Free Republic

In my American jubilation over the long-awaited scenes from last week's liberation of Baghdad-which will hopefully plant the seed for an eventual domino effect throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds-I forgot that Iraqis might not like Jews. As an American, I would classify such ponderings at this point as immaterial, premature and in poor taste. But being irreparably Jewish at the same time, I can't contain my curiosity--that is, my Jewish complex. With a nod to those whose dual-loyalty radars may be going off right now, I must point out that the subject did surface last week when the decision...

The puzzling nature of Chinese economics has been highlighted by a study showing that all 31 provinces beat the national average growth rate last year. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China posted an impressive eight per cent growth in gross domestic product, hailed as a beacon of hope in a world dogged by fears of recession. But official returns from local governments, monitored by the financial services agency Bloomberg, show that every one, from Tibet in the south-west to Tianjin in the north-east, beat even that impressive figure. The reliability of Chinese statistics has long been debated by...