http://www.ft.com/commenthttp://www.ft.com/rss/commentFT.com - Comment and analysisen© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2008. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times.support@ft.comThu, 15 May 2008 19:26 BSTThu, 15 May 2008 21:36:33 BSTNewspapers60http://news.ft.com/cms/d1f3ce1a-6bbe-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.gifhttp://www.ft.com/comment(PICS-1.1 "http://www.classify.org/safesurf/" L gen true for "http://www.ft.com/" r (SS~~000 1))http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/215bca00-22a3-11dd-93a9-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/215bca00-22a3-11dd-93a9-000077b07658.htmlThe Burmese junta has bestowed the right, if not the obligation, on the international community to intervene. But the geopolitical circumstances also remind us that what should be done will always be tempered by what can be done, writes Philip Stephens Thu, 15 May 2008 18:58 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4ed4f618-2295-11dd-93a9-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4ed4f618-2295-11dd-93a9-000077b07658.htmlIn the 1970s, letting inflation rip, to avoid pain in the short run, increased it in the long run. The UK must not repeat that error, writes Martin Wolf Thu, 15 May 2008 19:08 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/406952f2-2297-11dd-93a9-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/406952f2-2297-11dd-93a9-000077b07658.htmlElites cede power only reluctantly and there are signs of an effort to stave off the beginning of the end of the golden age, writes David Rothkopf Thu, 15 May 2008 19:26 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/36fffec8-227e-11dd-93a9-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/36fffec8-227e-11dd-93a9-000077b07658.htmlThe spread of freedom of choice makes co-ordinated government harder, putting malignant forces at an advantage, writes Jeremy Greenstock Thu, 15 May 2008 19:16 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9d5de758-21ce-11dd-a50a-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9d5de758-21ce-11dd-a50a-000077b07658.htmlThe world is larger than America; the small screen is larger than the big screen; paid-for entertainment is larger than free; and adults are larger than teenagers. The television series Sex and the City says a lot about the future of film and TV, says John Gapper Wed, 14 May 2008 19:01 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6c477fb0-21c1-11dd-a50a-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6c477fb0-21c1-11dd-a50a-000077b07658.htmlChina is feeling some of the political heat that has been directed exclusively at the US since the end of the Soviet Union, writes Victor Mallet Wed, 14 May 2008 17:27 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6faaed1e-21b1-11dd-a50a-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6faaed1e-21b1-11dd-a50a-000077b07658.htmlAn integrated, flexible market would create a better position from which to speak with one voice to Moscow, writes Pierre Noël Wed, 14 May 2008 17:32 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/17124914-21ce-11dd-a50a-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/17124914-21ce-11dd-a50a-000077b07658.htmlHis dilemma is simple: He will be accused either of behaving as the leader of an English party or of appeasement, writes Harry Reid Wed, 14 May 2008 19:12 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/11ce0e00-21cb-11dd-a50a-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/11ce0e00-21cb-11dd-a50a-000077b07658.htmlHistory tells us that leverage in the system acts like a rubber band – the further you stretch it, the harder it snaps back, writes Roger Altman Wed, 14 May 2008 17:44 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/219fcbde-2108-11dd-a0e6-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/219fcbde-2108-11dd-a0e6-000077b07658.htmlOil is a finite resource; it drives global transport; and if emerging economies consumed it as Europeans do, world consumption would jump by 150 per cent. Don't blame the high price on speculators and big bad oil companies, says Martin Wolf. The reality is differentTue, 13 May 2008 19:09 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dbc77c04-20f0-11dd-a0e6-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dbc77c04-20f0-11dd-a0e6-000077b07658.htmlEvidence-based policy is sought by government, but mostly the result is policy-based evidence. In Iraq, this led to disaster, writes John Kay Tue, 13 May 2008 19:01 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/19adcdc6-2104-11dd-a0e6-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/19adcdc6-2104-11dd-a0e6-000077b07658.htmlDeveloping countries should take notice: the proposed remedies on globalisation are susceptible to protectionist misuse and point to shifting ground in the debate, write Devesh Kapur, Pratap Mehta and Arvind Subramanian Tue, 13 May 2008 17:32 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f62a02ce-20eb-11dd-a0e6-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f62a02ce-20eb-11dd-a0e6-000077b07658.htmlIdeological competition on the idea of a new international organisation is already under way, writes Robert Kagan Tue, 13 May 2008 19:13 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8e54161a-2101-11dd-a0e6-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8e54161a-2101-11dd-a0e6-000077b07658.htmlToo many schemes today are like the structures children build with toy bricks – only too likely to come tumbling down, writes John Bourn Tue, 13 May 2008 19:29 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9dda5012-203a-11dd-80b4-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9dda5012-203a-11dd-80b4-000077b07658.htmlIn 1973 the US imported 33% of its oil; today it imports about 60% and this figure could rise to 70 per cent by 2020. US politicians have, so far, responded to this problem with a mixture of wishful thinking and anger, writes Gideon Rachman Mon, 12 May 2008 19:05 BST