Columns
Independents Still Seek Their 2012 Anointed One: Albert R. Hunt
Political independents, who account for more than one-quarter of the U.S. electorate and are probably the key to the 2012 presidential election, are voicing strong reservations about Barack Obama as well as the Republican brand.
Partnership, Not Pressure, Will Win Pakistan’s Help: Vali Nasr
Now that the U.S. has openly accused Pakistan of helping plan and conduct the attack earlier this month on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, the Obama administration’s exit strategy from Afghanistan is looking increasingly cloudy.
Worried About America? Visit a Boys & Girls Club: Jonathan Alter
The political world is so toxic that I needed some relief, so I tuned into a reality show more real than anything on television. I wasn’t disappointed. The stories I heard were at once harrowing and inspirational. And they were deeply connected to the future of the country.
A Socialist Push Behind India Capitalist Rise: Pankaj Mishra
Twenty years ago, India faced a fiscal crisis caused by profligate public spending and rising oil prices after the first Persian Gulf War. There was a risk it would default on its international payments.
Obama Takes Aim at Tax ‘Targets,’ Fires Blanks: Caroline Baum
Two weeks ago, President Barack Obama unveiled his $447 billion plan to put Americans back to work.
Republicans May Prefer Jobs Deal to Budget Trigger: Ezra Klein
When he talks about the American Jobs Act, President Barack Obama employs a simple refrain: “Pass this bill!” He used some variant of that a dozen times in his speech announcing the legislation.
Swiss Must Save UBS’s Bonus Pool or Die Trying: Jonathan Weil
Ever since UBS AG disclosed its latest gigantic loss, due to a supposedly rogue trader in London, the financial press has been obsessed with digging out trivial details, such as what the scandal means for the future of global banking regulation and whether it will cost UBS Chief Executive Officer Oswald Gruebel his job.
Light Bulb Saga Illuminates New Republicans: Margaret Carlson
How many Republicans does it take to screw in an energy-efficient light bulb? The answer to that riddle tells us much about the state of the Republican Party in 2011.
Private Air-Traffic System Can Soar: Peter Orszag
Without a doubt, GPS, the satellite-based navigation system that has revolutionized travel by car and truck, even by foot, could do the same for commercial air traffic.
Underwear Model Shows Aging Economy How to Grow: William Pesek
So this is what it has come to for Japan Inc.: a future in underwear instead of cars, color TVs or industrial robots.
Middle-Class Americans Suffer in Silence, for Now: Ron Klain
President Barack Obama’s proposed tax on millionaires has restored the issue of “class warfare” to the forefront of politics.
Abbas’s UN Offensive Might Be a Step Toward Peace: Noah Feldman
Just what is Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas thinking? At the new United Nations session, he has announced, the Palestinian National Authority will ask the Security Council to recognize Palestine as a state. The application will be dead on arrival: the U.S. has already said it will veto.