Economic meltdown? Social anarchy? World War III? Go humbug yourself. Our foreign-policy analyst looks back on the 2009 fears that weren't, so we can all count our global blessings this holiday season. Continue reading this week's World War Room column at Esquire.com.

LEADERS: "So much gained, so much to lose: Over the past 20 years economic freedom has outpaced political liberty. Neither should be taken for granted," The Economist, 7 November 2009. Logic very much in my vein: economics has raced ahead of politics since the Wall fell, disappointing the democracy-now! ...

ARTICLE: Future Perfect, By Geneive Abdo, Newsweek , Nov 18, 2009 This fits nicely with the mullahs-have-lost-power scenario unfolding. Khamenei has so sold his soul to the Revolutionary Guard that the clergy are slowly coming to the conclusion that the faith would be better served detached from the ...

POST: Gen. Casey to geeks: China's middle class worries me, By Thomas E. Ricks, The Best Defense, 11/18/2009 Wow, now we listen to army lifers for geopolitical and geo-economic analysis. (Thanks: waveman850)

ARTICLE: Beijing's Air Is Cleaner, but Far From Clean, By MICHAEL WINES, New York Times, October 16, 2009 Good sign on China: efforts to curb local air pollution are helping. Truth of any nation on the climb: local pollution skyrockets until per cap income gets to a level when the additional externalities ...

ARTICLE: Radiation Overdoses Point Up Dangers of CT Scans, By WALT BOGDANICH, New York Times, October 15, 2009 Once Emily navigated her way out of chemo and the CTs (catscans) proved her clean, we were surprised at how quickly the diagnostics were dialed back down. At first, we suspected a cost issue, ...

MARKETPLACE: "Exxon, Prospecting for Growth, Flips the Switch on Chinese Plant," by Russell Gold, Wall Street Journal, 12 November 2009. Exxon plans to open 750 station on the mainland in the near term, "even as it is selling all of its company-owned stations in the U.S." Exxon, a true supermajor, doesn't ...

WORLD NEWS: "India Taps Executive For Role In ID Plan," by Amol Sharma, Wall Street Journal, 10 November 2009. The corporate chieftain (from Infosys) picked to run the show says the roadblocks aren't technological but political. The goal is to get the poor and disadvantaged better access to government ...

ARTICLE: Biggest Obstacle to Global Climate Deal May Be How to Pay for It, By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL, New York Times, October 14, 2009 Little wonder on this one: can you imagine states turning over a trillion a year to some international organization? Imagine the waste, fraud and abuse potential on that ...

ARTICLE: Saudis Seek Payments for Any Drop in Oil Revenues, By JAD MOUAWAD and ANDREW C. REVKIN, New York Times, October 13, 2009 Not the first time the Saudis have raised this notion: getting welfare for lost oil revenue as the Core deals with global warming. It is simply a measure of the Saudis' incompetence ...