Afghanistan-Pakistan – Will the Sins of England be visited Upon America?

Today a great deal of media attention is focused on the North West Frontier Province (“NWFP“) of today’s Pakistan and the rapidly increasing control of the Taleban over this province. The New York Times is especially focused on this topic: Ragtag Taliban Show Tenacity in Afghanistan – August 4, 2008 Taliban Breached NATO Base in…

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Why are they called “Stans” and why is “Pak-i-Stan” unique?

Who can forget the wit of Donald Rumsfeld and especially his question about all the “Stans”. Mr. Rumsfeld was joking about the fact that names of many countries in Central Asia featured “stan”as a suffix. You have to wonder whether Mr. Rumsfeld’s ignorance had a lot to do with the troubles America faces today in Afghanistan and Iraq….

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Did the lesson of 1994 lead to the Credit Bubble of 2004-2007 and the subsequent Credit Crunch?

Alan Greenspan, the Fed Chairman in 1994, was a completely different persona than Alan Greenspan, the Fed Chairman in 2004. Greenspan raised rates several times in 1994. He raised them unpredictably and in large increments. The financial markets, especially the bond markets, were totally unprepared for the decisiveness and the ferocity of the rate hikes….

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