So 13 EU nations are supporting China's BRI, Britain can't sort out how to Brexit, and America is consumed with a scam where two C-list celebrities rigged the system to get their progeny into elite universities.
Seems right.
Currently, the US is all about personality trumping policy.
However, as a news story, this is Shakespearean.
This news demands we pay attention - it is simply hired-wired into the lizard brain cultural foundation of America.
It's no wonder the Feds led with Hollywood stars cheating the system and finding more support for children already given amazing support - this is the ultimate narrative and captures attention from the start.
For entrepreneurs and Hollywood stars who deal with sharks daily, the emotional ups and downs of performing, working, and living at the highest levels of America, they wanted a guaranteed process, they were taking no chances.
The pressure to buy academics and credentials in America is real. The idea that being in the right network and around the right alumni is reinforced daily in America.
So they turned to a college entrance professional with a secret sauce and “side door” process to help kids of the wealthy and powerful and connected into highly sought after universities.
This story will be with us for some time. This story is the ultimate narrative and will foster memes, pods, books, movies, and plays.
The charges will shake the high echelons of American academia.
Politicians on the campaign trail will weave this story into their campaign speeches reinforcing us vs. them and reminding voters of the advantages the ultra-rich enjoy in accessing the country’s best colleges.
Students will continue to feel intense competition where merit alone may not be enough to assure admission, even for students with perfect grade-point averages and stellar resumes, to the most sought after schools.
It's a heck of a story, but possibly not the most important story this week.
Your lizard brain is a heck of a news editor.
-- Marc A. Ross
Marc A. Ross specializes in thought leader strategy and management for public affairs professionals working at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics. He is the founder of Brigadoon (thebrigadoon.com) and Caracal Global (caracal.global).
