The US, the freest of free markets, has nationalized Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE). In doing so, the US has earned the sobriquet USSA (United Socialist States of America), says Jawahir Mulraj. Meanwhile, Russia  is using  market forces to deploy its gas supplies to Europe as a political bargaining chip to silence dissent over its incursion into South Ossetia!

“In the future”, noted the famous pop art icon Andy Warhol, “everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.” Mr. Warhol was not setting the time limit of “fifteen minutes” because there were so many famous people in a queue who were waiting to become famous.

In the stock markets, there is the constant fight over “bulls” and “bears”. There is nothing honorable or uplifting about this fight - much if it is driven by money and the desire for returns.