Watching a crisis unfold - NOT the economic one....

The economic earthquake is now well and truly over, and what we have are experiencing are the aftershocks and the continuing slow collapse as structures slowly bend under the immense weight that has been placed on them.

But the consequences of the economic earthquake include the social and the political.

I don't know if you have ever been in an accident where you could see that it was GOING to happen, and where you could actually even see it TAKING PLACE, but couldn't do anything to stop it.

That is how I feel on the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights which has been one of the most important contributions to humanity and civilisation in the last 100 years.

But exactly at this time, the signs from China continue to be negative:
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/12/china-detains-prominent-dissident-ahead-of-human-rights-day/
and
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/12/cctv-reporter’s-arrest-causes-a-stir/
and
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7774693.stm

What has the UN Declaration of Human Rights to do with the political crisis now beginning to be unleashed?

The suppression of internal dissent is essential for corrupt elites to keep themselves in power. But this is not going to be enough in the days ahead.

So far, we have not seen increased rhetoric and bad mouthing of other countries from either Russia or China, and Iran merely continues in its usual way.

Watch for such increased rhetoric as the sign of which country or countries will take to external violence as the way of keeping their elites in power. Sphere: Related Content