Middle-class societies don't emerge automatically as an economy matures, they have to be CREATED through political action.

And when the chickens that didn't hatch come home to roost, we will rue the day when, misled by sloppy accounting and rosy scenarios, we gave away the national nest egg.

I really think that people have to think safety; taking risks for higher yield is a bad idea once you're in late or latish middle age.

The federal government is basically an insurance company with an army.

The Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality.

The French, unfortunately, actually believe what they say, and that has been very destructive.

In fact, I'd say that the sources of the economy's expansion from 2003 to 2007 were, in order, the housing bubble, the war, and - very much in third place - tax cuts.