Sick Men of Europe Need Dr. Merkel’s Medicine: Michael R. Sesit There are those moments in the lives of political leaders and the destiny of nations when a bold move defines their place in history.

Gold Standard Fans Yearn for Great Depression: Michael R. Sesit Gold can be worn as jewelry, used as an investment and deployed as a hedge against economic and political risk. It can also serve as the anchor of a country’s monetary and exchange-rate policy.

Fighting Global Crisis Isn’t Meant to Be Easy: Michael R. Sesit It was never going to be simple to redesign the global financial system.

Dollar Is Best Looker in Ugly-Currency Parade: Michael R. Sesit Last month, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin labeled the world’s reliance on the dollar “dangerous” and called for an “irreversible switchover” to a system of multiple reserve currencies.

Smoot-Hawley’s Ghost Appears as Economy Tanks: Michael R. Sesit Who’s kidding whom?

Volcker, Petraeus Counter Meredith Whitney: Michael R. Sesit Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Meredith Whitney has been prescient in a way that almost no one else has on the crisis engulfing America’s banks. But she’s just wrong on the effect capping banker pay will have on the industry.

Bank Recovery Stalls on Donations to Congress: Michael R. Sesit As with the treatment of most crises, the one afflicting U.S. banks has an emergency-room phase and a long-term convalescence stage.

Joe Blow Needs Spending Money, Not Tax Cuts: Michael R. Sesit Assume you are Joe Blow, the consumer.

Kerviel, Madoff Meet Sutton in Hall of Shame: Michael R. Sesit Jerome Kerviel is no hero.

Madoff Shows Banks Must Become Whistleblowers: Michael R. Sesit Bernard Madoff faces prison time. His investment clients will lose billions. Attorneys will grow fat and happy from the lawsuits generated by the 70-year-old’s $50 billion Ponzi scheme.