Hardly, he retorts: a decade ago, Unilever had a huge computer network for sharing internal information.

ECONOMIST: Branded goods (1)

"And if you're not interested in reading 900 pages, you're not interested in getting rid of the dictator, " he retorts, whip smart.

CNN: Gene Sharp: A dictator's worst nightmare

Of course, he retorts: that is just how things are in Colombia.

ECONOMIST: Guerrilla tactics

To criticism that Europe's labour and product markets are too rigid to cope with monetary union, he retorts that structural reforms, as in the Netherlands, will be hurried along.

ECONOMIST: Wim Duisenberg, in the rough

To the obvious question about the internet, he retorts that the web has provided lots of utility for users but much less in the way of profits and relatively few new jobs.

ECONOMIST: The great mismatch

Dr Ng retorts that he is surprised Dr Lieu's paper got past the refereeing process.

ECONOMIST: Planck-scale physics

Mr Huckabee retorts, proudly, that he has carried out more executions than any other governor in Arkansas history.

ECONOMIST: Mike Huckabee throws his hat in

The family retorts that if his intentions were amicable, he would sell and go away.

ECONOMIST: Luxury goods