Financial Times Comment 12/14

Financial Times - Comment

State versus citizen in tomorrow’s world

On their own, governments will find it increasingly difficult to deal with the insecurities their citizens find most troubling, writes Philip Stephens http://link.ft.com/r/DHGUVV/PN37NX/GKXE28/SPDGDQ/LSPLNZ/4O/h?a1=2012&a2=12&a3=14

Syria’s agony can end after all parties talk

The Damascus regime must accept change if the region is to be pulled back from the brink, write Mar Gregorios and Wolfgang Danspeckgruber http://link.ft.com/r/DHGUVV/PN37NX/GKXE28/SPDGDQ/1OZ52P/4O/h?a1=2012&a2=12&a3=14

Banks should rediscover the art of caution

Between the civil war and the Depression, a good banker lent against the collateral of short-dated commercial bills, writes James Grant http://link.ft.com/r/DHGUVV/PN37NX/GKXE28/SPDGDQ/CWESY6/4O/h?a1=2012&a2=12&a3=14

Central banks should see beyond inflation

With the battle won, the change at the top of the Bank of England offers an opportunity to take a new direction, writes Paul Marshall http://link.ft.com/r/DHGUVV/PN37NX/GKXE28/SPDGDQ/PNTGLR/4O/h?a1=2012&a2=12&a3=14

Respect for those who finish the job

While many of today’s GOP talk a good game, the current crop of conservative US leaders is proving to be surprisingly flighty, writes Gary Silverman http://link.ft.com/r/DHGUVV/PN37NX/GKXE28/SPDGDQ/FDSFQL/4O/h?a1=2012&a2=12&a3=14

Digital threat to Fed’s jobless target

So far in 2012, the number of jobs backing the rise in Exim-supported exports has fallen by 12 per cent with fewer workers http://link.ft.com/r/DHGUVV/PN37NX/GKXE28/SPDGDQ/9MDEX0/4O/h?a1=2012&a2=12&a3=14

Trench warfare to keep Obama on fiscal cliff

Short of a grand bargain in coming weeks, budget brinkmanship will be a feature of US politics for many years to come http://link.ft.com/r/DHGUVV/PN37NX/GKXE28/SPDGDQ/NR1HP2/4O/h?a1=2012&a2=12&a3=14

Meddling makes toxic mix at Finmeccanica

Political meddling adds to toxic compound at Finmeccanica, whose outlook would be brighter if Giuseppe Orsi were free to make the disposals required http://link.ft.com/r/DHGUVV/PN37NX/GKXE28/SPDGDQ/DXQJIS/4O/h?a1=2012&a2=12&a3=14