When government monetarily encourages some activity, is it better to write checks to those we wish to motivate or should they get special tax treatment? Gov. Tim Pawlenty recently proposed assorted benefits for members of the Minnesota National Guard. These…
Rules are rules, even in trade fights
Consider alternative responses to this familiar parental challenge: “Daddy, Daddy, Joey hit me!” Should the parent respond, a) “Joey, go to your room right now!” or b) “Then you hit Joey right back!” Now think about international trade disputes rather…
Comparing U.S., Canada can be instructive
One can only hope that on his trip to Canada this week, President Bush kept his mind open to lessons from comparing the United States with that nation. There are few better ways to gain useful insights than by comparing…
Don’t believe the hype about dollar’s swings
As a columnist who occasionally is tempted to use inflammatory rhetoric, I should not be too critical. Still, the words that journalists and politicians choose to describe exchange rate movements often are misleadingly overwrought. Take market reactions to U.S. election…