Yes - the blog is going global - the discerning few in Brazil have joined the Indian and Russian audience... sadly I doubt whether China will be joining in - think I'll have to make do with Singapore - and as for S Africa - well, given that half my family is white S African I know for a fact that reading isn't one of their favourite activities (and that was before the internet and tv). What on earth does this audience make of this rather parochial worldview? - or perhaps they are all ex-pats craving some crusty and bewildered comments that remind them of good old Blighty?
Had a fascinating chat with D today - a newish friend (let's face it all my friends down here are newish...) I really like him - there's something about one's fellow cradle Catholics that... well, there's some sort of shared culture - and he's Irish too. He is also a bit of a conspiracy fan.... he was jokingly talking about the Illuminati - Finn overheard him and said afterwards "Does that man really believe in the Illuminati?" I thought not - and said that I was a fan of the cock-up rather than the conspiracy theory... I felt the world was in its current state because of a combination of greed and incompetence, and lack of foresight and short sighted governments who have no real ambition beyond winning the next election. However D thinks there could be some vast Establishment plot that's caused it. I personally don't think it's in anyone's interest to bring the Western Economies to their knees - unless it's the BRICS - which seems unlikely since all the major players are US-owned transnationals.
On the subject of the US he feels that they have done plenty of harm around the world and should now understand that it's China's turn. As an ex-nurse he's afraid of what will happen as the UK health service is slowly privatised. The first hospital has been privatised - by a nice, softly spoken, not-for-profit company - clearly chosen to put everyone at their ease, before the Megadodo International Insurance and Facilities Management Corporation starts getting into its stride and buying up the rest, sacking everyone and charging for the use of wheelchairs (they are free to use in the UK, or used to be).
D is an interesting and thoughtful man - like a lot of us he has slightly odd ideas about things he doesn't understand - I am all too prone to developing my own theories - which is why I crave a proper conversation with knowledgeable persons to get some light on the dark subjects. In this case I think I was playing the role of knowledgeable person - certainly when it comes to understanding how the City works (a bit).
The problem neither of us could resolve was why Tony Blair - a religious man - a convert to Catholicism - could square 800,000 dead in Iraq with his faith. (OK, first person to mention medieval manifestations of Catholicism will be disregarded - that was 500 years ago - Catholic social and political teaching has moved a long way since then.). Iraq was clearly not a just war. Did Blair think they'd drop a few bombs and it would all be over by lunchtime? I do understand though the desire to intervene and "make better" and that was, I think, was what he thought it would do. Or did he just enjoy sucking up to Bush (oh dear, I'm getting my tenses mixed up - due no doubt to my day of editing the novel - changing persons and tenses everywhere). Whatever it was, I don't buy the idea that he was somehow blackmailed into it. Clearly I don't spend enough time reading the conspiracy blogs...
Had a fascinating chat with D today - a newish friend (let's face it all my friends down here are newish...) I really like him - there's something about one's fellow cradle Catholics that... well, there's some sort of shared culture - and he's Irish too. He is also a bit of a conspiracy fan.... he was jokingly talking about the Illuminati - Finn overheard him and said afterwards "Does that man really believe in the Illuminati?" I thought not - and said that I was a fan of the cock-up rather than the conspiracy theory... I felt the world was in its current state because of a combination of greed and incompetence, and lack of foresight and short sighted governments who have no real ambition beyond winning the next election. However D thinks there could be some vast Establishment plot that's caused it. I personally don't think it's in anyone's interest to bring the Western Economies to their knees - unless it's the BRICS - which seems unlikely since all the major players are US-owned transnationals.
On the subject of the US he feels that they have done plenty of harm around the world and should now understand that it's China's turn. As an ex-nurse he's afraid of what will happen as the UK health service is slowly privatised. The first hospital has been privatised - by a nice, softly spoken, not-for-profit company - clearly chosen to put everyone at their ease, before the Megadodo International Insurance and Facilities Management Corporation starts getting into its stride and buying up the rest, sacking everyone and charging for the use of wheelchairs (they are free to use in the UK, or used to be).
D is an interesting and thoughtful man - like a lot of us he has slightly odd ideas about things he doesn't understand - I am all too prone to developing my own theories - which is why I crave a proper conversation with knowledgeable persons to get some light on the dark subjects. In this case I think I was playing the role of knowledgeable person - certainly when it comes to understanding how the City works (a bit).
The problem neither of us could resolve was why Tony Blair - a religious man - a convert to Catholicism - could square 800,000 dead in Iraq with his faith. (OK, first person to mention medieval manifestations of Catholicism will be disregarded - that was 500 years ago - Catholic social and political teaching has moved a long way since then.). Iraq was clearly not a just war. Did Blair think they'd drop a few bombs and it would all be over by lunchtime? I do understand though the desire to intervene and "make better" and that was, I think, was what he thought it would do. Or did he just enjoy sucking up to Bush (oh dear, I'm getting my tenses mixed up - due no doubt to my day of editing the novel - changing persons and tenses everywhere). Whatever it was, I don't buy the idea that he was somehow blackmailed into it. Clearly I don't spend enough time reading the conspiracy blogs...
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