The impartial voter in the midterm elections made sure that Trump should be taken care of by the electoral guillotine.
The outcome of the midterm elections in the United States took almost everyone in America and large parts of the world by surprise.
The Republicans, i.e., former President Donald Trump took victory for granted. The incumbent President, Joe Biden was more or less written off. To some extent, the powerful American media was responsible for the denigration of Mr Biden.
The vigorous, intellectually impressive and untiring campaigning of former President Barack Obama did much to put life into the Democratic Party.
The other factor that went against the Republican Party was the divisive, erratic, irresponsible record of Mr Trump’s presidency. Apart from the Democrats, the independent voters had not forgotten the unprecedented and violent attack on Capitol Hill, masterminded by the President and his dangerous and anti-national staff in the White House. The world watched the insurrection on TV and was aghast. The world’s oldest and greatest democracy was being torn apart by hoodlums. The life of Vice President Mike Pence was in grave danger. He had refused to declare that the 2018 election had been stolen.
The impartial voter in the midterm elections made sure that Trump should be taken care of by the electoral guillotine. This, mercifully, has happened.
A rival has appeared. The incumbent Republican Governor of Florida has been re-elected. He is no admirer of Mr Trump. He is a dedicated adversary. He will have massive support at the Republican Convention in 2024. This has changed the political scenario of America. Mr Trump is already been called a have-been. A second Trump presidency would have been a cataclysm not only for the United States, but for the world.
President Biden lacks charisma, but his political carrier began when he was 28 years of age. He is a decent man and an upright one. A visit by him to India is overdue.
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Humankind is facing horrendous crises. The most frightening is the climate calamity hanging over the globe. It is largely manmade. As the UN Secretary General said at the Sharm El-Sheikh conference, “time is running out”. Pious resolutions will not do. Drastic, immediate action must be taken to save humanity and the globe. The two are inseparable. Enough conferences have been held, endless speeches have been made, the TV screens are working overtime to record the not so inspiring oratory of a hundred world leaders.
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Millions of people are enthusiastic fans of our cricketers. Tens of thousands go to stadiums in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and other cities to watch them play.
Test cricketers have the same popularity as film stars do. The TV audiences cannot be counted or measured. Nor can the touts who make illegal money.
What happened on last Thursday at Adelaide, was not just a disappointment, it was an unmitigated, shameful disaster. India, with the exception of Hardik Pandya, made us all more than uncomfortable. It took Virat Kohli an age to get his 50. The much praised Surya Kumar Yadav was caught after scoring 16 runs. He should take lessons in how to be patient.
Our bowlers could not get a single wicket. The fielding was dismal. The T-20 players are paid huge amounts for playing in T-20 matches. So are the commentators.
The BCCI is the second richest sports organisation in the world. One of the current vice-presidents, I have little doubt, does not know the difference between a yorker and a googly.
The cricket board should meet immediately. Sack six out of eleven of the team that let down India at Adelaide. Unless one is a Bradman, Walter Hammond or Tendulkar, none of the T-20 team players should be retained who are above 35 years of age.
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The end of Russian-Ukrainian war is nowhere in sight. The number of child orphans and young widows increase by the day. Has humanity gone on an endless furlough?