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Atlantic Unbound | Archive
Clive Crook
Recent articles by Clive Crook: Sins of EmissionKyoto was a sham and a failure—so how has it become a model for future anti-warming efforts? The End of the American ExceptionEconomically speaking, America could soon be more European than Europe. Oil ShocksClive Crook warns that it may soon be time to panic about the price of oil. HouseboundWhy homeownership may be bad for America. Beyond BeliefSome economists are beginning to doubt the benefits of free trade. What’s wrong with them? Cashing OutIs private equity just another bubble, or a sign of sickness in America’s public stock markets? Beyond Trade Adjustment AssistanceWorkers who lose their jobs because of trade are no more deserving than workers whose jobs disappear for other reasons. How Rove Charmed a Clinton CrowdThe real star of the show at last week's Aspen Ideas Festival wasn't Bill Clinton. It was Karl Rove. Fact and Fiction in Health Care ReformThe crux of health care reform is to give consumers real choices. This can happen only if employers are largely taken out of the equation. Rags to Rags, Riches to RichesMaybe it’s time to stop calling America the “land of opportunity.”. A Small Scandal and a Big QuestionPaul Wolfowitz has only made things worse at the World Bank. He has irretrievably lost control. The Baffling Politics of ImmigrationDisagreement over immigration cuts through every ideological alignment, setting brother against brother, and activist against activist. Still Baffled by ImmigrationThe immigration deal will not work, and it's hard to believe that the Senate negotiators honestly think otherwise. When the Buck StopsThe age of the dollar has been great for America—but it may end soon. The Skeleton CoastA safari by air over Namibia’s haunting sands [Web only: "Above Namibia ." A narrated photo essay.] Global Warming: Winners and LosersScientific evidence does not affirm Al Gore's most alarming hypotheticals about global warming or the costly changes in policy he recommends. Mistaking a Miracle for a CrisisWe are witnessing a transformation of the world economy. The implications of the upheaval are not widely appreciated or understood. The Phantom MenaceWhat war on the middle class? A Political Comedy of ErrorsWhat does an awful film starring Robin Williams have to do with America's economic prospects? More than you might think. Wall Street's Housing-Market MakeoverStock market declines have drawn attention to the housing market and especially to the condition of subprime mortgage lenders. The Ten-Cent SolutionCheap private schools are educating poor children across the developing world—but without much encouragement from the international aid establishment. Don't Think I'm Defending Bush, But ...Once Bush is gone, not every idea that Bush has defended will be regarded as wrong merely for that reason. The Message in the BudgetThe alternative minimum tax is a nuisance, but the Bush administration is relying on it to balance the budget. No Easy Exit From Iraq"Bad as the situation in Iraq may be, a precipitate retreat would make things worse" A Glimmer of Purpose in the PantomimeDemocrats ought to pass President Bush's health care proposal without delay, and demand that he sign it into law. The Rancor DividendThe new Democratic Congress just might help the White House mend the country’s broken fiscal policy. On Milton Friedman's Unfinished WorkDespite Milton Friedman's best efforts, economic liberty is widely regarded as very much a second-class kind of freedom. Ordinary PeopleA remarkable celebration of unremarkable lives deflates pat social theories of both the right and the left. A Matter of DegreesWhy college is not an economic cure-all. A Wrong Turn in the War on TerrorThe compromise struck between Congress and the White House on interrogating suspected terrorists is a serious setback in the war on terror. Prizing Independent ThinkingEdmund S. Phelps, the latest Nobel laureate in economics, has never commanded the attention outside the economics profession that his brillance warrants. The Neglect of LibertariansPeople who are conservative on economics and liberal on social issues have a hard time identifying with either major political party. The Fruitful LieTrade agreements have always been greased by deception about who benefits. Now they’re failing because leaders have come to believe their own lies. Is a Recession Around the Corner?The chances of a recession appear to be rising, namely because housing prices are dripping in many markets, and household new worth along with them. Is It War, or Business as Usual?Democrats will be making a great mistake if they seem to downplay the seriousness of the security issue by deploring "alarminst" talk of war. The Height of InequalityAmerica’s productivity gains have gone to giant salaries for just a few. Two Wrongs Don't Make a RightTwinning a radical cut in the estate tax with an increase in the minimum wage isn't just a cynical political ploy. It's bad policy--on both counts. The Lure of EducationWe know how to improve education, and, politics aside, it is not even that difficult: It's clear that competition among schools raises standards. A Clear-Cut Case of IncompetenceWhat a price the world, especially the poorest part of the world, will pay for the collapse of global trade talks. A Confederacy Of EunuchsWhat a lousy time for the leaders of the world’s economic powerhouses to be gripped by political weakness. The Politics of Global WarmingWe know what has happened to the climate so far, and we know why. Working out what is going to happen to it from now on is much more difficult. The Massachusetts ExperimentThe Achilles' heel of the new Massachusetts health care plan could be its failure to address rising costs. Shock AbsorptionFor America, energy security lies closer than you might think. John Kenneth Galbraith, RevisitedFor all his attributes, John Kenneth Galbraith was not what the American Left believes him to have been: a font of economic truth. John Kenneth Galbraith, RevisitedFor all his attributes, John Kenneth Galbraith was not what the American Left believes to have been: a front of economic truth. The Benefits of BrutalityWhy America's immigration outlook—current grumblings notwithstanding—remains so much healthier than Europe's. Shameless GougersYear in, year out, the median pay of top executives rises much faster than wages and salaries overall. It's time for shareholders to demand an end to the gouging. Poison PillBig, politically ugly changes to America's health-care system are unavoidable—consumer-driven health care may be the least-bad option. A Third Industrial RevolutionA fascinating new article by former Fed Vice Chairman Alan Blinder argues that offshore outsourcing is potentially the timid beginning of a third Industrial Revolution. Capitalism: The MovieWhy Americans don’t value markets enough—and why that matters. Greenspan Era Not Quite OverThe Alan Greenspan era is not over yet. His bubbles may yet come home to burst. The Brits May Be Onto SomethingThe success of Britain's The Economist may hold some lessons for American publications. A Seasonal Shot of Necessary GloomThe risks to the U.S. economy are a lot bigger than most people, and most governments, seem to believe. Ford's Rough RideIn a couple of ways, government policies helped Ford's managers and unions make the mistakes they did. Executive PrivilegeThe CEOs of too many public companies enjoy the power and rewards of ownership without the risks. A Chill In Montreal Despite The Hot AirThe dabate over global warming is marked by blithe complacency on one side and quasi-religious zealotry on the other. No wonder not much is happening. Our Faith-Based FutureThe White House remains unperturbed by the growing prospect of economic calamity. How Good Is Bernanke? Here's Hoping We Never Find Out.Would Ben Bernanke, President Bush's choice to succeed Alan Greenspan at the Federal Reserve, keep his cool in a crisis? We may be unfortunate enough to find out. Disenchanted With Politics? Who in The World Is Not?Strong leadership is definitely in short supply. When did the governments of the big Western democracies last look this feeble—and all at the same time? Real-World Economics: Still a BattlefieldThe biggest economic issues—the ones where the most is at stake, in terms of individual liberty and economic well-being—are as bitterly contested today as they ever were. The Slippery Economics Of Health CareIs it really true that health care costs put American industry at an international disadvantage, as General Motors and other companies say? Does Oil Have a Future?Even the industry has its doubts. An America I Never Expected to SeeThe incompetence—the sustained, systemic, outrageous incompetence—that marked the government's response to Hurricane Katrina is genuinely hard to believe. Katrina and the Economy: a Toxic CombinationKatrina is causing the budget deficit to explode while also inflicting a supply-side shock on the economy. This is an especially toxic combination. Beijing Has Budged on the Yuan. It Doesn't Really Help.Both China and the United States need to remember that good economic policy starts at home. Britain, Its Muslims, and the War on TerrorFor years, British politics has preferred to ignore the issues posed by the unassimilated Muslim minority. The G-8: How to Make a Success Out of a StuntThe G-8 summit in Scotland will qualify as more than a political stunt if the gathering spurs an increase in well-designed aid to Africa. The New New Economy Will Be All About EnergyWith a gentle push from the federal government, America's dependence on oil will shrink much faster than people think. And it would be good if it did. After 'Non' and 'Nee,' Where Does Europe Go Now?In rejecting the new European constitution, voters in France and the Netherlands have done themselves and their fellow citizens of the European Union a great favor. Why Does Capitalism Get Such A Bum Rap?The idea that capitalism is the enemy of social progress calls for an impressive resistance to some large and pretty obvious facts. How France Might Astound Europe—and Do It Some GoodIt appears that French voters are going to reject the new European Union constitution. What will that mean for Europe? Blair Is Unpopular. He Will Win Anyway.Blair, once so popular, once so trusted, is now regarded by voters as a hollow waffler. Shock and Awe Come to the World BankThe Bush administration's critics at home and abroad are astounded, scandalized, and reeling from the decision to name Paul Wolfowitz the next head of the World Bank. America's Economy: More Fragile Than It LooksSteps to curb the budget deficit would make the U.S. economy, and the world economy, much safer. A Strange Twist in the Politics of Northern IrelandRecent developments in Northern Ireland offer some sobering lessons for those who would negotiate with terrorists. Are America and Europe Now Friends? Maybe Not for LongWhat separates the U.S. and Europe is not just differences in style, but differences in substance—some that are intractable. Iraq's Election, and What Comes NextThe U.S. can still redeem its misadventure in Iraq, despite all the administration's mistakes. Rethinking the Case for Helping Poor CountriesThe U.N. report puts moral pressure on whoever reads it to demand action of their governments. |
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Clive Crook is a senior editor of The Atlantic Monthly, a columnist for
National Journal and a commentator for the Financial Times. He was
formerly
on the staff of The Economist, latterly (from 1993 to 2005) as deputy
editor. A graduate of Oxford and the London School of Economics, he has
served as a consultant to the World Bank and worked as an official in
the British Treasury. He lives in Washington, DC.