> Letters to the Editor
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Attempts by the European Union to forge a political union riding the coattails of the financial crisis are doomed to fail. It is an exercise in futility that will end up doing more harm than good. Both the idea and the ideal are wonderful, albeit not very practical. What we had before the advent of the euro was near perfect: Cooperation and a free movement of goods, services and people. Politicians have a disconcerting tendency to fix that what is not broken. They are usually slightly less well equipped to carry out real repairs on wrecked matters. Where does Europe go now: Force a union upon vastly dissimilar nations or do away with the euro altogether? That is a question I’d much like to see addressed. GUY BELDING Luxemburg (Luxemburg) Thank you for highlighting Mexico’s ascent as a vehicle manufacturing center. It is the curse of Mexico to be overshadowed by the US or – as of late – by Brazil. While these economies are indeed very large, the Mexican one is no midget either. Over the past couple of year, Mexico has worked diligently on implementing a number of economic and fiscal reforms that jointly make the country very attractive to investors. Please keep a close watch on Mexico as you might be agreeably surprised at the speed of the country’s GDP growth over the next decade. This is a place of great opportunity boasting political stability, a pool of skilled labor and a sizeable middle class of avid consumers. MARCOS OSTROVSKI Puebla (Mexico) Your feature section on female business leaders was a most enjoyable read. I was particularly impressed by Ms Alison Cooper of Imperial Tobacco, UK and her attempts to diversify that company’s lines of business. It is encouraging that she remains adamantly opposed to the introduction of gender quotas and other forms of reversed discrimination which has absolutely no place in contemporary society. People must propel their success in business – or indeed any other endeavor – by way of their own talents, knowledge and skills. Her comment that women are not to be treated as a commodity is spot on. Someone’s gender should play no role whatsoever in hiring decisions. I wish Ms Cooper well and hope her viewpoint permeates throughout the business world to become the rule rather than the exception. JULIA K. DUVEKOT Raleigh (USA)
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