Zeitlinks

Finance, insurance, automakers...what other evidence do we need that the world is literally falling apart? Well, the Minnesota Vikings just named Gus Frerotte their starting quarterback. If you need to distract yourself from the fact that your fantasy team is now in the crapper, as mine is, here is some of the week's best...

Nick
1. The good news: Tyler Cowen looks for a silver lining amidst the financial crisis and finds very little. If nothing else, read the last paragraph. He echoes my concerns on the legal precedent and implications for governance the flurry of bailouts may set.

2. How Bad a Rift? If you haven't heard, the US has pushed the envelope and is now conducting military raids and air strikes in Pakistan. Though the rational is founded (militants are famously crossing the border into Afghanistan), Pakistan is not ready to accept these incursions and has ordered troops to fire on any American forces crossing the border. We need greater dialogue and cooperation or the result may be our loss of a key ally.

3. The real difference between liberals and conservatives: Psychologist John Haidt has a fascinating TED talk on the neurological basis of our moral values that mold our political beliefs. Do watch the whole thing...I guarantee a fascinating 20 minutes.

4. Capping aid to Africa: On the heels of a controversial column in FT and a summit on aid effectiveness in Accra, the Center for Global Development sums up the reactions of the field's most knowledgeable practitioners and scholars.

Patrick

1. Oil Prices Break Back Above $100: Conversely, the executive director of the IEA warns of a global recession if prices stay above $90; meanwhile, Goldman Sachs revises their end of the year oil price forecast down to $115/barrel from $149/barrel.

2. Less than zero: Hmmmm.... should I put my money in 3-month T-Bills or just stuff it under my mattress?

3. The Culture that is French: A little-discussed but significant casualty of the financial crisis: American capitalism's international street cred.

4. Peak oil wrong, says Schwartz: Futurist Peter Schwartz has some sharp words for the peak oil crowd. Will oil scarcity be severe enough to actually drive clean energy investment?