Our violent world


Hollande: “C’est une horreur” by BFMTV

New violence and horror as attacks have just taken place in Paris. So far 120-140 believed to be have been killed after a highly organised series of attacks.

Shootings, suicide bombing and hostage taking prior to execution. Linked to jihadists and the war in Syria. This has come along just after the apparent bombing of a plane over the Sinai that was flying to Russia.

Who knows what the response will be. I listened to tv commentators who, using the example of the US after 9/11, think France may never be the same again.

I am sure we will have more security measures at airports etc will be heightened. It will be grist for those who hate foreigners or people who are different/outsiders. We will have calls for more surveillance-measures that can be argued have not worked. A broader response is necessary but will we have more of the same I assume. As the saying goes; download

Maybe I will be surprised. However, in the UK a security bill is going through the commons that will allow tracking of our internet use and storage of these data for a long time. Who will be allowed to argue against this in the light of these events?

To use the cliché- A Greek Tragedy

d26cdee3-7b5b-4fcf-9a5f-424ed0637806-1020x695I listened to a podcast the other day that discussed the British (David Cameron’s) desire to renegotiate membership of the EU. The analogy used was going over to a neighbour to ask for a cup of sugar when their house was burning down.  I think the Guardian cartoon give the same message as the Greek debt and Eurozone crisis continues.

Greek financial crisis

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Despite the plethora of reporting it can be difficult to understand how this situation cannot be resolved.

At a simple level the Greek debt is huge and can never reasonably be repaid so forcing or expecting the country to do so, with inevitable worsening of the economy, seems futile. There is no solidarity with the Greek government within the EU and the financial masters expect their view to prevail despite its lack of evidence of effect and predicted consequences.

In the end it cannot end well I think.