Austerity Causes Stagflation

The Wall Street Journal is gleefully proclaiming the death of Abenomics: At the root of Abenomics is a false theory that Japan’s economic malaise results from a lack of confidence produced by deflation. Mr. Abe hoped that he could solve Japan’s problems by printing lots of money to restore inflation. So when voters go to … Continue reading →

Oily Stupidity

So, the U.S. Senate filibustered Keystone XL to death: A bill to force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline failed in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, sparing President Barack Obama from an expected veto of legislation that several fellow Democrats supported. The measure fell just short of the 60 votes needed for passage, despite frantic … Continue reading →

The Triumph of Peace: 25 Years After the Fall

On 27 October 1962, the commander of the Soviet submarine flotilla sent toward the Caribbean amidst the Cuban Missile Crisis, Captain Vasili Arkhipov, saved the lives of every man, woman, and child that was alive that day and who has since drawn a breath in the last 52 years.  Had Valentin Savitsky, the captain of … Continue reading →

Navigating Aeronautical Safety–Part 4

For almost a month, this blog has blasted William Langewiesche’s piece on Air France 447 (and gone after the French investigation as well). In the spirit of balance, someone should play devil’s advocate and defend Langewiesche… Four Eyes Are Better Than Six? … wait, no we shouldn’t. Two is greater than three? This is as … Continue reading →

Slight Statistical Shortsightedness

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark… If American fast food workers were as well-paid as Danish fast food workers, they would enjoy much higher living standards — but about 65 percent of them might lose their jobs. That is not the conclusion that I saw liberals drawing from yesterday’s New York times article … Continue reading →

Navigating Aeronautical Safety–Part 3

My previous posting ended with an incident where the A320 “earned” a nickname from Airbus’s detractors, the Lumberjack: I think of that video every time I read William Langewiesche’s annoying, insulting pronouncement: In 1987, Airbus took the next step by introducing the first fly-by-wire airliner, the smallish A320, in which computers interpret the pilots’ stick … Continue reading →