It's winter in Argentina, but the chill that country is feeling isn't seasonal. It's economic. Argentina is on the verge of defaulting on its debt, and people have taken to the streets to protest economic policy. A debacle in Argentina is by itself no big threat to the U.S., and Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill has said as much. Nor is a meltdown in Turkey. But Argentina is only one of several dangerous financial storms brewing overseas that in combination could damage the U.S. economy. Think about sharply rising energy costs, lower output and an even shakier stock market.
As if we...