the origins of specious

As the (theoretically) most powerful folk on the planet return from Japan having commited themselves to thinking a bit more about possibly doing something at some point in the future - subject to growth projections and the contingencies of the electoral cycle - the obvious speciousness of it all is left hanging in the air. The television media (who seem to grow worse by the year) seem disinclined to comment beyond the normal circumspect soundbites. Hints that the democratic world's brightest and best (!) dropped the ball spectacularly are whispered for fear of upsetting the cosy relationship twixt commentators and government, or otherwise frightening the horses. Then they move swiftly on to the staggering hypocricy of their middle east coverage and the tub thumping myopia of the petrol price crisis/bonanza (depending on your share portfolio)
So we all wait for the other fella to start the ball rolling - blaming the Indians and the Chinese for doing what we spent two hundred years bullying, badgering and bombing them into doing - all the while crying for more free trade, more trans-global movement of goods, more energy consumption and just plain more of everything.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/bush-to-g8-goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter-863911.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/08/climatechange.g8

Cynics of the Diogenes school might be tempted to abandon their barrels and take to the streets with inflatable hammers. As a species we are in need of a good slap!

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