Tag: Donald Trump

  • A new Thrasymachus

    A new Thrasymachus

    What is justice?  For the current President of the United States of America, the answer to that question is directly and exclusively linked to another – who holds power over others?  In his White House dialogue with Volodymir Zelinskyy on 28 February, Donald Trump told him ‘you don’t have the cards right now’.  It follows…

  • Welcome back, Benito

    Welcome back, Benito

    On 20 January Donald Trump, having been sworn in at the start of his second term as US President, outlined in his acceptance speech his mission for the next four years.  Simply, he would put America first.  He blamed ‘the radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens’ for the broken…

  • What happens when a politician lies?

    What happens when a politician lies?

    A few years ago, the answer to that question would have been obvious.  If the lie came to light, and was serious enough, he or she would have been in grave trouble – and might even have had to resign.  Today the answer would be – precisely nothing.  This is so common that almost nobody…

  • A waxwork opens an embassy

    A waxwork opens an embassy

    Like many people – or at least like many non-Londoners – I was only dimly aware that the American government was building a new UK embassy in London, when Mr Donald J Trump kindly drew our attention to its imminent opening. According to a recent tweet it seems Mr Trump was planning to come and…

  • The new eschatology

    The new eschatology

    As 2016 comes to an end the heavens are full of what Flann O’Brien’s great scientist De Selby called ‘black air’.  A long night, it appears, is about to fall on two continents.  In the United States a plutocratic bully and egomaniac with the crudest social and political attitudes is about to take power, unrestrained…