Fragile Times

There are times when the world seems a fragile place even from a London perspective. We have now understood the gravity of the mess the last Government inflicted on us and the changes this is going to mean for most of us made more apparent by the increase in the cost of living and the uncertainty that the course we have embarked on will prove to be enough, particularly if the eurozone is going to collapse in some way or if the US fails to deal with its deficit. All this has made us unusually nervous. The world's fragility is also emphasised by the uprisings not only in Africa and the Middle East but also by the violence we are seeing in our own backyard, the student riots, the riot by the camp followers of the Unions and now the appalling riot last night in Bristol. What on earth was that all about? We have had race riots in Bristol before but this seems to have been a nasty little riot whipped up by anti capitalists amongst those who are afraid that the new Tesco store will result in the closure of local shops. Who are these anti capitalists? No doubt arrogant, middle class Guardian readers who vote Green - in other words fascists. It is a pity they cannot all be deported to some hellhole or made to read Salman Rushdie books for the rest of their lives.