Joe Biden attempts the biggest overhaul of America’s economy in decades
He is using industrial policy to create jobs, cut emissions and boost manufacturing
On a snowy day in January Joe Biden was due to visit Pittsburgh to talk about his plans for upgrading America’s infrastructure. Just hours before he arrived, a bridge in the city collapsed. Five cars and a bus fell into the ravine below it. Mercifully no one died.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “Adieu, laissez-faire”
From the October 29th 2022 edition
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The obscure Senate functionary whose word is law
Elizabeth MacDonough does more to shape legislation than most congressmen
The big beautiful bill reveals the hollowness of Trumponomics
Republicans mark America’s birthday with a profligate but insubstantial law
The war in Ukraine shows the West can re-arm without re-industrialising
Industrial capacity in peacetime is no longer necessary for success during war
How much did America’s bombs damage Iran’s nuclear programme?
Assessments vary wildly and it is impossible to know for sure
Israel’s war with Iran is over
But its impact is uncertain
Israel’s blitz on Iran is fraught with uncertainty
Much hinges on the stubborn supreme leader and America’s mercurial president