Throughout the day, condemnation of the violent invasion of the congressional confirmation proceedings has been drawing comment from leaders all over the world, with Trump coming in for severe criticism. Americans are still reeling from the shock, and Trump himself has been silent. Uncharacteristically, the Archbishop of Wales, John Davies, has spoken out. I can't find any statement from other Archbishops in Britain so far, but Boris Johnston among other UK political leaders has spoken out. About time. What took them so long?
Admittedly Trump has given voice to dispossessed, frustrated and marginalised Americans, whose lives have been impoverished by social and industrial change, plus globalisation of trade, but he has encouraged them to see him as their saviour. Hopes have been nourished by his inflammatory rhetoric and his selfish ego has fed off their idolisation of his personality. It's a short path from being a charismatic strong leader to being an authoritarian dictator. It was interesting to hear what authoritarian heads of state had to say of events on Capitol Hill, quick to point out the flaws and weaknesses of democracy from their perspective.
Yesterday the forces of law and order were weakened to breaking point by the unexpected onslaught, and took time to recover, but after the disruption Congress continued with its duty and ratified Jo Biden as President. Then Trump conceded with a statement which didn't acknowledge his electoral loss, but stated there would be an orderly handover of power. But he still has a fortnight in office in which he has authority to put measures in place to impede progress for the new administration. It'll be a nervous wait until Inauguration Day.
I had lunch early and drove up to Thornhill for a funeral in the big Wenallt Chapel. Seven family members and two former neighbours of the deceased. Most of the extended family live around Nottingham, so the service was live streamed for their benefit. I needed to be on the alert, as I discovered at the last moment that the deceased was known by her second name, not her first, for which I had prepared. A daughter gave the eulogy, and somehow the hymn to be played after this got lost, but it didn't seem to matter as we were carried forward by the warmth of the tribute she made.
When I got home, a quick excursion to the bank and the shops, then marmalade making. It was my turn to today, the third and final batch, about seven kilos' worth in two dozen jars. Very satisfying. Now, we're out of jars and hunting for an extra place to store them!
The temperature has hovered around zero, but as it's less humid, I don't feel so chilled to the bone indoors and outdoors, so walking in the cold is pleasantly stimulating. I was out at sunset on Pontcanna Fields. The temperature drop was quite sudden and the air was still. Low lying mist gathered over the grass as I walked shrouding solitary walkers and their dogs momentarily. It was magical! And one time when I didn't have a decent camera to hand, so I had to use my Blackberry phone camera. It's a nice photo but not nearly as sharp as it could have been, but never mind. Owain and Kath both posted rural walk photos of vegetation covered with frosty rime. In our neighbourhood, starlings roost in the terrace eaves and garden trees, but I've also heard a great tit calling recently, a sound that evokes memories of skiing with Valdo in Jura forests.
No comments:
Post a Comment