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 11th 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 (6th 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.
