On the brink .
The Brexit ball has been bounced firmly into the court of the EU. In a day of non-binding amendments to the Brexit deal MPs at last began to show some clarity as to what they might accept. Basically, its an alternative to the backstop for Northern Ireland. The EU has refused to reopen negotiations, which is probably a combination of won’t or can’t, especially with Spain lobbying to talk about Gibraltar and others pushing for fishing rights. The whole thing is still a nightmare and I expect this to go right to the brink before we get deal or no deal. I’m still betting on deal.
The weather is all over the news like a rash right now. Polar vortex is the buzz phrase. Millions of people in the U.S. especially are experiencing winter like they’ve never had it before. The reason, climate change. However, or whomever is causing it. The weather gurus say that the jet stream, which was historically straight, is bending in great loops up and down, drawing down cold air and warm air depending if the loop is pushed down or up. This has been happening for some time. I’m afraid we’re likely to get more of this. I do wonder when its been mind bendingly cold in Alberta, -55 C without the wind chill, and I’ve had the misfortune to be out in it, why the mainstream media hasn’t focused on us.
I read that on Baffin Island scientists are examining plants that have been covered by the ice for up to 100,000 years or more. Interesting but I can’t help but wonder what else benign or nasty may come back to life. I’m thinking like the TV series Fortitude here, I guess.
Some world leaders are behaving appallingly towards their people and have been much in the news Sudan, Venezuela and Zimbabwe come to mind first but there are others. On BBC news I watched Venezuelan students on the streets protesting while singing their national anthem. Brave, desperate, suicidal? I can’t help but wonder what will become of them and their country. Horrible times.
The China affair goes on and more and more doubts and downright accusations have been levied against telecoms giant Huawei. Should we trust it and with it the Chinese government? I don’t think so. It was ironic that during the breaks in the news there were Telus ads advocating Huawei phones. I’ve read that both the Telus and Bell networks are reliant on Huawei for 4G. Will or can Huawei merge into the company’s 5G networks by default? Questions. Can it be stopped? And, just as tellingly how was it allowed to happen in the first place? Do I have to check my made in China toaster for cameras and microphones? I can see a great negative economic reckoning ahead.
In the U.S. the record government shutdown is over, and the cost is likely billions of dollars. The U.S. President doesn’t have his wall and January has not been a good month for him. I’ve also read that Mueller has almost finished his report. We won’t see all of it, but I expect that life at the Whitehouse for the President will not be comfortable going forward. Watch for distractions but that tactic is not working as well as it used to. Maybe something bigger? Which is worrying.