Capital Punishment

For a group that zealously subscribes to the communist doctrine of Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, Nepal's rebels last week showed an unsettling knack for finding the pressure points of a capitalist society. Following a firebomb attack on Kathmandu's luxury Soaltee Crowne Plaza hotel, the Maoists demanded the closure of a dozen multinational companies and declared a blockade of the main roads leading into the capitalupon which its 1.5 million residents depend for everything from fuel to food. Vegetable prices rose, tourists canceled their visits and officials warned that fuel supplies could run dry by next week. The companies that closed up...