Yes, the show is over. And that is surely a fair description of the recent election for the next President of the United States of America. Hundreds of millions of US dollars spent on a vacuous oral jousting between two people, in a manner that would entertain only the most dedicated voyeurs; entranced by a fight between two eminently unsuitable candidates for what is arguably the biggest job in the world. Some might claim that the functions of the Russia and China leaders – Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping – are as substantial. But they’re not in the same league. The USA, as the biggest democracy, is a relatively free and open society in which the corrupt and other lawbreakers are exposed and held accountable; no matter who they are. You can’t argue that for either Russia or China. And the American footprint, in a genuinely beneficent manner, is in many countries of the world. The Russians and Chinese just focus on what suits them; their do-good gestures in other countries invariably have a neo-colonial motive.
But there has to be something amiss in the world of democratic politics when the two candidates hoisted into the stratosphere of global recognition and status are a lady who can’t stop guffawing, and a man who, if he hadn’t won the election might soon be on his way to a 4 x 4 metre prison cell. He will now issue himself with a pardon; probably delivered by hand to the White House, followed by a presentation ceremony, albeit in secret.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I’ve worked with hundreds of Americans far better qualified in terms of knowledge, skills and integrity than either Mr Donald Trump or Ms Kamala Harris. How did they get to be the democratically elected leaders of their respective political parties? They were the best available in a truly mediocre field. Well, one exception to that is the now Vice-President J.D.Vance. That guy is sharp as a razor and in a class of his own in the debating chamber, already tipped to be the most powerful Vice-President in history; perhaps the next President. But he has some weird ideas – the perils of the intelligentsia.
What it boils down to is that the best brains on good, morally broad shoulders don’t go near politics. Politics is for those who seek attention, adulation, prominence and ultimately power. Not the most noble of ambitions.. And those are the leaders of our countries.
Chosen originally as Bindon’s running mate, in the 2020 election for good multi-ethnic reasons, Kamala was just in the right place at the right time; a “corker” in her youth and still a very attractive woman at the end of her sixth decade of giggling. You could not have found a more contrasting opponent than Donald Trump, with a serious expression that’s the grumpiest in town. But he’s a man used to people crawling around him. He never has to wait in a queue or worry about the household bills and school fees. He has a supreme self-confidence born out of the adulation bestowed upon people with lots of money.
In my view, it was the Democrats’ election to lose in terms of the moral and intellectual calibre of the two candidates. Harris was a professional lawyer, and we know how successful they get in politics. But can you visualise her generating political clout and sustainable support in the international political arena? Trump’s arrogant self-confidence endeared him more to the electorate and I believe he won the election for the same reason that he won it in 2016. He challenged the establishment; and did so in a manner that said – I don’t care what they think about it. The average citizen admires someone who talks like that.
This time, one way the establishment emerged was in using the intellectually elite in the media and other areas of society to denigrate anyone who was going to vote for Trump. This is cited as one good reason why Trump won – because it made the Trump supporters feistier in retaliation. That can’t have been a determinant. People generally remain with the party they’ve grown up supporting; invariably holding the baton passed to them by their parents. It’s the floating voter that has a significant impact. The polls predicting a close result can’t all have been wrong so why the “landslide” win for Trump? Simple – they liked Kamala, but she wasn’t presidential material. At voting time they just played safe. As the saying goes – the devil you know is better than the one you don’t know. Trump had been president and hadn’t done a bad job.
And when you have two main parties, the mistakes made by the party in power generally allow the other party to look good in opposition. So, time for a change. It happened with the Labour party in the UK, now the Republicans across the Atlantic. The Republicans must surely have gained hugely from the farce exhibited by the Democrats in retaining Biden long after his sell-by date.
It was a sad reflection on modern society to see Trump appoint his mates. Robert. F. Kennedy Jnr, the vaccine cynic with sexual abuse allegations to face, is in charge of Health. And he’s going to tackle the big boys of USA food products to stop the “mass poisoning of American children.” And “A Long Tusk” tossing in millions of dollars to support Trump then being appointed to trim Government spending. That’ll lighten the Government investigation into electric vehicles. Yep, money talks; and in any direction.
The wheel then embarked upon a truly remarkable life in human society through the ages and found itself one day as the humble co-component in a marvellous piece of machinery known as the bicycle.
I write this today in dedication to a victim of a fatal incident when enjoying one of the great pleasures and fitness contributors of the present age. Dr Malvern Masango was a Zimbabwean, serving as a medical practitioner in Eswatini and recently killed on the road when riding his bike. The incident is sub judice so I cannot comment further, other than to join the many who are saying – Dr Masango, may you rest in peace. In celebration of his life, together with all fellow cyclists, I offer some light-hearted words while in the spirit of dedication to the good man. It’s all about the “dandy horse.”
Two hundred years is a long time. Less so in terms of how people speak and their general standards of etiquette and social behaviour. But, in terms of technological innovation, 1824 is as far back as the Stone Age, millions of years ago. Can you imagine that early precursor to the bicycle, the first of its kind to hit society? Invented by two Germans, Baron Karl Drais and Otto Schillinger, it was the first human-powered vehicle that utilized two wheels. Their wooden design was named the “Laufmaschine” (translated from German as “running machine”), and they obtained a patent in January of 1818. D’you think that’s expired by now?This pioneering version of the modern bike was simply two wheels connected by a frame. No pedals, chains, and gears, and riders would simply use their feet to propel it forward. It may be difficult to visualise any gain to be obtained from this device. Without the chain and pedals as drivers, the drawings of that machine give the impression it must have been rather uncomfortable. The rider might just as well run. But, with a sitting opportunity in the form of a thin piece connecting the two wheels, you would at least get the luxury of the free-wheeling down an incline and some degree of assistance when leaning on the handlebars and elevating yourself slightly. Ever done a bit of that when returning the shopping trolley to its rightful home? In England, the costly device was mostly ridden by nobles. Riders were frequently ridiculed, and the device was nicknamed a “dandy horse.” Quite the talk in the affluent circles of the time, the bicycle became the vélocipède or draisienne, (for the French people) and then a pedestrian curricle; even the swiftwalker. They never lacked creative thinking in those days. It was also called a hobby horse which is a little confusing since that normally refers to a preoccupation with a favourite topic. You have strong feelings about it and talk about it whenever the opportunity arises. Synonyms might be: pet subject, obsession, preoccupation, fixation. Anyway … enough of the lecture. The first modern bicycle that used the rotary crank, drive chain and pedals appeared on the market around in 1860s. Even though it was again made of wood and would shake the users violently (its nickname was the “boneshaker”) it consigned the dandy-horse to history. |
Over the next two hundred years human society – well, the clever members thereof – added a very handy device that enabled us to dispense with the dandy-horse and spare the legs. The owner could actually sit in it and eat his breakfast at the same time, though that is illegal, depending of course on the content of the meal. A tasty little roll harms no one, but a knife and fork job is definitely off limits. It is rumoured in the world left by Peter Cook that this remarkable invention was called the “smokyairbangbang” but someone nipped in quickly the following day and called it the “motor car.”
Unlike its two-wheel predecessor, the motor car became a domineering member of future society. In your growing years the dream of a happy and fruitful life ahead with a rewarding career, family and home to match may have been dwarfed into insignificance by the desire to one day own a four-wheeler like a Bentley or Maserati. And whatever vehicle you ultimately drove, the way you did so would also define your broader behaviour as a human being. You are how you drive. The gracious and considerate, the impatient and selfish are all seen as such when behind the fifth wheel.