26-Jan-14 World View -- HSBC restricts cash withdrawals

[John]

26-Jan-14 World View -- HSBC cash withdrawal restrictions raise fears of bank runs


France's president Hollande announces end of relationship with Trierweiler

** 26-Jan-14 World View -- HSBC cash withdrawal restrictions raise fears of bank runs
** http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/ ... tm#e140126


Contents:
29 die in clashes at three-way commemoration of Egypt's revolution
HSBC cash withdrawal restrictions raise fears of bank runs
Ukraine anti-government protests continue, despite offer of compromise
France's president Hollande announces end of relationship with Trierweiler


Keys:
Generational Dynamics, Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood,
Hosni Mubarak, Abdel al-Fattah al-Sisi,
HSBC, Household Finance Corp.,
Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych,
France, François Hollande, Julie Gayet, Valérie Trierweiler

[JULLIEN1]

France's president Hollande announces end of relationship with Trierweiler

Well, le changement c'est maintenant (Change is now). More seriously, things aren't going well in Europe and are more terrible than in the US. You have the Obamacare website disaster; we have two started by us wars in Africa nobody knows how to end and an European-wide recession.
The more interesting is how the "realignment" predicted by generational dynamics theory seems to be happening just under our eyes. People are fed up with old politics, they care for jobs, safety and children. The Hollande-Gayet affair may seem farcical to Americans (err, the "monicagate" seemed to us farcical) but it's an example of how things are really changing: ten years ago, no paper here would have published about. The reason why? Hollande recently announced a "supply-side policy": it may seem sound but it means the Socialist party is no longer socialist and doesn't even bother to pretend. Mainstream politicians are no longer respected having too many times failed and being morally corrupt, so everybody feel free to comment about their sex lives. People now are mobilizing themselves (I'm unsure how Americans will read that: I mean engaging themselves in political debates) outside of the parties. They favor environmentalism, family and local networks, they demonstrate for moral values (not always traditional values : it may be fairness in the workplace) or their social rights or to defend jobs (the sad side being they become more xenophobic, openly racist or more regionalist).
In the US, I think there will be a consensus ending culture wars whereas parties will concentrate on economical matters. I expect Democrats to be proud of the Obamacare and try to introduce an European-style welfare state whereas the Republican will more and more be openly an alliance between libertarians and balanced-budget conservatives. Both sides will be reluctant to wars abroad (already are) which probably will have dire consequences in the Middle-East (a new thirty-years war ?) and perhaps in the Far East (China has not yet had her own generational crisis). In Europe, the test will be the next European Parliament elections in May. 2014 is probably too soon but I think we'll have (not only in France but in all Western Europe) alliances such as the ones in Germany, Italy and Greece between formerly left-wing parties and conservatives: they now agree on the fundamentals ie capitalism, free trade, European integration (even gay rights are becoming a consensus. Abortion used to be one but oddly Spain is trying to forbid it: a last stand or the beginning of a new cycle?). They unite because the far-left and far-right now have a common foe, the UE which seems to be threatened (I don't think it's so brittle but the idea of an UE break-up is as anathema for continental European politicians as secession in the US). Far-rightists are becoming more socialist claiming to defend welfare state and worker rights. Far-leftists are becoming a little more "nationalist" becoming europhobic (against the Euro) and now speaking of defending the national sovereignty (a notion anathema to them in the 1990's). If someone succeed in uniting them despite old hatreds, a political revolution may happen in Europe (France and Hungary are the best candidates).