Nasty? You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!

What we have now learned is that in the contest for Presidential power in the USA neither candidate can be relied on to have a real grip on Foreign Policy or decision making.  The likely result is that whoever wins the serial mishandling of international affairs is likely to continue.

In Europe the contest for authority is reaching levels where soon there will be bitterness and real trouble.  If Galicia and Catalunya press forward with plans for a break with Madrid then the future is unpredictable and dangerous in both Spain and the European Union.

In Italy seismologists have been gaoled for failing to accurately predict the precise location, strength and effect of earthquakes.  That the area was a known zone of risk and that detailed prediction is impossible, according to geologists and others was not regarded as evidence. 

Also, that the damage and deaths might have been due to the failure of local authorities, politicians and contractors to observe building codes due to corruption and fiddling with the contracts was not an issue at the trial.

It was the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1^st November 1755 (Wikipedia) that was said to have given birth to the science of seismology.  Unluckily in the immediate blame game of the aftermath the usual minorities suffered punishment in the name of god.  Italy it seems has yet to catch up.

As for the UK, a saying from a long while ago; source forgotten, was to the effect that when a wounded wolf smells blood it is at its most dangerous.  The Murdoch response to the events relating to the BBC could be seen in this light in the scandal surrounding Jimmy Savile.

The consequence is that the fall out from this will affect a great many people in ways that are as unpredictable as an earthquake.  One certainty is that it will add to the loss of confidence in the UK in government and other major institutions.  An item by Charlie Beckett in Polis, below, is one take on this.

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/polis/2012/10/22/the-bbc-savile-panorama-and-newsnight-closed-eyes-closed-minds/

As we look around us in the UK there are far too many areas of government, finance and the media where the same problem exists.  It infects almost every major policy area where the future is at risk and where sensible decisions and action are needed.

What might happen is that almost by default in the next election there might be a Labour majority.  Yet it is commented (see the Raedwald blog) that amongst the Labour leadership are two persons who were closely involved with the National Council of Civil Liberties when they were connected with organisations promoting unlimited sex for all, including children.

But the closed eyes and closed minds problem is international.  In the for an insight into this see  the web site The Burning Platform has had a series of anguished posts that are long, detailed but worth reading for these insights to what the situation is on the ground.

We have recently had an earthquake swarm in a notoriously twitchy part of Iceland.  They are playing it cool and careful at the moment but are on watch.  Nothing much more may happen, but in Iceland there is always the next big one due.

One real storm we can be more certain of is now in the Caribbean heading for Jamaica, Tropical Storm Sandy that could become a hurricane.  After Jamaica the next en route is The Bahamas.  Then which way it might go to can only be estimated.

It might veer East and head in our direction to deliver some wind and rain but it might edge West and cause havoc along the East Coast of the USA just in the immediate run up to the elections.

But what else in the world will there be?  Perhaps trouble in the currency markets?