By Paolo von Schirach February 10, 2012 WASHINGTON – The normally level headed The Economist came up with a fanciful and really complicated plan that should lead to the forced retirement of Syria’s Bashar Assad. It would not be an invasion, nor a bombing campaign against Assad’s loyal army relentlessly pounding the lightly armed rebels in Homs [...]
By Paolo von Schirach February 6, 2012 WASHINGTON – Remember Yale historian Paul Kennedy and his 1987 tome “The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers“? At that time there was a lot of interest in, and indeed concern about his fairly comprehensive narrative focusing on how all major Western Powers, primarily because of the huge [...]
By Paolo von Schirach January 26, 2012 WASHINGTON – It is quite depressing to observe Washington total political paralysis, accompanied by cheap and openly divisive populism. Admittedly, it is difficult to govern when the two parties are so deeply divided. But the president has to try. This is what he was elected to do and what he gets paid [...]
By Paolo von Schirach January 8, 2012 WASHINGTON – The AP reports that Newt Gingrich indulged in selling to his New Hampshire audiences the old and worn lie that you can fix a big chunk of Washington’s spending problems by finally addressing fraud. He said that in Medicare and Medicaid alone it is possible to [...]
By Paolo von Schirach January 6, 2012 WASHINGTON – So what is it going to be? Do we cut Medicare or the Pentagon budget? Says president Barack Obama: First we cut defense, and then we shall see. America is voting in a few months and there are more votes for me in keeping Medicare as is. No national [...]
By Paolo von Schirach January 3, 2012 WASHINGTON – All the Republican would be presidents promise vigorous pro-growth policies that will unleash old fashioned, time tested Yankee ingenuity. The campaign narratives are that, after having been constrained by anti-business policies pushed by closet socialist Barack Obama, with proper leadership, American enterprise will burst once more into the [...]
By Paolo von Schirach December 18, 2011 WASHINGTON – The topic of the ABC News Sunday morning talk show today was the size of the US Government: “Is it too big, or not big enough?” Supposedly this is the focus of “The Great National Debate” in America, and the leading theme of the forthcoming 2012 national elections. [...]
By Paolo von Schirach November 21, 2011 WASHINGTON – The Congressional ad hoc “Super Committee” co-chaired by Rep. Jeb Hensarling, (R. Texas), and Senator Patty Murray, (D. Washington), failed in its mission to produce an agreement on any mix of spending cuts and revenue increases that would have resulted in total savings of at least 1.3 [...]
By Paolo von Schirach November 15, 2011 WASHINGTON – Until not too long ago the prevailing consensus was that globalization on balance was good for America. Growing trade interdependence, global supplies chains allowing sourcing in less expensive countries, new markets opening up for the US financial sector seemed to bring along ideal growth opportunities for the largest and [...]
By Paolo von Schirach September 27, 2011 WASHINGTON – Ending a moment of feverish speculation, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie made it clear that he will not be a contender for the Republican presidential nomination. Governor Christie will not run. For sure many Republicans, disappointed with the field of current candidates, may have liked to see [...]