The following article is included in my new book, Donald Trump: Deadbeat Tyrant, published 13th January, 2021. A French philosopher once noted of the Roman Empire’s fall: If the chance of one battle — that is, a particular cause — has brought a state to ruin, some general cause made…

A few weeks ago, a majestic waterway that flows and meanders through the jungle before feeding the most majestic of all rivers, the Amazon, was rapidly drying up. As the Rio Negro — itself one of the most voluminous rivers in the world — diminished during a particularly dry spell…

The United States of America is once more booming, apparently. The economy, according to recently released figures, grew 5.2% in the third quarter of 2023 — an increase that surpassed expectations. Corporate profits were up in the same quarter by more than 4%, helping drive wages higher which in turn…

As the bombs rain down on Gaza and a tragic humanitarian catastrophe unfolds, some of Europe’s most powerful nations have given their unconditional backing to Israel. Such support not only includes military assistance and diplomatic cover but also involves a crackdown on the various protests and rallies seeking to demonstrate…

Less than two weeks after Hamas launched its unprecedented invasion into southern Israel, Joe Biden is set to touch down in Tel Aviv for a visit to one of America’s closest allies. His arrival comes as the Israeli military continues to bombard the densely populated Gaza strip in preparation for…

The Middle East has once more become the scene of horrific bloodletting. The latest bout of violence erupted on the 7th of October when the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, launched a surprise invasion into southern Israel. Unexpectedly bursting through the high-tech fence with which the Israeli government has long imprisoned…

Karl Marx once wrote something along the lines of “history repeats itself: first as tragedy, second as farce”. Sometimes, however, this sequence finds itself reversed. We can in fact point to such an occasion today. Let’s begin with the farce. In March 2021 a container ship called the Ever Given…

The town of Oberndorf in Austria recently experienced a temperature of 36.1°C. Not that unusual for the summer, of course. Yet the fact that this temperature was recorded at midnight surely makes it yet another record breaker for our rapidly changing climate. It is not the only record to have…

Nobody likes bad weather. However, if you happened to be a tomato plant you would find it particularly inconvenient. When temperatures drop too low you would be unable to produce fruit, which as far as I’m concerned is the whole point of your existence. For us humans, that means no…