Lessons from the French

One cannot look at the papers and not realise that there is a political tsunami running across Europe that is pushing for change in leadership – most of the power from this growing tidal wave of reform finds its source in two areas of the political landscape – need for a much delayed economic reform coupled with xenophobic social turmoils.

Europe had started to increasingly look inwards as the ominous shadow of the Euro zone crisis drew dark clouds over once robust economies that had hedged its bets on more fragile ones. What was considered revolutionary economic tactics in building a strong unified Europe was in another form unsubstantiated optimism that lesser economies would take the correct measures for a stronger united Europe over the health of their own struggling economies.

In a way that is exactly what happened and the Euro zone prospered, until the lesser economies had finally to choose its own health over the economic stability of the whole. In what is probably now a recognised vicious cycle the whole euro zone prospered on anticipated prosperity – loans were provided to pay for loans in the false hope that eventually there would be a surplus (because to think otherwise would be unimaginable).

Tipping the gravy train

As I carve this blog post out of thin air, it dawns on me that today would be the first anniversary of my starting this blog on a more regular basis.

It also dawns on me (bright person that I am, some things are all too obvious) that my commitment had waned somewhat from month ten onwards. I had a burst of inspiration back in February of this year, but alas it was as short lived as political stability in the land that I call my home.

This blog post also marks my first post, since twenty-oh-six or seven, that I am writing and posting from Dhaka, having arrived back in my hometown after a welcomed (and thoroughly unexpected) two-year hiatus.

The city I left two years ago was plagued with its share of problems, not least of which were acute power shortage and perennial traffic congestion. Two years have gone to no apparent betterment (unless we account for the fact that the problems have grown) but now I find that the country is in the midst of escalating political instability to heighten the everyday challenges faced by the unfortunate denizens of this city.