Way back, in 2017, when Trump's arrival astonished most of us, and we were all trying to understand what on Earth had happened, I wrote this piece, as much as anything, to sort out my own thoughts. What kind of politician was he really? What was going on in America? And what would this shocking event mean for collective management of the climate problem?

This time, these questions, and plenty of others are back with a vengeance. In some ways we're better informed about answers; in others perhaps even more perplexed. And of course, now, the condition of democracy in the human world looks more precarious than ever.

The essay is still at least partly relevant, so here it is.

30/11/2024

What does Trump mean? For the conduct of affairs? For the fate of democracy? For our grandkids' future?