	Generational Dynamics
	Forecasting America's Destiny ... and the World's

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Web Log Summary - January-December, 2004

Summary

Yukos nationalization may set the pattern for Russia in 2005: There was more high comedy last week, as the Kremlin completed the nationalization... (29-Dec-04)

China's "sacred responsibility" is to stop Taiwan independence by force: A national defense white paper issued Monday by China threatens... (28-Dec-04)

Up to 50,000 workers riot and clash with police in southeast China: As income disparities and food problems continue to grow in China,... (26-Dec-04)

This is Christmas eve.: Let's have no more doom and gloom for a day or two.... (24-Dec-04)

Tomorrow is the 90th Anniversary of the 1914 Christmas Truce: One of the most remarkable occurrences in modern warfare occurred... (23-Dec-04)

Americans support additional restrictions on Muslim-Americans: 48% of Americans want restrictions on the civil liberties of Muslims,... (21-Dec-04)

Now we know - Baikal is a neighborhood liquor store: High comedy continued on Monday, as Russian officials stonewalled... (20-Dec-04)

After a week of high comedy, who the heck is Baikal?: Baikal Finance Group, an unknown company with unknown backers, is the new owner of Yukos'... (19-Dec-04)

Explosive conflict seems imminent in Darfur, Sudan: Large quantities of arms and ammunition have poured into Darfur in the last two weeks... (17-Dec-04)

North Korea says Japanese sanctions will trigger "war" and an "effective physical" response: Japan has threatened to freeze food aid to North Korea and impose other sanctions... (16-Dec-04)

Fed raises interest rates and makes a 2005 recession almost certain: Signalling aggressive plans to fight the weakening dollar,... (15-Dec-04)

Netherlands will deport Muslims who can't pass an integration exam: The startling changes in Holland are continuing, as the Dutch government announced... (14-Dec-04)

Sunday's Gaza bombing a turning point for Palestine peace plan: Palestinian militia group Hamas claimed credit for major terrorist attack,... (13-Dec-04)

Taiwan dodges a bullet for now by repudiating President Chen: Rather than further antagonize Beijing and risk an early war,... (12-Dec-04)

Who poisoned Ukraine opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko?: That's what people are asking today, after doctors confirmed that he was poisoned... (11-Dec-04)

Tough talk, little action on Darfur: A spate of news stories are decrying fact that nobody's doing anything about the Darfur genocide.... (10-Dec-04)

United Nations report says skyrocketing hunger problem is solvable with money: Unfortunately, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is wrong.... (9-Dec-04)

Iran: Tehran University student unrest is building against the government: "Moderate" President Mohammad Khatami blamed the hard-line Muslim clerics... (8-Dec-04)

Iraq: As the January 30 election date approaches, pundits are talking about civil war again: Journalists and analysts are pumping up their warnings of civil war, as well-funded insurgents step up their car-bombings and other terror attacks.... (7-Dec-04)

A Wall Street Journal article with an ironic twist warns that stocks are overpriced in India.: India's stock prices have increased 29% during the past six months.... (6-Dec-04)

Ukraine Supreme Court rules that election must be rerun on Dec 26.: In a huge victory for opposition leader Yushchenko, and a defeat for Putin and the Ukraine government,... (3-Dec-04)

November jobs report much softer than expected: In a story we've heard repeatedly for three years, companies are not hiring... (3-Dec-04)

Marwan Barghouti shocks Palestinians and the West by running for President: What if the jailed Palestinian terrorist wins the election on January 9?... (2-Dec-04)

Ukraine drifts further from Moscow as Parliament rejects Yanukovych: Everything depends on Putin's reaction now,... (1-Dec-04)

U.S. and Japanese economies show unexpected warning signs: With the jobs report due out on Friday, America's consumer confidence index fell... (1-Dec-04)

East Ukraine threatens secession, splitting the country in two: Government forces threatened "disaster," but it may have been just a political ploy... (29-Nov-04)

How much farther is the dollar going to fall?: With a euro selling for over $1.33 yesterday, the dollar is the weakest it's been in years.... (27-Nov-04)

Ukraine: Police in Kiev holding fire as opposition candidate tells hundreds of thousands of demonstrators to hold nationwide strike: The 1919 civil war could be repeated today,... (25-Nov-04)

Stephen Roach predicts an "economic Armegeddon": The Chief Economist at Morgan Stanley is privately telling clients... (24-Nov-04)

Why did stock prices suddenly turn sharply upward in 1995?: A Wall Street Journal series on Alan Greenspan's legacy... (24-Nov-04)

Hundreds of thousands of people in Kiev street protest against rigged Ukraine presidential election: A growing international confrontation is pitting America and Europe against Russia,... (23-Nov-04)

Alan Greenspan's blunt warning raising international concern: Newspapers around the world are headlining their business sections with the news... (22-Nov-04)

Inflation is back, according to analysts.: Both wholesale and consumer prices are sharply up - but not if you don't count oil and food.... (19-Nov-04)

Dutch vote murdered anti-Islamic polemicist as "Greatest Dutchman of all time.": Alarmed politicians, led by Queen Beatrix, are considering repeal of freedom of speech... (17-Nov-04)

World Bank calls world economic growth "strongest in three decades": In a "bubble-headed" analysis, the World Bank called 2004 a "fabulous year"... (17-Nov-04)

How France screwed Secretary of State Colin Powell: Powell's worst day as Secretary of State was undoubtedly January 20, 2003,... (16-Nov-04)

Dutch Mosques and Churches burning after terrorist murder of author: The November 2 murder of Dutch author Theo Van Gogh is stirring religious violence and political repercussions... (15-Nov-04)

European and Japanese economy show sharp, unexpected slowdowns, as do American factory orders: High oil prices, weakness of the dollar, and slowdown in exports are blamed for third quarter slowdowns... (15-Nov-04)

Iran agrees to suspend uranium enrichment: Today, Iran sent a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency... (14-Nov-04)

NY Post: "Arafat Dead - And he won't be missed.": I look at Arafat's life very, very differently.... (14-Nov-04)

Hizbollah sends unmanned Iranian drone over Israel: In an escalation of the hostility between Iran and Israel, Iran has humiliated Israel... (11-Nov-04)

Iraq: Fallujah resistance light so far: As has happened repeatedly - in the war itself, and in Moqtada al-Sadr's insurgency - resistance is quickly collapsing in Fallujah,... (10-Nov-04)

Palestinian rage and dissension grows as Arafat nears death: Plans for peaceful transition of Palestinian power are progressing within the Palestinian Authority,... (9-Nov-04)

Poll: Taiwanese see themselves as a sovereign nation: The survey results, which are highly significant for China - U.S. relations,... (9-Nov-04)

Ivory Coast appears close to major civil war between Muslim and Catholic ethnic groups: France's Ivory Coast intervention is far more dangerous than America's Iraq intervention,... (8-Nov-04)

German papers criticize British hatred of Germany and demand an apology from Queen Elizabeth.: On the occasion of a state visit by Queen Elizabeth to Germany,... (5-Nov-04)

Palestinian violence looms as Arafat seems close to death: The Israeli military has gone on high alert, and the Palestinian Authority is scrambling... (5-Nov-04)

United Nations: Darfur falling into anarchy: The Sudan government is losing control of areas of Darfur,... (4-Nov-04)

European press expresses fury at Bush victory, while leaders promise to mend fences: The left-wing British Daily Mirror tabloid's front page headline was: "How can 59,017,382 people be so DUMB?"... (4-Nov-04)

Mixed emotions in Europe as Kerry may be victorious.: Most Europeans favor Kerry, but a Kerry victory will cause new strains with America,... (2-Nov-04)

Muslim / non-Muslim violence emerges in central China: A traffic accident spurred rioting and violence, killing possibly dozens of people... (1-Nov-04)

Arafat will not return to Ramallah: For years, America and Israel have been trying to get rid of Arafat; now they've gotten their wish.... (30-Oct-04)

Yesterday was the 75'th anniversary of Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the stock market crash: Analysts and historians yesterday completely missed the point.... (30-Oct-04)

An eerie parallel between Pakistan and Israel: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has proposed a Kashmir peace plan which, like the Mideast "Roadmap to Peace," has no chance of succeeding.... (29-Oct-04)

My son Jason was wrong: Last week, out of frustration, he said, "The Red Sox will NEVER win another World Series."... (28-Oct-04)

Ariel Sharon's Gaza victory and Yasser Arafat's illness are roiling the Mideast: The two ancient lions holding back chaos are facing new troubles.... (27-Oct-04)

Violent crime dropped, continuing a trend: Violent crime has been declining since 1994, and reached the lowest level ever recorded in 2003,... (26-Oct-04)

Two online polling web sites show overwhelming worldwide support for Kerry for President.: But a third site, where you have to pay to cast your vote, favors Bush.... (26-Oct-04)

Britons advise Americans on whom to elect for President: Saying that "the US election will affect the lives of millions around the world [who] have had no say in it,"... (25-Oct-04)

UN report points to a surge in use of robots for work and home: In Japan's auto manufacturing plants, there is already one robot for each ten human employees.... (22-Oct-04)

Iran moves forward with developing nuclear weapons technology: Iran has indicated that it won't budge on its plans to develop nuclear enrichment technology,... (22-Oct-04)

Economists increasingly skeptical about Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan: "Greenspan's modus operandi now is always to play down problems,"... (21-Oct-04)

Fed Chairman Greenspan uses circular reasoning to defend economy: In an extremely bizarre statement to a bankers' association on Tuesday,... (20-Oct-04)

"The Red Sox will NEVER win another World Series": My son Jason said that last night out of frustration, as the Yankees pulled ahead by a score of 4-2.... (19-Oct-04)

Five African nations oppose intervention in Darfur: Many months ago, I said that the United Nations would never stop the Darfur genocide, which is a force of nature.... (19-Oct-04)

Outsourcing of US jobs to India is accelerating: Outsourcing should accelerate even more after the November 2 Presidential election,... (18-Oct-04)

The Producer Price Index continued its near-deflationary path in September: The PPI, which measures wholesale prices, increased by 0.1% in September.... (18-Oct-04)

Violence is escalating in Haiti: An activist Roman Catholic priest has been jailed for inciting violence in Haiti,... (14-Oct-04)

40 days after the massacre, it's a time of decision for Beslan: The residents of Beslan, North Ossetia, are choosing between revenge and getting on with their lives today.... (14-Oct-04)

Fallujans are getting angry with insurgents: Just a few hours after my posting that al-Zarqawi's most formidable enemy may be the 40-50 year old mothers of Fallujah,... (13-Oct-04)

Al-Sadr's Shi'ite militia fighters turn in their weapons: The war in Iraq took a significant turn this week when the Shi'ite militias agreed to disarm,... (13-Oct-04)

Kerry's "Terrorists as mere nuisances" remark: Let's assume that Kerry's remarks were merely a slip of the tongue, which they may well have been.... (12-Oct-04)

"It's going to be the 1950s all over again": Young women in droves are staying home to take care of the kids,... (11-Oct-04)

Do both Bush and Kerry lie on purpose in the debates?: That's the charge of Gloria Borger on CNN's Reliable Sources this morning.... (10-Oct-04)

The Fed congratulates itself - again - on its jawboning policy: The Fed appears to be indicating a slowdown on interest rate increases... (10-Oct-04)

I just saw Saturday Night Live's parody of Friday's Presidential debate.: In the televised parody, Bush and Kerry said some really stupid, moronic things,... (10-Oct-04)

Australian Prime Minister John Howard wins reelection battle decisively: This election has been closely watched because of Howard's strong support of George Bush's Iraq war policy.... (9-Oct-04)

In second debate, Bush and Kerry simply repeated what they said in the first debate: You know how you have an argument, and then the next day think of the zinger that you should have used?... (9-Oct-04)

Kenyan woman environmental activist wins Nobel Peace Prize: What does planting 30 million trees have to do with world peace?... (8-Oct-04)

September jobs report much poorer than expected: George Bush will face harsh attacks on the employment issue at this evening's debate... (8-Oct-04)

Massive terrorist bombings yesterday in Pakistan, Iraq and Egypt cause hundreds of casualties across the Mideast in a single day: The Pakistan government has ordered a ban on all public gatherings,... (8-Oct-04)

Top Israeli aide says that Israel has abandoned the American-sponsored 'Road Map to Peace': The plan to create a Palestinian state has effectively been scuttled... (7-Oct-04)

Iran's plans to build nuclear capability likely to destabilize Mideast: The question everyone's asking: Will Israel preemptively attack Iran?... (7-Oct-04)

Last night, another vacuous, backward-looking debate.: The VP candidates talked about the past for 90 minutes, and about the future for zero minutes.... (6-Oct-04)

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan criticizes Sudan for no progress stopping Darfur genocide: I haven't been writing about Darfur on a regular basis because there's no point.... (5-Oct-04)

George Bush and John Kerry are both "delusional optimists" over Iraq: I just became aware of a column by George Will written prior to the last debate.... (5-Oct-04)

After a month, the French hostage crisis is becoming a major humiliation.: If you enjoy schadenfreude, then you'll like this French farce, where French mediators tried to blame American forces for hostages' captivity.... (4-Oct-04)

Janet Leigh dies.: Not really relevant to this web site, but I love this photo of her in Psycho.... (4-Oct-04)

After debate, there's still no end in sight in the Iraqi war: The Sunday morning news shows have focused on the candidates' demeanors... (3-Oct-04)

Palestinians and Israelis becoming more violent: Dozens of Palestinians were killed in a new Israeli offensive, as a new poll of Palestinians shows that they approve of increasing violence against Israel.... (3-Oct-04)

US and world preparing for a deadly "bird flu" pandemic, including forced quarantines and isolation: The UN World Health Organization (WHO) is downplaying the fear... (3-Oct-04)

New Chinese military chief ratchets up talk of war.: When Hu Jintao (age 61) replaced Jiang Zemin (age 78) as Chairman of China's Central Military Commission on Sept. 19,... (1-Oct-04)

Oil prices fall, since inventories are up after all: After reading analyst reports that claimed that US oil inventories are at rock bottom,... (30-Sep-04)

IBM claims supercomputer title from NEC: In the worldwide race to build the next generation of the world's faster computers, the Japanese have been leading... (29-Sep-04)

Kremlin negotiator says he has evidence of planned "revenge attacks" in Caucasus: "The situation is balanced between war and peace,"... (29-Sep-04)

The debate dialectic: Both Bush and Kerry will be lying on Thursday evening, but so what? They're politicians.... (29-Sep-04)

Oil drops just barely below $50 - closing at $49.75 yesterday.: But surprise! US oil inventories are low after all.... (29-Sep-04)

Rioting and looting in Haiti following hurricanes may destabilize country: Haiti is almost a textbook case of impending civil war caused by poverty amidst a "market-dominant minority."... (29-Sep-04)

Nigeria civil war threat pushes oil prices past $50 per barrel: For months, analysts have been predicting that oil prices would start falling after Labor Day,... (28-Sep-04)

Gender gap replaced by a marriage gap or mother gap: The new phrase replacing "soccer moms" is "security moms," worried about their family's safety from terrorism.... (28-Sep-04)

Israel joins America and Russia in striking at terrorists wherever they are: Israeli agents are believed to be behind the assassination of a Hamas leader in Damascus, Syria.... (27-Sep-04)

Debate over long-term interest rates: Analysts are clearly puzzled over why long-term interest rates have been falling, while the Fed is pushing up short-term interest rates.... (26-Sep-04)

CBS fined $550,000 because Janet Jackson bared her breast on MTV show: Women love "manly men"; the gender gap is narrowing. The sex revolution is over.... (24-Sep-04)

The "Index of Leading Indicators" falls for third month in a row.: One economic indicator after another is surprising analysts:... (23-Sep-04)

Russia and Israel cooperating against terrorism: The most unpopular politician in the world is George Bush, but Vladimir Putin and Ariel Sharon are close behind.... (22-Sep-04)

Things that the Class of 2008 knows nothing about: If you want to understand today's college freshmen, just remember that they know nothing about Crystal Pepsi,... (21-Sep-04)

Neo-Nazis and Communists gain in regional German elections: German Chancellor Gerhard Schr�der and the country's mainstream political parties suffered a major setback Sunday... (20-Sep-04)

Chechen terrorist Shamil Basayev now has the same stature as Osama bin Laden: Putin's ploy of blaming "international terrorists" for the Beslan terrorism was demolished... (19-Sep-04)

Federal Reserve congratulates itself on jawboning policy: Fed says it propelled the economy upward merely by promising to keep interest rates low.... (17-Sep-04)

The Consumer Price Index grew slower than expected in August, further indicating a period of deflation.: The CPI, which measures consumer prices, increased by a tiny 0.1% in August. Economists had expected a 0.2% increase.... (16-Sept-04)

Israel makes it official: The American-backed "road map to peace" is dead.: In fact, Israel itself is in enormous turmoil today because of Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan.... (16-Sep-04)

Putin moving to restore Soviet-style dictatorship in Russia: Reacting to the recent horrific terrorist acts in Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced substantially more centralized control of Russia.... (14-Sep-04)

Whoever forged the CBS documents is an idiot, about 20-25 years old: I worked for IBM in the early 1970s, and we had Selectric typewriters all over the place.... (13-Sep-04)

Nobel Prize Winner SV Naipaul calls for destruction of countries that "foment religious war": The well-known and prolific Hindu author wants to see Saudi Arabia and Iran dealt with,... (13-Sept-04)

This is fun - "Fahrenheit 9/11" versus "Michael Moore Hates America": Dallas has something for everyone this weekend, as the city hosts two film festivals, one conservative and one liberal.... (10-Sept-04)

The Producer Price Index unexpectedly fell in August, further indicating period of deflation: The PPI, which measures wholesale prices, fell 0.1% in August. Economists had expected a 0.2% increase.... (10-Sept-04)

My apologies - the Web Log was unavailable yesterday.: It was caused by a technical glitch which, hopefully, will not recur.... (10-Sept-04)

Third terrorist bomb blast in Indonesia in three years targets Australian embassy: If there's any "good news," it's that the bombing failed to achieve the effect of the 2002 bombing of a Bali nightclub... (9-Sept-04)

Housing prices are beginning to cool down after a year of record increases: The era of huge annual home price increases appear to be ending,... (9-Sept-04)

Terrorism becoming a more issue important for voters, as Iraq becomes less important: According to a poll of likely voters conducted last weekend,... (8-Sept-04)

An angry Putin refuses to negotiate with Chechnya: Facing mounting citizen anger and EU criticism for not stopping the barbaric terrorist slaughter in Beslan,... (7-Sept-04)

American deaths in Iraq has become a non-story: A suicide bombing in Iraq today killed seven Marines, bringing to 990 the number of American military deaths... (6-Sept-04)

Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be calling for revenge: Putin said that Russian "weakness in the face of danger" has caused Russia to be "beaten up" in the face of "a total and full-blown war."... (4-Sept-04)

George Bush appears to have done well at the Republican Convention thanks to a strong message and a major piece of good luck: This morning's unemployment and jobs report was much more positive than expected,... (3-Sept-04)

France scores major diplomatic coup over hostage crisis: French Muslims have overwhelmingly put nationality above religion,... (2-Sept-04)

Russians in shock over three major terrorist attacks within a week: The world's most dangerous region, the Caucusus, is quickly becoming even more dangerous,... (1-Sept-04)

Republicans have strong message on terror, weak message on economy: Taking place only a few blocks away from the site of the World Trade Center destroyed on 9/11,... (1-Sept-04)

Two buses in Israel blown up today, apparently by suicide bombers: The thing to watch for - and it won't be widely reported - is changing attitudes of Israelis themselves.... (31-Aug-04)

France stunned, Arabs embarassed by terrorist kidnapping of French journalists in Iraq: The "nice guys" aren't immune to terrorism either,... (30-Aug-04)

Income growing more slowly than expected, but Americans keep on spending: Personal income rose 0.1% in July, but personal spending rose 0.8%, indicating that Americans are still buying more on credit,... (30-Aug-04)

Alan Greenspan warns Baby Boomers not to count on Social Security and Medicare: Greenspan warned policy-makers to act soon to head off looming insolvencies in Medicare and Social Security... (30-Aug-04)

Polls show that Kerry has been hurt by "Swift Boat" controversy: John Kerry might have done better if he'd followed his own rule.... (27-Aug-04)

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani appears to be trumping Moqtada al-Sadr in Najaf: Things could still go wrong, but it appears that the adults are finally disciplining the kids.... (27-Aug-04)

Russian airplane catastrophe, 5 days before Chechen election, heightens Putin's woes in the Caucasus: Al-Qaeda has promised America a terrorist attack prior to our election,... (26-Aug-04)

New Islamic terrorist group claims credit for Bangladesh bombing leading to massive unrest and further violence: Like Pakistan, Bangladesh is overwhelmingly Muslim but still has excellent relations with the U.S.... (25-Aug-04)

Georgia President says that war with Russia is 'very close': When a head of state becomes as provocative as Saakashvili, it's not a good sign,... (24-Aug-04)

Georgian President lays out South Ossetia battle lines to American audience: Mikheil Saakashvili is asking the West to side with Georgia against Russia... (24-Aug-04)

Taiwan to launch advertising blitz in US and Europe for UN membership: The advertising campaign, beginning today, will target billboards, newspapers, radio and TV in New York, Washington, and some European cities,... (23-Aug-04)

Bear Stearns predicts oil prices will fall by almost half: As oil reaches $49.06 per barrel this morning, Stearns predicts that prices will collapse to $25 per barrel next year.... (20-Aug-04)

China's demand for oil up 40% over last year: Oil prices surged up again to $47.80 this morning, a new modern record,... (19-Aug-04)

Putin calls Georgia's Ossetia policy a 'stupid decision': Last week's cease-fire agreement between Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, and its secessionist South Ossetia province broke down... (19-Aug-04)

Yukos still very close to bankruptcy as oil tops $47 per barrel: The U.S. State Department is expressing concern about the fate of Yukos.... (18-Aug-04)

The al-Sadr standoff in Najaf is reaching a climax: Are you old enough to remember when Mark Rudd took over Columbia University in April, 1968?... (18-Aug-04)

The Consumer Price Index falls in July: For the second month in a row, the CPI was lower than analysts expected, and indicates a deflationary trend.... (17-Aug-04)

Will the Euro currency collapse?: International investment firm Morgan Stanley is warning that it's a real possibility,... (15-Aug-04)

More economists are raising concerns about job issue in Europe and America: Economists have been consistently dead wrong for two years on jobs,... (15-Aug-04)

Kremlin backs down and hires Dresdner to evaluate Yukos subsidiary: Russia's ping-pong nationalization of Yukos appears to have ponged back in the direction of sanity,... (13-Aug-04)

US trade deficit surged dramatically in July, thanks to high oil prices and a global economic slowdown: Alan Greenspan's June 30 committee meeting expressed concern about a "wrenching" adjustment... (13-Aug-04)

Russia plans to increase its defense budget by 40% next year: The plan is announced as rising tensions indicate Georgia may be close to war in South Ossetia.... (13-Aug-04)

Russia's southern Caucasus region becoming increasingly dangerous: It's more dangerous than Iraq, and possibly even more dangerous than Palestine, at least in the short term.... (12-Aug-04)

Najaf mop-up operation is currently in progress: As we predicted, there's no widespread "uprising" in Baghdad... (12-Aug-04)

Are al-Sadr's militias in Iraq on their last legs?: Mindless journalists are proclaiming a massive Shi'ite revolt. Ummmm, I don't think so.... (10-Aug-04)

Yukos is now fit only for vultures, as rumors of insider trading fly: Concerns about Russian and Iraqi oil output are spiking international oil prices to new highs,... (10-Aug-04)

The world awaits Fed's interest decision on Tuesday: The Fed should leave interest rates unchanged, since we're in a long term deflationary period.... (9-Aug-04)

The press is talking about another "uprising" in Iraq. Yawn.: Nothing shows more how clueless the press is about what's going on in Iraq than this constant talk about civil war and uprisings.... (7-Aug-04)

Job growth figures worst in 8 months, far below analysts' estimates: The economy is not producing new jobs at anywhere near the rate that pundits, high-priced analysts and politicians have been promising.... (6-Aug-04)

Incredible! The Kremlin has frozen Yukos' assets again, sending international oil prices to yet another record high: Putin's herky-jerky policy may signal a serious split in Kremlin leadership.... (5-Aug-04)

Sharp fall in consumer spending portends soft economy, as oil prices continue to spike up: If there's another recession, is it fair to blame it on oil prices?... (5-Aug-04)

Why didn't Kerry get a post-convention poll "bounce"?: We know the answer. You guessed it - it's generational!... (3-Aug-04)

Kremlin appears to be backing down on nationalizing Yukos: Russia's Justice Ministry gave Yukos more time to pay its back taxes,... (2-Aug-04)

A dramatic shift in Palestinian opinion, as Arafat retains control: Major violence has not yet spread from Gaza to West Bank, but the question of whether things will "spiral out of control"... (1-Aug-04)

Vatican criticizes the "lethal effects" of feminism: This is one more indication, following the backlash against Janet Jackson's bared breast at the Super Bowl, that the sexual revolution is over.... (1-Aug-04)

Real estate is in an overpriced bubble all over the world: A study by investment bankers Morgan Stanley warns that the bubble will burst with devastating results.... (30-Jul-04)

John Kerry vows to strengthen the US military: In his acceptance speech at DNC, Kerry showed the passion... (30-Jul-04)

Yukos freeze order rescinded after worldwide oil prices soar to all time high.: The Kremlin's ham-handed treatment of Yukos brings memories of its Communist days,... (29-Jul-04)

Senator John Edwards says "Hope is on the way" to DNC: VP candidate's masterful speech was cheerful and optimistic,... (29-Jul-04)

Kremlin orders Yukos to stop selling oil.: Oil prices spiking today to $42 per barrel as the worst possible scenario unfolds in Russia.... (28-Jul-04)

Here's how to sign up to be a suicide bomber: Check one: "I want to murder (a) Salman Rushdie (b) Israelis or (c) Americans."... (27-Jul-04)

Jesse Jackson calls for sending American troops to Darfur: You see how it works? Everyone has a war they like.... (27-Jul-04)

Stocks are apparently poised for a fall: More and more pundits say that uncertainty in Iraq and fall in leading indicators portend a bear market this summer.... (23-Jul-04)

Saudi amnesty expires - What now?: Only four al-Qaeda militants have turned themselves in under the one month amnesty / ultimatum,... (22-Jul-04)

Yukos: Bankruptcy is near: The Kremlin is stonewalling Yukos and preparing to nationalize its major asset... (22-Jul-04)

Russian President Putin appears maneuvering to nationalize Yukos: This situation smells worse for investors every day,... (22-Jul-04)

Greenspan very upbeat about the economy: but he seems to be too optimistic.... (21-Jul-04)

On the 60th anniversary of the failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler: it's well to remember that World War II would have occurred even without Hitler.... (20-Jul-04)

Darfur saga like depraved game of musical chairs: As I've said before, I've gotten good at turning off my own feelings of horror... (19-Jul-04)

This week's financial data points to trend back toward deflation.: Several inflationary indicators are down for June... (17-Jul-04)

The Singularity is discussed on a news show: I just saw the subject of super-intelligent computers discussed on Neil Cavuto's business show, in conjunction with the movie "I, Robot",... (16-Jul-04)

Bobby Fischer is arrested in Japan.: Bobby Fischer used to be an idol to this nerd,... (16-Jul-04)

Speaking of China, the economy grew by 9.7% in the first half: This compares with a 9.1% growth last year,... (15-Jul-04)

China is getting more girls: With a huge surplus of boys, ultrasound exams are illegal in China,... (15-Jul-04)

Two events affect al-Qaeda psychology.: Saudi cleric Khaled al-Harby turns himself in, and the Filipinos capitulate to al-Qaeda.... (14-Jul-04)

Pope John Paul apologizes for 1204 sacking of Constantinople: People laugh at stuff like this, but it's a really big deal.... (13-Jul-04)

Wall Street Journal: Today's soaring deficits don't inspire fears: Back in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan's advisers worried that his federal budget deficits risked causing an economic calamity.... (13-Jul-04)

Forbes Russia editor shot dead: This is a grizzly new sidelight to the story about Yukos and Khodorkovsky... (10-Jul-04)

"We want to create a light-skinned baby.": That's what a raped black woman told Congressman Frank Wolf when he visited Darfur.... (8-Jul-04)

Hussein al-Houthi and Yemen's "Believing Youth": There's a new militant Islamic group to worry about.... (8-Jul-04)

I wish we knew more about Putin's plans for Yukos: The gathering crisis for Russia's oil giant Yukos threatens both Russia's economic stability and world oil prices.... (6-Jul-04)

Kashmir violence heating up even more: A 115-year-old Islamic school in Srinagar was burned down on Monday.... (6-Jul-04)

Kashmir violence is making news again.: Earlier today, bomb blasts exploded in two cities Kashmir in India-administered Kashmir,... (3-Jul-04)

Kerry approves security fence separating Israel from Palestinians.: This marks a significant change in Kerry's position to be much more pro-Israeli,... (2-Jul-04)

Civil Rights Act signed 40 years ago today.: Americans today are not as interested in invidual rights as they were in 1964.... (2-Jul-04)

Low payroll data shows economy's fragility: Today's unemployment report for June showed employers added only 112,000 jobs to their payrolls last month, less than half the 250,000 economists had been expecting,... (2-Jul-04)

Kerry slams Bush Army reserve call-ups: Those who believe that a John Kerry victory in November will extract America from Iraq are in for a nasty surprise,... (1-Jul-04)

The race and gender wars are abating: The amount of public polarization along issues of race, gender and crime has plummeted in recent years,... (30-Jun-04)

Furtive armed forces buildup continues: The Army's plan to call up some 6,000 retired and discharged soldiers continues the three-year trend line of a larger war effort.... (29-Jun-04)

Darfur genocide: The UN is completely irrelevant: It was just three months ago that Kofi Annan said "never again," referring to the 1994 Rwanda genocide.... (28-Jun-04)

Ultimatums make me very nervous: Saudi Arabia's King Fahd has evidently issued an ultimatum to the terrorists... (23-Jun-04)

"I, Robot" movie trailer with Will Smith is fun to watch: This movie portrays a future world where super-intelligent humanoid robots are our servants.... (21-Jun-04)

PIMCO bond fund manager Bill Gross expresses concern: The pace of foreboding analyst opinions seems to be increasing.... (17-Jun-04)

How should global execs prepare for World War III?: That's the question that the "Manager's Journal" of today's Wall Street Journal... (12-Jun-04)

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