Conservatives in America often ask why it matters if an impoverished country collapses.

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Medicaid, which does pay (if you are impoverished and very frail), is under enormous financial stress.

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But Britain's prime minister, Gordon Brown, has also offered a carrot, a big package of aid to be provided to the deeply impoverished land if its rulers make serious moves towards democracy.

ECONOMIST: The pressure rises��but not far enough

Greater concern for the impoverished would be most welcome, if not long overdue, at the IMF itself.

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If they fail this time, tales of impoverished children will quickly pour forth.

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The impoverished impresarios of Brentwood get an extra writeoff if they take their film crews into, say, deepest Flatbush.

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Mr Jindal apparently promised not to touch the pay rise if lawmakers supported a bill, dear to his heart, that created a school-voucher programme for impoverished New Orleanians.

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But if talks fail, the EU has said it is prepared to admit the Greek part alone, leaving the impoverished Turkish Cypriot community out in the cold. (The Greek bit was one of the ten countries invited to join in Copenhagen.) Were that to happen, the Greek Cypriots would most likely oppose Turkish membership for some years.

ECONOMIST: Island of troubles | The