It’s a dreary day today. While listlessly motoring about the County in the rain, I listened to the radio news, five or more channels, all of which focussed upon the identical headline (although FOX NEWS was the most vocal). Seemingly the allegations of sexual misconduct affect only representatives of congress or the senate, not the president of the United States of America. It is a peculiar result in similar episodes of political grandstanding. My only conclusion is that, the closer one is to power, the less is the influence of human conduct howsoever lewd. By contrast, the defeat of perfection in anything but the upper tiers of governance is a lethal wound from which few if any recover. Once the dissolution has begun, the decline is precipitous – remorsefully affecting not only the candidate but also his family.
First Lady Melania Trump has recently embarked on a novel course by disclaiming any possible criminality arising from her casual acquaintance with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Having both the President and the First Lady reduced to challenging such elemental truths does not in my opinion bode well for these characters. Coincidentally earlier this morning I was shared an article from the New York Times in which the author castigates the youth of the United States of America for not openly objecting to the improvident conduct and morality of its leader. I countered the assertion by speculating that the masses will decide the future by exercising their voting rights, not necessarily by walking in the streets and carrying placards. It is the ultimate decision that counts.
By further abstraction, on the world stage the defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán signals a shift from the “illiberal” far-right populist model he popularized to the “left”.
The world is reeling from the consequences of a war against Iran. This final economic blow has succeeded to dilute the legitimacy of Western world democracy. That it should have taken 47 years for an American president to challenge Iran is absurd. Trump, as a practiced entertainer, seeks to divert attention from his personally egregious behaviour in order to preserve himself from impeachment and jail – though I wager his doom is already predictable.
The reaffirmation of morality and universal generosity in the face of impending peril and misfortune is a welcome alteration. It really is hard from the depths of one’s cave to challenge the forces of self-interest in government. But the change of leadership to those dedicated to serving their constituents is a good start. Reckoning the collapse of isolationism – and acknowledging the interdependence of us all – will only improve international relationships. The object is not to bully others into agreement. The insufferable jousting hyperboles of JD Vance and Donald J. Trump are tarsome childish retail. Even the Pope spoke out against Trump who as usual rebutted with “Back off, Haters!”. His capacity for compromise is negligible. The demise to this from the threat to destroy a civilization is not unexpected.