Virtually all of the car company's plants and many of its supplier factories stand idle.

ECONOMIST: Is America��s economy too hot, too cold, or just right?

Nearby, a decrepit tractor and an ancient pump stand idle, their engines cannibalised for spare parts.

ECONOMIST: Iraq

But this small step into the market reassured investors that the government will not stand idle.

ECONOMIST: If no one else can help

This does not necessarily mean that investors should stand idle waiting for announced changes in interest rates.

FORBES: Why The Fed May Have To Break Its Pledge And Raise Interest Rates Before 2015

For as long as someone, somewhere is making smart clothes, Italy's manufacturers are unlikely to stand idle.

ECONOMIST: The changing fabric of Italian fashion | The

"I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people, " Mr. Obama said, outlining his rational for using force.

WSJ: Libyan Raids Show Obama Doctrine in Action

Mr Clerc says that although Maersk, for its part, is not about to start such a war, it would not stand idle if others started to munch its market share.

ECONOMIST: Shipping