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THE RULE OF SIX WEEKS



The next six weeks, give or take a few days, will bring us the most nail-bitingly epochal events of most of our lives, at least in the UK and USA; but much of the world will be watching with much concern, also. From the Anglo-American perspective, we're experiencing the multiple deaths of Rasputin.

Firstly, the UK is about to see whether its lukewarm semi-lockdown efforts will calm the exponential rise of infections in the pandemic, or lead to a pre-Christmas lockdown that will obliterate the economy for a generation; we just don't know yet. Meanwhile, Trump is dangerously close in enough electoral college states against Biden to maybe just sneak in - or close enough to dig his heels in and cause untold damage before he is thrust out somehow; we'll know more soon. Also, what of his Supreme Court nominee? We're looking at political, economic and medical crises in the West that will shape history for the rest of the century - if only because 4 more years of Trump would have a major impact on attempts to limit more global warming, and might erode America's claims to be a democracy, even further.

There is a glimmer of hope. In six weeks, we may have a new President on the way, and a happy British Christmas, as the R-rate plummets; we may even have a miracle cure. It would be nice to think so.


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