Zeitlinks

Here's a few internet tidbits to distract you from the Convention overload. And don't worry...Zeitgeist won't be live blogging anytime soon. Unless, of course, we somehow get Redskins tickets for tonight.

Patrick:
1. Storm clouds over the oil market: This is a point I made last month: falling oil prices are indicative of further economic trouble. As the FT puts it, “even good news is bad.”

2. Making globalization work: skills, families, unions, and the welfare state: Via VoxEU, Richard Baldwin gives a great overview of the ‘new’ globalization. See also Trading Tasks: A Simple Theory of Offshoring by Gene Grossman and Esteban Rossi-Hansberg.

3. Top food exporters ease restrictions: Reading this, I remembered that Russia is one of the world’s most important wheat exporters – any chance we’ll see grain diplomacy in the near future?

Nick:
1. The Way the World Sees Africa: Wait a second...there's no tigers in Africa??

2. The Legend of a Democracy Promoter: In a wonderful treatment of Bush's future legacy, Amy Zegart breaks down the differences between the two unpopular Presidents. Keep in mind that Bush's round of democracy promotion is aimed at countries with little record of widespread political participation whereas Truman used economic methods to boost democratic principles. Not only that, he lost China and North Korea. (Hat tip: Drezner)

3. An Immodest Proposal: Just what kind of party would a sex tax cause? Too much?