We would be naive to think we have seen the worst of Trump
In early October, Donald Trump informed one of his red-neck rallies that he had recently reminded the ageing Saudi king Salman that he and his dynasty wouldn’t last two weeks if it were not for American support. If his report of that conversation is true ( and unfortunately that is uncertain, given Trump’s panache for […]
The political and constitutional factors underlying the utterly dysfunctional state of UK politics
The crisis in Westminster is entirely the making of David Cameron’s folly in committing to hold a referendum on EU membership so as to see off the UKIP challenge to the Tory right flank. That particular strategy was adopted by Cameron because of their crude “first past the post” system which still remains as a […]
Remembering Willy McDowell and the futility of the so-called Great War
On the day that’s in it, much will be written about the futility of the so-called Great War, and the struggle between the great European imperial powers to survive and dominate each other. Much also will be written about the senseless slaughter of those who joined the colours, particularly here in Ireland and lost their […]
Northern Ireland’s best hope economically lies in continuing membership of the EU and continuing membership of an all-island economy.
The time may have come to radically re-think Ireland and to consider a few options which might offer a way forward for this island. A confluence of events has suddenly accelerated the pace of potential change on this island. The fact that a majority of the people on each side of the Irish border is […]
The fate of Jamal Khasshogi may begin the unravelling of Trump’s amoral, dangerous and Darwinian policies
Jamal Khasshogi was until this month a Saudi citizen resident in the US and a regular contributor to the Washington Post – a paper quite critical of Donald Trump. He was living in self-imposed exile because he wanted to be able to write about Saudi and Middle Eastern affairs entirely free from the control of […]
By equivocating on the cruel fate of Jamal Khashoggi, Washington is effectively dipping its hands in his blood
Last week I wrote here about the horrible fate of Jamal Khashoggi. I ventured to suggest that these events, horrific as they are, could be the beginning of the end of the grotesque and arbitrary character of what passes these days for US foreign policy under Donald Trump. Nothing in the last week has diminished […]