Financial Times Commentary 11/18

Financial Times - Comment

One professor to another: listen to the people, or fail

Repairing Italy and Greece will take a long time. Turning to experts to solve problems of legitimacy and consent is a sign, not of strength, but weakness, writes Michael Ignatieff http://link.ft.com/r/WDI4RR/0877K7/UUPHQX/GDIHE6/MS18TI/QR/h?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=18

Five simple steps to curing Britain’s new depression

Controversial estimates of the UK’s reduced capacity eventually become self-fulfilling. Investment is curbed, training is reduced and animal spirits subdued, writes Samuel Brittan http://link.ft.com/r/WDI4RR/0877K7/UUPHQX/GDIHE6/B5EF9Z/QR/h?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=18

Germany is not for turning on how to save the euro

We need to provide for the future. Sound budgeting is not a German idée fixe based on our historical experience of hyperinflation, writesGuido Westerwelle http://link.ft.com/r/WDI4RR/0877K7/UUPHQX/GDIHE6/R3GV69/QR/h?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=18

Come on – Cuba needs help, not hindrance to progress

There is a fierce struggle between the forces of progressive change and the forces of inertia, writes Richard Feinberg http://link.ft.com/r/WDI4RR/0877K7/UUPHQX/GDIHE6/FKJUNX/QR/h?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=18

Now is the time to go back to square one

Currency unions have been dissolved before. The process is messy but the effect beneficial, writes Martin Jacomb http://link.ft.com/r/WDI4RR/0877K7/UUPHQX/GDIHE6/U1OZVP/QR/h?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=18

Australia-US security pact is not without risk

Accord is a hugely important episode in the growing geopolitical contest between Beijing and Washington over the future of Asia http://link.ft.com/r/WDI4RR/0877K7/UUPHQX/GDIHE6/YB247B/QR/h?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=18

Lévy’s EMI deal worries nervous Vivendi investors

Vivendi chief does not want to repeat past mistakes and has exercised considerable financial discipline in his acquisitions http://link.ft.com/r/WDI4RR/0877K7/UUPHQX/GDIHE6/JE3HUX/QR/h?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=18

The Zuccotti crowd needs to find the love

Gary Silverman has some advice for the Occupy Wall Street protesters who were kicked out this week http://link.ft.com/r/WDI4RR/0877K7/UUPHQX/GDIHE6/TU6AC1/QR/h?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=18

FT.com - Markets Insight

Policymakers need to act with Lehman-style urgency

Looked at through wholesale funding, the eurozone crisis suggests a number of parallels between its problems and the banks in 2008 http://link.ft.com/r/WDI4RR/0877K7/UUPHQX/GDIHE6/AMIRQ0/QR/h?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=18