Googling "Economist"

The 2/18 Economist copies the Barron's title of "Gurgle" with an article on Google. Whatever the merit of their comment, as is sometimes the case the Economist's writing is entertaining, as in their first paragraph:

"Serving fine wines to chief executives and global leaders too drunk to appreciate it made Google's party the talk of last month's World Economic Forum in Davos. Its generosity with 1959 clarets and 1990 Krug champagne seemed, at the time, only to confirm the firm's greatness. Yet, three weeks on, Google's pristine reputation has been damaged by its willingness to collaborate with the Chinese government's censorship requirements, its shares have tumbled, and the Davos party is in danger of resembling the Great Gatsby's glorious last hurrah."

Well, whatever.

The rest of the article is meaninglessly balanced. I don't know, of course, where Google's stock price is going, but Google as a concept and an operation appears to be unique. It has technology and it has real aspirations. It may be the most American style optimistic company out there today.