The first sentence uttered to describe the U.S.-Chinese relationship in the third and final presidential debate was President Obama’s, and it contained both the words “adversary” and “partner.” Messaging doesn’t get much more mixed than that, and the President’s opponent, Mitt Romney, was not much clearer. In such a hotly contested election, we might be […]

The leadup to the fateful meeting this past Tuesday between Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel was billed as a make-or-break moment for the foundering European Union. The European commentariat worked overtime to heighten the drama. “Berlin officials had worked feverishly behind the scenes to create the best possible impression of harmony before the visit, and […]

Ces 600 Milliards Qui Manquent à La France (“The Missing 600 Billion”)by Antoine PeillonSeuil, 2012, 192 pp., 15 Euros “Après Sarkozy, le chaos!” Down to the last straw, as polls show him in dead heat with his rival, Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy issued a threatening prediction of the economic anarchy sure to rain down on […]