Money Angles: It's All a Confidence Game

A little more than a year ago, with the economy gloomy, I suggested in these pages that we spike the water with Prozac. The Administration chose to invade Iraq instead, which served much the same purpose -- lifting the national mood -- and was probably also a very good thing for the world. (The toll on the Iraqis was horrible, but so was the prospect of Saddam with the Bomb.)

And there we were again last month, with the economy every bit as gloomy -- except that rather than having to invade anyone to lift our spirits (top choice: Louisiana), we...