compellance n.— «The truth is that most political observers in Pakistan have become knee-jerk and non-cerebral, giving Pakistan’s enemy a handle through what is called “compellance”: get the enemy to do what it wants to do for self-destruction...
futarchy n.— «Robin D. Hanson, an economist at George Mason University, proposes a “futarchy,” a form of government enhanced by prediction markets. Voters would decide broad goals of national welfare, but betting in speculative markets would...
mother pipe n.— «You transport oil and gas by piping them. You know that there is what is called the mother pipe in the oil and gas industry, which is only 30 per cent of the value of the pipe. You buy the pipe and you come here and do what is...
slash cash n.— «If your employer has a policy against moonlighting—or one of your side jobs creates a conflict of interest—you have what I call a “slash clash,” and I suggest you get started on finding a more compatible combination.» —“When the...
PowerPoint Ranger n.—Gloss: a derogatory term for a military bureaucrat or policy wonk. «As anyone who has ever worked in or near it can attest, the DoD is run by what I like to call Powerpoint Rangers: guys like Thomas Barnett, who latch onto a...
Fed put n.— «One of the most reliable and predictable features of the Fed’s monetary policy is action to PREVENT SYSTEMIC FINANCIAL COLLAPSE. If this regularity of policy is what is meant by the “Fed put,” then so be it, but the term seems to me to...