The Terrorist’s Best Friend

The events of the past few weeks in Israel have offered a timeless lesson on the real cause of terrorism and the real meaning of the “peace process.” The pattern of these events is crystal clear: Yasser Arafat and his Palestinian Authority have escalated...

Enronic Cleansing: Be Warned

I alienated some friends and clients when I e-mailed a TrendMacro Live! note last week warning of a dangerous new phase of the Enron scandal. Everyone is understandably eager to round up the bad guys and hang

Behind the Environmental Working Group

Among the political chattering classes, there’s a big buzz over a tiny activist organization called the Environmental Working Group. Both liberals and conservatives, including the left-leaning New York Times editorial page and the right-leaning Wall Street...

New Words for the Same Old Hustle

What would Martin Luther King Jr. have made of a recent ad last month (Jan 21) in the Boston Globe? On Page 10, to honor King’s memory and legacy, a full-page ad reproduced the peroration of his unforgettable 1963 speech at the Lincoln Memorial: “I have a...

Enron, Tyco, and Accounting for Conglomerates

In the wake of the Enron scandal, investors are all of a sudden focusing intensely on the integrity of corporate accounting. So self-righteous pundits and politicians are elbowing each other for space at the head of the lynch mob demanding new regulations to enforce...

Who Pays The Tariffs?

As predicted, the steel industry has bellied up to the federal concession stand for all forms of relief and favors. The emotionally charged premise is that the steel industry is vital to our defense and economic strength. This same argument was successfully used by...

Defending the rights of John Q — Dr. John Q

John Q — a propaganda flick about an uninsured worker who forces doctors at gunpoint to treat his son — has reinvigorated the widespread misconception that health care should be a “right.” But believers in such a notion, and the politicians...

Snub the Tyrants and Grow Your Own

Allow me to suggest a New Year’s resolution you’ll thank me for: Grow your own tomatoes. As you’ll see, becoming a grower can be rewarding far beyond the sweet taste of your crop. The traditional extra benefits keep bringing many of us back season...

OPEC, Oil, and Energy Economics 101

We are all familiar with pundits from all corners decrying our dependence on foreign oil. Before the oil embargo in the 70’s and subsequent attempts to wean ourselves from OPEC, we were importing about 25% of our oil and now we are importing over 50%. This is...