In its original imagining, though, the premodern vampire differed from today's in one crucial respect: His condition wasn't contagious.

WSJ: Rabies: The Plague Behind Zombies and Vampires

Ah, but in one crucial respect, during this recession the US has moved much closer to having a Euro-style social safety net.

FORBES: The Rise in Structural Unemployment in the US Recession

Indeed, in one crucial respect, the G-20 has made the problem worse.

WSJ: What Will New World Order Look Like?

The Japanese differ from their counterparts in other rich countries in one other crucial respect: though they turn up their noses at marriage, they do not have children outside it.

ECONOMIST: Social conventions and demography add to the sclerosis