Anglo-American finance ministers and central bankers, like little Dutch boys, try desperately to plug leaks in the bursting dyke that is the international financial system. In the US, treasury secretary Hank Paulson hoped for $700bn to plug the gaping hole in Wall Street’s banks. In the UK, the government is not just plugging holes, but setting aside competition rules to encourage the monopolisation of finance.

英美两国的财长与央行行长们犹如荷兰男童一般，不顾一切地想方设法，以堵住国际金融体系决堤之处的漏洞。美国财长亨利•保尔森希望得到7000亿美金来填充华尔街银行的大窟窿。而在英国，政府不仅仅疲于查缺补漏，而且还将竞争规则置之不顾，旨在鼓励金融垄断。