Short Term Trading Weekend Lounge: 13-15 MAy, page-96

A few big themes playing out in this US election - many of which are not limited to the US...

1) the rise of the trash-talk politician - ranty, ravey, pissed off to the max, lashing out in many directions...
we've seen Pauline Hanson / Le Pen / now we have a US presidential candidate going all out for the cheap shot

2) the meltdown of a mainstream party - the GOP is breaking apart into highly opposing factions -  we're seeing similar party meltdowns in the UK (labour had it here)

3) the rise and rise of fanatical voters -  the middle class are turning feral - they are ready to set fire to parked cars and vote in a new kind of candidate - this is also playing out across Europe

4) employment outlook is bleak - young people have found themselves in a deeply difficult jobs market - a generation will struggle to have decent opportunities and decent pay - a combination of globalisation and technology will ensure crappy prospects for many well educated young people - Spain has 40% youth unemployment - in the US (and here in Oz) there is a great deal of under-employment (and so it is in many countries)

5) is capitalism working for the majority? - perhaps we are due for another major cultural rejection of capitalism (in the 60's and 70's we had the hippies and the punks) - capitalism is not working for the majority - its become focussed on the top 1% - everyone else seems to be going backwards