It’s easier to rant away, getting high on the word buzz and flow than it is to write a considered piece on, say, why I/you/we may feel totally without purchase, voiceless and without the wherewithal to change what’s going on. Sure, we can vote, we can march, we can write columns like this one, but what does it change? The orange blob and his war criminal mates are still in power in Israel and Russia, and are more than happy to drive forward the false narratives and criminal actions to the detriment of every citizen in the world. It’s important to remember that these leaders are inhumane and hate everyone but themselves. Of course, by everyone I mean every citizen. I don’t mean the men with rather large pockets who fund these fools. “Every citizen” strikes fear into these men because they are the awkward squad who at their most dangerous demand better. But what happens when one demands better of leaders who, at best think their citizenry are irritating, or at worst hate every single one of them. What do you do with a problem like Putin, Trump or Netanyahu? The ballot box or protest movements (and both come with their own risks). Trouble is the grass looks greener but the alternatives are sometimes just as bad. And maybe that’s the real issue, world leaders like those mentioned (and many others) now fully represent the oligarch, kleptocrat, and business class whose only interest is what happens to their profits. They have no interest in welfare, the living wage, state ownership of utilities or creating a fair society with functioning health service and schools. Take Reform. An infant right-wing party whose chops have been nicked from Trump, Putin et al. Low tax, low spending with a hatred of anyone not like them: white, male and rich (I refuse to speculate on why British born Asian men and woman hold positions of power in this party). With a toehold gained in the local elections, and with the most threadbare manifesto in the history of British politics (send them back, fix pot-holes), people seem to think these utter charlatans care about them. Care about stuff like the NHS, decent schools, and clean rivers, when their ultimate aim is a plot stolen from a Robert Harris novel: to create a society based on something Hitler had planned for Britain just before we slapped him in the face with our Hurricanes, Spitfires and indomitable spirit. You know what I mean. White is right. Rich is rich. Poor stay poor. And this is attractive to a large minority of voters? Are that many people self-hating grumps and racists who can’t see the bigger Reform picture? One where portraits of Trump and Putin hang alongside Churchill and Atlee in Nigel Farage’s office. A prime minister’s office funded by taxpayers like you and me and dodgy blokes like Christopher Harborne. Welcome to little league Trump. Does anyone really want this?