Periodic madness resurgent

I associate the phrase 'periodic madness' of the American people with John le Carre. I have a feeling he may not have coined the phrase but he certainly used it. It resonates, and it has historical and contemporary relevance. It has been a profoundly destructive force, responsible for the civil war, Prohibition, the paranoid world view that regards all left of centre political opinions as communist, therefore tainted and candidates for rejection. A diverse range of movements illustrate its perennial relevance, perhaps none better than 'right to life' versus 'freedom of choice' which stand in stark opposition to each other. The Right to Life movement attracts supporters who do not shrink from committing murder in support of their cause, as well as destruction, including bombing of family planning clinics, suppression and censorship of education on human reproduction. On the same wave length is visceral hatred of scientific evidence that refutes and disproves the arguments made in support of their cause. Their cause is associated with right-wing political causes.

All these and many other factors, notably the political economy of the USA and disaffection with the established order of society, consolidated into a movement powerful enough, irresistible enough, to elect Donald Trump as 45th president of the United States. It's far too soon to predict the ultimate outcome but the election was tantamount to a revolution. It isn't just my innate pessimism speaking when I say that I can't see anything good or desirable coming from this presidential election. On the contrary, I can see many possibilities for bad and undesirable consequences both for the USA and for the world as a whole.