Close your eyes and think of the money

A recent combination of other activities and unfeasibly bad weather has interrupted the smooth rhythm of running & blogging. Today, as the rain batters loudly on the tin roof, is a blog-but-no-run day.

Bahrain has an appalling human rights record (ref), the latest manifestation of which has been the lengthy jail sentences imposed on medical staff who treated people injured during the brutal suppression of protesters earlier this year. Even the Bahraini government has been embarrassed by this, and has ordered a re-trial (ref). Meanwhile it is unsurprising that the UK government, currently intent on diluting its own human rights legislation, is whoring after the Bahraini oil wealth with undiminished enthusiasm. Last month Bahrainis came to yet another London arms fair; this month they are coming to a Bahrain/UK sales conference. Next month King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah will take over George Osborne’s second home*. I made the last one up, but it's only a matter of time.
*That's the second home in London that Osborne lied about to avoid paying tax (ref).