Quote of the day

"Precisely because the problem is one of temperament and character, it will not get better. It will get worse, as power intoxicates Trump and those around him. It will probably end in calamity - substantial domestic protest and violence, a breakdown of international economic relationships, the collapse of major alliances, or perhaps one or more new wars (even with China) on top of the ones we already have. It will not be surprising in the slightest if his term ends not in four or in eight years, but sooner, with impeachment or removal under the 25th Amendment. The sooner Americans get used to these likelihoods, the better."

A gloomy though realistic prognosis courtesy of Eliot A. Cohen. However, the fact that he's neither a loony Leftie or a Democrat but a card-carrying Republican who served as an adviser to Condoleezza Rice in George W. Bush's administration should give some cause for cautious optimism. As a consequence, his sober reflections on the current predicament are well worth reading.

It's to be hoped that politicians heed Cohen's warning that they should be wary of committing themselves to "moral self-destruction" by "fatally compromis[ing] their values" through serving in Trump's administration. Likewise, hopefully the American public will, as he recommends, "dedicate themselves to restoring the qualities upon which this republic, like all republics, depends: on reverence for the truth; on a sober patriotism grounded in duty, moderation, respect for law, commitment to tradition, knowledge of our history, and open-mindedness" - "all the opposites of the qualities exhibited by this president and his advisers".

(Thanks to Adam for the link.)