Please subscribe!

What this newsletter is about

Most of the world, roughly five billion people or so, live in the Global South on a standard of living that would be considered poverty in rich countries. Those of us in the Global North live together with this hidden majority: trade, climate change, immigration, finance, aid, and more connect us. But we also live apart: we almost never meet people from this hidden majority or even see them. This newsletter challenges standard worldviews that leave out most of the world, highlighting the often invisible ways our lives intersect with people on the other side of the world and drawing attention to ways that we can make that relationship more visible, fairer, and more effective—and hopefully doing so in a way that’s fun and interesting to read.

Who I am

I have done my best to understand both the places where high-level decisions are made and the people they affect. I graduated from Yale Law School and work in global development policy, but I also lived in rural Benin for two years, return regularly, and wake up each morning to WhatsApps from Benin. I also write for my job and you can read that elsewhere, but I write this newsletter in a personal capacity and it represents my views alone. I’ve written for publications including Foreign Policy, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and Just Security and I’ve been cited in The New York Times, The Guardian, The BBC, and more.

For someone who spends a lot of time thinking about poverty and climate change, you might think I’d have hobbies that are cheerful escapes—alas, I am an Arsenal fan. My dog Freddy does bring joy, though he would prefer I took him on more walks rather than writing this Substack. As appreciation for his sacrifices, I’ll feature him in my newsletters.

You can find me on Twitter and Bluesky or email me at thirschelburns@gmail.com