Op-Ed Columnist – The New American Normal – A great column in NY Times about the uncertainty facing the US economy today. Clearly, there is no new direction emerging from the current economic trends. No one is sure where the unemployment is heading or whether there is a need for further stimulus or not. The stock market-once a barometer of the economy in US-is now ruled by traders. It is perhaps not a surprise that amidst this uncertainty US policy makers are coming up with protectionist policies such as the ban on offshoring for government contract vendors.