Breakfast Buffet, Friday, May 22

The Banality of Tiananmen: Two decades after the protests at Tiananmen Square captured the attention of the world, a new generation of college kids is ambivalent about the grievances that drove Chinese students into the streets demanding democracy. But the flame hasn't been completely extinguished; students are economically satisfied, but they have little love for the Party line.

How Do You Solve a Problem Like California?: Nothing stirs a good debate like utter dysfunction. An op-ed writer in the Times thinks we should hold our noses and bail out the defunct Golden State. The WSJ, still celebrating what it sees as a triumph of fiscal conservatism, thinks that would be dumb.

Reaping Foreign Rewards: The Economist is getting a bad vibe from the rising tide of Arab and Chinese farmland purchases in dirt-poor countries, especially considering what just happened as a result of one in Madagascar. So am I.

All Good in the Hood: Europe's big businesses are in trouble, like businesses the world over, but its small businesses seem to be doing just fine by comparison, thank you. So is that all the more reason to help them weather the storm?