The range of the contraction extends from a perhaps bearable 3-5%, expected in Malaysia, to a barely supportable 15-20% in Indonesia.

ECONOMIST: East Asia��s delicate balance

The EFSF, now with more heft, is there to stop panic spreading beyond Greece and to give other countries access to credit at a bearable cost while they fix their finances.

ECONOMIST: Why Germany is so reluctant to stump up for the euro

Maybe he is trying to paint a more bearable portrait of himself in his own mind, and our correspondence is just a tool for doing that.

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