Outside the Beltway

Four years after the financial crisis tanked the global economy, bankers still put their interests above those of their customers, even to the extent of skirting the law.

Are the Stuxnet and Flame attacks the opening shots in a dangerous new era of secret war?

There may be only one solution to saving the Euro.

Jim Yong Kim is an impressive man. But he’s got no background in banking, finance, or economics.

Mitt Romney’s statements about the planned early draw down in Afghanistan make no sense whatsoever.

Mitt Romney won big last night, Newt Gingrich was Newt Gingrich, and the race is coming to the beginning of the end.

It’s not just low wages that have kept technology manufacturing jobs out of the United States.

Ron Paul has a new explanation for those newsletters of his.

Ron Paul doesn’t want to talk about his newsletters now, but he was pretty talkative 15 years ago.

A list of international contingencies to worry about in the coming year. Handy as a stocking stuffer!

“The debt crisis is burrowing ever deeper, like a worm, and is now reaching Germany.”

Last night, most of the leading Republican candidates for President acted as if Europe was on another planet.

What do this people want? Can’t you read the signs?

Banks have more money than they can lend out profitably.

Occupy Wall Street is not motivated by envy of the rich or even animus towards banks.

There’s no consensus for European-style social democracy or a Randian libertarian paradise.

Now that he’s a top tier candidate, it’s hard to see how Herman Cain’s tax plan can withstand serious scrutiny.

It’s time to start being concerned about Europe.

September’s jobs report was better than expected, but still not very good.

It never ceases to amaze me how many smart people manage to believe, against all evidence to the contrary, that their political philosophy has massive support.

The world is likely to get worse before it gets better.

Rick Perry’s vision of capitalism doesn’t exactly comply with what Adam Smith had in mind.

Is S&P’s downgrade of the US bond rating “free speech” and thereby protected by the Constitution?

Lost in the hubbub of S&P downgrading the US bond rating is news that the Italian government has the ratings agencies under criminal investigation.

Upon further review, S&P’s downgrade of the United States bond rating . . . still makes no sense.

While it’s hard to argue with S&P’s political analysis, its economic judgment is a head-scratcher.

On paper, Jon Huntsman looks like a great General Election candidate. The problem is it seems impossible for him to win the GOP nomination.

The War Powers Act’s 90 day limit is in sight. Will Congress force the president’s hand?

Both sides in the John Edwards case are heading into uncharted territory.

What we don’t know might hurt us.

Despite what appear to be the fond hope of European central bankers that it will just all go away, something needs to be done. But what?

Business Week’s cover story examines the coming implosion of the US Postal Service as we know it.

While President Obama has had some amusing gaffes on his trip to London, including getting the year wrong in the guest book and an awkward toast to the Queen, his speech to Parliament today hit all the right notes.

“Our records indicate that your annual income for the 2011 taxable year was $2,170,000,000,000. You have requested a credit limit of $17,000,000,000,000. These figures exceed the American Public’s guidelines for credit issuance”