RELIEF FROM ECONOMIC TURMOIL What's ailing us? It's not just unemployment. It's not just Europe's debt woes. And, no, it's not Wall Street this time. It's the takeover of the economic debate by fanatics who are up to no good. Fixthat-and maybe you fix the economy.

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WHAT THE HELL 18 GOING ON? Standard & Poor's, the bond-rating agency, downgrades the U.S., and the world trembles. The markets here go nuts on the first trading day after the downgrade, losing $1 trillion in value. European Union finance chiefs are playing Whac-a-Mole with members' debt problems (see the story by my colleague Shawn Tully). And England ... England was literally burning. "If I sound angry, it's because I am. Think of me as an angry moderate who's finally fed up with the lunacy and incompetence of our alleged national leaders—and with people stirring up trouble from which they hope to benefit politically or financially." We've got this problem because our leaders rolled over to pressure from big companies instead of breaking them up into pieces small enough to be allowed to fail. If I sound angry, it's because I am. Think of me as an angry moderate who's finally fed up with the lunacy and incompetence of our alleged national leaders—and with people stirring up trouble from which they hope to benefit politically or financially. Some policies and statements your hear from Tea Party types about the economy and the debt markets are utterly insane. Any competent economics instructor would give you an F if you asserted the same sort of nonsense on an exam.