Around Town - Francis Fukuyama and the Freeman Spogli Institute

It has been another busy week with lots of stuff going on at Beladora HQ.
Fortunately this week, I had the opportunity to step out of the internet and into the academic with a reception for political scientist, political philosopher, global security specialist, professor, author and all around super smart guy Francis Fukuyama, who is now the Nomellini senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Relations at Stanford.

The event was held at a private residence in Brentwood and hosted by FSI founders and LA private equity tycoons, Brad Freeman and his business partner (and former US Ambassador to Italy), Ron Spogli.
How a little jewelry girl like me got invited to a well heeled event is a convoluted story, but let's just say that I was very happy to attend because I am a huge fan of Francis Fukuyama.

Fukuyama is now focusing on the subject of development and approaching the issues involved from an interdisciplinary approach.  In his brief talk, he emphasized that governments and international institutions  can't just deal with  developing nations on economic or political terms.  Both must be in place to be effective for the long term.  If massive amounts of capital are loaned to or invested in a developing country without solid institutions and the rule of law, vast kleptocracy, corruption and cronyism will be the (cough Afghanistan cough) result.

All of this seems obvious doesn't it.
I'd like to see the big brains at the FSI shift their focus from the global to the local, because the State of California is shifting from a 1st World nation to 2nd World status.
With our local banana republic, also known as the City of Bell, we've got our own kleptocracy, corruption and cronyism right here at home.
I could go on and on about all the things that ail our State
but for your sake I won't.