London calling, or, "perspective, people."

Just back from the UK and Hungary, where things are presumably better than they are here, since those nations don't have George W. Bush "leading" them. Well, things AREN'T necessarily better and the grass ain't that much greener. In Hungary, the socialists have come to power once again after a series of anti-Semitic remarks made by the leader of the ruling party, Fidesz's Victor Orban. No one much likes the socialists, because they still recall the Bad Old Days of "gulyas" Communism, so there's a lot of grumbling. Also, those forints don't go as far as they used to; the EU entry has sent prices on everything skyrocketing, with no corresponding across-the-board wage increases. In Britain, meanwhile, the successor to Tony Blair has been caught canoodling with an attractive secretary, then playing croquet with wealthy backers while he was supposed to be hard at work, minding the shop in Blair's absence. Last weekend, there was a wave of knife crime, with some l9 individuals offed by other, knife-wielding individuals. A knife turn-in/ amnesty was subsequently declared, with disappointing results. Several more British soldiers died in Iraq, along with Kimberly Dozier's CBS camera crew staffers. It has become nearly impossible to get a timely appointment with a health service dentist, so that many Brits are walking around with stabbing tooth pain. And everyone hates the current regime so much that they are talking about trying to exile the Prime Minister and Cherie Blair.
I'm not sure what grand conclusion all of this adds up to...maybe misery loves company?