January 2008 - Posts

• Risk and reward

  We’ve made it to February, and so far there are no new reports of soup lines in the U.S., so I’m feeling pretty confident in my “prediction” that there will be no recession this year. But, don’t believe me, look at people who are putting their money where Read More... Posted Thursday, January 31, 2008 8:43 PM by REB | 0 Comments

• Wake up, people

  Every January a group of right-minded business leaders, intellectuals, and politicians with time on their hands huddle up in a five-star resort in the Alps, in something called the World Economic Forum . I generally enjoy reading about it every year, Read More... Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2008 5:17 PM by REB | 0 Comments

• How much federal "aid" would you like?

  Despite solid efforts to rush the agenda, there apparently will be a few weeks yet before the Democrats and Republicans have selected their presidential candidates. At that point, it might be best to look away, at least if you’re an advocate of free trade. Read More... Posted Thursday, January 17, 2008 11:07 PM by REB | 0 Comments

• Content with No.2?

  This is the week of the North American Auto Show in Detroit, invariably a good week for automaking industry, even the domestic Big Three. Never mind the past year or so of bad and worse news from Chrysler, Ford, and GM; this one week in January is a time Read More... Posted Sunday, January 13, 2008 9:46 PM by REB | 0 Comments

• Works of art, for art's sake

  In his two brilliant and engrossing books about the history of modern civilization (the first one covers 1815 'til 1830, and sets the stage for the 19th Century; the other covers the 1920s through the 1990s), the great historian Paul Johnson observed Read More... Posted Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:51 PM by REB | 0 Comments

• New year, old argument

  Another year has arrived but some things remain unresolved. The evergreen Free Trade/Fair Trade dispute returned to my inbox on January 1 — this time, in the form of arguments from the Fair Trade side, objecting to a recently approved free-trade accord Read More... Posted Thursday, January 03, 2008 9:33 PM by REB | 0 Comments