Assorted Links (6/3/2010)

Here’s a list of articles that I have been reading lately:

Burton G. Malkiel: Entitlement Reform and the Global Budget Crisis – WSJ.com
Source: online.wsj.com
“Burton G. Malkiel writes in The Wall Street Journal that putting Social Security on a sustainable path isn’t nearly enough to end our entitlement shortfall. But it would do a lot to convince markets that Washington can be serious.”

Daniel Henninger: Beating Up on Israel – WSJ.com
Source: online.wsj.com
 
A Gulf Spill Reality Check – Forbes.com
Source: blogs.forbes.com
 
How Washington Just Worsened the Gulf Oil Spill
Source: www.american.com
 
Source: online.wsj.com
 
A rough week for Guatemala – The Big Picture – Boston.com
Source: www.boston.com
 
Paul Ingrassia: The Lessons of the GM Bankruptcy – WSJ.com
Source: online.wsj.com
 
Source: www.nytimes.com
 
The BP Oil Spill’s Lessons for Regulation – Project Syndicate
Source: www.project-syndicate.org
 
The Gulf Spill and Alaska – WSJ.com
Source: online.wsj.com
 
Source: w4.stern.nyu.edu
“The derivatives rules in the Senate financial reform bill pose a serious threat to the financial system because they leave critical institutions – including but not limited to derivatives clearinghouses – without a lender of last resort. A major feature of the legislation prohibits any “swaps entity” from receiving federal assistance such as deposit insurance or access to the Federal Reserve’s lending facilities. The bill will force banks to spin off their derivatives activities into separate corporate entities. Yet, sweeping the risks inherent in derivatives trading off bank balance sheets does not make them disappear.”    
 
Source: freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com
 
Source: mises.org
 
Source: www.computerworld.com