French astrologer and physician Michel de Nostredame, better known by his sangoma name, Nostradamus, threw down the bones a long time ago and predicted that there would be great famine and humans would end up eating each other.
He put it slightly better by saying: “No abbots, monks, no novices to learn; honey shall cost far more than candle-wax. So high the price of wheat; that man is stirred. His fellow man to eat in his despair.”
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Apparently “that man” he was referring to was Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will be attending (albeit virtually) the 15th Brics Summit in Sandton.
The question is whether the reputed seer’s bones saw that five nations, accounting for a quarter of the global economy, would be a headache for the world’s super powers?
I suppose Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are the abbots who are leading the drive to reduce the dominance of the West, who might be turned into novices, if the Brics plan comes to fruition. This will be done by expanding the bloc to include other countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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Others who have expressed interest are Argentina, Indonesia and Egypt.
Seems like Nostradamus was on to something, even back in the 1500s when he referred to honey, wheat and candle wax.
Like the bulk of the world’s commodities, the sale of these is linked to the dollar, something that keeps the US one of the most influential economies globally. An expanded Brics bloc means that new entrants will hopefully enhance their diplomatic influence and open up lucrative investment opportunities.
For far too long, the global south has been dictated to by the global north and it looks like this is the time for “his fellow man to eat in his despair”.
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Not too many people are surprised that more than 40 countries are keen on joining Brics 2.0, as their needs have been discounted for far too long.
I wonder if Nostradamus knew if there would be consensus on all of these deliberations that will happen in Sandton this week?
As the bloc expands, it will be even more difficult for them to make decisions and, even more importantly, to act on them. They might have to have a sangoma in attendance, should there be a need to break a deadlock.
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