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Archives for September 2017

American Optimism Alive and Well

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Despite what appears to be increasing polarizing politics, Americans are optimistic about the economy and the prospects for their children, writes James Freeman in the WSJ. Things seem to be working. There is strong support for fundamental constitutional freedoms and an open and welcoming society. On the other hand, “Americans have become much more skeptical of […]

A Neutral United States?

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Former CIA Chief of the bin Laden unit, Michael Scheuer writes, For now, however, the beginning of wisdom is to look at what is going on in Iraq and Syria and see it clearly. In both places all of those folks that multiple U.S. administrations have identified as enemies of America are killing each other…. This […]

Who Owns the South China Sea Islands?

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Pat Buchanan makes it clear that we do not. As Pat writes, the islands are not our vital  interest. A naval clash with China over these islands makes little sense for America. Each of the China Sea claimants—Beijing, Taipei, Manila, and Hanoi—have maps going back decades and even centuries to support their claims. The U.S. […]

Are the Chinese About to Flee Bordeaux?

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After buying up numerous estates in Bordeaux, some Chinese investors are looking for the exit. It turns out producing wine isn’t all smooth sailing. Jane Anson of Decanter reports that up to 40 Chinese owned Chateaux may be about to come back onto the market. She writes: It is believed that around 160 châteaux in Bordeaux are […]

Is Your Portfolio Prepared for a Black Swan Event?

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Worrying about a Black Swan event can do serious damage to a portfolio. Jon Sindreu and Laurence Fletcher write at The Wall Street Journal: In the wake of the global financial crisis, fear of such “black-swan” events drove some investors into hedge funds that offered protection should markets plunge. But the swans have yet to […]

Will America Ever Learn the Lessons of Afghanistan?

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Former CIA officer and regular contributor to The American Conservative, Philip Giraldi recommends the book Fool’s Errand, by Scott Horton as a guide to the Afghan war and its background. Will America learn its lesson in the country, or forever continue a war without an end game there? Giraldi writes: I don’t know to what […]

America’s Best Course in the South China Sea

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There is little benefit to America of backing up the claims of allies over disputed territories in the South China Sea. Benjamin Herscovitch explains an appropriate course of action for the U.S. in the region at Cato.org. To avoid needlessly entangling itself in the South China Sea dispute, the United States should not support the […]

Is There Anything Good About a VAT? You May Be Surprised

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For years Dan Mitchell has criticized the value added tax (VAT). There are major problems with the way European nations have implemented the VAT. The biggest is that they didn’t get rid of all their other taxes first. At his blog International Liberty, Mitchell, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, explains under what conditions […]

Leningrad Dreaming?

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Dick and I just returned from a trip to Leningrad. That is, St. Petersburg, Russia. Appalling Soviet-era apartment complexes circa 1950s for the city’s five million inhabitants. Miles upon miles of urban renewal housing at its worse. It seems New York’s Mayor de Blasio would embrace this Communist model of “what’s yours is mine.” New […]

Are American Utilities Already Compromised by Cyber Attack?

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A team of researchers at Symantec has found that advanced hackers have infiltrated American and European energy companies via cyber attack. The attacks have targeted the U.S., Turkey, and Switzerland and likely other nations reports Reuters. The Symantec researchers blame a hacking group known as Dragonfly. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Dragonfly has been […]