Speculators

Below are three articles about speculators and the hypocrisies of politicians. Here is a quote from one of the articles:

European politicians are also in denial about the role of markets, at least in public. Leaders such as Nicolas Sarkozy of France endlessly declare that the financial markets are acting as “speculators”: ie, not as rational or legitimate actors. In late January the Spanish and Greek prime ministers murmured darkly that sinister political and financial interests were picking on Greece to try to destroy the euro.

Yet when euro-area governments agreed to lend money to Greece at a hefty premium over the benchmark rate paid by Germany, they were implicitly conceding both that markets had a legitimate point (ie, that not all governments are equally creditworthy) and that market forces can be useful (higher borrowing costs are a vital tool to discipline Greece). Some speculators have certainly aimed at Greece. The Belgian finance minister, Didier Reynders, boasted that his country would “turn a profit” on the billion euros it is due to lend Greece by borrowing the cash at rates below those Greece would have to pay. Perhaps speculation is not wicked when governments indulge in it.

Those wicked speculators again
You say speculator, I say investor
Sticks and bail-outs