Eggheads

The battle lines between Government Spending and Austerity Packages seem to be drawn across the globe with both sides stridently accusing the other of being ideologically driven and either anti-business or anti-government.

It makes me think of Gulliver's Travels and the War of The Wrong End of the Egg. My problem is that whereas I don't think it really makes a difference which end of the egg you put in the eggcup, I think it does make a difference if you spend or cut-but I don't believe anyone really knows which is the right answer.

That is why the discussion so quickly falls into ideological camps seeking examples from history which prove-or disprove-the positions being taken.

This gets me into serious difficulties with friends from the left and the right as I try and find a rational solution to what has become tenets of faith. What is frightening is that I do believe they are all serious in their beliefs that they are right, and the others are wrong.

Indeed, I have seldom seen such passion and partisanship and an unwillingness to even contemplate an understanding of a different position, let alone actually engage in a true dialogue.

All of which leaves me feeling quite queasy as I can't shake the feeling that these are really interesting times requiring a measured and cooperative effort and I don't see that happening.

I seem to remember in Lilliput it ended in war...