Why does the U.S.A. matter? Well I have close family there for one. And I like human rights and democracy for another. And I believe in bodily autonomy all over the world, but particularly where I have female relatives. And while one can quote Chomsky and shake ones head with disapproval when watching Oliver Stone movies about Vietnam, the idea of the house on the hill and the advocacy of democracy, albeit through an America First capitalist lens, seems needed more than ever in a world with an easily ignored U.N., the rise of populism and authoritarianism, Brexit, Covid, a weakened E.U., and a NATO that could be neutered in November. An America First isolationist approach to the world will give free reign to China and Russia. Can the centre hold? While we may not quite be heading towards a Mad Max wasteland quite yet, a certain orange coloured Mafia Boss could impact the U.K. quite severely, and turn the world into a more antagonistic place with increasing regional wars over resources and/or strongman bragging.
In the cold light of day the only people in the U.K. who would benefit from the Manchild winning across the pond in November would be cultural conservatives, the type who have turned their backs on economic development and just want to rage about trans people and Wokism while the world burns. The kind of people who want their strongman in power and sod everything else. At least in the U.S. half of them actually believe they will gain access to heaven as a result. Farage - the ultimate drunk racist uncle - might laugh and smile as boats sink in the Channel, but a poorer people and a poorer country run by one calorie plus MAGA types won't be good for the future of the UK. Maybe I worry too much.
'Things won't be so bad.' 'We will be okay.' Then you get the strange lefties too. The ones who seem to think Putin is the saviour of Socialism and that the Ukraine needs to be wiped off the map due a possible affiliation with a NATO that stood by as Russia did what it liked in the former Soviet 'Monroe Doctrine' areas of Eurasia. The same lefties who preach the same hate speech towards trans people. The same lefties who sound like Marjorie Taylor Greene on a bad day. The same lefties who condemn anyone who disagrees with them as being under the spell of the Main Stream Media. It is almost a cult.
Yes, Cuba and Venezuela had invasions and coups against them. Ridiculous sanctions back in the day.
Yes, even Democrats in the U.S. are capable of the most appalling things. As Dostoyevsky said, kill a man and you are a murderer, kill many and you are a war hero, or words to that effect.
But a falling U.S. An inward looking U.S. A failing U.S. I suppose there might be some benefits. Like there were Brexit benefits. Like the way a terminal cancer diagnosis gets you to appreciate life more.
But a victorious Putin. An antagonistic China. A declining standard of living in the West as corruption, populism and authoritarianism spreads. Global Warming derided as a conspiracy of the left. Immigration and its control a new distraction piece to unite the right as the economy flatlines. Add your own bad outcomes. Take out some of mine. But I see nothing good coming of it as we go into the mid Twenty First Century.
Perma-Trump. J.D. Vance carrying the crown. Christian Nationalism. Civil War. One Party Rule. All of these ideas exported and encouraged around the world.
No. I don't see anything good in that at all. As a patriot I see nothing in that to benefit this Sceptred Isle.
And each day Biden sat tighter in his chair. Ego. Maybe he would have win. But if he did not his self belief could have made him look like Marcus Aurelius...a philosopher king and stoic who was followed by a fool. But now Harris is the likely nominee. The alternative? Trump is a narcissistic psychopathic sociopathic Machiavellian wanna-be authoritarian manchild. In the musical Cabaret the young Nazi stands on a chair (I know, never mention the Nazis) and has the crowd singing of the great future. 'Are you sure you can control them?' asks Michael York's character? These words might have been muttered by an aging President Hindenburg to his power hungry Vice-Chancellors. While the Populist Right might have been checked in Europe in 2024 (so far) a tsunami is building in the West.
Are we sure we can control it? Kamala Harris...over to you...
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