There is a theme in this morning's news.
The FT has named Donald Trump as their person of 2024.
What is apparent is that 2025 is the year in which he intends to wreak havoc.
Overnight, he indicated he does not wish the US Congress to make further progress with a bipartisan Bill that was expected to pass which would unlock further funding for the US Federal government, which was facing closure of some programmes this weekend unless the Bill was passed. Now, it seems likely that it will not be. As a result, some US armed forces will not be paid. I am not sure that they voted for that. But will Trump care? I very much doubt it. What does he care about functioning government?
New legal cases, against the media in the first instance, are suggesting Trump will use intimidation as his weapon of choice. He has launched legal action against a newspaper in Iowa for publishing an opinion poll suggesting he might not win the state in November. His allegation is that this had malicious intent. He won the state. The message is very clear. He wants a compliant press.
Other reports suggest that the actions he plans against those who sought his prosecution over the last four years are ready to roll. This could get very nasty, and is a straightforward threat to democracy and the rule of law.
And the ripples are spreading. The stress of managing the fallout from Trump is helping destabilise the Canadian government, although I am aware it is not the only issue in play.
And here, the threat of Musk might destabilise our political system, to not put too fine a point on matters. Unless Labour acts to prevent this - and I am not convinced they will - the likelihood that our democracy will finally collapse looks to be high to me.
Threats, intimidation, disdain for the rule of law, government - except as an instrument for personal advancement - and indifference to people have all been a part of the far-right agenda for a long time. Let's not pretend they will not be used anymore. It is obvious that they will be. The question now is, what can be done to stop this?
The answers are fairly obvious:
1) Controls in party funding.
2) Tight election spending limits.
3) Electoral reform to end the chance of majority government based on low levels of electoral support.
4) People, rather than finance, focussed government - because that is, very obviously, what we need.
This is deliverable. But will we get it and so prevent the threat from a toxic USA? I really do not know. But I have to live in hope.
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So if government “stops” then it’s employees just don’t get paid and have to suck it up?
I already knew that employment contracts don’t exist in the way we have here.
The more I learn about USA, the more I just don’t get it..
The US provides us with many excellent examples of how not to do things, yet our stupid politicians always seem to look there for inspiration. If they’re so keen on the American way, perhaps they should go and live there instead?
Liz Cheney chaired the House investigation in the Jan 6th 2021 insurrection. Republicans in the House of Representatives are planning to investigate and probably prosecute her. She won’t be alone, I am sure.
This looks like Fascism.
It is fascism, Ian. Not perhaps of the Third Reich kind, but fascism none the less. Iirc, Richard touched on this topic once.
Fascism need not be Nazi, but it is still fascism, nonetheless.
Starmer is cosying up to Trump already with many un-minuted meetings. How is he going to deal with political refugees, of which there may be some very high profile types? Or are they off to a safer country with more intransigent government?
If it walks like a fascist, quacks like a fascist, acts like a fascist, chances are it’s a fascist.
This year’s BBC Radio 4 Reith Lectures is being given by forensic psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead. The series is entitled ‘Four Questions about Violence’, and the second lecture’s title was ‘But Aren’t They All Evil?’
Dr Adshead summarised evil states of mind as follows:
1. Cognitive disturbance – rigidity of thinking
2. Hyper individualism – egocentricity
3. Entitlement – control
4. Personal moral rule book
5. Denigration of victims
6. Dehumanise victims
7. Self-deception – rejection of truth
Please bear in mind that Dr Adshead was addressing her practice’s vast experience of patients/prisoners detained/sentenced by order of the court following criminal prosecution. And I also bear in mind that, I, as a parish priest am ultra-careful when I hear the word ‘evil’ used. Dr Adshead counsels to use ‘evil’ adjectivally, not as a noun.
That all said, applied in a political context, the name of the subject of Richard’s piece immediately came to mind against several of the headings in the seven-point summary. So much to lament!
A transcript of Dr Adshead’s lecture may be found here:
https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2024/Reith_2024_Lecture2.pdf
I must take a listen
Surely Trump cant just take revenge prosecutions against political or media opponents – the US courts hopefully still have a degree of independence.
Or is that pie in teh sky hope?
Cant see Starmer implenting Richard’s three much needed things to clean UK politics , which now runs almost entirely on corrupt money, and which Starmer has absorbed into his nu nu Labour project
I fear the courts will cave in
Report, they are heavily politically influenced in the US
FYI
John Oliver on Trump: ‘He’s reshaped the judiciary from top to bottom
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/sep/30/john-oliver-trump-courts
President Trump’s lasting legacy – International Bar Association
https://www.ibanet.org/article/702c2a73-11cd-46a6-b238-f95c303dbe9e
The Orbanisation of America: Hungary’s lessons for Donald Trump
https://ecfr.eu/publication/the-orbanisation-of-america-hungarys-lessons-for-donald-trump/
Thanks
There are three levels of courts: federal, state, and county, each independent of the other. Whether they would all cave in or how much, I couldn’t say.
Remember that local judges are elected, and more senior ones, subject to political vetting, and the MOST senior, appointed by the President, and approved by Congress. So it can get VERY political indeed.
Of course over here in UK we have an almost totally opaque process, with regard to appointment, and who gets to sit for the political cases like Assange, or pro-Palestine “terror” cases. Now there is pressure to reduce jury trials because of court backlogs.
What it is to have a human rights lawyer for PM.
Only America could turn the concept of freedom into a cult.
And it is always freedom ‘from’ something negative, never freedom ‘to’ – to do something positive.
If I had a vote for person of the year I would have picked Gisèle Pelicot.
Her courage and dignity are extraordinary.
By going to trial and refusing to accept the shame that many victims feel there is a very good chance that aspects of culture might change for the better in France and beyond.
Instead we have another organisation picking Trump as their person of the year, someone who epitomises a lot of what is wrong with the world.
Much to agree with
America has used its power against many countries over the years. Much of their so called southern border crisis is caused by their economic sanctions against many of the countries of the south that impoverish the people. Their unquestioning support of Israel by supplying arms and allowing their occupation and invasion of neighboring countries continues to fuel the genocide there. I guess now the so called “West” or “advanced countries ” are going to feel what unrestrained US power feels like. Time we all started cutting ties where we can and becoming more independent of the US. Start small but stay determined.
America’s greatest achievement is convincing people that they are ‘the good guys’. They never have been.
I think that Labour will move swiftly to block Musk from donating to Reform. If only because failing to do so would open the floodgates to other oligarchs corrupting our politics even further.
Well, it’ll be fine (???!!!): we’ll have an ambassador who can manage everything.
BBC News – Lord Mandelson expected to be named as UK ambassador to US
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpvnlxxp8jko
Mandelson is a terrible choice
Ho long before he has to be recalled?