Bismarck Brief

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Toyota is a Fragile Giant
The world's largest and most profitable automobile manufacturer is a Japanese corporation built by a family of mechanical engineers. It has however…
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Samo Burja
Geely is Raising the Bar For Being a Functional Auto Manufacturer
China's first private auto maker is still led by its founder. It has successfully pivoted to electric vehicles and is making unusual technical bets…
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Samo Burja
Gavin Newsom and the Democratic Party
The California governor and political scion is often described as a future U.S. presidential favorite. But his consistent deference to party consensus…
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Samo Burja
Spain is Not a Model for Europe
One of Europe's largest countries is also one of its oldest and most dependent on tourism. Despite promising fundamentals, it is a canary in the coal…
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Samo Burja

March 2025

Silver Lake is an Ally to Exceptional Executives
Perhaps the world's most renowned software and technology-focused private equity firm tends to back competent CEOs and founders. Its success relies on…
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Samo Burja
The Ministry That Built Japan’s Economy
An effective economic bureaucracy guided Japan from the ruin of war to becoming the world’s second-largest economy within a few decades. Succession…
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Samo Burja
Indonesia’s Ambition to Become an Industrial Giant
The populous and resource-rich Southeast Asian country has many of the fundamentals for industrialization, but will face challenges in building state…
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Samo Burja
Lenovo is a Functional Dead Player in Computers
The world's top personal computer maker is a Chinese company originally founded by state-employed computer specialists. Although it remains a functional…
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Samo Burja

February 2025

Greece Shows the Future of Dead Player Democracies
For decades, the Greek government funded social transfers and subsidies with debt while neglecting industrial competitiveness. The collapse of this…
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Samo Burja
Walmart is a Functional Retail Empire
The largest corporation in the world by both revenue and employees is an American family business. It has successfully albeit slowly adapted to the…
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Samo Burja
Xiaomi is a Dynamic Live Player in Consumer Hardware
The young Chinese company mainly sells smartphones, but has also rapidly entered new product categories ranging from home appliances to electric…
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Samo Burja
Seven Briefs the White House Should Read
As a new presidential administration settles into power in Washington, here are the top Bismarck Briefs most relevant to the next four years of…
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Samo Burja
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