Outside the Beltway

The USA’s 142-year streak as the world’s largest economy is ending.

The Economist reports that “The coffee insurgency” is winning.

We spend more per capita than any other country in the world and yet we are outperformed on a key metric, life expectancy, by a large number of countries

Robert Kagan warns of “a changing world order.” But he’s grasping at rather thin straws.

China’s Communist Party has announced a significant change to the nation’s infamous “One Child” policy.

Signs of some progress in the talks over Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Managers want their employees to get off email and pick up the phone.

The Pentagon is considering doing away with two combatant commands—and no longer calling them combatant commands.

Evidence that George Zimmerman acted out of racial bias is completely lacking, which means the Federal Government should stay out of this case entirely.

The blowback from yesterday’s revelations about U.S. surveillance on European allies continues.

The latest NSA leaks are likely to prove to be diplomatically embarrassing.

Jerry Brown’s second go-round as governor has been very, very good to the Golden State.

Cellphones have achieved near complete market penetration, and the smartphone is leading the way.

The US Senate wants to know why Apple and other big technology companies are paying so little into the US Treasury.

President Obama delivered another powerful speech on race.

The world oil markets aren’t too far away from being hit by the shock of massively increased demand from China. Somehow, we’ll have to adapt.

The days of free news on the Internet may be coming to an end.

Habemus Papam

Representative democracy is a process of delegation of power to agents who act on behalf of citizens. The process of delegation matters.

The National Intelligence Council has released its quadrennial strategic forecast, Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds.

Fareed Zakaria declares “America’s election process an international embarrassment.” He’s right.

American politicians are using China as a scapegoat for America’s problems.

Because some things are worth reinforcing.

The Romney campaign’s critique of the President’s foreign policy record is weak, and based on bad history.

Capitulating to a mob is never a good idea.

Carbon emissions in the U.S. have declined just as use of natural gas in electricity production has increased. That’s no coincidence.

The Obama campaign’s focus on Mitt Romney’s alleged involvement in moving companies overseas is entirely phony.

Were the Colonists wrong to toss aside the British Empire so casually?