OVENS, Australia —It was a rare victory for the seasoned Americans battling flames Down Under. Beneath a green eucalyptus canopy in the country’s Australian Alps, the continent’s tallest mountain range dividing New South Wales and…

Just over a week ago, Caterpillar laid off 120 workers at its plant in Victoria, Texas. That concerned us, not just because those are 120 Texans suddenly unemployed, but also because Caterpillar is one of…