I'm a nationally syndicated columnist, author of several books and a speaker on global business, labor, and economic trends. I'm also a beneficiary, not a victim, of dyslexia, a learning disability characterized by reading, writing and decoding difficulties. Why do I say beneficiary? Read on.

Relations between the world’s two most important nations have descended to frigid coexistence if not outright cold war. There are increasing possibilities of a military as well as political clash, with potentially catastrophic consequences. read more...

If you can't find workers, you're not alone. At each keynote speech I give, I ask the audience to raise their hands if it's difficult to hire new employees. Just about everyone raises their hand. I then ask if they have trouble retaining them. Again, nearly everyone raises their hand.

The unveiling of the American Jobs Plan has sparked conversation about what the Biden administration can do for U.S. workers. This is a step in the right direction. However, because this legislation is more fundamentally about infrastructure and new jobs, the question of what the government can do for current low-income workers in particular is still an open one.

Monetary policy can only do so much: it cannot permanently increase the wealth of a nation. That is the lesson from economic history. In the short run, the Fed can affect real variables like output and employment by expansionary monetary policy, but trying to use monetary stimulus as the primary vehicle to move the economy forward is an invitation for price inflation in the longer run.

The business of international trade has become extremely complicated. Due to Covid-19, global supply chain disruptions have become commonplace, especially in China. And even when the risks associated with the pandemic end, the risks associated with supply chains won't.

Most Americans, former President Donald Trump, and now the Joe Biden administration, all view China as the greatest geopolitical threat to the United States. Avril D. Haines, Biden’s new director of national intelligence, recently said last month “When it comes to espionage, [the Chinese] are an adversary.” And the recent sentencing for conspiracy to steal trade secrets and wire fraud of Chinese‐born husband and wife team Li Chen and Yu Zhou seems to, at least on the surface, justify this fear.

With broad, bipartisan support from Congress, the Biden administration is expected to commence an all‐of-government effort to confront the profound and rapidly multiplying challenges presented by China’s rise. Exactly what the program will entail remains unclear, but neutralizing Beijing’s web of predatory technology policies should be a priority.

To protect America's way of life and standard of living, the Biden administration must take two critical steps. First, it should implement legislation designed to improve American free-market capitalism and strengthen the middle class. If not done soon, a political shift to the left is more likely later. And secondly, the administration must choose international engagement over isolation. Surprising to many, these decisions are connected.

Among the things learned during the COVID-19 pandemic is that our supply chains are on the verge of breaking. National borders that had receded into the background of a globalizing world have been thrust to the fore in the scramble to obtain life-saving Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for those on the front lines of the battle against the virus. A means of shortening and strengthening those supply chains is critical — and available.