The world is filled with all manner of wonderful things, but we at Politonomist, like to focus on the especially interesting things, the explosions, disasters and collapses which counterbalance all those wonderful moments in the world. In that spirit, I begin this editorial review. Iran and the US are continuing their strained relationship, with Barack Obama renewing the yearly embargoes against Iran, because they are still deemed to be a threat. Meanwhile the Iranian government, with President Achmadinejad as its mouthpiece, has rebutted the American embargoes as childish and hypocritical.

Following in the trend of short sighted political expediancy instead of the interest of the populace of the nation, the President of Pakistan Asif al-Zardari, has seen fit to have his political opponents, namely former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, detained under house arrests. The government has argued that along with banning political assembly, these arrests will help prevent rioting and turmoil within the already destabilized state.

President Ravalomanana of Madagascar, not being one to buck the trend, has refused to step down. This despite his political opposition, the mayor of the capital and the heads of the churches in Madagascar calling for him to call elections in the wake of months of political turmoil on the island nation. His primary opponent however has threatened military revolt, and possibly assassination of the President.

In contrast to this, although possibly as futile, there have been some notable events of peace and cooperation recently. These have included the release of members of Doctors Without Borders in Darfur, as well as the G20 Summit. The former in my mind being something truly good, whereas the latter, focused on solving an economic collapse which must ride itself out, most likely will simply be a waste of taxpayer dollars which could have been put towards bailing out banks or if we were really ambitious infrastructure development. This cooperation comes at the same time as the Presidents of the US and Brazil meet to discuss matters that America and its ‘backyard’ neighbours in Latin America might work towards.

But something off of the beaten path of Poitonomist’s usual stories, is that on the oil spill which is ravaging the wild life on the North coast of Queensland Australia. Over 620 tonnes of oil was spilled into the coastal waters and countless wildlife will die from the event. In a world full of political disasters, its always refreshing to have things shaken up by disasters that destroy the natural world as well…

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