But even this failure was not without honour: his reluctance to go to the country earlier had largely reflected his desire to avoid an election fought, as he saw it, along class-warfare lines.

ECONOMIST: Edward Heath

Even without worrying about a reluctance to confront complications, would a cash-strapped York have transferred Susan to a tertiary care facility, or would they have assured a well-insured patient they could take care of her broken neck?

FORBES: Why 3 Hospitals Didn't Hurt My Wife (And What That Means)

The housing market has begun a long, slow process of recovery, but it remains hobbled by the many people who owe more than their homes are worth, by toughened underwriting standards, and by a reluctance among private lenders to extend credit without a federal guarantee.

ECONOMIST: Regulation, trade and job creation

Without American leadership, crucial in all previous rounds, other countries' reluctance to liberalise, most notably the European Union's obduracy over agriculture, is unlikely to be overcome.

ECONOMIST: Storm over globalisation