Snout in the trough

Good governance seems to be a real scarce commodity these days and kleptocracy is probably not a phenomenon unique to Africa.

Halliburton, Iceland, politicians granting themselves exceptional pensions, purchases and sales of political favours.

History and newspapers are awash with examples, and the stories from the British Parliament show that given opportunity and lenient norms, anyone seems capable of doing it.

Incredible that the same politicians seem to believe that they are Gods gift to their country and should be allowed to stay on in office, despite abusing taxpayers' money.

Do we really want our elected representatives to become corrupted or come to regard politics as a safe lifetime job?

Did we really look for little Mugabes in the making when we elected our MPs?

If Gordon Brown really wants his constitutional reform to make a difference, he should propose a ten year limit to the time any politician can sit in Parliament.

This could set a good example for other countries as well. There is no reason to believe that politicians are any worse in the UK than elsewhere.

But it won't happen, will it?

What fascinating times we live in

Gordon Brown, PM of the country on the brink of deflation trying to squeeze more fiscal stimulus out of reluctant G20 partners while his CB governor and Chancellor say the UK is so indebted it can't afford more of it. Oops, Gordon took the hint.

Paul Krugman saying the Geithner Toxic Assets Demolition Plan solves nothing at all. Just subsidies to those who don't need them. Summers disagreeing. For how long?

(Hempton has got his own touch on saving the world: Bronte Capital: Paul Krugman’s false logical step. Not so much disagreeing as making a nerdy point.)

Could the world economy collapse because the US Congress cannot bear even 6 months of government managed banks and because Merkel and Sarkozy think they have done enough? It was someone else's fault anyway wasn't it?

Hopefully this is just a reality show and we are back in real life soon.

Snow has started falling again. It is March and minus 5C out there.