Greenspun Gets It

No secret, I'm a big fan of The Economist, but I do think Phil Greenspun has their number:

One of life’s comforts is reading the Economist. The magazine is generally optimistic about the world’s prospects for growth and improvement. An article typically takes the following form:

1. problem is identified
2. straightforward solution is offered
3. discussion of why some countries don’t have the political will to implement the solution
4. example of one country that behaves rationally

This is comforting because it is then clear that there is a lot of low-hanging fruit. If our politicians could wean themselves from the diet of special interest money, our problems could be quickly and painlessly solved.

Oof.