Gaza is only the latest bloody reminder that when this particular conflict is left to smoulder, it tends to ignite with a bang, the reverberations of which travel far beyond Palestine itself.
But in Osborne land, your first instinct is to fall into dependency —permanent dependency if you can get it —supported by a state only too ready to indulge your falsehood.
Banks and Building Societies are at the forefront of this onslaught, heedless of the effect of personal debt on the social fabric and the balance of payments and a laissez-faire government refuses to take any responsibility.
When they do start to let go and their body starts flapping in the air like a flag, smaller back legs reduce the drag, and allow them to cling on and survive the hurricane.