Edmund Lester

The last few weeks have been just a little hectic - and very, very strange. Two years into this economic downtown, things have been tense. Greece has been going through some tumultuous times - riots resulting from their austerity measures. The Euro as a currency has been under tremendous strain as have relations within the EU over the negotiations to shore everything up. So in the middle of all this Estonia has been cleared to join the Euro from 2011 - providing all the nations agree which I can't see being a problem. In the middle of a major recession tiny Estonia, with only 1.3 million people, is a success story. It's budget deficit last year was a tiny 1.7% of GDP; government debt a mere 7.2%. The UK's debt is more than 10 times this level. I'm simply in awe. Well done Estonia!

I've been fascinated with politics as long as I can remember. I mean it - back when I was a kid and unable to vote I found it interesting. Sad I know, but I can remember the 1974 election (the second one) and I was only six. I guess you might not think this if you've checked through my blog over recent weeks and seen pretty much nothing about politics whatsoever on it. I've ummed and ahhed about blogging about the campaigning before now - about the news stories, the debates, the LibDem upsurge, the gaffs and so on - but everytime I've started typing I got so far and just stopped. It somehow seemed pointless. There was so much election stuff already out there what could I add? So why start now? Don't know. It just seemed more right. And before you worry I have absolutely no intention of telling against whose name I placed my vote. These things are supposed to be secret ballots after all. It's the broadcast itself I feel needs comment. I've watched many of the...

Today President Obama cancelled the US plan to return to the Moon. At least as far as the government is concerned. He announced he is turning the space ambitions over to private enterprise. Well I can understand. The recession has caused government budgets to balloon and space is, at least in the short term, not essential. The problem for me is the phrase "short term". I think of the debate over space like the row over the environment. Both of these projects are big - far bigger than any one single country can realistically achieve alone. But, and I'm about to go off on one here, there is an organisation that could handle this. Every one has heard of the United Nations. But I wonder how many realise the range of activities they get up to. There's the Security Council, the obvious one, passing resolutions to try to get this country or that country to "play the game". Here in the UK with an enquiry into the Iraq War going on we hear all about UN resolutions an...

I've been watching the Copenhagen Conference with interest over the last two weeks and all I've seen is childishness and ridiculous posturing. We have a real problem in the world. Pretty much everyone knows that. As a species we lice on just one planet and we seem keen on destroying its ability to support us. We need to cooperate to save our home. We need to have politicians who will step up and play their part. There's still time I guess but I feel despair growing within me. Are they going to do anything real at this gathering? Or are they just going to squabble? We in developed countries need to do more. We need to help the developing mations do more. It's that simple. Else we may have to accept large parts of our planet will become very inhospitable and many millions will die. There's still time. Fingers crossed.

Well, whilst I've been through my own personal change - the world has also been having a weird old time. Just when we have ten used to one pretty worrying thing, another comes along to rattle us a little further. Musharraf has resigned in Pakistan. Okay he came to power in a coup and overthrew a democratic government but Pakistan has been pretty stable these last few . Given its location in the world - bordering Afghanistan one side and India on the other - this is one country we all want to remain stable. Two suicide bombings in Wah haven't helped the government's cause there. The world economy is spiralling downwards, energy prices high, food prices high, credit crunches etc etc - scary times. Russia and Georgia fighting over South Ossetia and Abkhazia. A plane crash in Madrid. Safari deaths in Africa, insurgents fighting in Somali, bombings in Algiers, etc The world seems to be going to hell. However I found some bits of news to make me smile (apart from GB/NI winning 19...