A plague on them all! Oops, sorry. Where was I? Here, maybe. Tommy Double-Barrelled Name recently went to Russia. He was invited by the relative of some tech millionaire billionaire trillionaire who has had his grubby fingers in so many pies, even he was confused what pie tipped him over the edge into becoming one of the richest men in the solar system. Apparently, Tommy wasn’t interested in the money, just the vibes. Right-wing vibes. Bully Ukraine vibes. Bully anyone vibes. Especially anyone not white and rich and powerful. Truth established, what have we got, Tommy? Who’s your sugar daddy, you Russian stooge? You Manchurian candidate. And still some people can’t see it. When reality doesn’t really work, “alternative facts” make much more sense, and, let’s face it, you may as well be a useful idiot rather than just an idiot. Obsessed by potholes, boats and brown skin while Tommy DBN enjoys the crumbs dropped from a trillionaire’s table. Now here’s some alternative facts for you. Tommy DBN loves rich men. And rich men love Tommy. Dichotomy much? When oil, water and bullshit turn into an unattractive slurry maybe it’s worth looking beyond Trumpist and right-wing tabloid hyperbole to a reality which has always existed. Rich men want and need power because they want to remain rich men. They don’t want to be taxed. They’d rather you had no idea how they acquired their ill-gotten gains. And they certainly don’t want their money to be used to help people out of poverty or to be used to save the planet, because contributing to those noble endeavours means a loss of money and thus, power. The simple fact is that for those men greater democracy and greater accountability means a loss of their power. The power that only comes from hitching a ride on the politicians they think might be the next in line to take over (or have an influence), be that a Donald, a Boris or a Tony. Will Tommy DBN ever be leader of this country? Of course not, but he’s one of the human by-products of the current political discourse that may make enough of a difference to give Britain a Nigel. A rich man’s PM, and, thus, a rich man’s tool to greater profits and influence. There are reasons why Tony became a war criminal just as there are reasons why Keir fought tooth and nail to keep Rachel Reeves’ nonsensical economic ‘rules’ and in the process obliterated Labour’s election base. The rich men have got most politicians by the balls. Those politicians that rebel or try and go their own way are classed as a ‘threat to democracy’ or the ‘enemy within’ by the world’s media who are owned by, yes, the rich men who own the politicians. And that, as Yossarian once said, is a perfect Catch 22.