During times of global peace,
it is easy to suppose that increased economic interdependency between countries
reduce the likelihood of war due to the ramifications on the business projects.
By a similar logic by analogy, a couple could suppose that by getting married, the
increased interdependence would make breaking up more difficult, and thus less
likely. What is overlooked here is that emotions, whether in a romantic
relationship or between governments, can, if allowed to go unchecked, break
through the parchment barriers that we set up as if they could constrain even
intense, ongoing emotions. A couple using marriage as a substitute for going to
couples-counseling could actually make a break-up more likely once in
the marriage. Similarly, peace abroad and domestic tranquility can be thwarted
by international real-estate development projects themselves. Such a situation
was unfolding in Albania in mid-2026.
The full essay is at "On the Politics of International Real-Estate Projects."
