Talk about information overload

“All the news that’s fit to print.”— Masthead on Hearst newspapers

Following the news these days is like trying to drink from a fire hose.

Between the triple play of the earthquakes in Japan, New Zealand and Chile (is western North America next?), the tsunami and nuclear meltdowns, we’ve got the Arab world changing leaderships, America’s impending bankruptcy, European hand wringing about their economies plus massive unwelcome immigration reaching their shores, not to mention rumblings from Ottawa about a federal election, a royal wedding in Britain . . . and please don’t forget that Charlie Sheen may go off anytime again.

Whew! I might have to go and get another TV just to keep up. There’s also the coming civil war in the Ivory Coast affecting chocolate prices, the rising costs of all commodities worldwide, Somali pirates reducing prices for hostage ships, stuck in the quagmire wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a new premier here in B.C. as well as wonky leadership in North Korea, not to forget that Iran is itching to go nuclear while President Obama is aware that he’s in way over his head.

So many issues, so little time. Starting at the local level with the prospect of various Indian Bands hungrily eyeing Sun Peaks as a revenue source, (don’t worry folks, your taxes will go to someone), the fact that Christy Clark is the new B.C. boss won’t change anything drastically because the NDP threw away their chances for election with their own silly internecine squabbling.

Things will be equally neutral on the federal level. The Harper minority will again reassert their dominance in Ottawa whenever the writ is dropped because the Liberals under Michael Ignatieff are moribund with him, the NDP (a.k.a. Liberal left) are bereft of common sense and the Bloc Quebecois are the same old, as are the Greens. Our economy is relatively positive, house prices are holding and most people have their jobs. That’s a tough one to argue against politically. Without changes of leadership plus some real ideas, the opposition will stay that way.

Japan will rebuild. It’s not as if they don’t have experience dealing with large scale radiation and/or earthquakes and tsunamis.

Pundits on the airwaves and in print are wrong in calling the Middle East turmoil revolutionary. The end result will see nominal democracy replaced by the usual kleptocracy under different strongmen with the added twist of increasingly regressive and repressive religious autocracy à la Iran. Oil prices will not go through the roof because even dictators need money to buy weaponry with which to abuse most of their own people. To bugger the world’s economy for a few dollars more will not happen because then, even Obama will get his head out of the sand and allow Americans to drill in their own country. It’s ironic how economic reality makes expedience necessary.