Best of the Moment
For Richer, For Poorer
Paul Romer | Prospect | 27 January 2010
Economist argues for "charter cities" to accelerate development—enclaves within poor countries, governed by rich countries, as Hong Kong was under Britain
How To Deal With Unintended Acceleration
Dave Vanderwerp | Car And Driver | December 2009
If you're driving a runaway Toyota, here's the drill. Hit the brakes. if that doesn't work, shift to park or neutral, then hit the brakes again—they'll work this time. At worst, turn off the ignition.
Trial Of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Jane Mayer | New Yorker | 8 February 2010
Profile of US attorney-general Eric Holder. Right denounces him for trying a 9/11 suspect in New York; left accuses him of upholding many of Bush's counter-terrorism policies
Love Begins A Picture
Richard Eskow | 3 Quarks Daily | 8 February
Anthology of Google Voice transcriptions formatted as poetry. Funny, touching, and revealing of how the simplest messages can gain dignity when rendered in written form
British Bribes Kill Africans
Richard Dowden | London Times | 8 February 2010
Defence company BAE bribed African countries to buy planes and radars they didn't need and couldn't use, siphoning millions that could have bought food, medicines
Down With The People
Jacob Weisberg | Slate | 6 February 2010
American public is childish, ignorant, illogical. Doesn't want any hard truths from politicians, just wants to hear that government can tax less, spend more
Conflict With Goldman Pushed AIG To Edge
Gretchen Morgenson and Louise Story | NYT | 6 February 2010
AIG made huge losses on deals with Goldman and clients. Goldman saw that AIG might collapse, positioned itself to extract maximum profit
Scepticism And Climate Change
Editorial | Observer | 7 February 2010
Fighting climate change will disrupt society. Public needs to trust science. Scientists need to work more openly. Secrecy and spin are self-defeating
Hank Paulson's Dry Heave
Max Abelson | New York Observer | 2 February 2010
Damning, amusing review of ex-Treasury secretary's memoir: "It gives the sense that history is decided by guys who are improvising, and not particularly good at it"
No Exit
Andrew Bacevich | American Conservative | 1 February 2010
US good at starting wars, bad at winning them. Run of deadlocks and fiascoes since WW2. Maybe Iraq, Afghan experiences will teach Americans to fight less
Physicist Discovers How To Teleport Energy
Anonymous | Technology Review | 3 February 2010
"There is a growing sense that the properties of the universe are best described not by the laws that govern matter but by the laws that govern information"
Chat Roulette
Sam Anderson | New York | 5 February 2010
New online service brings you face-to-face with random strangers via webcam. Trouble is, they're deeply weird, and most of them don't want to talk to you
Axels Of Evil
Virginia Heffernan | NYT | 4 February 2010
Popularity of videos showing figure-skating accidents and injuries suggests macabre anticipation may be subsconscious part of even this sport's appeal
Sovereign Debt Dilemma
Sebastian Mallaby | CFR | 5 February 2010
Governments rescued banks, pumped up demand. Now investors fret about public-sector debts, deficits, leading to new round of jitters focused on Europe
Curse Of One-Party Government
Jonathan Rauch | National Journal | 6 February 2010
Polarisation, gridlock more likely when one party controls White House and Congress. When parties share power, they must compromise to pass legislation
Dignitas, Assisted-Suicide Pioneer
Deborah Ball and Julia Mengewein | WSJ | 6 February 2010
Swiss company caters to foreigners who want to be killed, including some who aren't fatally ill, and charges heftily for the service. May provoke tightening of Swiss law
Culture v. Reality: Spot The Difference
Andrew Klavan | City Journal | 5 February 2010
"Culture in America is an enchanted place where the conservative facts of life are magically transformed into liberal fantasies"
In The World Of Facebook
Charles Petersen | NYRB | 4 February 2010
Interesting non-tech account traces Facebook's success back to high social status of first users at Harvard. Site used to take campus life as its model, now it projects suburban values