Monaco and the Art of Extracting Without Paying



Bill Gates warns of a coming “Dark Age” in global development. But the crisis he describes is not accidental—it’s the predictable outcome of the philanthropic model he helped normalize. His foundation has spent two decades aligning charitable grants with private market expansion, creating dependency rather than resilience, and concentrating power without democratic accountability.

As the year winds down, we are reminded that the best parts of the holidays cannot be optimized, automated, or reduced to an algorithm. This season is about real things. Time with family. Meals that last longer than planned. Conversations that remind you where you belong. The presence of people who matter, and the small