Chinese Democracy-Catching a Moving Target
Few Americans notice these kinds of things, but this week the Chinese marked—we cannot say celebrated—the 92nd anniversary of the May 4th Movement, the groundswell of democratic agitation that began on that date in 1919. May 4 was also a…
Housing Market Still Needs Government Support
There is no immediate action on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the offing, but the knives in Washington are clearly out for the two mortgage behemoths, whose failings and excesses helped foster the housing crisis. In fact, there are…
Following the Fallout from Fukushima
What the hell was anybody doing building six nuclear power plants in an earthquake-prone zone?” Senator John Kerry asked during a speech the other day at the Commonwealth Club of California. “I don’t get it. It’s hubris, if not stupidity.”…
The Next China: A Powerful Consumer Society
It looks like China finally is about to take a great leap forward. Beijing at last recognizes that an overheating economy is threatening to spin out of control and that it has a serious inflation fight on its hands. And…
Developing Countries Plan to Challenge U.S. Dollar
New eras do not announce themselves with billboards or welcoming brochures. They arrive by way of many disparate events. Last week we witnessed one: the gathering in southern China of leaders from the world’s most dynamic emerging economies –the nations we now…
Vermont Leads on Health Care Reform
Having spent part of my childhood in New Hampshire, I always thought there was something a little different about those Vermonters across the river. Now I’m sure of it: The state legislature in Montpelier is considering a single-payer health care…
Why London Is Burning (Hint: It’s Not Just Thugs)
London is starting to look at lot like Athens did a few weeks ago—and so are Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and other British cities with large populations of underprivileged urbanites, white and minority alike. And it is no coincidence. These are…
U.S. Budget Crisis: Lessons from the Brits
The government shutdown may have been averted, but the fiscal dispute confronting Washington is about to get even louder. Congress once again has to agree to raise the debt limit or default on our obligations which could have “catastrophic” consequences for…
Japan’s Economy Will Recover Quickly and Grow Fast
While we continue to grieve for the victims of the Japanese earthquake and its aftermath, it is perhaps time to cast a colder eye on the consequences of the country’s worst disaster since the atomic attacks of 1945. What is…
The Pacific Century: Can the U.S. Compete?
Remember those astonishing test scores that came out late last year — the ones that measured science, reading and arithmetic proficiency according to an international standard that included China for the first time? Not even the Chinese could quite believe…
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