North Korea's claim to have a hydrogen bomb has upped the ante in its game of nuclear poker with the US and its allies. Sanctions have not deterred Kim Jong-un thus far, so what will?
Dec 4, 2017 reports that Washington, DC, is in a state of near-panic over the US president's mental state.
Nov 29, 2017 laments that the administration still doesn't seem to have any plan for resolving the nuclear standoff.
Oct 25, 2017 thinks a formal agreement to end the Korean War could pave the way for broader diplomatic talks.
Oct 9, 2017 highlights how the Kim regime's quasi-religious national narrative is fueling the current crisis.
Sep 20, 2017 says the key is to bring China – the only country that really matters – fully on board.
Sep 4, 2017 imagines a scenario in which Chinese military intervention succeeds.
The worse economic fundamentals and forecasts become, the more mysterious stock-market outcomes in the US appear. At a time when genuine news suggests that equity prices should be tanking, not hitting record highs, explanations based on crowd psychology, the virality of ideas, and the dynamics of narrative epidemics can shed some light.
Many Western economists presume that governments are not very good at identifying industries that merit support, and that domestic consumers and taxpayers incur the bulk of the costs. By the same logic, if Chinese policymakers effectively targeted activities where social benefits exceed private benefits, then it is not clear why foreigners should complain.
