After Joe Biden made a fool of himself on prime time TV during the first presidential debate, it is now permissible to talk about his dementia and whether or not he should run. Those of us who pointed out that he had dementia during the last election campaign were called conspiracy theorists; I do not know what the conspiracy or the theory is, but you only have to look at him to realise that all is not well. Incidentally, the US President should be in good mental health, based on the job description, which includes declaring war and launching nuclear weapons.
Who should be the last-minute candidate is a tricky question, as Vice President Kamala Harris is not considered fit for the job and is not very popular. You get bad vibes when someone is launched two minutes to midnight. Some say it will be California Governor Gavin Newsom, others say it will be Hillary Clinton again, others guess Big Mike, and who is hiding behind that nickname you will have to Google yourself because we do not spread loose gossip here at the editorial office, no more than necessary anyway.
In France, Le Pen and the so-called far right have reaped great success. People are now considered far-right if they want lower immigration and an ordered society, otherwise her National Rally party is no more controversial than Charles de Gaulle and his political legacy. A similar, but more libertarian, far-right is also gaining ground in the UK. Nigel Farage is reaping success, while the Tories are imploding after a weak, incompetent and lame mandate. If you don’t have any policies to offer, maybe you should stay out of politics?
The success of the right could change the course of Europe. From having had bland politicians who mostly watched developments from a distance, we are now getting people into parliaments who are not afraid to get their hands dirty and take more forceful decisions. It’s been a long time since our politicians simplified things for citizens or solved problems – instead of complicating things and causing problems. Politics has become synonymous with bureaucracy, prohibitions and intricacies. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are famous names, not least in Swedish political history, who created long-term value by opening up and abolishing redundant regulatory systems.
The war in Ukraine rages on, and when Kiev is no longer reaping successes at the front, energy is put into asymmetric warfare instead, which includes missile attacks into Russian territory, and the target is not always military operations. Compare with the bombing of Donetsk from 2014 onwards. Such activities have been criticised, as the missiles are provided by the US, and often under the supervision of US military advisors. War is nasty, ugly and often pointless – most people agree on that – but why so much time is spent antagonising the biggest bear in the forest is beyond me. Everyone knows that the war either ends at the desk, or in a nuclear shelter (for those who can afford and have access to one). So let’s fast-forward to the desk and the peace agreements.
