New for 2021; we introduce a regular column by one of our contributors. Note: this column is meant to be a bit controversial. Comments are open.
As the disaster of 2020 is now behind us, let’s look forward to a better 2021, where we hope things will come roaring back.
Over the past four years allies have lost trust in the United States. Trust is closely related to truth, all world leaders have lied, but never on the epic scale of Trump. The GOP has once again handed over an economy in crisis, even before COVID it was an utter mess, as they did in 2008, due to their incompetence and utter greed (to put it politely). Can President Biden get it back?
We finally say goodbye to the Turnip later this month who, true to most of his business life, failed at just about everything while president; no health care reform; a record national debt even before COVID; the trade deficit at a record high, with imports from China leading that; the war goes on in Afghanistan; a Palestine/Israel two state solution further away than ever by dividing the Arabs; the initial denial, then disastrous dealing with COVID; climate change denial; a domestic suicide and opiod crisis; the list goes on.
It is perhaps timely to reflect on what he actually achieved in the past four years, and who benefited, apart from the super-rich, (which is a given from any right wing leader; it’s their payback). I believe he succeeded in only one big thing; to turn Americans on each other, dividing the nation more than at any time since the civil war. Post trump we all need to still be very diligent as the institutions of hate that have mushroomed over the past four years inside and outside the US will not simply go away, the bigger crisis is well outlined here by Chris Hedges. Fear of prosecution is also why he was desperately trying to cling to power, like any two bit dictator, but it’s nice to see the Senate at last, use their veto on him recently.
The prime supporter and hopeful beneficiary was Putin’s Russia. They have the financial dirt on the turnip and used him as their Manchurian Candidate, to divide the country and also to divide NATO in Europe. Putin wants to put the USSR back together again and also to claw Russia back out of the Crimea sanctions imposed in 2014. Putin was also instrumental in influencing the vote on Brexit to divide Europe, which appears to have worked, but NATO has held so far. The Bear is back.
They have not given up (the recent massive cyberattack on the US is almost certainly from Russia) and will try and destabilise the Biden government by spreading lies and disinformation via the IRA (not the one you think).
Later in January one of trump’s many bankrupt casinos is going to be blown up, Atlantic City is auctioning the right to press the button, a fitting end to a disastrous presidency. I hope someone donates it to one of the turnips contractors he screwed or one of his other ex mistresses, or whatever. Pity it is not scheduled for 20 January.
Many Brits think Vincent Price was the master of horror movie acting; even tho’ he was a yank. Judge for yourself in the 1959 film HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (the original not the 1999 version which like all remakes, sucks), available free above. He was also a great cook.
Word of the week; well three actually – ‘Dunning–Kruger effect’ is a cognitive bias in which people with low ability at a task overestimate their ability. It is related to the cognitive bias of illusory superiority and comes from people’s inability to recognize their lack of ability. Without the self-awareness of metacognition, people cannot objectively evaluate their level of competence. To put it simply, this explains a lot about the past four years.
Tip of the week: Make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D. This is a really good explanation of why that is and how it works in fighting COVID -19 among other ailments, and why most of us are not getting enough of it in particular older people.
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