Monday 9th January sees the first fully manned day of working in the UK since probably around midday 21st December,or maybe the previous evening as many now "work at home" on Fridays. Most farewells,long service presentations, end of week office drinks and the like are now on Thursdays rather than Fridays in acknowledgmemt of this fact.Thats' how UK Plc faces the global economic challenge and 24/7 Asia in particular.
There seems to have been an unholy alliance between leading politicians and A list journalists and TV presenters to be on holiday, or at least off all messages, throughout the period. Foreign correspondents also seem to have been away from their seats and are presumably winging their way back to their posts today. An upside is that little has been seen of "The Big Three",- well the Big One plus Nick and Ed. Few would probably mind if they continued off air for a while longer. The result has been that UK viewers and readers have been treated to many B and C listers and a diet of national murders, family wipeouts and other domestic unpleasantnesses. Visiting foreigners scanning the channels and pages for real news will have wondered whether they should be making an early return home from an obviously crime infested country with little interest in the world beyond their bloodstained doorsteps. Hopefully they stayed as ,-like the High Street sales,- the whole economy needs their money.
So what has really been going on away from the turkeyfest, binge drinking and credit card maxing out?
-Europe and the Euro. The credit rating agencies called a sort of armed truce over the holidays, probably so that they too didn't have to come in to work. That will shortly be over and the future of the Euro and the nature and intentions of the EU itself will come under more scrutiny. When last seen the French and Germans were calling the shots and more or less saying what EU policy is/will be. So would you if you could get away with it. Meanwhile, apart from the recalcitrant UK and the odd mutter from Sweden, the rest hid behind the couch. Elsewhere it has emerged that Greece apart from its financial misdeeds is the conduit to most illegal immigration into the EU, much of it drawn right across the continent to the UK not by the magnetism of its culture and opportunities but the excessive generosity of its benefits system and reluctance to send back all but a handful of those who enter it. Hungary has been misbehaving too by bringing in a range of undemocratic measures to edge it back towards the bad old days of authoritanarism. It isn't alone in the latter activity as even the UK is alleged to be cooking up some very old fashioned restrictions on the ability to present in court cases evidence or information which might embarrass the government.
-Iran has been missile rattling and threatening to close the Straits of Hormuz should the EU ban the import of its oil. Logically it's unlikely to do that but there has been illogicality before especially when rallying anti-someone else feeling is useful to paper over problems at home.
-The EU has included aviation in Emissions Trading from January 1st. All flights by anyone traversing EU airspace must pay up or be fined even greater amounts. The EU court has unsurprisingly overruled objections and ruled this to be a legal act. The USA, the Gulf states and China in particular disgree as in reality do many developing countries who depend on aviation for business and tourism. The USA look like paying up for the time being but China has said absolutely not and ordered its airlines to keep their wallets in their pockets. The next stages could be interesting. China, the largest single source of airliner orders by far and a battleground bewteen Airbus and Boeing, has already ordered Hong Kong not to proceed with an order for ten Airbus A380s. In theory the EU could ban Chinese aircraft from their airports but then China, which sits astride the fastest routes from Asia to Europe could ban EU aircraft from its airspace, and then............More on this will appear on Airnthere.
-London 2012 (We like many others are not licensed to mention its other title,-one has to pay money for that). During the silly season the UK Government,- aka "Dave",- threw in another £50 or so million to enhance to opening and closing ceremonies. What happened to the heaven sent opportunity sent by the recession/global economic crisis to call a halt and say that the UK would take the opportunity to put some feeling of proportion and common sense into the proceedings and go with a less glitzy but appropriate and tasteful version of the games? Focus on the games and athletes would be a good start. The world does not need to see national squads led around the arena by posses of well fed suited officials. Nor does it need to see said persons flashing down the separate and peasant-free Zil lanes of otherwise traffic clogged London in any one of 3,000 new BMWs espcially bought by UK Plc.for their comfort. Money could also have been saved by better use of existing venues,- eg not digging up Greenwich Park for the equestrians but moving to the existing more than adequate facility at Windsor. If the rowing can be out there why not the horses? Meanwhile more details leak out about the contents of the secret Blair government/IOC agreement covering the games. Many conditions are extraordinary and extravagant and some of the costs to the host country absurd. Restrictions preventing local businesses from deriving any benefit are also neighbour unfriendly and downright greedy. This looks like a secretive and self indulgent circus in urgent need of reform.
-In the USA the Republicans search for a marketable Presidential candidate continues to amaze. One would expect that a country of the size, wealth and expertise of America would be spoiled for choice of excellent candidates. Unfortunately the long drawn out process of selection, the candidates' need for access to vast sums of money and the too-short cycle of Presidential and mid term elections all conspire to make the whole thing a debilitating nightmare and a distraction from the real affairs of state. Currently all candidates are doing Obama's work for him by slagging each other off mightily and demonstrating that none have what the world hopes it takes. Frighteningly all seem to claim to have God on their side.
-William Hague's visit to Burma was well timed. While immediate spectacular results can not be expected ,it was a useful nudge along the long road to ending the military dominated nightmare which has left the country in ever increasing and crumbling poverty and democratic rights deprivation since 1962.
-Somalia. Permission to carry armed guards now granted to UK ships is something long advocated by observers in neighbouring East Africa who are close to the action. The almost impossible restrictions on freedom of action imposed on EU naval vessels renders them unable to do very much in most situations. The UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee is seeking clarification on whether these guards have the right to shoot to kill and if so under what circumstances. Bearing in mind the inevitable EU complications of health and safety and human rights legislation, including no doubt the pirates' rights to a family life, perhaps this would be better left as a question unasked. But it has been. Maybe it would be better to leave the job to the Russian and Chinese navies.
-That's probably about it from these 24 days of Christmas. There have been hyped up gales, no white Christmas, nothing more on the Huhne "who was driving case". The Archbishop has muttered more about inequalities by which he means redistribution of wealth not creation of it for all. There are some things he doesn't get. Arguments about "Don't touch our wonderful NHS have been interspersed with reports of staff getting locked up for possibly speeding the exits of patients in a midland hospital. A union or two have threatened more strikes about goodness knows what but they remain "angry" about almost anything other than the high pay of some of their top people. They remain resolute in the their determination to take the country back to the past and champion the interests (as they see them) of their members in their workplace/delivery roles rather than as consumers and to make sure nobody does anything to fix, change or improve anything especially in health and education.
Welcome to 2012.
Posted by Air 'N There at 15:06
