THE MUSTS

World

123 countries. One verdict. Three said no.

The debt the world keeps refusing to pay

 Last month, the United Nations General Assembly did something that took centuries to happen: it officially declared the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity — ever committed.

The resolution, spearheaded by Ghana, passed with 123 votes in favor. Only three countries voted against it: Argentina, Israel, and the United States (what a surprise!). 52 countries abstained.

What does the resolution actually say?

• It unequivocally condemns the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the transatlantic slave trade as "the most inhumane and enduring injustice against humanity."

• It calls on member states to engage in dialogue on reparatory justice — including formal apologies, financial compensation, and systemic changes to address racism and discrimination.

• It also urges the prompt restitution of cultural items — artworks, monuments, museum pieces and national archives — to their countries of origin, free of charge.

To understand the scale of what's being recognized: at least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold between the 15th and 19th centuries. The consequences — racial inequality, generational poverty, systemic discrimination — never went away. They just changed shape.

The US, for its part, stated it does not recognize a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they were committed.

• Does this resolution actually change anything? Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding. No country is now forced to pay reparations or issue an apology. But that doesn't mean it's just symbolic. Analysts say it sends a powerful message and could increase the chances of progress on reparations discussions. History tends to move slowly — and this is how it starts.

As one researcher put it: "Nobody is trying to change the past, but to address its consequences in the present. Slavery legacies still endure today in the shape of racism and inequality. Recognising the past is crucial if we want fairer and more democratic societies."

Personal Opinion: With immigration debates dominating wealthy nations, inequality widening globally, and racism on the rise — this resolution matters beyond symbolism. It draws a direct line between past and present: the same system that enslaved millions is the one that built the wealth gaps, the racial hierarchies, and the borders that people are now desperately trying to cross. If the countries and individuals who benefited from that system — and continue to benefit — are unwilling to acknowledge it or work toward any form of repair, then they have very little ground to stand on when judging the people who do whatever it takes to build a better life. You can't inherit the gains and disown the debt.

What else in on

• Mexico is launching its own universal healthcare system — inspired by Brazil's SUS: Mexico has formalized an agreement with Brazil to restructure its public health system, decoupling medical access from social security contributions so that all 129 million Mexicans can receive free care regardless of employment status. The country also wants to replicate Brazil's success in free medication distribution and neighborhood-level preventive care. (Read)

• The US is moving to automatic military registration for men 18–25: In its biggest military law reform in decades, the US government will now automatically enroll all men between 18 and 25 in the Selective Service system. The law takes effect in December. (Read)

• Luxembourg will become the second European country after France to protect abortion in its constitution. On March, the Chamber of Deputies backed a constitutional amendment stating that “the freedom to resort to voluntary termination of pregnancy is guaranteed”, with 48 votes in favour, six against and two abstentions. (Read)
  

 The Drama by Kristoffer Borgli: Before we even get to the film — this marketing campaign deserves a moment. A24 is always articulate with its guerrilla strategies, but this one was something else entirely. It started in December 2025 with a fake engagement announcement printed in the Boston Globe — not a digital ad, not a sponsored post, but an actual physical notice in the style of a traditional society page, complete with family backgrounds, academic credentials, and a wedding date: April 3rd, which also happens to be the film's release date. Then came a seemingly real wedding photography account, posting golden-hour engagement shots of Zendaya and Pattinson in character. No winks at the camera. No studio watermarks. Just two people apparently in love. Valentine's Day brought a fully operational wedding website, charlieandemmaforever.com, with an RSVP portal, dress code guidance, and an "Our Story" section with just enough instability simmering beneath the surface for those paying close attention. Being a fan of immersive storytelling — the way SKAM did it for years — I genuinely enjoyed watching it unfold. But the marketing isn't the review. So. The film.

The confession itself — which I won't spoil — touches on something genuinely serious, particularly in the American context. And that's where the film becomes interesting and divisive at the same time. Borgli has a rare gift for balancing dark humor with real discomfort. He's not here to reassure you. The film asks whether people are defined by their worst moments, whether one buried truth can shatter everything you thought was solid — and it refuses to soften the answer into something digestible.

• What holds everything together is Zendaya and Pattinson, both operating at a genuinely impressive level, with characters that seemed almost made for them. Zendaya balances restraint and emotional opacity with moments of striking vulnerability. Pattinson, meanwhile, does something he rarely gets to do: play an ordinary, likable man — and then watches that man slowly lose the ability to trust his own judgment. It's witty, precise, and occasionally very funny in the most uncomfortable way possible.

For me, film does unearth a genuinely romantic idea at its core: that what happens between two people is ultimately only about those two people, and nobody else's verdict really matters. There are moments where you laugh and immediately wonder if you should be laughing. There are scenes that will spark arguments on the walk out of the cinema.

I know I wanted to talk about it after. And that, for me, is usually enough. (Rating: 8/10)

I have always tried to surround myself with people smarter than me.

It's something I genuinely believe in: if you're the most talented person in the room, you're probably in the wrong room. And looking around at my friends, I am constantly in awe. I have friends who are exceptional musicians, brilliant doctors, gifted writers, developers who built things from nothing. And I love that. I chose that.

• But if I'm honest — and this newsletter has taught me to be — there was always a quiet side effect to it. And a lot of times that side effect was feeling less. "You are the fun one, Micael." "You're just the pretty, utterly handsome one, Micael." But not the talented one. Everyone has their thing, and for a long time, I wasn't sure what mine was.

Then I started this newsletter.

I didn't launch it thinking it would change how I see myself. I launched it because I had things to say and a vague, stubborn feeling that someone out there might want to read them. But somewhere along the way, things began to shift.

• There's a version of loving films that most people have — you watch them, you feel something, you move on. And then there's the version where you start to understand why a scene works, what the director was thinking, how the light was used, what that film was responding to in its cultural moment. The feeling is similar. The depth is completely different.

Hobbies, real ones, do that. They take something you enjoy and, through repetition and curiosity, turn it into something you know. And knowing something — truly knowing it — builds a kind of confidence that no one can take from you, because it isn't based on comparison. It's based on craft.

Can you think of something you do because you love doing it? Something that interests you, captures your attention, and makes you lose track of time? If nothing comes to mind, you've got some homework to do: go on a hobby hunt.

• Do you like fashion? Try to understand the basics of patternmaking, cutting, sewing, patterns, aesthetics, and styles. Copying store windows or an influencer's look is something anyone can do — but having an authentic style full of personality is another story.

• Do you like wine? Learn to decipher aromas and flavours, understand the role of terroir. It's not hard to like wine, but it takes time for a sommelier to refine their palate.

• Do you like sports? Understand the rules of different games, get to know the all-time greats across various disciplines, research what makes up an athlete's routine and why only one in a million manages to stand out.

• Do you like visiting art galleries? Study art history. Learn how to join a conversation about it and critique a work based on the zeitgeist, the artist's background, and the techniques used. Beauty is beautiful to most — but understanding why it's beautiful is not.

Writing this newsletter has done that for me. It has made me a sharper writer, a more curious reader. It has given me a relationship with language and tone of voice that feels like mine. It has also, ploddingly and without fanfare, given me something to point to when that little voice shows up in my head saying I am not good enough.

If you've been waiting to start something — a newsletter, a course, an instrument, a language, a craft — I want to gently tell you: the confidence doesn't come before the practice. It comes from it. You don't wait until you feel ready. You become ready by going.

Then one day, without quite noticing, you'll realise you've become someone who knows how to do something — and that person is a little harder to shake.

With love,

Micael.

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