The world is totally divided between democrats and dictators

Yet another example has come to light of how the world is divided between democratially-elected countries and autocratically-orchestrated countries. Twas ever thus, especially in the Cold War but we are in a new era and growing proof of this global divide just makes the planet that much more dangerous. The latest example is Venezuela. Ruled by the dictator Nicolas Maduro since he came to power in 2013, a so-called election has taken place and Maduro was reelected but only after massive rigging of the votes. So he stays in power and will continue to ruin the country's economy which he has done so successfully in the past decade. Millions of Venezuelans have fled the country, leaving behind their homes and possessions to try and find a safer and more hopeful life. So any right-minded international leader would condemn the fraudulent election. But of course Russia and China both leapt in to give their congratulations and support to Maduro. Vladimir Putin and Xi Zinping don't worry about fraud and ruined economies and desperate families and violent repression. They want to show the world, and in particular Washington, that democracy is outdated and that dictatorships are best and here to stay. So they offer their devotion to Maduro, even as he sends in his troops to attack protesters and kill them in the streets. The US should have done something about Venezuela a long time ago but half-heartedly supported the then opposition leader but without any form of back-up. Maduro, backed up by Russia and Cuba, survived easily and stuck two fingers at Washington and his own people. Now Venezuela is doomed and will never recover.

A full war between Israel and Hezbollah is imminent or is it?

It seems like Israel and Hezbollah are always on the point of going to full-scale war. Since the Hamas atrocities in Israel on October 7 and the retaliatory war in Gaza, the threat from Hezbollah in Lebanon has increased on a weekly basis. The northern front has been a potential war zone for Israel for so long. Now it's definitely getting worse and after the rocket attack on the school football pitch in the Golan Heights which killed 12 children, the likelihood of a major conflict is almost inevitable. And yet Washington is taking a very cool sort of approach implying that beneath the surface and behind the scenes there is a massive diplomatic push going on to prevent a war. John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council and an adviser to President Biden, adopted a very cool approach yesterday when asked whether war was inevitable. He said not, and indicated diplomacy was the top priority. How you do diplomacy with Hzxbollah I don't know, especially as it's backed by Iran. But Washington must have some cards to play which are holding back a disastrous confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah. Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to take revenge against Hezbollah for the deaths of the children, so there will be retaliatory strikes. But a troop invasion of southern Lebanon? That's what Washington is trying to stop. John Kirby knows what's going on diplomatically but he's not saying. All will depend on Netanyahu and what he approves. After meeting Biden and Kamala Harris and Donald Trump during last week's trip to the US, perhaps he will go for a more modest revenge attack. Israel really cannot afford to wage two wars at the same time right now.

Trump never laughs!

In comparison with Kamala Harris whose broad grin and cheerful face are there for all to see every day, Donald Trump is not a grinner, not a smiler and definitely never a laugher. It's one of the weird things about Trump which has been particularly noticed by Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota who revealed this in a TV interview. It's true, Trump is famous for his scowls, his angry looks, his strangely pursed lips, his fist pumps and his pointing. But have you ever heard him laugh? I don't think so. It's one of the many things now being given minute examination. His running-mate JD Vance also never looks particularly happy, although you can understand it when so many very weird things are coming out of the woodwork about his past life and past comments on social media. This guy is definitely weird. Provided she doesn't do or say anything really stupid or embarrassing over the next three and a bit months, I think Kamala Harris could smile her way into the White House in November. Trump these days looks old, grumpy and vengeful. Not good characteristics to be the next president of the United States.

Trump says only he can prevent a Third World War

After his meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, at his resort in Florida, Donald Trump gave a pretty alarming prediction. He told reporters that if he wasn't elected as president in November, there would be a major Middle East war and probably a Third World War. Or to put it another way, if Kamala Harris is elected in November, there would be a major war in the Middle East and a Third World War. That is what he is implying. He has always said he would end the war in Ukraine even before taking up office (in January 2025), if he wins the election, and he has encouraged Netanyahu to fnish off the job in Gaza as quickly as possible. The only problem with dismissing Trump's prediction of a Third wWrld War unless he is sitting in the Oval Office is that a lot of other people recently have been warning about the threat of a Third wWrld War, including the new head of the British Army. So, is Kamala Harris ready to step in and ensure there is no Third World War? Or will she follow Joe Biden and keep arming Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Russia, and would she consider not arming Israel because of her concern about Palestinian deaths? We don't yet know the answer to these questions, nor do we know what cunning scheme Trump has up his sleeve to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office.

Why did the Obamas take so long to endorse Kamala Harris?

Barack and Michelle Obama have at last endorsed Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. It took them five days to ring her and in a publicised call congratulated her and promised their endorsement. Kamala was duly gratified. But she, like everyone , must have been thinking: "Why did you take so long?" Biden endorsed her straightaway, so did Nancy Pelosi, the legendary former Speaker of the House. The Obamas sounded like it was the simplest thing to make the call and wish her well but what was going on between Sunday when Biden stepped down and today when they picked up the phone? By all accounts they weren't happy with Biden's decision to endorse her without considering the alternative which was to hold a primary with other candidates coming forward. In other words, they didn't really rate Kamala and wanted others to get a chance to go for the nomination. But Biden's announcement put paid to that, so the Obamas had little choice but to phone and endorse Kamala or risk the damaging whispers that would have built up into a roar if they remained silent. Did they want Gretchen Whitmer, the feisty governor of Michigan to get the nomination? I suspect they did.

Joe Biden is fading into the background

It's quite extraordinary how the mood has changed in Washington since Joe Biden's announacement about stepping down from the election race and handing over to Kamala Harris. Now it's all about Kamala, and poor old Joe is fading fast into the background and into retirement. There is a renewed energy in the Democratic campaign, Kamala is everywhere and she looks and sounds like she is yearning to be president. Biden still has just under six months to go before he officially ends his term of office but it's like he has gone already. Donald Trump has called for him to go now but that's not going to happen, unless he has a serious health scare, and if so, Kamala would take over and get an even better feel of what it's like to be the Number 1 in the White House instead of the Number 2. Meanwhile, her daily diary has been transformed into a non-stop helter-skelter list of speeches and visits and interviews and phone calls. Biden will carry on but all the attention will stay on Kamala. Poor Joe. Even his exit explanation statement from the White House was truly sad because his voice was simply not up to it. The weak, whispering voice just emphasised to everyone in and out of the White House that he had done the right thing by dropping out of the race for a second term.

Trump reverts to being an attack dog

It didn't take long. For a moment everyone, including possibly Donald Trump himself, thought the Milwaukee assassination attempt would change him for good. His call for unity was the first real sign that maybe he was going to change his ways and try and be nice to everyone for the sake of the country. But that was delusionary. The old Trump was back in the swing pretty rapidly, bad-mouthing Kamala Harris and calling her a liar. Admittedly the vice president and now Democratic nominee for the White House has been replying with some stinging stuff about Trump, the convicted felon, speaking, as she does, as a former attorney and prosecutor. She knows all about people like Trump. But Trump really has missed his chance. It's just possible that if he had kept up his calls for unity and had been a little less abrasive about Kamala, he might have built a fresh momentum to encourage doubters aqnd independents to vote for him. As it is, he has been spitting insults whenever he has the chance, either in speeches or on social media and everyone in America, I assume, has come to the same conclusion. Trump, the same old Trump, is back. His miraculous survival at Milwaukee has not changed him after all. I think the reason for this is because he now genuinely fears that his march to the White House could be obstructed by this fine-looking, much younger, much more smiley woman who could actually beat him in November. So from now on Trump is going to be the attack dog we've been used to for such a long time.