EDITORS' PICKS

Flagging down a recession
Alan Kohler
Markets are once again cracking as a chronic lack of consumption and a worrying level of interconnectedness between banks threaten to trigger a new global crisis.

Why the tax forum doesn't add up
Alan Kohler
Australian governments have consistently failed to implement meaningful tax reform despite countless reviews over the past 60 years. So why are we bothering with a tax forum?

Let the bank rescue begin
Robert Gottliebsen
Wall Street has staged a remarkable recovery on the back of news that policymakers may finally be facing the real problem in Europe.

The RBA's Qantas holiday
Robert Gottliebsen
If the union movement is successful in its wage demands through the Qantas strikes, expect rate cuts to be taken off the agenda.

The big four's Achilles heel
Karen Maley
Investors have ditched Australian bank stocks amid renewed concerns over eurozone debt, but traders aren't treating the big four equally.

Is Greece signing its default warrant?
Karen Maley
With austerity measures curbing growth and unrest continuing to simmer, the latest signs suggest a default is the most likely outcome for Greece.

Henry shames our best and brightest
Rob Burgess
After 30 years of historic reforms, Australia finds itself mired in a vicious, self-interest driven policy debate, in which world-class thinking is unlikely to surface.

Canberra's congested thinking on roads
Rob Burgess
There's a simple solution to the growing congestion on our roads that would boost productivity, reduce emissions and raise a few dollars, but expect Canberra to steer clear of it.

Stepping stones to an EU inferno
Oliver Marc Hartwich
Germany's decision to extend the EFSF does not signal intensified engagement with the euro. Instead, it moves Europe closer to the abyss.

TECHNOLOGY SPECTATOR: iPhone 4S – Destined to disappoint?
Jan Dawson
The latest iPhone announcement was always going to be a disappointment, simply because of the vast number of false rumours that took hold.

CLIMATE SPECTATOR: Australia's green growth spurt
Michael Molitor
Without a carbon price, it is unlikely that the Australian economy will be able to generate sufficient new growth to meet its economic aspirations between now and 2030.

Europe's path to a CDO catastrophe
Wolfgang Mnchau
Turning the EFSF into a collateralised debt obligation amplifies the exact scenario Europe is trying to avoid. If such a CDO collapsed, it could trigger a global crash.

Rate cuts minus the RBA
Christopher Joye
While a raft of banks have swung 180 degrees to adjust their interest rate forecasts, the Australian dollar is already delivering de facto cuts.

Gillard's blurred jobs vision
Ken Phillips
Until the federal government invests more in small business, its endeavours to improve the jobs outlook will prove futile.