TIME FOR TRUMP TO GO GRACEFULLY

 What does Donald Trump think he's achieving ?

4 years ago he effectively bought the Presidency of the United States, something that, in itself, is nothing unusual. Rich families, think the Kennedy and Bush clans for starters, have habitually attempted to buy power in that, and most other supposed democracies, but Trump is one of the few to have achieved his goal while not being a member of the political elite. In fact, Trump wasn't even a politician of any sort and yet he still convinced the Republican party to back him and enough states to vote for him.

However, in 2020, it seems that his charisma, money, or whatever else earned support in 2016, has deserted him and he's now joined the ranks of the 'one-term Presidents', except he doesn't see it that way. In Trump's mind, he actually won the Presidential election but has been denied his just victory by various nefarious manoeuvres on the part of his opponent, Joe Biden. He has challenged the results in several states but despite finding that even Republican legislators will not support his claims, he has continued to refuse to accept the overall result. The consequence is that the usual smooth handover of authority from one administration to the next is being imperilled. 

It's been suggested that Donald Trump or one of his children may run for the Presidency at the next opportunity in 2024. Surely they must realise that the present situation makes any such ambitions untenable. No democracy is perfect and voting systems can be subject to abuse but President Trump's continued refusal to accept the result of an election in one of the world's premier democracies is akin to that of some dictator in a third world nation. His behaviour has done nothing but bring him into ridicule and to make any further political ambitions either he or his family members may have subject to the closest scrutiny.

This has not been a close fought election, Joe Biden has won decisively. It's not a 'hanging chads' moment, it's a clear cut result. If Donald Trump is to salvage any semblance of respect from what has become a debacle, he needs to acknowledge this result very quickly; otherwise he will go down in history as the least democratic of all Presidents as well as being remembered much more for the manner of his exit than his entrance and achievements. 

WE NEED MORE LIKE PRITI PATEL !

 Home Secretary Priti Patel is at the centre of a political row about bullying. It's claimed that she bullied various individuals in various departments of government in which she's worked in recent years and the Labour Party sees this as an opportunity to berate the Prime Minister. However .....

Exactly what is 'bullying' ? A few years ago, bullying was principally seen as being a physical offence, that is, bullies physically assaulted their victims. Today, that definition has been gradually extended so that now bullying encompasses all manner of highly subjective activity, much of it 'in the eye of the beholder'. Basically, bullying occurs whenever the supposed victim says it does, in similar manner to the ludicrous 'hate crimes' with which we have now been lumbered.

It seems that Ms Patel may be the type of manager who expects her staff to do what she tells them and expects results; when things don't go according to plan, she may have, on occasion, become angry and shouted or otherwise expressed her displeasure. When I was somewhat younger, this would have been perfectly usual and the failing staff member would have been contrite and done their best to put things right; the matter would have ended there. 

Today, the recipients of such behaviour seem to collapse in tears, shaking with fear and claiming that they've been 'bullied'; accepting responsibility for their failings never seems to occur to them. These poor delicate little flowers have to be cosseted for fear that they may be unable to cope with the nasty world of reality.

Frankly, most such claims are nothing but bullshit, though the environment in which we all now live is one that supports the supposed victim over and above all others; in essence, we live in a culture in which victimhood dominates while responsibility is ignored.

If Ms Patel did, indeed, shout at a few overblown and self important civil servants, so what ? I say "Good on her !" Surely it's about time that these time-serving mandarins accepted that they are 'servants', not masters, pulled their socks up and did what they're told, rather than finding every possible means, in the style of Sir Humphrey, to frustrate their Minister's policies.

BIDEN VICTORY OPENS WAY FOR REPUBLICANS IN 2024.

Well, the American population has voted but the question now is "What have they really voted for ?" Indeed, have they voted FOR anything at all or has this been more about voting against the outsider, Donald Trump ?

Despite the almost universal vilification, lampooning and virtual demonization of Donald Trump, many millions more cast their votes in his favour than did so 4 years ago. However, many more also cast their votes for his opponent, Joe Biden, than voted for Hilary Clinton in 2016 and it seems that it will be Biden who is sworn in as President in January. 

It may be relevant that, although Trump was elected as the official candidate of the Republican Party and stood again in that capacity, the Party has been remarkably quiet throughout the campaign - basically, it doesn't like Trump who is not, and has never been, a member of the political elite. It may even be that the 'Grand Old Party' will be quite happy to see the back of a man whom they despise and perfectly willing to accept 4 years of a Democrat in the White House as the price they have to pay. After all, things will be very different come 2024.

Biden will be 78 in a few days time and surely will be a one-term President; no one can believe that he will consider remaining in office until the age of 86, or that voters would want him to. Consequently, the Democrats have almost certainly already selected their candidate for next time around - Biden's Vice-President Kamala Harris. 

Harris's political experience is limited to say the least; she has been District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General for California, neither post being truly representative, and has been a junior member of the Senate for only 4 years. Her selection as Biden's running mate also seems to owe more to her sex and ethnicity than political background. As the candidate in 2024, Harris is likely to be another highly divisive figure, with many Americans strongly opposed to her left of centre approach. 

In truth, the Republican Party must surely be preparing itself already to regain power with what it will see as a 'true' Republican in 2024. It knows its probable opponent and has 4 years to find and promote suitable high profile and high calibre candidates for the primaries of that year well in advance of any voting. 

 If it fails to discover a winner it will have only itself to blame.