David vs. Goliath(s) Once upon a time (like in the ’90’s), my Op-Ed pieces, letters to the editor, etc. were regularly published by The Star Tribune, City Business, and even The New York Times. I stopped counting, but not before the tally reached several dozen pieces. In the intervening 20 years or, I don’t think that I’ve become a worse writer,...Read More
Or Was It, “Lend for Free on Crap Collateral?” It’s one thing to encounter distortions and ignorant drivel in some blogosphere backwater. But when it appears in The New York Times . . . it’s more than a little dismaying. In a nutshell, that’s my reaction to Adam Davidson’s piece, “What Does Wall Street Do For...Read More
Mohamed El-Erian Sizes Up 2012 Mohamed El-Erian, the CEO of bond giant Pimco, has written many fine, insightful articles on today’s vexing capital markets. His piece in today’s Wall Street Journal isn’t one of them. See if you can figure out what the following means: Navigating [today’s unpredictable markets] requires investors to rely less on historical short cuts...Read More
“What Would TR Do?” “It’s too soon to tell.” –Mao Tse Tung’s response, when asked (in 1947) about the consequences of the French Revolution. Just as perspective is needed to appreciate signal historical events, so, too, is distance required to assess great individuals. More than a century after Teddy Roosevelt successfully challenged the monopolists and concentrated financial...Read More
Juxtaposing U.S., Chinese Justice Systems According to a Chinese government report released today, “primary leadership responsibility for the bullet-train collision rests with top Railway Ministry officials.” The report noted that 54 government, ministry and industry officials face disciplinary action, including possible criminal charges. —China Blasts High-Speed Rail System; The Wall Street Journal (12/29/2011). Former MF Global CEO Jon Corzine says...Read More
Boycotts, Social Media & Goldman Sachs [Editor’s Note: if TV networks play re-runs during traditionally slow times of the year . . . bloggers can recycle old posts. The following, which originally appeared November 13, 2009 (!), is one of my favorites. “Your Money’s No Good” is also the title of the second book I...Read More
