Today or tomorrow

I have read two articles lately which suggest that the economic difficulties are confined to the First World.

In the here and now that is not an incorrect assertion to make.

But what about tomorrow?

If Western governments continue to feel the pinch, one of the first things they will cut (rightly or wrongly, for good or for bad) is foreign assistance. This will lead to a drying up of aid development programmes which in turn will hamper structural improvements to countries all across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

This then in turn will increase poverty which could in turn increase dissatisfaction with national, and indeed, international governments. This could then increase regional instability and possibly even global stability.

Such a scenario could play into the hands of international criminals and terrorists.

This is therefore a global battle and not a First world battle.