How to Put a Dent in Deficits—and Make Real Money
The federal government and almost all 50 states are constantly searching for solutions to gaping budget deficits. And U.S. corporations are sitting on piles of cash estimated at around $2 trillion. So is there some mutually beneficial intersection here? If…
How the Debt Crisis Could Remake Europe
Maybe now we will all understand why the ancient adage “May you live in interesting times” was intended not as a blessing but as a curse. Last week wasmore than interesting in Europe: It was of historical importance—and bone-rattling in…
Britain Reels from Brutal Austerity–GDP, Jobs Disappoint
This summer has seen Greeks rioting in the streets over austerity measures and now Italians having a bad case of agita as their economy teeters. But if Europe’s nerves are frayed, so are Britain’s. Although not part of the 12-nation…
Greek Debt: How Much for the Acropolis?
Greece is for sale. But is a sell-off of public assets a wise and politically viable solution to an Olympian debt crisis– especially since a dramatic divide is emerging between the government and the citizens it governs? As the daily…
America’s Dangerously Out-of-Date View of China
America’s sluggish insistence that China remains a security threat as opposed to a powerful economic reality is leading to lost opportunities. Not quite four decades after Nixon visited Mao, the U.S. is still reluctant to see an emergent China for…
Maybe We’re Not So Dependent on China
Central bankers are always secretive about what they do with their reserves, and China’s are no different. They’ve been hinting for years that they were tired of the risks associated with having too much of their hard-earned cash sitting in…
The Greek Tragedy Is All about Politics Now
Greeks in the streets, as they have been in the tens of thousands almost daily, have brought Europe’s debt crisis to a new and highly volatile stage. Austerity plans are political now, and there’s no stepping back from this truth….
Jobs Crisis: Forget Ideology. Get People Working
Friday’s calamitous jobs report, prefigured by private-sector numbers earlier in the week, brings the Obama administration and Congress to a truth-or-consequences moment. The president has been groping for many months, in perfectly evident frustration, for credible job-creation policies. The Republican-controlled Congress…
Made in America: Manufacturing Jobs Are Coming Home
The tale of American manufacturing has long been one of woeful decline. Just about a year ago, China replaced the U.S. as the world’s No. 1 maker of things, and that seemed a sure sign that the glory days had…
Sex, BRICS, and PIGS at the IMF
Dominique Strauss–Kahn’s stunning resignation as director of the International Monetary Fund provides Asians and other emerging nations with their best chance yet to break precedent and claim leadership of the IMF. The question is whether these countries are ready to…
Recent Comments