Anyone For Tea?

In the USA we have now a Democratic Executive, a Republican legislature and a judiciary which seems to be away with the fairies.  This kind of thing has happened in the past, too often given the various disasters that have followed so many.

For those unsure of the basics Wikipedia has a brief outline of what is in play at present for the Presidential election of 2016.  There is a list of people whose hats may be in the ring for the Presidency.  On the basis of the absolute human law of if anything can go wrong it will, there is scope for another disaster.

In the UK we have had a Coalition that has lasted since 2010 where none of the basic problems or many others have been dealt with because of the Liberal Democrat stranglehold on the direction of government.  There have been periods before of confused politics and indecision which have generated more serious problems in turn.

In both cases in the past there was always the possibility or the chance that the national government in question could be united and capable enough of dealing with the situations if elections put people into power with a clear mandate and the ability to both decide and put into effect decisions.

For the UK this is no longer the case.  Not only is there Europe but in the Scottish Referendum debate a figure of 14,000 liabilities and obligations was cited as a reason to remain united, at least in form if not in reality.  This is not a source of strength but of weakness and one that may prove terminal to the existence of the UK.

Allied to that for both the USA and the UK there are the effects of globalisation where both are prisoners to global finance and trade flows.  The UK has a massive trade deficit  and is surrendering ownership of most of its assets.  The USA is little better off and has the Chinese thumb on its neck and a Japanese lock on its right arm.

The Special Relationship, always partly a fiction is limited now to futile military expeditions, common security issues and the ties between The City of London and Wall Street.  Control of those links is not in the hands of either government, but of floating global financial entities whose lobbying is law and whose money rules.

Next year, 2015 and into 2016 we have the risks of a UK election that delivers results that are in effect no result and another period of confused and indecisive government.  What is more there can be a dangerous situation where a party with a small number of members and a small minority vote will call all the shots.

For the USA, the new Presidency is very open question.  It might be a capable political figure with the clout, experience and ability to construct an administration with a real ability to govern and to steady the ship of state.  It will need this as the Obama administration goes from an attempt to be FDR to being more King George III.

Equally, there could be a media or celebrity figure with an administration of names who are neither experienced enough or have the wisdom to tackle the enormous body of work with any degree of success and have a high rate of failure.

If the West is looking at up to a decade another like the last couple of decades then it will go into irreversible decline and will take the rest of the world with it. Europe has failed, Russia is failing and others can and will fail.

And there will be no honey left for tea,