Despite the near collapse of many parts of the international financial systems, and unprecedented levels of governmental intervention into Western economies, for many the events on Wall Street and in the City of London were far removed from their day-to-day lives.

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However, the intervention has been ordered amid mounting concern about levels of care.

BBC: A hospital ward

With Watergate and the Vietnam war, America started to approach European levels of cynicism about government and military intervention abroad.

ECONOMIST: From sea to shining sea

Analysts had warned of further government intervention after official estimates this month showed private and public home prices climbed to record levels in the October-to-December period.

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When interest rates are allowed to float free of central bank intervention, the happy consequence of such a market-driven price is that in reaching natural levels conceived in the marketplace, the supply of and demand for credit is equalized.

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If claims that continuous Greenland melting accelerations were correct, even at previously measured advancing rates (and precluding intervention of another potentially overdue Ice Age), it would take thousands of years to significantly affect sea levels.

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The Tuesday tariff is yet another measure aimed at protecting local industry following sector-specific tax incentives (like the auto industry) and a more aggressive intervention policy to maintain the foreign exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Brazilian real at weak levels.

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