While we were enjoying our Memorial Day weekend, other parts of the world were voting, and the results have been described as an earthquake. In India, the right wing Hindu religious party BJP won a sweeping victory over the secular Congress Party that has been in power since after World War 2. In Britain, the far right UKIP won a large share of local councils, and in France the far right National Front won 24.95% of the vote, well ahead of its Socialist rivals, and is now calling for the dissolution of the French Parliament. Socialism is dead. Or so some believe. You will pardon me for being skeptical, but haven’t we seen this Earthquake movie before?

They scream delight when counted votes
Say twenty-five percent
Is quite enough to float their boats
That’s what the voting meant
But I recall elections past
The voters cried enough
And left wing politics at last
Was thrown into the rough
As earthquakes go this wasn’t much
The culture hasn’t changed
The Euro Left still has the touch
They’ll simply rearrange
The payment schedules to the Right
No paper trail, just cash
And for a time be out of sight
And wait for the backlash
From voters used to getting free
Stuff like their dental care
And so next time they’ll all vote oui
For left wing mamma bear