So I might escape having to witness even greater catastrophe

 

 Author Iain Banks a month before his death

The author Iain Banks, who died a week ago, made the following statement in a Guardian interview with Stuart Kelly.  

 

"I won't miss waiting for the next financial disaster because we haven't dealt with the underlying causes of the last one. Nor will I be disappointed not to experience the results of the proto-fascism that's rearing its grisly head right now. It's the utter idiocy, the sheer wrong-headedness of the response that beggars belief. I mean, your society's broken, so who should we blame? Should we blame the rich, powerful people who caused it? No let's blame the people with no power and no money and these immigrants who don't even have the vote, yeah it must be their fucking fault."

 

Maybe Iain's impending death heightened his sense of outrage at this government's shambolic attempt at governance; or the fact that we've learned nothing from the economic downturns of the past, other than to find scapegoats - whether they be immigrants or home grown disabled people.

 

"So I might escape having to witness even greater catastrophe."

 

Let's hope Iain Banks' wasn't as good a prophet as he was an author.

RIP Iain Banks