Marcy Wheeler alerts me to the huge economic consequences of the drought of 2012 as it relates to the Mississippi River. Since those canny Ron Paul supporters shut down the NAFTA Superhighway, the might Mississippi remains the key shipping highway connecting north and south in America. And because of the drought, the water level has [...]

Nuclear talks between the P5 +1 – permanent Security Council members China, Russia, France, Britain and the US, plus Germany – and Iran begin today in Baghdad. This comes on the heels of an imminent announcement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, based on talks from recent days in Tehran. So the diplomacy [...]

Economic forecasts as well as year-end “what to look for” lists cannot possibly take into account unexpected scenarios that could lead to economic catastrophe or international incidents. The death of Kim Jong-il is conceivably one of these unpredictable events on the foreign policy side. The Iranian threat to close off the Strait of Hormuz would [...]