They conjure a world of routine space travel, lunar colonies, economic ease and social and sexual freedom – though predictably, this last seems to apply mostly to a sci-fi avatar of the standard male Playboy reader.
Her plunge from Park Avenue to Lower Market Street is her own problem, of course, but her emotions are not far from what many of us feel — the dread of no longer having the economic ease we've earned (or married into, in her case).
Indeed, the economic ease with which China's military is now rapidly expanding raises this sobering question: Will China eventually be able to do to America what America did to Kaiser Germany in World War I, Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in World War II, and the Soviet Union during the Cold War?
But even if the proposals are unlikely to be enacted, thanks to Republican opposition, do they make sense economically?With a deteriorating economic backdrop, easing up on austerity does make sense.
But when he succeeded to the presidency, he responded to widespread discontent by introducing limited economic reforms, easing restrictions on religion and civil liberties, and cautiously seeking ties with Western Europe and the Balkan states.
Even so, incremental progress is possible on economic cooperation, eased visa restrictions and some power deals, he said.
Turkey remains in a deep economic crisis, eased only recently and with pain through a new program with the International Monetary Fund.
Even so, shares of Europe's largest aeronautics company were up by 3.2% in Paris after the company said it expected demand in its key markets to improve in the coming months as the economic downturn eased.
Inflation also functions as a kind of economic WD-40, easing shifts in the allocation of resources.
