Workers who come to the U.S. see their wages and their standard of living boosted sharply simply by crossing the border. That's a good thing, and one of the best arguments for immigration reform, even if you'll rarely hear a politician make it.

The typical American corporation is a shareholders' republic the same way that China is a peoples' republic.

Speculators get a bad rap. In the popular imagination they're greedy, heedless, and amoral, adept at price manipulations and dirty tricks. In reality, they often play a key role in making markets run smoothly.

Of course, plenty of people don't think that guaranteeing affordable health insurance is a core responsibility of government.

The desire for reinvention seems to arise most often when companies hear the siren call of synergy and start to expand beyond their core businesses.

What the investment community does like is short-term measures designed to boost share prices.

The oil market is especially sensitive even to a hint of expansion or contraction in supply.