As lots of people have noted in the past decade or so, the increasing globalization of communcation and commerce has at times generated not only strong anti-globalization reactions in some quarters, but has actually stimulated nationalist feelings in many places. World Cup (my favorite subject these days) is an example -- seems to me that people care, if anything, more about their national teams in an age in which national borders, for other purposes, mean less and less. One consequence: there are now opportunities for arbitrage! I use an online betting service that operates out of the UK, and they have made England the favorite (even money) in the game against Portugal (11-4 underdogs). England the favorite?! The English, to any unbiased fan, have looked terrible -- anemic and uninspiring -- while the Portuguese have (notwithstanding that idiotic game against the Netherlands) looked terrific -- but the English fans, I think, are betting, in large numbers, with their hearts. I suspect if I spent more time at it, I could find similarly biased numbers at betting parlors in each of the countries whose teams are in the quarterfinals -- which means there could be some real money to be made here . . .