Our leaders (of both political hues) seem to be on a mission to make us feel scared. It’s a centuries old political ruse: raise popularity and power by appearing to save the populous from what they are scared of. But first you have to find/create/invent the target.

Think about it. What is the very low, real probability that your standard of life, personally, will be affected by the entry of an ill-intentioned asylum seeker, or a by terrorist attack?

Now compare that with the high probability that you will be affected, one way or another, over the coming few years by one, or perhaps all of: the effects of climate change; the scarcity of cheap fluid energy and fuel; mis-allocations in the use of land and water; the bursting of the gigantic credit bubble that is still blowing up all over the world; the rise of the unemployed, un-engaged, idle, aggravated young (not just in the Middle East, but most recently in Hong Kong … where next?); the inevitable busting of the China boom (Bloomberg has just reported that Q3 land sales in China have fallen almost 50% year on year); falling asset prices (perhaps even your own house).

These are the things that will affect us all. Aren’t these the things our leaders should be focused on?