To the Point

Dot-Com Shakeout

With daily high-tech bankruptcies, layoffs and boardroom blowups, concerns are peaking over the sector that many hoped would fuel America's economic future. These latest developments come atop continued stock market blues and a new wariness among venture capitalists. Is it a predictable and healthy shakeout that follows an era of irrational hype, or an overreaction that could wreak lasting damage on a vital economic engine? What about the toll it's taking on a generation of young risk-takers and new age tycoons? We get perspectives from Internet strategists, analysts, and venture capitalists. (Matt Miller guest hosts.) Newsmaker: Zapatistas in Mexico City - Having reached Mexico City after their 2100-mile march from Chiapas, Zapatista leaders lobby legislators today to pressure adoption of laws to grant autonomy to that country's Indians. Conceding that President Vicente Fox has already granted some concessions, Reforma columnist Sergio Sarmiento details Indians' grievances and demands. Reporter's Notebook: In defense of conventional wisdom - Coined by John Kenneth Galbraith, the term "conventional wisdom" became a catchphrase as political activists and the media began challenging the government in the 60's. Now The New Republic's Franklin Foer has authored a cover story defending an idea that has become the media's bogeyman.