CORRECTIONS FROM YESTERDAY

I made some mistakes about what I thought Mr Goldberg said was included ion the text exchange of the Houthis PC small group. Names of pilots and specific locations were not included as I had thought. In any event the actual texts do support the view that Ms Gabbard, as well  all of the rest, are telling lies. The information about the intended launch of F18 aircraft and 1st strike packages is perhaps not serious in her eyes. What could possibly be classified about that. One wonders is they actually hear themselves speak.

The people now in charge of National security and indeed the government of the United States are treating their jobs as if they were playing some vast reality video game. They are behaving like 50’s haughty teenagers from a high school rom com or karate kid movie. Everyone is against them and they have there elder ‘coach’ in the shape of an infantile egomaniac. Mr Hegseth, just showing off to his mates about how important he is with being able to launch first strike packages. All very macho. Great job Pete (with emojis). The sad part is that rather than tone it down, apologies and explain that there was a screw up on the group call, they hunker down, take umbrage, hurl insults, lie directly in the face of the facts, turn their backs and refuse to answer further questions.

This all stems from the top down. Mr Trumps psychosis is his siege mentality and massive ego. What he and his Maga fail to grasp is that no one wants to see the President of the United that soStates fail. In particular every American citizen separately wants their elected representatives to succeed. That is why they elect them. They also have suggestions to make, and though they make criticism and think meone else might be a better choice, that does not mean they wish the elected individual ill. They just want them to be better. Can you blame citizen’s for wanting the best out of their government. The electorate are not the enemy. Members of opposition parties are not the enemy within but what is justifiably called, the loyal opposition. A different view is not a desire to harm.

Mr Trump has repeatedly stated anyone with a different view to his own is an enemy within. He has whipped up a divisive agenda on a massive scale and has chosen individuals who emphatically buy into this view and so he has chosen impressionable children to flaunt his position. None of them truly grasp the significance of governance or the principles of the constitution.

The fact that some people support the idea of social security, medical care for the elderly and lower income workers, general educational support for schools and various other social programs, does not make them anti government or anti market economists. Being against bigotry and prejudice or anti-fascist is not anathema. The United States Declaration of Independence and the Constitution both decree equality for all, freedom of thought, religion and speech. So why so much hatred and antagonism towards others with different views.

Mr Trump and supporters go on about government waste and reducing government intervention in people’s lives. What they fail to grasp is that government is there to help people have better lives. It is there to assist the citizen in becoming an independent productive contributor towards maintaining the continued existence of the nation. If additional assistance is necessary why is it wrong for the state to help. It is only the citizen helping other citizens after all. People pay taxes to contribute to the welfare of the state, and taxpayers money is spent in the interests of all taxpayers and their dependents. A difference of opinion on how tax income should be spent is not a cause for division or hate speech. It is cause for discussion on what is necessary expenditure to benefit the entire nation.  A secure, healthy and educated population would seem to be paramount. What is there to be so entrenched about. Disagreement does not have to be fatal. We all want better lives. Listen go each other and stop telling lies. Why is that so hard?

INTO THE ETHER

Writing a blog is a bit like throwing ideas out into the ether, which is defined in the dictionary as that region of space beyond the earth’s atmosphere. One has no idea where or how they will be received, or indeed whether they will be received at all, let alone understood. In addition, certain ideas and observations are not at all unique and when repeated can become redundant, surplus to requirements, but the does not make them any the less valid. So my continuing comments on the fiasco of the ‘Houthi PC small group’ chat will not be any more insightful, but they help me putting them in perspective.

Two the group, the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe, appeared before the United States Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on global threats. Amongst other matters they were asked questions about the group chat which inadvertently came to light having included a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg the editor in chief of The Atlantic magazine. Mr Goldberg published his story about how it all came to light, and included some of the text chat between the participants. What he very carefully did not do was publish the whole of the exchange, in particular information that revealed specific plans of the attack on the Houthi camps or headquarters in Yemen. This information, he stated, included names of specific aircraft to be used, the names of pilots, the types of weapon systems and the names of targets. Mr Goldberg was very clear that, as a responsible journalist, he did not want to divulge what might be considered national security matters and took himself out of the group as soon as he felt uncomfortable with the information he was getting.

After the release of the story, Mr Hegseth, the Secretary of Defence, was asked about the group chat and its implications. Mr Hegseth reacted angrily accusing the journalists of being discredited and a purveyor of many hoaxes. Indeed his boss, Mr Trump claimed The Atlantic wasn’t much of a journal and was going out of business anyway.

During the course of the Senate Hearing, Ms Gabbard refused to even acknowledge that she was a member of the group whilst adding that no classified material was discussed during the group discussion. She refused to acknowledge  anything that was written in the texts. When pressed “If nothing was classified, show us the text’s now”. Stony silence. Mr Ratcliff admitted he was in the group and kept going on about how it was perfectly legitimate to use the encrypted end to end App for such discussions. He said he did not know how Mr Goldberg came to be included in the group. When asked about certain portions of the texts read back to him, he claimed he did not remember those statements being made.

It was also put to them, that if, by some chance, the Houthi had got hold of the contents of the text could they not have been prepared to defend against the attack and shoot down American pilots and aircraft. Ms Gabbard insisted that no classified material was revealed.

What is so incredibly obvious, from the demeanour and evasions of these people in front of the committee, is that they were lying. Indeed, when Ms Gabbard was asked if there was no classified material discussed, then Mr Goldberg who be perfectly safe from prosecution if he now revealed the rest of the texts he held back. Stony evasion by Ms Gabbard. The same question was put to the new FBI Director Mr Patel, who was sitting next to Ms Gabbard, and he too evaded the answer.

The lies and obfuscations were so blatant, shameful and embarrassing. It was an insult to the intelligence of the public and the Senators on the committee, even those who actually supported Ms Gabbard and Mr Ratcliffe. That anyone can support them in lying to a congressional hearing is astounding in itself. In any decent government these people should be resigning their positions. Instead they will continue to vilify the journalist who caused them embarrassment, who has been put in the position of having to defend his own reputation by effectively accusing them of lying. Mr Goldberg should be lauded by the Senate Committee for having exposed this travesty of security and the incompetence of these people, who should all be asked to resign.

At some point the Senate Committee will actually have the full unedited text and will be able to measure just how much the statements made to them were accurate. Whether or not any of that actually happens and any further action is taken is, in my view, unlikely. It will be considered a blip as it has already been described. Nothing about this appalling administration will change. I know that I am not the only person to think that and that many more people have similar views. I am just putting it out there into the ether.

Note: Correction: Since writing this Mr Goldberg has publised the rest of the texts - I stand corrcted in that it did anot contain the names of pilots or the locations of the actual specific targets. The text did say everything else. If anyone had informed the Houthi group of this information, two hours before the strike, they would have had, I'm sure, plenty of time to respond and be prepared. But of course that was not classified information, so what difference did it make.

WHAT WAS I THINKING ?

The following was written on 23rd March in preparation for blog. In light of recent events following revelations about the “Houthi PC small group”, I have added comments below:

Listening to John Gray’s Point of View broadcast 23rd March 2025, he takes a very considered view of the present global situation.  Inter alia, he notes that the current Trump regime is something Trump has always been up-front about, even during his first term as President, and so should not come as a surprise. In my blog of the 10th March I referenced, in relation to the current situation, Bette Davis’s line in All About Eve, “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night”. Mr Gray concludes his piece about the present political landscape with “It’s going to be a rough ride and we’d better buckle up”.

In brief, he speaks of history, not as a continuous trend towards a maturing liberal enlightened democracy, but as a simple sequence of events of ebb and flow. Democracies and republics come and go as do dictatorships, empires and kingdoms. The fact of events repeating themselves and of having to learn to deal with similar problems through the ages, is not new. Learning is a continuous process and inevitably repetitious. The concept of learning from one’s mistakes is perhaps unattainable. Indeed, given the number of enquires (on covid, Grenfell, phone hacking and other disasters) which always present as seeking solutions to learn from our mistakes so that whatever has happened never happens again, we do not seem to have found said solutions. Somewhere between ‘never again’ and ‘fasten your seat belts’ lies the  pleasant and tranquil prospect we seek.

In the meantime the rough ride is where we are at. Who would have thought that the United States Government’s so called universal appeal for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, together with its withdrawal of NATO support and rapprochement with Russia and China, would spur a fresh arms race whereby even Poland and other middle European nations are seeking to obtain nuclear weapons, and those European Nations that already have them are intent on beefing up their arsenals. In short, Mr Trump, whilst professing peace, seems doubly intent on weaponising, not only his executive departments of Justice and Government Efficiency, but the rest of the world as well.

The ups and downs of the problem makes for a tricky state of affairs. It revolves around how to deal with Mr Trump’s colossal narcissism. Should European leaders stand up to the bully or placate him gently, steering him with flatteries towards reason? Should it not be his own citizen’s standing up to him collectively with strength, rather than catering to his ego? The mix between resistance and cajoling discourse will take some doing. The most successful diplomate so far, in dealing with and obtaining favour from Trump is, of course, Vladimir Putin.
 
My own view is that the European leadership, Prime Ministers, Presidents and Foreign Secretaries - not just its elected representatives in their various parliaments - who must take a much stronger and united stand against Trump and his acolytes. Stop attempting to flatter him into ‘concessions’ but demand the loyalty and assistance required of an ally who professes to adhere to similar  democratic constitutions and the rule of law. A country is not its leader. It has a history and an evolution that gives it a life of its own and its citizen’s reflect that life. They elect and choose representatives to secure the continued existence of that life. Sometimes they make very bad choice and need to be reminded of who they really are. European leaders need to remind the United States who they really are and show up this cult leader, this sham of a crass man, for what he truly is. In effect it is time for European and like minded world leaders to create an intervention to bring the United States back to its senses.  I am told that such interventions by family members can bring about such epiphanies from cult adherents. If Britain truly has a special relationship with the United States, then it is standing in loco parentis and should take the lead.

However, I do not seek to be depressing. I do believe there are possibilities. I see and hear a good number of Americans who would more than welcome the opportunity to participate in such and endeavour. Make no mistake, the cult is powerful and stubborn but not insurmountable, particularly given the hardships they continue to suffer rather than seeing them disappear ‘on day one’. Of the promises ‘on day one,’ not one has been fulfilled. A lot of film flam has gone on, but it has proved to be just that. The waving of pens and displaying of signatures on bits of paper is a joke, with unfortunate ramifications no doubt, but the falsity is beginning to filter through. Musk’s Tesla stock is going down,  Putin is largely vilified, the stock market is falling, and republicans at town halls are displaying dissatisfaction and unease.  There are demonstration across the nation. I think that is cause for optimism.

Again, I do not seek to be depressing. There is room for joy. There are still plenty of things to enjoy.

Tuesday 25th March 2025:

The above was as far as I got. Thinking about the many things to enjoy. In the light of the revelations made by The Atlantic’s editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg, I am in two minds as to whether to consider this as something to enjoy. On the one hand this colossal security blunder on the part of these ridiculous people in such powerful positions, exposing themselves for what they are, gives one a gleeful smile as to their incompetence. On the other hand it is truly shocking to see such narrow minded infantile prejudice and lack of real intellect by men of state. I heard Mr Goldberg’s view that he felt there was a level of sophistication in their communications as he felt they clearly had discussions amongst themselves about whether or not they should take certain actions and whether they agreed with the Presidents views.  Some aspects of repercussions were contemplated; however, once the president’s view was stated, discussion over.

In my view there was nothing sophisticated about the discussion. The arrogance about American might being used to protect European interests and that what was happening in the middle east was not really their concern and that the European governments should be made to pay and reimburse the United States for the cost of the military action being launched, was outrageous. This, followed by congratulatory virtual high fives and emojis, was an exhibition of their schoolyard mentality, fully in keeping with their bully boy leader. 

In short, their concerns were based on arrogance and expectations of gratitude and compensation. One could say the lack of any real intellectual discussion or serious forward thinking was PATHETIC. 

Whether any ingtervention would help wiht these people is questionable.

THE FIRST THREE MONTHS

It has been quite an opening three months for the year 2025. The world order is in complete disarray. As I listen to, and view, the variety of information coming over the airwaves on my multiple devices, I am obliged to filter and organise the various topics in the order in which they are presented by these outlets. There seems to be a general format adopted by most agencies. International, national and local is the usual sequence adopted, unless of course there is a particular national or local story that has attracted the immediate public interest. The matter of just what is in the public interest and what the public is interested in is of never ending interest.

One intriguing aspect of the news is the continuing existence of printed newspapers. Although printed editions are still produced, they are moving more and more towards online publication and are now, consequently, more reliant on subscriptions. I am guessing that whilst on line advertising does provide some income, the papers are offering subscription only access, with an increased fee to have ‘advertising free’ access. They also have a box to tick if you do not wish to receive promotional material from them over the internet. So, much of their income is far more reliant on attracting readers than attracting advertisers.  I do contribute to the Guardian, which, at the moment, asks its readers to make a contribution equivalent to a subscription, and still allows anyone to read its pages.

As to content and what the online papers choose to headline on their home sites, it is as you would expect from what one used to find - and may still- in their printed editions. The tabloids push out the same nonsense and are still committed to the same readership, perhaps with a bit more interaction as they may include some video element. They certainly maintain a degree of advertising.  Indeed, so far as all the online publications are concerned there is little difference between the printed edition and what one finds online. But that is to be expected when catering to the same readership. The style and layout, although expanded, is also in keeping with the readership’s expectations so as not to alienate but to comfort with the familiar. Of course, being a ‘newspaper’ the emphasis is on articles and texts to be read, with the odd accompanying photograph. Nevertheless the readership of printed additions has declined dramatically and the way people get their ‘news’ has expanded in numerous directions.  

That expansion and proliferation of devices through which information is transmitted has reached the point where just about every individual on the planet has become a network and studio on their own. It would seem we put out as much information as we receive, and in some cases, a whole lot more. The concept of ‘influencer’ has brought us to a stage where legislation is being contemplated to control how and what is being disseminated.  The entire concept of free speech is open to question. So much of what passes for information is in fact opinion, and belief based on opinion is extremely problematic.  This is how much of what is happening in the world is being organised and conducted.

The fact of Trump is that he does not see his pronouncements as lies. He is merely stating his opinion which he believes to be fact. Hence his deplorable views on immigrants have become fact for himself as well as his followers, without any evidence whatsoever. “They're eating the cats and dogs” was a classic example.  The ridiculous nonsense was swallowed whole by his Maga base and his acolytes. Marjorie Taylor Green, Kari Lake, JD Vance, Ted Cruz, Lindsay Graham etc. I could go on and on. They repeat ad nauseam Trumps opinions which they accept as fact.

His newest protege, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, is another classic example of opinion is fact. She claims, because Mr Trump has claimed, the Judiciary that dare to rule against him in a court of law are democratic activists, biased and wrong in law, as are their families. There is no evidence whatsoever that this is the case. That she cannot see that Mr Trump is the person who is biased and wrong in law does not even enter her head. That  Judges who have been adjudicating cases for years  might know something about the law is an alien concept because her only information comes from Trump’s opinion.

Indeed in Mr Trump’s opinion Mr Putin is a man to be trusted. In Mr Putin’s opinion the state of Ukraine is not a state and should not exist. Mr Putin also claims that the Ukrainian government is run by fascists and must be attacked and destroyed to save the nation.  This opinion has been actually promulgated as fact by Marjorie Taylor Greene before the House of Representatives.

So where does all that leave us on free speech, the ‘news’ and the world being in disarray? I know I always seem to come back to the horror show that is the United States at present, but it is, unfortunately, the most horrific show in town. Will that man ever learn that he is a sham and has no idea what he is doing. His ego is so large that he can’t see he is being played for a fool by most of those around him and in particular Putin. Everything was supposed to be sorted on day one, with a phone call. Well we’ve had the phone call and it wasn’t on day one. We are still no further along, despite the crap being said about it being a start. A start!! The only thing that has started is renewed bombing. If ever the phrase all mouth and no trousers described a situation….

At the end of the day one has to examine oneself and just where did one get one’s opinions or facts. How is it that my political views appear to be from the left of the political spectrum? Why do I not have a more conservative view? What was the affect of my formal education? Were my parents more influential than I realise? Was I or am I too easily influenced? These are some of the matters I must get to grips with. Why have I not done so before now? The difficulty with self examination so late in life is, does it really matter?

What really does mater is stopping the world violence, healing the wounds and rebuilding the homes. Everywhere getting people off the streets and a safe house to live in. Looking after the unable to do it for themselves.  Educating people to live up to the better nature of themselves. There is an appropriate poem by Eve Merriam (1916-1992)

The Coward

You, weeping wide at war, weep with me now.
Cheating a little at peace, come near
And let us cheat together here.

Look at my guilt, mirror of my shame.
Deserter, I will not turn you in;
I am your trembling twin!

Afraid, our double knees lock in knocking fear;
Running from the guns we stumble upon each other.
Hide in my lap of terror: I am your mother. 

Only we two, and yet our howling can
Encircle the world’s end.
Frightened,  you are my only friend.

And frightened, we are everyone.
Someone must make a stand.
Coward take my coward’s hand.

I do not know why this video was removed or by whom ???
 

CITIZENS - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

There is a disturbing report about personnel of the so called Department of Government Efficiency forcing their way into a small government agency, the US African Development Foundation, ejecting  the staff and changing the locks. The same people are doing the same thing at other agencies, including the US Institute for Peace. Although legal proceeding has been commenced, the real fear is that it may lead to nothing, as the Executive Branch of the United States Government pays no attention to court orders. The judiciary is seemingly powerless so long as the Federal Policing authorities (US Marshalls and FBI) are backing these executive orders.

Overall what is happening is an overt attack on democracy and DOGE is clearly nothing more or less than Trump’s Gestapo. It has become a full blown secret state police run by Elon Musk under the guise of economic efficiency. This is a deeply concerning development. The idea that a Trump created agency with no congressional or judicial authority is deploying agents, backed by armed US Marshalls and FBI agents, to forcibly take over legitimate government agencies is an outrage. Together with outright breaches  of Judicial Orders and the rule of law Trump is being allowed to do anything he likes. Having installed his stooges as heads of the Justice Department, the FBI and other agencies he can ignore the law at will. Whereas heads of these policing authorities should defy illegal edicts from Trump and push back, they are instead ‘following orders’.

If the United States is ever to become a federal democratic republic under the rule of law again, then it must act now. To allow a charlatan and dangerous psychotic narcissist, and dupe to Putin, to continue is his current vein will bring the whole edifice crashing down. It may no longer be good enough to have TV pundits advise a small viewership about possible consequences of failing to connect the dots of the developing tyranny in various agencies and institutions of government. Ignore them at your peril.. I see enough opposition on YouTube and on line from a variety of sources. Is it not time to increase the effort and really pull together? Don’t say you have not been warned.

Here is but one example:  (for some reason the previus video was changed - this is a replacemen(

 

 

WHEN WILL WE SEE THE END OF THE PROTEST SONG

It is clearly time to follow Bette’s advice (and appreciate a bit of early Marilyn). The international and domestic reaction to Trump’s second presidency is now very clear. Celia pointed out to me the Senator of the French Parliament, Claude Malhuret’s speech to the Parliament on Tuesday the 4th March 2025 as an instance in point. M. Malhuret is now leader of Les Indépendants – République et Territoires, LIRT, party in the Senate and appears to have a far greater knowledge of the Constitution of the United States and its implications than does Donald Trump. Herewith his opening salvo (Translation of transcript):

“President, Mr. Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen Ministers, My dear colleagues,
Europe is at a critical turning point in its history. The American shield is crumbling, Ukraine risks being abandoned, Russia strengthened.
Washington has become the court of Nero, a fiery emperor, submissive courtiers and a ketamine-fueled jester in charge of purging the civil service.
This is a tragedy for the free world, but it is first and foremost a tragedy for the United States. Trump’s message is that there is no point in being his ally since he will not defend you, he will impose more customs duties on you than on his enemies and will threaten to seize your territories while supporting the dictatorships that invade you.
The king of the deal is showing what the art of the deal is all about. He thinks he will intimidate China by lying down before Putin, but Xi Jinping, faced with such a shipwreck, is probably accelerating preparations for the invasion of Taiwan.
Never in history has a President of the United States capitulated to the enemy. Never has anyone supported an aggressor against an ally. Never has anyone trampled on the American Constitution, issued so many illegal decrees, dismissed judges who could have prevented him from doing so, dismissed the military general staff in one fell swoop, weakened all checks and balances, and taken control of social media.
This is not an illiberal drift, it is the beginning of the confiscation of democracy. Let us remember that it took only one month, three weeks and two days to bring down the Weimar Republic and its Constitution.
I have faith in the strength of American democracy, and the country is already protesting. But in one month, Trump has done more harm to America than in four years of his last presidency. We were at war with a dictator, now we are fighting a dictator backed by a traitor…”

And he goes on at some length.  Would that more European politicians made similar up front condemnation of what is happening in the United States. It is not just a mater of stepping up militarily but strenuously distancing oneself, politically and morally, from the Trump Administration's view of the world and what it purports to claim as the will of the American people.

Numerous views have been expressed in a number of Newspaper Editorials and by columnists' opinion pieces which describe and excoriate the gangsterism and rank stupidity of Mr Trump and his acolytes. As shocking as the now infamous display by Messrs Trump and Vance of their bullying of President Zelensky appeared to be, it was not at all surprising. It was however enraging and prompted a general worldwide revulsion of the United States’ heads of state. The so called free press in attendance did nothing to redeem itself either, with its ludicrous notions of sartorial respect. 

This is not normal. Far from it. The chaos being engendered throughout the world is significant. It is similar to the analogy of the butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon thereby creating a hurricane in the Atlantic, except Trump is a deadly moth fluttering in the glow of the Office of President of the United States which he should never have been allowed to enter.

But we have what we have, and so fasten your seat belts, That so many are having to suffer increased injury and death as result of these machinations is catastrophic. One has to accept the stoicism of the character of Clemenza in the Godfather movie, he of the “leave the gun - take the cannoli” line.

                                       

What is it about movies and screenplays that somehow, now and again, strikes a cord? Oddly, over the years the cinema has portrayed a variety of political stories with heroes and villains galore. Corruption has been at the heart of many salutary lessons of American political drama. All The King’s Men,  Mr Smith Goes To Washington, Advise and Consent, The Front Page, State of the Union, Manchurian Candidate and many others around the world. Indeed, stories of corruption and political chicanery, both real and fictional, have been portrayed in the cinema since its inception by  the Lumière brothers in 1895. Unfortunately, even before that event, history reveals that political corruption was rife in ancient Rome and Greece, so why has the lesson never been learnt? How long are we destined to exist in this ceaseless insanity? Will we ever hear the end of the protest song?

STOP PUSSYFOOTING AROUND

The following paragraphs were written on Thursday 6th March 2025, prior to the "pause' on tarriffs imposed on Canada and Mexico:

 

We have been here before; yet, nothing about the current global situation smacks of repetition.   Whereas we have seen countries descend into authoritarian states, e.g. Italy, Germany and the Soviet Union, particularly between 1920 and 1935, which culminated in the second world war, the resurgence of far right and nationalist movements in Western Europe and the Americas has never been so comprehensive. There are rather curious differences, and its effect on democracy is very worrying.

 

The two, allegedly, main powers on the globe, Russia and the United States, have leaders who seek to rule by decree and executive order. The Russia leader has effectively silenced opposition through chicanery, outright gangsterism and murder. The United States President has marshalled an obsequious political party through repeated lies and by gaslighting a sheepish, poorly educated and gullible electorate into accepting his proven mendacious and criminal character. He has surrounded himself with deliberately mediocre advisors and administrators to do his bidding. His executioner in chief is an unelected, unvetted and unapproved rich scoundrel from South Africa.

 

It would seem, on the face of it, although not yet fully in control, they are operating hand in hand to bully the rest of the free world into submission.

 

China, the world’s second largest economy sits, oddly, hovering between the two. On reasonably friendly terms with Russia and somewhat strained relations with the United States, it is sufficiently powerful to hold its own. It allows the other two, for the moment, to run their course. Just when it might step in more forcefully is open to conjecture.

 

As an aside, it should be noted that Russia is only the 11^th largest economy, so one wonders on what basis their power rests. As to military strength, Russia has had to call on assistance from North Korea to swell the numbers, and in addition it has had military hardware from China and Iran. It is strange that the whole of Russian military might can be held off as much as it has been by Ukrainian forces alone. Just how mighty are those Russian forces?

 

In any event, Russia now has some additional help from the United States which is looking to lift sanctions and is now depriving Ukraine of rather important military assistance in the shape of hardware and defensive security information. This is being done under the banner of achieving a peaceful settlement to the crisis. Not very believable given the despicable character of Donald Trump. His spoken desire to end the killing sounds good, but coming from such a psychotic narcissist it is hard to credit. Everything is about him. Do not make the mistake of thinking otherwise.

 

So, given the state of play, the European continent, Canada, and Mexico are now in the position or having to brace up on the economic front as well as militarily, not only to support Ukraine in arriving at a just peace, but arriving at their own complete independence from the United Sates. This wakeup call is not only evident to leftist and centralist political parties in European countries but to the right and right of centre as well. The European right is just as alarmed and worried about the autocracy of Trump has it is with Putin. It is only the far right that shows favour, but only in the hope of receiving substantial financial benefit.  Nigel Farage is an instance in point.  

 

Still there is hope and apparently substantial push back in the United States against Trumpism in the form of mass demonstrations by many citizens, amongst whom one finds a number of Republicans. His ‘day one’ promises are far from being fulfilled. Inflation and economics have taken a downward turn, and his support for Mr Putin has not helped his cause. A Quinnipiac University Poll released this Wednesday found 81 percent of respondents said Putin should not be trusted, including 73 percent of Republicans surveyed and 93 percent of Democrats.

 

In addition his executive orders have met with resistance in the courts which have blocked a number of them taking effect as being contrary to law and the constitution of the United States. His latest litigation before the Supreme Court has failed 5 to 4, including his own favourites who sided against him, Justices Roberts and Coney Barrett.

 

So in effect, although the Trump rhetoric has been very similar to the kind of crap one had from dictators of the 1930’s, the overall shift in today’s world toward the right is not as unifying as it might appear. Whether there is any comfort in this difference, I am not at all sure. Indeed my analysis is probably completely wrong. I am however, still allowed to be right or wrong and voice opinion, if only to a few. Contrary to the views of the Vice President of the United States, Great Britain really does have free speech.

 

Friday 7 March 2025

There is an example of free speech on the floor of the United States Senate which is well worth a view and listen. U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Thursday (6^th March 2025) spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to expose the unprecedented corruption of the Trump administration’s first six weeks in office. Murphy condemned Trump’s normalization of pay-to-play politics, where billionaire donors dictate policy and taxpayer money is funnelled into the pockets of the president, Elon Musk, and the corporate elite. I urge you to take it in.

 

Stop the insanity. The United States no longer has a government capable of participating in world affairs on a rational basis. It has gone the way of massive organised crime along with the so called Russian Federation. The violence being perpetrated in Ukraine by disembodied drones to target basic infrastructure (water, electricity, food supply, communications..) in order to starve, destroy and annihilate the Ukrainian people’s means of existence, shows just how vile and monstrous the Russian leadership has become. All this is approved and accepted by the Trump administration. It is time for Governments around the world to condemn this behaviour and cut off the United States from all diplomatic relations. Stop trying to placate Trump and Putin. Politicians in every democratic country should stop trying not to openly criticise Mr Trump in the hope of bringing him round to reason. He is not a reasonable man. He is a criminal and should be held to account. What he and his cronies are doing is completely unacceptable. Enforce the warrants issued by the International Criminal Court and extend it to Donald Trump as co-defendant.

 

Do not forget that nearly as many people in the United States loath Trump as voted for him. They will support a solid European movement to ostracise Trump and bring the United States back into a proper league of rational nations. For the United Nations to allow this charade to continue is beyond comprehension.  Get it together. Stop pussyfooting around. Stop this insanity.

 

THERE ARE OTHER AMERICAN VOICES

One can only hope that these other voices in the United States will hold sway across the country. Gangsterism of this kind on show in the Oval Office is a scene straight out of the Godfather.

 

 

And again  from poscast of Bryan Tyler Cohen

 

A NOTE ABOUT PERFORMANCE

Once again I am baffled by writers who express opinion about performance. I shall explain.

Nineteen years ago (I cannot believe it was that long) I embarked on a course of study at Dartington College of Art. Whilst in Devon on the point moving permanently back to London, I spotted in the Guardian’s list of University Clearances, a writing course at Dartington. It was labelled ‘Performance Writing’. After some deliberation and tentative enquiries I was finally encouraged by Charles Carne, a friend who had also embarked on a university course, to make a proper appointment and go to the establishment to discuss the possibilities with a real person at the college.

 

It was a bit late in the year and the fall term was starting in a couple of weeks. There was not much time left to enrol; nonetheless I made the appointment and met the course tutor Jerome Fletcher. We discussed and it ended with Jerome saying I could start at the beginning of the week. I had no idea what was meant by Performance Writing. I assumed it was connected with writing scripts for theatre, film, television, radio and any other form of media that required a prepared text to perform to the public.

 

I had previously taken Robert McKee’s screen writing course in London. It was a two day course on the finer points of how to tell a story through writing a screenplay. Not just any screenplay, but one that might actually have a chance of being produced. I had heard that John Cleese had taken the course and apparently A Fish Called Wanda was the result. There were a number of luminaries on the course at the time I sat through it, so the notion of John Cleese having taken the course seemed probable.

 

I had also written a play which I presented to a playwriting competition run by director Ted Craig at the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon. It was actually one of five works shortlisted in the competition. Not too shabby for one’s first play, and a bit encouraging; however, there had been no follow up. Procrastination and shameful laziness are all I can say.

 

So having been accepted on the course at Dartington, I assumed the discipline required to complete a University Degree course would eventually produce great works of art. Indeed after obtaining my writing degree (BA writing) I went on to complete an MA in the subject and even embarked on doing a Phd. Sadly, I have not continued with the doctorate nor have I produced any great works of art, but I do have an understanding of what performance writing is about. That first year, nineteen years ago, was the beginning of an appreciation of just what words can do.

 

So I repeat, I am baffled by writers who express opinion about ‘performance’ who do not seem to have any real appreciation of what is being ‘performed’. When I read an article purporting to be an analysis and appreciation of a stage play, film, concert, art gallery, museum or whatever venue presenting and showing stuff to look at, read or listen to, I am, on the whole, able to distinguish whether the writer understands what their own writing is about and how it is performing

 

One has to realise that just about everything we do is part of performance. Everything we say, hear, feel and imagine, physically or emotionally is preforming. Never has this been made more apparent than in the current digital age. AI programs, such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Otter, NotebookLM, Grammarly, Siri, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Claude etc. are all performance engines. As an example, using Perplexity, one can put in, either through speech of by text, a number of words including a suggestion as to the outcome, and the program will produce a text, within seconds. A usable text that will most likely meet your requirements or at least something that you can use to deal with those requirements. That text will perform for you. Whether it is good or bad, or rather whether it is appreciated or not, in part or whole, depends on the recipient of the performance. How the viewer or listener receives and analyses the performance depends on the recipients own point of view and knowledge.

 

For example, even if someone is presented with a text in a foreign language they do not understand, they will know that the text is in a language they do not understand, in which case the text has performed. It has revealed itself as something the recipient knows nothing about and either creates a sense of curiosity and intrigue or a sense of indifference, but it will have created an emotion of some kind.  The recipient may not even recognise what language is being performed, but if they do, then that is another level of performance and indicates additional knowledge of the recipient.

 

The brain is a curious instrument. It always seeks a way of understanding what it perceives; however, if it cannot find a way, it will disregard or overlook whatever it might be that perplexes it. It might also invent or fantasise an explanation. Whatever it is, the brain will seek some sort of explanation. That is just the nature of things.

 

As part of our culture and background, in particular since the Greek Civilisation, we have developed the theatre, which is the most iconic form of performance, with its continuously developing conventions, protocols and traditions of presentation. Along with this development came the analysis, appreciation or valuation of the performance, its creators and the performers as well. Alongside this evolution there has been a growing intellectual valuation of performance and a hierarchy attributed to certain aspects of performance, such as great, magnificent, worthy, terrible, poor, indifferent etc. all attributes put on the performance by those who have seen the work in question.

 

Along with this development has come a commercial aspect of theatrical performance in that people are invited to come and see the work performed at a specific site or theatre. As part of the commercial exercise, the work is presented for analysis and valuation on a chosen day, and the various individuals who are chosen to produce their analysis and appreciation, generally produce their piece shortly after viewing the performance. One must appreciate of course that the evaluators work is itself a form of performance writing and subject to the same kind of evaluation. Each and every piece of this kind is a critique that runs and runs, quite like the opposing mirrors shot in Citizen Kane, as Kane walks out of his wife’s demolished bedroom passing by the mirrors holding the snow globe that is the little catalyst of memory leading to his final word at death ‘rosebud’, there is an infinity of images.  But that is another story. Readers of this blog who have seen Citizen Kane will know whereof I speak, for those who have not, it will be like a foreign language they know of, but do not fully understand, and will either be intrigued enough to see the film or not as the case may be. In any event, the critic is very much a part of todays performance, and therefor subject to the same type of analysis.

 

So I come back to my bafflement about writers who express opinion about performance. There is at the moment a play called The Score being presented at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, in London. A number of people have now produced their analysis of the performance and some of them do not appear to fully understand what it is they have witnessed.  Some of their comments indicate that they have the same problem as the person hearing a foreign language and not knowing what to do, and so invent or divert attention elsewhere to some other aspect of the work they see as separate from the whole. Not wishing to appear ignorant of course, they will make comment on all aspects of the piece in order to appear knowledgeable.

 

Naturally everyone is entitled to have an opinion, informed or not, as the case may be, and those views are perfectly valid in so far as they represent an opinion. What baffles me is the emphasis put on one aspect of the performance by separating it from a part of the performance that is entirely allied to the one aspect they seek to emphasise. They seek to separate the acting from the text. They speak of the actor’s performance as if the actor were inventing the words they are performing on the spot. The idea of wonderful performance, sorry about the text, does not make sense. The actor’s performance does not happen without the text to perform. As the text performs, so does the actor. One occasionally hears the comment actor proof text, one rarely hears of text proof actors. Truly great performance only comes from good text.  It is sometimes said that some actors can read the phone book and make it great. That is not true and only demonstrates that the actor can amuse to great effect by being flamboyant. So what. Anyone can light a math which goes out in a flash. A sustained performance requires substance.

 

In my view the text of the play gave it substance. The levels and variety of ideas touched upon, personalities concerned and the situation enacted were the seeds giving up a wonderful and thought provoking performance. There may be quibbles about this or that aspect of the ensemble, set, costume, sound, direction or bits of business, but the soundness of the text gave the whole a life of its own to which the audience showed much appreciation. Indeed there is a scene in the play in which the character of Mrs Bach sees off one of King Frederick’s billeting officers in the town of Leipzig which brought about an instant reaction and cheer from members of the audience. How often does that happen in a play of any kind? There were other moments of this kind as well, which brought about audible reaction from the audience.

 

What it boils down to, of course, is that opinion in the arts is just that, an opinion. It usually stands on its own without opposition.  Sometimes it does attract opposition, which is a sure sign that the performance has been a great success as it promotes controversy and discussion, which is proof of life for any play. Of The Score  I say, lang may your lum reek.

 

WILL HE GET HIS COMEUPPANCE ?

I have been perusing various opinion pieces and news reports in the Guardian Newspaper. I find myself again quietly approving of the current article by Owen Jones and his view of the conduct of the American State towards the rest of the world, being historical naked self-interest. There are also pieces by Nesrine Malik on “a clear Trumpian doctrine” and Andrew Rawnsley on what can Keir Starmer might have to say to Donald Trump that he might listen to.

 

(Owen Jones article at:  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/20/us-moral-supremacy-donald-trump-president

 

In short, there is grave concern about how the advent of Trump’s second coming is screwing up the world in a major way. Since the 1940’s no “leader” has had the effect that Mr Trump has engendered throughout the world. His extraordinary Orwellian fantasies, ‘truth speak’ and general misrepresentations and lies are splattered all over the internet and all forms of media. The entire planet must by now be well aware of the danger and threat he poses.

 

Unfortunately many Americans have failed to recognise and heed the signs so glaringly obvious to the majority of rest of the world’s population and in particular leaders on the continent of Europe. One can also add some governments in the middle and far east. There is now beginning to be a dawning of realisation. in the United States itself, as to just how egregious the Trump presidency is turning out to be. There may be, at last, the growing acceptance that a serious mistake has been made, and the burgeoning disenchantment of the poorly educated Maga folk may turn into a reversal of allegiances. It is however a very slow and trickling epiphany into the minds of the few, which, hopefully will spread. Perhaps I am being far too optimistic.

 

Nonetheless there is something about the arrogant and narcissistic personality that secretly cries out for retribution. I am drawn to the particular exploration of this phenomenon by the late great Orson Welles in the 1940’s with his productions of Macbeth, Citizen Kane and the Magnificent Ambersons. Macbeth is in effect self-explanatory in its portrayal of ambition, as is Citizen Kane. Wells’ dialogue in certain specific scenes lays emphasis on the consequences.

 

In Citizen Kane, the character of Charles Foster Kane is told, when the fact of his adulterous relationship is about to be exposed to prevent his election as governor, “If it was anybody else, I’d say what’s going to happen to you would be a lesson to you. Only you’re going to need more than one lesson, and you’re going to get more than one lesson”

 

In the modern age how well has that worked in the case of Trump? He has been found guilty of 34 felonies over his adulterous relationship with Ms Daniels and is now a convicted felon; yet, he has still been elected to the Presidency. Has this been a lesson learned? There have been other matters arising before the courts, equally damning, yet no comeuppance.

 

In the Magnificent Andersons towards the last few scenes of the film, the narrator speaks over an image of George Minafer praying: “Something had happened, a thing which years ago had been the eagerest hope of many many good citizens in the town, and now it came at last, George Amberson Minafer had got his comeuppance. He got it three times filled and running over, but those who had so longed for it were not there to see it. They never knew it. Those who were still living had forgotten all about it, and all about him.” 

 

Therefore, one has to ask oneself, when will Donald John Trump get his comeuppance. This word was first used in 1859 to mean a deserved rebuke or penalty. Apparently it first appeared in Harpers Magazine which began in New York in June of 1850.  There was a time when American citizens were very keen on certain people getting their comeuppance. Mr Trump most definitely qualifies as such a person, yet he presents as an individual immune from such a fate.  

 

He now sits at his Miami, Florida, lair sending out obsequious henchmen and women to screw up the European Union, real peace prospects in middle Europe and the Middle East, with a sideling of bullying and blackmailing tactics to extract minerals from Ukraine.

 

In any event, the writings and musing of both Welles and Orwell are proving to be more than idle fiction and intellectual entertainment. What is it that can be done or said to him to reverse course and bring about his comeuppance. Will it be Macron, Starmer, Zelensky or even Putin? Who can say?

SOMETHING ABOUT TRUE GRIT

Is it comforting to know that one is not alone in witnessing the end of American Democracy? After all one has been predicting this for some time, along with numerous others. So is there any satisfaction in seeing it happen?

 

The warnings were always there and had been getting worse during the last four years. No one was able to push back on the lies and gaslighting of the ordinary American electorate. There was a reason Mr Trump claimed time and again that he loved the poorly educated. They were the most malleable individuals in the country and he played on their poor education ad infinitum. The result is definitive proof that the American electorate is the most ignorant and poorest educated group on the planet. They have no idea whatsoever just what the constitution of the United States actually means, and it is crystal clear that general education in the United States has failed on a colossal scale.

 

We see a number of people being interviewed in the media who present opinion expressing shock and dismay at what is going on in the United States, and the effects the current administration is having on the rest of the world.  None of this has any effect whatever and the Trump express trundles on unchecked. It will continue to do so, so long as the citizens of the United States revel in ignorance. Comment and anecdote about the expanding catastrophe of Trumpism is of no import. It is merely repetitive nonsense.

 

I have reached the point of ceasing to listen or watch this continuous show of dismay and outrage at what is happening around the world. Waiting for some push back from European leaders appears to be something they too are waiting for. Each leader seems to be expecting another leader to take the lead, and consequently no one takes the lead.

 

So long as the rest of the world conforms to the premise that the President of the United States is all powerful he will maintain that position. The fact that he is an ignorant psychotic narcissist demands that European democratic leaders should call out the United States and issue sanctions to do everything they can to reign in this fake leader and force the American Public to wake up and get rid of him. It is one thing to show respect and allegiance to the Office of the President, but not when the individual who currently occupies that office is so blatantly unfit to hold that office. 

 

What is perhaps more troubling is the number of acolytes and narrowly educated individuals who support him and are willing to serve in his cabinet. They are the ones who will bend and interpret the law so as to give him immunity from it and thus sanction him to actually decide what the law should be.  If that is not dictatorship and completely contrary to the Constitution and separation of powers I no longer know what is. Not only do they support this blasphemy but they claim to be doing it in support of the Constitution, only it’s an interpretation so wildly skewered it beggars’ belief.

 

Mind you, much the same has been going on round the world, in particular Russia and China. So far as western Europe is concerned one can add Hungary and Austria. In fact the whole of the Middle European shatter belt, or old Habsburg Empire, is a case in point. As to the problems of the Middle East and south east Asia, it is more a matter of rigid religious beliefs that atrophies the mind towards inflexibility, prejudice and violence.   

 

The above was written yesterday and there has now been some reaction to Trump from European politicians. The leading German candidates in the current German general election have made their views felt in referring to Trump. It has been reported:

Christian Democratic chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz strongly rejected statements made by Trump about Ukraine. Commenting on Trump's statement that the government in Kyiv is partly to blame for the Russian war of aggression and could have brought peace itself long ago, the chancellor candidate front-runner told public broadcaster ARD.  “This is basically a classic perpetrator-victim reversal,” he said, pointing out that this corresponds to the Russian narrative of President Vladimir Putin.  “And to be honest, I am somewhat shocked that Donald Trump has now obviously adopted this narrative himself,” Merz added.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday criticized US President Donald Trump for calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator.” “It is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelenskyy his democratic legitimacy,” Scholz told the Der Spiegel news magazine. “It is true that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the elected head of state of Ukraine. The fact that no proper elections can be held in the middle of a war is in line with the Ukrainian constitution and electoral laws. No one should claim otherwise,” he added. The chancellor recalled that it was Russia under President Vladimir Putin that started the war in Ukraine. “Ukraine has been defending itself against a merciless Russian war of aggression for almost three years. Day after day,” Scholz said.

 

So it is clear that vying for leadership in this election requires the candidates to show a strong opposition to Mr Trump, raise questions about American support and the possible vanishing of democracy in the United States under a would be dictatorial President, leaning towards fascism. This appeal to the German public from the right and centre right of the German political spectrum is not without its ironic historical edge. 

 

In the United Kingdom one has unfortunately to contemplate the ridiculous adulation of Mr Trump by the likes of Nigel Farage. A dissembler and prevaricator of the worst kind who appears to be appealing to the right and far right of British political opinion.. That such sycophancy should be on display by a British member of parliament and leader of a party, no matter how distasteful, is dispiriting. His laudatory comments about his saviour Trump are sickening

Be that as it may, the British government has its own problem of rapprochement with the European Community and navigating a position which will allow it to deal with Trump in an effective positive manner without resorting to knee bending tactics and placating the narcissistic infantile idiot that is Mr Trump.  If ever strength and diplomacy went hand in hand it is now up to Mr Starmer to show his mettle. This is what true grit is all about.

MATTERS ARISING

 

There are a couple of matters which have surfaced in the recent past including the unspeakable behaviour of most Republican Party representatives in the United States Congress and some rather unfortunate problems faced by management of NHS England. As to that, The Chief Executive of said department, Amanda Pritchard, appeared before the health and social care committee. As reported in the Guardian, just hours before she had appeared before the committee, the House of Commons public accounts committee, or PAC, published a report which accused leaders of the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care of lacking “drive” and “ideas”. In addition, after Ms Pritchard gave evidence, the health committee issued a statement, which said, Ms Pritchard and her team lacked “drive” and “dynamism”. Their quotation marks, not mine.

 

I had posted a blog on Wednesday the 5^th July 2023 (to be found at https://fbuffnstuff.blogspot.com/2023/07/managing-nhs.html)  concerning an interview on the Today Program with Amanda Pritchard. During that interview, Ms Pritchard was asked to comment on a joint statement made by the three main health think tanks in the UK, the King’s Fund, the Nuffield Trust and The Health Foundation, which said that the health service suffered from “insufficient resources to do its job, fewer hospital beds than almost all similar countries, outdated equipment, dilapidated buildings and failing IT”.

 

I was rather critical of Ms Pritchard’s answers to questions, or rather non-answers. I commented that when it was suggested that she could put pressure on the politicians to resolve some of the issues causing the current difficult and possibly damaging industrial action, she again shied away from an answer. She stated during the interview “I’m not a politician, wages and funding is down to the politicians, I’m only the Chief Executive”. In the event she came across as Ms Pollyanna, speaking joyfully of planning for more trained staff in the future and generally looking forward. It sounded all very positive but was, in my view, merely a classic ministerial projection of neverland. She made no mention of the outdated equipment and dilapidated buildings and other basics which make it impossible for the staff to do their job. This was of course at the start of the Conservative Government’s last year in office.

 

My own view, a the time, was that what she should be doing is taking up the report from the King’s Fund, Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation and battering the Minister and government to deal with the failing infrastructure. Hospitals need urgent repair and maintenance. Hospitals need functioning and up-to-date equipment. Hospitals need the latest technology. Hospitals need the best and most efficient IT. Hospitals need staff trained to deal with the latest and best kit available. To train staff in, and with, crap facilities and equipment is counterproductive as they will have to be trained all over again. What reduces waiting and mistakes is effective efficiency. What makes efficiency effective is knowledge and training with the right tools. With effective efficiency you get savings and with savings you get more productivity. To get productivity you need the best staff, and to get the best staff you need to pay them accordingly. Corporations have been going on about this for years (The BBC is an instance in point – they claim they must pay high wages to keep the best talent).

 

Now, under Labour, the Guardian reports (full report can be found at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/11/the-guardian-view-on-the-health-service-the-problems-go-deeper-than-the-boss), “The frustration of MPs on the health committee at what they regarded as long-winded answers was obvious to anyone watching. But Ms Pritchard is not a politician, and one reason for a lack of clarity in her answers was that the publication of crucial guidance, including updated targets, had been postponed by ministers”

 

Effectively, poor Ms Pritchard is in the unenviable position of being caught between two stools or rather regimes, neither of which is providing the actual resources required to provide the NHS with the fundamental equipment, buildings and medical personnel needed to make it progressive and efficient. So, having a go at management is all very well, but if there is no real added value to manage, what’s the difference?  The Guardian article added, inter alia:

 

 “While MPs, like voters, are understandably impatient for improvement, the expectations of the people with operational responsibility for the health service should be realistic. Given funding constraints, and the fact that NHS England’s structure (with its 42 integrated care boards) is still bedding in, it is unclear what demands for transformation really mean – beyond a wish that things were better than they are. Julian Kelly, Ms Pritchard’s deputy, explained that most of the £10.6bn increase to the organisation’s budget in 2025-26 will be absorbed by salary and national insurance rises, inflation and the £3.5bn allowed for rising costs caused by an ageing population and new treatments…..

Sorting out the confusion should be a priority for the new permanent secretary of Mr Streeting’s department, who is due to be appointed shortly, along with a new chair of NHS England. The filling of these two vacant posts means Ms Pritchard is likely to find she has less room to manoeuvre; the high level of autonomy granted to NHS England by the Conservatives is in the process of being reduced.”

 

So, in reality we are no further along than tinkering with changes of management as opposed to actually dealing with the nuts and bolts of the service which are necessary for management to be able to do their job; therefore, what was the change of government about?

 

I have, recently, become one of the more active patients of NHS England and can only speak glowingly of the treatment that I have received.  Whilst there have been minor hiccups, the overall dealings I have had with Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts is superb. To allow it to deteriorate would be an abomination. There are of course glaring abnormalities to be found and which make very distressing headlines, but given the numbers being cared for and the size of the organisation these anomalies are a small percentage of the overall performance. Nonetheless it is extremely disturbing such problems exist at all given the tragedies that can result. Striving for 100% efficiency and effectiveness in the NHS is to be lauded. It is hoped it can and will be achieved, but it will be at some cost.

 

Another matter involves the lies being told to courts by the security services. This is mainly done in order to maintain the standard response by security personnel “I can neither deny nor confirm whatever it is you want to know”. Legal actions involving the security service are often, and usually are, conducted in secret hearings behind closed doors, with the participants having been granted security clearance. More often than not, plaintiffs, witnesses and sometimes their lawyers are not admitted to such courts, nor can they be told how or what led to a court’s decision.  Given the rarity of such cases it has always been assumed by the Judiciary that public government servants (which is what security agents are) do not lie. That is a fiction which has been debunked, or rather a fiction that has finally caught up with what we all already knew. Spies tell lies. It is what they do because they are trained to do so. It is the nature of the beast. The current revelations and admissions by MI5 that its agents had told lies in court is not new or shocking. What is shocking is that justices and concerned persons profess to be shocked, which I find just as mendacious.

 

As to other matters arising in the United States, there are too many to mention. Elon Musk giving a press conference in the Oval Office, with Trump sitting like some side-line observer, whilst Elon held forth with his small son on his shoulders as if he were in complete control, and wasn’t it cute and fun to have the kid there, by the way. He did not seem to defer to, or acknowledge that Trump was even there, or even had any part in His Department of Government Efficiency. He was being transparent. Everything he was doing was out in the open. That no such Government Department is actually authorised by Congress or the Judiciary is, to him, of no consequence. The only thing that was open was that he was acting without any proper legal authority. How he was going about it was not at all transparent. Only his outrageous decisions were out in the open. Since when does he have the power to delve into personnel files, hire and fire and close down government activity?

 

There are also various congressional oversight committees to question heads of, and permanent staff of, various legal government departments and to approve the various presidential nominees to run some of those government departments.   To watch and listen to those hearings is a never-ending state of disbelief. The divisions on display are deep and run along the slimmest of margins. That Trumps Republican Party can claim a mandate through some sort of maniacal allegiance to Trump claiming adherence to the constitution and the democratic process is horrifying. The giving in to executive orders and unconditionally appalling acolytes as his cabinet, is beyond comprehension. The complete absence of so called checks and balances no longer exists. Unless Congress reasserts itself as an equal branch of government, American Democracy is no more and the Empire, that is the United States, will expire.  Its disintegration is already apparent in the ludicrous fantasy of the new middle eastern riviera on the Mediterranean. You can already see a new Trump Tower with Casino, spa, boutiques and west facing balconies to watch the sunset, all funded by his crypto currencies. Bye Bye American pie.