Is the reason billionaires like AI because they want it to take power away from those pesky liberals who threaten the irrational force of their power with their critical reasoning and ability to coalesce against them. Better the liberals are poor than uppity?

Trump's only desire is to be the dictator of dictators. In that worldview any violence that advances that agenda is justified. He is terrified of resistance by his own people, as all dictators are. Hence any resistance must be quashed no matter its source or moral force.

If only billionaires support a definition of free speech, its not about freedom. It's about compliance.

Far right governments see no problem with a collapsing economy and the loss of jobs. They see the economy as hedonistic, and privileging the wrong type of person. They desire an economy where winners and losers are determined not by merit, not by policy, or by competition between capitalist firms. Instead they wish to turn the state apparatus towards their ideal communities of privilege - wealth, religious groups or nationalist communities.

One of the little pleasures of the recent collapse in civilization is watching the clueless, hapless Farage cast about for relevance as his once precious relationship with Trump has disintegrated. The empty hearted pub landlord schtick is as hollow as his "principled" stand against Europe. Good riddance Nige.

American Libertarianism in so far as it has any content at all, knows no checks to its power. It has no morality, sees morality, values or any balance against it as limiting its own power. It has no guiding principle other than power over others. Trump's power in this frame doesn't come from the people, his supporters or MAGA, the church or any others - it is power over them. It's unstable by its very nature. Any agenda attached to this power in hope of harnessing it is doomed to fail.

The Brexit folly has been thrown into ever starker relief by the recent events in Ukraine. A collective approach from Europe against Russia is the only means by which future European security can be attained and the climate crisis averted. Although Starmer doesn't want to reopen the wounds of Brexit, it's clearer than ever that our data, our defence, our manufacturing and our energy needs must be met by a coherent Europe first approach, a conversation in which the UK must be included.

European nations should remember that despite Russia promoting the far right, and achieving electoral victories around the world in once great nations, they can set a new tone and a new direction for themselves and their partners. At the end of the day power by force alone eventually crumbles into destruction and fetishism. It does not last. Europe can create a world with partners of equal value using diplomacy and a welcoming worldview, where this fails they must meet power with power.

If you think the suspension of military aid to Ukraine is a hard but fair negotiating stance, I look forward to hearing you defend the start of American arms sales to Russia.