On holiday in Scotland in 1984 we enjoyed two weeks of glorious sunshine. You're not leaving in this glorious weather I asked my neighbour who had told me he was a meteorologist, and who was packing his tent.
One of the earliest comments on human frailty was from the Greek historian Herodotus who observed that Hubris is always followed by Nemesis.
This inevitable procession of cause and effect is being played out again in the drama of News International which is being enacted live on TV.
As a story it threatens to run and run.
Which makes me wonder not only why are people who knew perfectly well that what they were doing was wrong are so surprised that the public reacts with its usual instinct of fairness and decency to say this was unacceptable and has no part in the public discourse.
But even with the threat of nemesis as its reward, hubristic activity continues.
As the news media and the commentariat write and broadcast their millions of words about the crisis and as the news programmes focus exclusively on the story that is engulfing the Fourth Estate, I find myself wondering, what other news is slipping beneath the radar?
How is the economy?
Has unemployment risen again?
What is happening in Afghanistan?
Has inflation risen again?
What about the Baccalaureate in our schools?
How is the Euro holding up?
There was a story a few years ago when, following 9/11, a massive, all embracing news event if ever there was one, a civil servant advised her Minister that this was a good time to release a bad news story.
Again Hubris was followed by Nemesis as criticism was followed by resignations.
By all means hold News International to account. By all means ensure that the events that led to the revelations being made public are known and better policed in future.
But as I was warned, the glorious blue skies and sunshine that had dominated our summer holiday, were not weather, then after pointing to a solitary cloud on the horizon, my neighbour commented, that's weather and it was and it rained solidly for a week ............
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