Countries’ willingness to read international agreements and, more importantly, to comply with commitments they make, depends almost entirely on domestic political considerations. That is why you should not expect too much from the Copenhagen climate summit, despite whatever triumphal communiqués…
State revenue crunch makes Vikings stadium subsidy seem less of a priority
It’s time for a national re-examination of government funding of sports arenas. Minnesota has deep budget problems. On a per-capita basis, the coming shortfalls may be as bad as California’s, even though the total sum in that state is much…
In trade dispute, China more wrong than U.S.
The United States and China continue to bicker over trade issues. We criticize China for keeping its currency artificially cheap compared to the dollar. President Barack Obama made that point forcefully in various settings on his recent trip to Asia.…
Shades of gray dominate Black Friday forecasts
Ancient Roman soothsayers killed pigeons and examined their entrails to predict the future. In the modern United States, we tabulate retail sales immediately after Thanksgiving. The two forecasting methods are about equally reliable, yet we adhere to our token rituals…