The old adage about the people in a democracy getting the government they deserve was never so true.
Trump is obviously all of the things we can see in him. An idiotic, uneducated, moronic, money obsessed narcissist. But in 2016 nearly 63 million Americans voted for him - and after four chaotic years he will probably poll about the same this year. It's not as if he hides his idiocy. He's on Twitter with 87 million followers and tweets like an imbecile virtually all day long. Some of it is totally off the wall.
His election was not his fault. Entirely unsuitable as he was and is, he took a majority of electoral college votes and won. He even underspent Clinton in 2016 and Biden is on course to outspend him again. It isn't even about advertising and money. What does this say about Americans? What were they hoping for? More importantly, how have they not seen through him this time? He will probably lose but around 60 million voters will think he should have another four years.
Biden is the more presidential but even he looks as if he's suffering from early onset dementia. He frequently loses the thread and can't sustain an argument in a debate.
But we are not much better in this country. Johnson v Corbyn last year was hardly a choice between two capable leaders. The fact the voters preferred a compulsive liar, cheat and bumbling idiot says a lot about Corbyn - probably more than it does about Johnson. Again it isn't the fault of either man.
The parties put forward the candidates and selected them as leader. The parties choose the prospective candidates so we get men like Desmond Swayne and Jacob Rees-Mogg or women like Andrea Jenkyns. A majority of MPs on both sides are just not capable but sit in the House for years, winning election after election.
The people of Beaconsfield chose Jo Morrisey ahead of Dominic Grieve in 2019 for example. What were they thinking>
No matter how often some MPs appear on national TV and demonstrate they really have no idea what they're talking about or simply parrot a party line, they never appear to have any shame or embarrassment. Like Trump, Johnson, Corbyn, Gove and a host of others, they actually think they can do the job. This to me is the most troubling. Where is the self doubt?
I am afraid the sorry truth is a majority of the populations (on both sides of the Atlantic) don't bother to inform themselves about their own country's deep seated economic and social problems. A small minority get involved in politics and through the party system help to elect entirely unqualified men and women to the legislatures. From these, either directly as in this country, or indirectly as in the USA, are distilled men and women who seem even less qualified than the very low average, to become our leaders.
I suppose it wasn't so bad in years past when they took advice from experts or senior civil servants but increasingly we see policies - Brexit must surely be at the top of the list - forced through against all evidence and all advice. The poorer our leaders become, and let's be frank they get worse every time, the less likely they are to listen to advice and accept it. Many of them are too stupid to realise they don't know what they're doing. Step forward Michael Gove as the prime example. It explains a lot to know he and Johnson were former journalists.
What's the answer?
I really don't know. PR might limit the damage but schools and colleges should teach citizenship and basic economics. And prospective MPs should undergo an exam and we should be told the results - that may filter out some of the worst offenders.
What is clear to me is that we cannot go on much longer without a profound debate about how we are governed and some big changes. Unless something happens all we will see is an accelerated decline in western leadership. And that cannot be good for anybody.
