China’s high-speed rail system is descending from “model for the future” to “cautionary tale.”  Its image as a cutting-edge transport system which is perfectly safe was damaged last summer with the crash in Wenzhou.  Passengers are reluctant to get aboard a transport system which has cut corners; a number of people I spoke with in […]

In a rare display of commonsense and humanity, America’s dentists have an important seasonal message for kids:  knock yourselves out on the Halloween candy.  It’s not going to kill you.In fact, the dentists point out, it’s better to let the kids gorge themselves sick on Halloween than to ration the candy out over the days […]

The failure of this administration’s green jobs and targeted subsidy initiatives doesn’t mean that green innovation is dead.  In fact, without clueless bureaucrats, lobby-connected insiders and green zealots making investment decisions they don’t understand, the serious business of making the world cleaner and more efficient may go forward faster than ever.In the wake of Solyndra-gate, […]

The momentum of change in the country formerly known as Burma is picking up. From the Financial Times: Since then, the long-suffering population of Burma (renamed Myanmar by the generals) has witnessed almost unimaginable change. Censorship has been eased to allow debates, criticism and interviews with dissidents in domestic news publications. On the internet, previously […]

The half life of European debt fixes keeps dropping.  Back in the good old days earlier this year, European leaders could announce a definitive new settlement for their long running financial crisis and have three, maybe four days of decent market response before markets processed all the reasons why the fix was a fudge rather […]

Ambitious students take heed: a math major may be a better choice than a law degree. Georgetown’s latest education report names Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) the safest bets for high wages and consistent demand. It reads: High and rising wage premiums are being paid to STEM workers in spite of the increasing global […]

The secret is out — there are fundamental shifts taking place in the economic and political landscape of the world in which we live. And although the majority of our intellectual and policy elites — those tasked with recognizing and interpreting these changes to the rest of society and developing actionable responses — have generally […]

The Brits know a declining world hegemon when they see one — and from where they sit across the Atlantic, they don’t see one. At least that is the take from the Telegraph in a recent piece by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard.Predicting the end of America’s global leadership has been a small cottage industry in pundit-land since […]

Another day, another announcement of another quick patch for the eurozone crisis, another relief rally on world markets.It appears, however, that this deal is no more of a final solution to the crisis than any of the countless other agreements that European leaders have reached at various stages on their long Trail of Tears. Some […]

My plane arrived from Beijing about an hour ago, and since then I’ve been negotiating the ins and outs of Newark Airport.  More ins than outs, I fear; the final flight to Albany has been delayed.  Fortunately, there is wireless so the time is not completely lost.  Continental Airlines has also graciously taken pity on […]