Mr Blair - President of Europe?

With Ireland recently approving the Lisbon Treaty the second time round, and the Polish government quickly following suit, it seems a new European charter is imminent - as well as a new president. 
Fair enough, there are still several loopholes to get through. Czech President Vaclav Klaus has found a series of new ways to delay signing the treaty, which has already been ratified by the Czech parliament. 
And London also may try to delay proceedings. The head of the British conservatives, David Cameron, sent a letter to Klaus asking him to delay his signature until British parliamentary elections in spring of 2010. Cameron seems well positioned to win the election, and he wants to hold a Lisbon Treaty referendum in Great Britain—despite the fact that the country has already ratified the document.

But despite all doubts, if the treaty is passed before British parliamentary elections, could we see former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair scoop up the European leadership? Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi sure seems to think so.

Read this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8307267.stm
 

China is well on its way to Global Dominance

Like it or hate it, China's dominance in the world economy is imminent.
Already, despite a recession that has played havoc across the globe, Chinese industries have managed to continue growing in a much-envied bubble.
So much, in fact, that they have now overtaken Canada to become America's largest trading partner, making the USA-China trade block the world's largest.
Likewise, the Far Eastern country has overtaken the United States in its number of billionaires - perhaps in itself nothing more than a dent in the amour of ethnocentric patriots, but possibly an implication of a broader shift of economic power away from traditional North American and European powerhouses towards the developing world and especially China.

Please read the link
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/business/global/14rich.html?hpw

Nonetheless, the USA still accounts for a quarter of the world's GDP and spends almost as much as the rest of the world combined on its military.  Despite the concerns of this situation forwarded by Western media, the global influence of America will, in all likelihood, remain prominent for some time.
Just the same, China has firmly asserted its ascendance onto the world stage as an emerging superpower.

Just take a look at China's National Parade Day in Beijing, celebrating 60 years of communist rule!

Economic Crisis - Worse Than We Think?

Could the media be playing down on how severe the recession actually is?  Well, you may disagree, but as the old saying goes, action speaks louder...

Take a look at this enormous queue of 10,000 at a recent job fair in London's Canary Wharf:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1220302/Huge-queue-desperate-job-seekers-unemployment-hits-2-47m.html

Maybe (hopefully) in a few decades we'll look back at today with complete horror.

Build a tram through Manhattan

Believe it or not, this campaign is finally picking up steam!  We may soon see a completely pedestrianised 42nd Street right through the centre of Manhattan if campaigners finally get their way.  This would be great as it would set a much-needed precedent for other prominent American cities as well as become an interesting tourist attraction - for Europeans and Americans alike.  City managers accomplished this in Times Square (a section of Broadway in summer 2009) so why not permanently remake 42nd Street into an exclusive pedestrian/tram zone?  I personally think it would do wonders to the streetscape, as well as boost economic activity and real estate value in that particular district.

Read the full story here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/realestate/commercial/14rail.html?hpw