There’s a great problem in the West.
For all the news we read, almost nobody pays attention to what foreign leaders actually say. Other than in extremely filtered form (through traditional media) – which often isn’t faithful to the sentiment of what’s being said – we don’t hear from them.
Contrast this with the 1960s, and JFK’s Ambassador to Japan, Edwin Reischauer, making important cultural documentaries to help Americans better understand Japan, and the Japanese way of perceiving the world. Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone went on to say: “I know of no other man who has so thoroughly understood Japan.” Such diplomatic attempts at empathy have deteriorated sharply ever since. I’m looking to make a humble attempt at reviving the Reischauerian spirit.
At large, we in the West are not listening to other parts of the world. Cooling relations between countries – which stems from a lack of listening to one another – is becoming a serious global problem. Without global cooperation, all other things we in the West might worry about – climate targets, AI safety, global preparedness for the next pandemic… – are not adequately going to get resolved. Sustainable development cannot work in the context of a world at war.
Looking back to the early 1990s, and the hand the West had then, there is no reason why young people today should be being bequeathed a world descending into instability and monetary woes. This is the product of bad management, and in international relations: a severe atrophying in diplomatic ability (that did exist in the 60s, 70s and 80s). The post-Cold War generation has largely failed us. (I am 30 years old. I am allowed to say this.)
We need a new Council on Foreign Relations (the backers of Foreign Affairs magazine). A “Council on Foreign Relations – for a multipolar world”, if you will.
This to be a media organisation that sincerely attempts to understand foreign leaders, and peace-make. We will not be content with mere publication of papers, but strive to craft viable solutions;and fact-check and hold to account influential traditional media where we consider it is misrepresenting, or being blind to, the reality of facts on the ground. We will aim to provide such value to government decision-makers that instead of us having to lobby for our ideas, they will be actively solicited.
Our focus area will be live conflicts, and very bubbly/simmering global points of tension. We will not look at trade wars or low-level tariff disputes. But rather: stopping active hot war.
We believe opposing sides being frank and actually listening to one other, and in being encouraged even to acknowledge where they might be wrong, occasionally there is a creative middle ground. Our founding motto: “Help policymakers be less foolish.”
If this message at all speaks to you, and you are potentially interested in supporting such an endeavour, what we need: a highly trusted finance/tax/legal person. A Gwynne Shotwell-like character (COO of SpaceX), who manages the brass tacks of the company – allowing Elon, and the rest of his team, to focus on rocket-making.
Early questions: should what we’re doing be incorporated as a charity or business? What type? And incorporated where? (I’m presently London-based, but most investors/donors will likely be US-based.) Do we have to publicly disclose who our donors are? What are the rules around this? And what are salary rules/laws for such institutions? How do we present our internal workings, with due transparency, such that all who contribute are satisfied for the long-term?
We need someone who can be part-Treasurer:
- Set up our bank accounts;
- Liaise with donors/investors and create a straightforward and simple process for them to contribute;
- Contractually manage writers and staff (my research assistant is in South Africa, and we’ll be hiring contributors from the world over).
And part Legal Counsel. When I personally read something like: “[Y company] is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, meaning your donations are tax deductible. Anyone giving $250 or more will receive a letter for the IRS documenting their donation…” My brain does not engage. I feel like a lobotomy patient. Ditto anything to do with “matching programs with employers”. It’s not hyperbole to say I would rather root canal than read most legal documents. I need someone to help manage this. The role could otherwise be entitled “VP of everything the founder sucks at” – so an extremely important role;freeing me to focus on editorial and product.
The one thing I am extremely good and meticulous at in this realm is regular cashflow forecasting. I can proudly say that I co-founded a bootstrapped publishing company (https://courseconcierge.com/) aged 24, in 2017, with a few thousand dollars to rub together, and even in the very capital-intensive world of video production, we managed never to run out of money. The company continues today, seven years on (I am still part-owner, but not day-to-day involved), and has always been very profitable. I know how to make a small amount of money go a long way.
Why you should want to work with me:
i) I worked in the Prime Minister’s office in the UK (10 Downing Street), with the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, 2020–21. I have plausibly spent more time sat around the Cabinet Room table – observing decision makers – than anyone alive my age or younger. I’ve seen what kinds of briefs (central to what this new institution will be about) are helpful to decision-makers, and which are not.
ii) In October 2023, I published a revisionist account of what actually happened between Ukraine and Russia in attempted March/April 2022 peace talks. The video has over 80,000 views: https://twitter.com/EdwardMDruce/status/1716485332378493256 – it’s a good taster of the type of work we will be doing. Professor John Mearsheimer has said of it: “This video is excellent. I actually learned a lot.” And The Spectator’s Russia correspondent noted: “Your video is far better sourced and footnoted than more or less anything I have seen on the subject or indeed on Ukraine in general – a very thorough piece of work.”
iii) A great number of prestige media institutions today were founded roughly 100 years ago, by people in their mid-twenties and early thirties, who were far from world-leading authorities in what they were publishing on. I’ve read a huge number of biographies of such founders. Some favourites: Henry Luce &Time magazine;Bennett Cerf &Random House;Harold Ross &The New Yorker;and slightly more recent, David Ogilvy &Ogilvy &Mather. (I likely read more history than anyone you know.)
iv) I recognise there’s a worldview beyond America, and I would like to help better champion this perspective in the West. I have an immense affinity for America, and I’ve spent a great deal of time there. Now two companies I’ve co-founded are US-based, and thus, whilst I do not reside there, I have the joy of paying US federal taxes. But not having grown up in the States, I consider I have a more expansive aperture to my worldview than comes naturally to most people born there.
About the role:
You can be anywhere in the world to do this role. We will grow as a remote company. And you’ll have ongoing flexibility in both when and where you work. I’m seeking someone who can start part-time, as soon as possible, and who can grow into a full-time role come March/April 2024. Compensation: we can discuss.
In my years of dealing with business lawyers, I would estimate ~1% I’ve interacted with seem capable of putting in plain, simple English what’s actually going on, and providing concise, straightforward answers. We need someone with this rare gift.
If you think you could be a fit, please write back with a short note pitching yourself. Please do not attach a résumé. I don’t care where (or even whether) you went to school. You will be assessed solely on the quality of your note.
Please write to me personally: edwardmdruce+legal@gmail.com
I won’t be able to get back to everyone, but for those who stand out, I will be in touch to book a phone call. If you haven’t heard back within 10 days, please assume on this occasion you have not advanced to interview.
If you’re on the fence about getting in touch: please do.
Thanks for reading. I sincerely look forward to hearing from you,
Edward