Originally published by Ian Bremmer on LinkedIn: This Week's #Winners and #Losers
My weekly look back at who won and lost around the world.
UN General Assembly Week
Winner: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi—met with both Clinton and Trump, enhancing his rep as a serious international powerbroker. #FlyOnTheWall
Loser: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon—he may become president of South Korea next year, but he’s the least forceful UN Secretary General in history. #ThatBarIsLow
Black History Week (Apparently)
Winner: US National Museum of African American History and Culture—13 years in the making, the Smithsonian opens its newest museum on the National Mall, complete with Harriet Tubman’s shawl and “whites only” bus stops from the 1950s. #AboutTime
Loser: Trump’s (former) Ohio Chair—Trump’s campaign chair in Ohio’s Mahoning County confidently declared this week that “I don’t think there was any racism until Obama got elected. We never had problems like this…” She was quickly fired and now has enough free time to visit the new museum. #WhyItsAboutTime
The Once-Upon-a-Time Front Runners
Winner: Hillary Clinton—displays real comedy chops by playing straight (wo)man to Zach Galifanakis. Add the fact that the video was recorded on the very day she was diagnosed with pneumonia. #ComedyCentrist
Loser: Jeb!—does a funny bit with Jimmy Kimmel for the Emmy’s…and gets upstaged by his father’s decision to vote for Hillary Clinton. BTW, Jeb! is still officially an undecided voter. #WhatUpWithThat
The Week in Death
Winner: New Zealand—social clubs are forming throughout the country that bring retirees together to build their own coffins. #NeverTooLateToMakeNewFriends
Loser: Japan—Amazon has partnered with a local start-up to offer priest delivery services to those who don’t have access to traditional Buddhist temples when a loved one passes. The move has sparked outrage amongst Buddhist leaders. Next Up: Robot Funerals. #FirstMoverOnLastRites
The Week in Survival
Winner: Russian three-year-old Tserin Dopchut—a toddler who wandered without a coat into a snow forest in Southern Siberia populated with bears and wolves was found safe three days later. #NoEncoreNeeded
Loser: Refugees in Greece—4,000 refugees were forced to flee the Moria refugee facility on Lesbos after a fire ripped through the camp, destroying the few possessions they had left. #NoRestForTheWeary
Banning Things
Winner: Switzerland— the Swiss parliament has voted to repeal a requirement that new dog owners have mandatory dog training that includes four hours of obedience classes and an hour of “theory.” Score one for disobedience. #YippyYoYippyYay