Financial Times: The Worst of Times?

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Before reading this bit about a sobering set of messages offered at a very nice Financial Times reception, the must read assignment first is Martin Wolf’s “Japan’s Lessons for a World of Balance-Sheet Recession.” Now you can proceed. . .

The Elliott Abrams Factor: Resident Skeptic on Middle East Progress

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Though it sometimes frustrates friends, one of my core beliefs is to engage those who disagree with my views — and also to give credit when and where credit is due. When I saw that the right-anchored Jerusalem Post was running an interview of Elliott Abrams with Ruthie Blum Leibowitz, I expected the worst.

Treasury Department Blooper

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The Department of Treasury has a whole lot on its hands — like keeping the financial sector from cratering further, keeping Citibank management from sneaking another private jet into their own stimulus plans, and convincing the rest of the world that Americans really do know how to run a capitalist economy (if in fact we…

Jim Lobe Gets Different Takes on Israel Election

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Inter-Press’ Jim Lobe, who also writes the LobeLog blog, has a good piece of analysis out about the impact of the recent elections in Israel on the Middle East peace process. Lobe interviews Marc Ginsberg, Aaron David Miller, M.J. Rosenberg and me. Miller is the most pessimistic.