We live in tense times

The political convulsions in Washington over the debt limit raising issue are unprecedented but not surprising given the success of the Tea Party movement within the Republican Party.  At one time the major problem for the Democrats in Congress was securing the  support of Southern Democrats who would often side with the Republicans. Now it is the Republican Party which has loose canons in its midst. The question Republicans must be asking is how far Tea Party supporters will penetrate the party and will they make it unelectable?  In the UK the Labour Party had a similar problem with Militant.

The current imbroglio will have a profound effect on the next Presidential election. Reports today of fierce attacks by Democrats on President Obama may be followed through by a contest for the Democratic nomination.  Will the Republicans go for a Tea Party supporter?

Since writing this I have come across this article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-politics/8675990/Tea-Party-hold-firm-on-need-for-spending-cuts.html

In Europe, the euro's problems and the social, economic and political forces that have been unleashed, together with the perception that the European Union lacks democratic legitimacy is destabilising.  There is no clear path to overcoming the problems, rather it is a matter of lurching from crisis to crisis and engaging in fire-fighting.

In the United Kingdom the experiment of a Coalition government is not working well. U-turn follows U-turn. The official opposition is ineffective and ineffectual, lumbered with its recent history of government.  Given the parlous condition of the UK economy, which will take a turn for the worse when the euro collapses and the USA economy shudders, can we really be concerned about independence for Scotland as an issue or for that matter reform of the House of Lords?

Tense times indeed as our politicians, and those of other nations are failing their people.