Cameron, cont. cont.

The root of Middle East unrest is their youth’s lack of money and opportunity. There seems to be a universal tipping point where morale gets so low it surges forth in a new direction. Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, et al were all long-standing military backed oligarchies of forty year gestation. That’s 15,000 days of infinitesimally small, imperceptible movement of the ruling class from heroes to despots, human cognition being comparative in nature and unable to perceive these slow, long-term changes. Through globalisation they have been able to draw to themselves immense power and wealth. Here again our comparative cognition is evidenced. Where they were once delighted to double their money from £1 to £2 they now find equal delight in doubling it from £1billion to £2billion. Thus the poor progress in £1’s and the rich in billions. Over forty years the difference becomes large enough to cause a revolution. The problem isn’t just difference but the capital tied up in this huge unused wealth. It sucks energy and opportunity out of the economy. But this isn’t just a problem for Arab countries we never visit; it’s much closer to home. In our developed countries, England, the US etc, pay differentials are near tipping point, the poor are struggling and our youth are seeing their future opportunities and prospects wilting in front of them. Here, though we have democracy, globalisation and our aging political systems seem unable or unwilling to stop us following this same direction. Instead of providing the young with their own opportunities to create their own wealth we give our own commercial oligarchs the opportunity to reward themselves. Differentials will rise, prospects will fall and an ever-greater percentage of our money supply will languish in large bank accounts. 

As food costs rise the intersection point A rises up the pay line until a sufficient majority fall behind it creating a revolutionary tipping point. Globalisation or ‘size-ism’ naturally favours the few over the many and, if unfettered by a free-market economy, becomes a strong destabilising force. So Cameron, if you’re listening, ask Bernie Ecclestone and Gaddafi. It’s not nice when the shit hits the fan.