2 January. His funeral was held on Thursday. In this month's issue, Charles Enderlin traces the dangers of Netanyahu's strategy to keep Hamas in power in Gaza — making a Palestinian state, and a political solution, less likely. The irresistible rise of Nigeria's cement billionaire Jean-Christophe Servant, May 2023 FRIDAY 12 JANUARY 2024.A Nigerian government probe into the former governor of the central bank has searched the Dangote Group's offices, spooking investors. Nigeria's president Bola Tinubu quickly suspended the governor of central bank after he came into power in May 2023, disapproving of the bank's foreign exchange practices. Aliko Dangote, 66 — 'Africa's richest person and the world's 136th wealthiest, worth $19.6bn in January 2023', as Jean-Christophe Servant wrote around that time — financed Tinubu's campaign (as well as that of his challengers). He built his empire out of cement. Germany's iron cage François Denord, Rachel Knaebel & Pierre Rimbert, August 2015 MONDAY 8 JANUARY 2024.Wolfgang Schäuble died on 26 December 2023. The embodiment of German 'ordoliberalism', the statesman worked to impose this doctrine on the rest of Europe. An architect of 'German unification' in 1990, the annexation of the GDR by its neighbour (read 'The economic Anschluss of the GDR'), he also argued to impose draconian austerity on Greece in 2015 (read 'The defeat of Europe'). In political and economic matters, Schäuble held monetary stability above all else, and had open contempt for democratic institutions. 'Elections cannot be allowed to change economic policy,' he said to Yanis Varoufakis. Exploiting African football David Garcia, July 2018 SUNDAY 21 JANUARY 2024.Who will follow in the footsteps of the Algerian Fennecs in 2019 and the Senegalese Lions of Teranga in 2021 by winning the African Cup of Nations? 24 teams have been competing in Ivory Coast since 13 January. The winning team will take home m, the highest sum in the history of the tournament, all the more appealing in a sector plagued by precarity and low wages. Unpaid signing bonuses, salary delays, unpaid hospital care for injuries: such is the daily life of African players, as David Garcia wrote back in July 2018. Somaliland, a forgotten country Gérard Prunier, October 1997 SATURDAY 13 JANUARY 2024.Addis Ababa and Mogadishu are at loggerheads after Somaliland granted Ethiopia access to the Red Sea for commercial and military purposes on 1 January, as part of a secretive deal. Somaliland, a former British protectorate that declared itself independent of Somalia in 1991, was rewarded with a stake in Ethiopian Airlines and recognition of its sovereignty, a first. 'The paradox is that a state that certainly has more legitimacy and roots in society than most other African states, operating with very limited financial resources and no outside aid, is managing to survive and sustain a fragile peace despite the almost total indifference of the international community,' Gérard Prunier wrote in October 1997. January 24, 2024  •  Weekly Newsletter Javier Milei’s Chainsaw Plan and the Five Principles of Oppression Gabriel Gasave Five obstacles have prevented Latin America from achieving its potential: corporatism, mercantilism, privilege, bottom-up wealth transfer, and politicized law. Argentine President Milei now has a golden opportunity to cut at least a few of the five wires of this society-destroying machinery. But he must act! Where is his chainsaw?! READ MORE » A Proposal of Monetary Reform for Argentina Flexible Dollarization and Free Banking The Independent Review, Winter 2014/15 The Hysterical Style in American Politics Victor Davis Hansen (American Greatness) The truth is that the progressive movement cannot enact its unpopular agendas. So it must scare the people silly and gin up chaos to destroy its perceived enemies—any crisis will do. What, then, can be done to stem the rising tide of fear-induced paranoia from the Left? READ MORE » Crisis and Leviathan Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government (25th Anniversary Edition) By Robert Higgs No Policy Consequences Are ‘Unintended’ William F. Shughart (The Hill) The government interferes in the private sector, and we get unintended consequences? Please. Two hundred years ago French economist Frédéric Bastiat taught us that any regulatory costs imposed on the rest of us were not mistaken; nor were they inadvertent. And he was right—today more than ever. When will we listen? READ MORE » The Law The Classic Blueprint for a Free Society By Frederic Bastiat Health Insurance Without Health Care John C. Goodman (Forbes) One reason the United States spends more on health care than other countries is that we are obsessive about health insurance, not health care. And what are we getting for all that spending? Are people getting better care? No—and Obamacare has just made things worse. READ MORE » Priceless Curing the Healthcare Crisis By John C. Goodman The Latest from The Beacon   SCOTUS, Camping Ordinances, and the Eighth Amendment William J. Watkins, Jr. Another Infant Formula Shortage? Blame the FDA Raymond J. March Biden Administration Proposes Regulating Bank Overdraft Fees Randall G. Holcombe Off to a Bad Start Craig Eyermann The Latest from Catalyst   Latin America—Which Model? Alvaro Vargas Llosa The Tricky Business of Branding Kimberlee Josephson Big Firms Are Hardly Invincible. Just Ask Blackberry Trey Price   WE look forward to the continued  privilege to serve