1885 They're Coming

Always interesting to me how news stories group together sometimes, in such a way that a common thread emerges. I understand how some conspiracy theories take root. Maybe I'm just a little paranoid about the whole thing.
In this case I'd call the paranoia Paul Revere-iosis.
Because the British are coming. The British are coming.
Here's why. A lot of the financial meltdown that decimated our 401ks took place because of crooked bankers and such like. So examine this example. A rogue UBS trader who lost $2.5 billion last year on risky trades was convicted for "Britain's biggest banking fraud."
Or this: The British oil company BP last week accepted criminal responsibility for the giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They are pleading guilty to 11 felony counts and one count of obstructing congress by giving them false information about how much was coming out of the hole. No apparent felony charge for thoroughly disrupting the economy of the area.
Their fine? $4.5 billion.
Which sounds like a lot until you consider the next story. HP has had to take a $8.8 billion write-down on their books because the British software firm Autonomy, which HP purchased in good faith, was guilty of "serious accounting improprieties, disclosure failure, and outright misrepresentations."
BTW---Kind of puts that measly $4.5 billion fine in perspective doesn't it?
But taken together it's pretty obvious the British are sticking it to us, sticky wicket and all. Bad trades that affected our retirement nest eggs. A befouled coastline and poisoned water in our Gulf. Gulf economy ruined. And now worst of all---we're going to have to pay even more money for already obscenely high HP Printer cartridges.
Wait a minute. It's the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.
Coincidence?
America, ya gotta love it.