# 375 – How to spell ‘Inauguration’

How to spell ‘Inauguration’

I was informed that everyone is waiting with bated breath for my comments on the current crisis in the USA. Here goes….

In my humble opinion, just like the word ‘democracy’, everyone’s confused about the what’s actually supposed to happen next Wednesday.

Sadly and usurpingly, I have friends ‘on the Left’, and friends ‘on the Right’. What they don’t seem to realise is that they have become so far apart, that the only way they can communicate is to shout at the top of their lungs. And when shouting like that, who on Earth can hear clearly?

They’re fortifying DC as if preparing for an invasion from Mars. So sad. Yet the Right (and Trump, who, originally as a Democrat and then as a classic Independent, invaded the poor Republicans – they never knew what hit them) loves to remind us that the main rioters over recent years have been the radical Left. And that it’s a sick joke that Trump is impeached.

Fact is that, 4 years ago, the Democrats, despite having actually won the popular vote, took a step back and let the age-old democratic process take its course. It can be argued that they had more reason than Trump to complain, but they didn’t. Trump’s Inauguration Day went ahead as peacefully as could have been hoped.

I’m sorry to say, from my very Centrist position, that it’s Trump the Man who is shaking up the system. I watched his speech to his fans down the road, while the electoral votes were being confirmed, and as soon as he strongly encouraged the crowd to march on the Capitol, it was obvious to me that there would be trouble.

Everyone knew that his crowd of fans included some extremists (as do practically all such demonstrations nowadays – just itching for a fight). It was so predictable. He could have called the majority of them back – and they may have listened. The extremists could then perhaps have been controlled by the meagre number of officers available. (Big question as to why more reinforcements were not called upon. One predictable answer is that hundreds may have been killed instead if the actual few).

Trump’s pathetic post-event 5 min. reading go how sorry he was etc. was….pathetic.

So now we worry about the future of US politics. First of all, the Republicans need to go back to being decent Republicans. And, of course, the Democrats must retreat from the extreme Left and renew their backroom friendships with those from across the aisle. Opposition is healthy; war is not.

In a terrific discussion I recently watched, they wished that Uncle Sam (did you realise that the abbreviation is U.S.?) should be used just as the monarchy is used in the UK.

Say what you want about the subject, see what you want to see in the ’The Crown’ series, but note the fact that even the great and aged Churchill – once a week – had to go to Buck. Palace and report the week’s events to this very young lady. She was only the niece of the real king. (And that very uncle, before and after his abdication, was meeting his friend, Adolf Hitler). Churchill has to bow to his Queen, usually had to stay standing, and this he did, without argument. The Monarchy, in modern times, has never had the actual power to do much with this weekly information, but somehow it was the ‘step back’, the ‘taking breath’, that the democratic system requires.

Can you imagine Trump humbly standing in front of Uncle Sam and laying out the weekly proceedings?

And what’s happening here in Israel?

We’re still #1 in the World with vaccinations, but we’re also still at the stage where things will get worse before they get better. Bibi is praying that the virus will be ‘under control’ by the time of the next elections in March, so that he can take the credit and hang on for another 40 years.

The country that already has the reputation for multiple political parties has recently been creating a few more. (I promise there won’t be more than 120 parties at the next election). Main reason seems to be that no one can accept being #2 to anyone else.

Interesting that it’s fairly certain that the Arab vote will collapse ‘as a block’.  Until now ‘The Joint List’ currently consists of 4 parties cleverly working together to gain more seats: 15 in the last election, which made them the 3rd largest party. This time, 1 party looks like joining Netanyahu, another is setting up a new Arab/Jewish party and a third is also negotiating to form an alliance with a Jewish party.

One continuing unknown is if and when Netanyahu is to be indicted on the various charges against him.

And a lot depends on the how to work with the Democrats on the major Middle East issues –

Iran – Pompeo has been raising the storm against Iran in recent days, resulting in a US/Israel attack on Iran, killing at least 60 ‘militants’. Unbelievable what’s happening at the Capitol – also unbelievable how close we are to all-out conflict with Iran. And that nuclear button is thrown in there somewhere. You think I’m not serious?

And me, in the Centre, has no idea whether Obama (Biden) or Trump know how to handle the Ayatollahs.

Abraham Accords – We are on a run here. True that the new alliances will create a good/bad divide which is never healthy. But first things first: Israel’s warming of relations with so many M.E. countries is fantastic. Thank-you Mr Trump. I hope Biden is not foolish enough to interfere negatively. (John Kerry’s been given the ‘Climate’ office; please keep him far away from here).

Sheldon Adelson died last week. One of the World’s richest men (and with his lovely wife of over 30 years, one of the richest couples). Perfect example of ’split news’. On the one hand, he has been Trump and Netanyahu’s greatest supporters. On perhaps the same hand, he has made most of his fortunes in the gambling and entertainment world , primarily in Vegas and Macau. But if you go through the list of their philanthropic projects, a lot of their monies were well-spent. And that includes incredible support for Israel, including Birthright, the funding of trips to Israel for American Jewish youth, so that they can be made aware of their roots – and possible futures.

I had my first jab; 2nd next week.

I had negative corona test yesterday – in advance of a back operation tomorrow.

I hope to be completely conscious in time for the Man Utd. Vs Liverpool match tomorrow evening..

Stephen