The annual Davos gathering run by...

Editor's note: ...the World Economic Forum with BlackRock's Fink no longer represents progress but a failed economic ideology that mistakes financial power for real-world capability. The wealthy elite who convene there operate inside a closed system of speculation, branding, and policy narratives while ignoring the material foundations that actually determine outcomes: industrial capacity, energy security, engineering, and production. Davos offers nothing Americans asked for and promotes systems that hollow out national resilience while enriching asset holders. Rather than following a forum that confuses consensus with competence, the United States should simply ignore Davos and focus on building new investment and economic models rooted in real production, technological sovereignty, and long-term growth. Davos is a relic of a system that mistook financial dominance for civilizational strength. That's right, the world is going to "move forward together" but without Davos.
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Let's talk about…DAVOS 2026

January 20, 2026 | By Off-Guardian

Yesterday saw the opening ceremony of the 2026 edition of the World Economic Forum's annual summit in Davos. The first under the leadership of incoming co-chairman Larry "BlackRock" Fink.

This years "themes" are:

1. How can we cooperate in a more contested world?

2. How can we unlock new sources of growth?

3. How can we better invest in people?

4. How can we deploy innovation at scale and responsibly?

5. How can we build prosperity within planetary boundaries?

…which all sounds rather blah, doesn’t it?

Outside these main themes, a browse through the topics menu will toss out repeated references to a couple of things: "regaining trust" which they’ve been talking about for years, and AI. Lots and lots of AI.

Regarding the former, the refrain is so tired I’m starting to think it’s almost coded language for something else. Regarding the latter, the intention seems to be to encourage both reliance on AI and fear of it. We can talk more about that as the week progresses.

Davos is always brilliant, the richest people in the world get together and listen to academic talks with titles like "Do Poor People Really Need ALL Their Organs?" or "How Sleep-Replacement Tech is Boosting Worker Efficiency", then go off and eat a Michelin-starred lunch and never consider for a second they might be everything that’s wrong with the world.

But within that Hunger Games-like horror-decadence there is usually something interesting, early warning signs for the agenda down the road.

I haven't seen anything new in that line, so far.

Maybe they're being more cryptic than usual, or me more plodding in my pattern recognition. Or maybe they've noted the rather predictable potential downside of the revelation of the method.

That said, there are few titles of note that might be worth watching.

Given the recent announcements re: moon landings and (potential) aliens, "Beyond Earth – The Next Space Race" (Jan 22nd) might be an interesting listen.

And if you're not slightly concerned by "Food @the edge", which promises to discuss how "bold innovations will redefine the consumer experience, making food systems smarter, more sustainable and more equitable", then you haven't been paying attention.

But the most chilling title is the simply "Can We Afford Longevity?" 

Oh Davos, never change.