What a mess

For a combination of reasons, it is rare that we discuss politics, but it feels like there is much going on in global politics at the moment that is, at one end of the spectrum, unsettling, complex and confusing e.g. Brexit, and at the other end of the spectrum, downright worrying e.g. Russian meddling in the democratic process and the use of nerve agents on the streets of Salisbury.

There is also much in-between that is hard to compute in terms of its impact. Trump’s populism feels unpleasant to many, but is his call to NATO members, such as Germany, to meet their commitments to share more of the financial burden of protecting Europe unfair, given Russian aggression? Is his trade war with China wholly a bad thing? A recent leader in The Economist (1) supports – at least in part – his tirade against its mercantilism and unfair trade practices.

What about climate change and a host of other politically sensitive and important issues?

Issues closer to home such as Brexit and the potential for material political uncertainty in the event of no satisfactory (or any) deal being reached, feel – at least to UK residents – more prominent in our lives at this moment than some of these wider issues.

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(1) The Economist, September 22nd – 28th edition, ‘Hunker down’, page 12.