What General Election Result?

Looks like I really did overdo it with that first leaders debate. No posts for nearly a week. I think the shambles of the UK election result is, apart from highlighting what an utterly un-democratic system FPTP has always been, overshadowing the real news story of the moment: the EU bail-out fund. Sure the UK election is mildly diverting in its panto pretence of intrigue behind closed doors but ultimately you will still only have elected the captain(s) of the not-so-good ship Britain as she rides the rough and stormy seas of global capitalism. Whoever gets in will barely be able to steer the ship mind you. Its maiden voyage, started around the time of the Industrial Revolution, is essentially a one-way cruise following the capitalist course. There's no need for detours or alternate routes. As a result, the eventual government will be taking a particularly keen interest in the ongoing financial war against Greece. What appears to be happening is a bail out scheme similar to the ones that individual nations proscribed to save their banks but on a Europe wide scale, with enough money to prop up countries. When you start to view our global influence in those terms - shitting it about whether Moodys are going to downgrade our credit rating - then our governments complete irrelevance begins to take form. They can throw money and more money at the problem but if the financial markets don't buy the bluff and their oh-so-sought-after confidence remains low then Greece is fucked. And then they will look for the next scalp. Portugal maybe. Because I bet you that someone, somewhere is making money at this. But here in the UK we've got an election to resolve. A hung parliament doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the money guys. Gordon's resigned in what looks to be a concession to a possible Labour-Lib Dem pact. Nick Clegg has been meeting Dave Cameron for tea and tiffin. All the while they recite the mantra of the scared, "We will do whatever it takes to form a strong and stable government." Note: stable. Over in Greece they continue to watch their wages and pensions being cut while taxes and prices rise. Austerity measures to drastically reduce the public spending deficit. You know, like the public spending deficit that our 'strong, stable' government has to reduce. Before the credit ratings agencies open a wound and the investors catch the scent of our blood.