Sunday, 16 March 2025

On the Divine Right of Presidents and Other Notes.

There’s an interesting smell coming over the water from the USA. It’s a little rancid, but interesting nonetheless. Having read about the redactions on the Arlington Cemetery website, the crackdown on Voice of America, and the invoking of a historical wartime process in order to justify the expulsion of Venezuelans, it appears that Donald Trump is rapidly shifting his position from elected President to genuine, right wing dictator.

This is fascinating because it bears a vague echo of the spat between King Charles I and the English parliament in the 17th century, and Charles eventually lost his head – literally. Remember me once saying that it might take a revolt by the military to get rid of Donald Trump? Bit of a long shot I admit, but you never know.

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A psychiatrist on YouTube told me last night that social isolation can cause changes to the brain and is a bad thing. If anybody tells me that to my face, I have my answer ready.

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And I’ve started watching the second series of the Norwegian cop drama Wisting. Did I say it was just as glum as the Swedish cop drama Wallander? It’s becoming glummer. Lovely.

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Two or three years ago I sprained my left wrist and all I could get out of a physio was ‘I don’t know what that is.’ It passed off eventually and took to making intermittent but relatively minor reappearances. Last night it came back with a vengeance, just when I need my left wrist to contribute to spring work in the garden. Not lovely. (But possibly a side effect of changes to the brain as a result of social isolation.)

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