In entirely too many cases, the answer is fear not of physical death, but instead fear of our financial demise, which is often rooted in a fear of lifestyle reduction, which is often rooted in a fear of relative lifestyle comparison with our peers, which is especially ironic when you consider the millions of unemployed workers, bankrupt households, foreclosed homes and underwater homeowners.

FORBES: Steve Job's Financial Planning Advice: You Are Already Naked

This year, in comparison with earlier periods, there has already been a dramatic reduction in the level of violence.

ECONOMIST: Algeria: Peace, of a kind | The