Blessed Fast!

I won't be writing posts or comments until New Calendar Nativity.



¹Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.

²And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

³And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.

Nehemiah 9:1-3 (KJV)

First New Jersey, Now MF Global

Incompetence creates its own momentum. Jon Corzine is a case in point.

The Will To Overcome Geopolitical Inferiority

Russia's superpower ambitions lack sufficient juice for execution.

How do I know? The expert in such matters, Vladimir Putin, says so, when he proposes a Eurasian Union through his Patriarchal mouthpiece, Fr. Vsevolod Chaplin.

Is the proposed Union a trade bloc? Currency bloc? Monetary bloc?

Nothing is apparent, except the vague goal of mutual support and the opportunity to "adequately influence global processes".

Sounds like Russia is whining about its lack of sheer, naked power.

Hipshooting Vice President Joe Biden said it best two years ago, "Russia has to make some very difficult, calculated decisions...they have a shrinking population base, they have a withering economy, they have a banking sector and structure that is not likely to be able to withstand the next 15 years, they're in a situation where the world is changing before them and they're clinging to something in the past that is not sustainable."

As Crazy As A Fox

I'm not sure whether Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is extremely stupid or extremely smart, but I'm betting on smart.

Emerging from a few volatile days, Papandreou has sealed the bailout deal over previously intense opposition.