‘United we stand’ chants the crowd, hoping to avoid having to add the corollary ‘Divided we fall’. You don’t hear much of either of these at present because the free world is so ashamed of its reaction to Trump. He has used the No 1 political office on the planet to desecrate values and standards that it took many generations to define. How has he done it?
Increasingly widespread corruption in the world has played into his hands. It has gotten so bad that we all agree the objective must be to correct it. Trump has this objective firmly fixed in the minds of those who regard good purpose as justifying any method to achieve it.
Purpose is an important key to success but method is shackled to it.
Study any business that prioritises profit over safety. There are plenty to choose from.
Purpose >< Method – PM – should be a rallying cry for those in a position to guide and teach. If we don’t align the two we will endorse nuclear war. We are frighteningly near it already. Good people of peaceful intent kneel in front of the Colossus to appease him. When they do he laughs. Another Gain, another Grin. It looks cumulative, it is cumulative, until one day a squeaky voice from the depths of the crowd cries “Naked”. At first many respond with ‘Shut up’ and ‘Get away’. When the murmuration sees the logic of it, it swoops to claim it as its own.
Humanity is not a murmuration, even when we behave like one. We still need a leader to stand up and shout ‘Naked’. Has Mark Carney, Canada’s Prime Minister, now become that leader? He sees the wrath and ire of a dictator as phony, which is a great start.
He has shown the courage to lead.
History will look at today’s geopolitical scene and say ‘Crazy’. But its first indictment will be the passive participants, not the cause. Common sense will tell our successors that our responsibility is the human being. Mr Carney has grasped that.
Will it be enough to change the direction of the murmuration? I hope so.
My personal life was disrupted twice by despots, one when I was aged ten and again when I was late thirties. I coped but I did not stand up to them for fear of failure.
I would have been a stronger person if I had done so.
Good morning
John Bittleston
What do you think? Please tell us at [email protected].
22 January 2026
