But the most basic fact of global political economy over the past 40 years has been the move from destitute peasantry into the middle class of a couple of billion of our fellow human beings.

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And ultimately in the age of the global economy, both political leaders and corporate leaders are subject to the discipline of the markets, as sovereign bondholders and shareholders can sway corporate and country-level confidence dramatically.

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And engineers, economists, governors, mayors of every political stripe believe that if we want to compete in this global economy, we need to rebuild this vital infrastructure.

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Cantor deserves praise: despite the political ramifications, he understands that to compete and succeed in a global economy, the U.S. must act expeditiously to attract and keep the most talented innovators who are educated in our schools.

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The poor state of the global economy had the starring role in gold stocks dismal performance, while rising debt and political unrest also played their own parts.

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With an economy in the pan, and global commodity prices at historic highs (not to mention the political problems of policing an oil-dependent world) natural resource discovery is an inviting systemic innovation.

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