Donald Trump

Red Bully loses West Wing

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© BBC◇MB mash-up

Over the past four years, these pages have attempted to be interestingly rude about the intriguing US #Resident; Tweetie-Lie, DJ – or do we mean MC – Trump … waddeva.

Doubtless, we’ve fallen short of the mark as trans-Atlantic litigation isn’t one of our strong suits and unleashing the full contempt rolled up in our curled lip would be both counter-productive and entirely contrary to genially rational notions of emotionally resilient intellect.

So it is with shattering relief the American Electorate has removed that irresistible temptation to laugh at their Joke and installed a fresh attempt to join in with the Globe’s serious, thought-full circulation.

We wish the Biden-Harris Presidency all the discerning strength it will need to restore authority, dignity and calm to this great Office and hope the abboration of these past four years will be swept quietly away as the plangent debris of an unfortunate experiment.

As an aside, recently we’ve been catching up on Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing which aired 154 episodes between 2002 & 06 in the UK (somehow missed first time round). In light of that depiction, how would it be were some clever soul to write a reflection of the revolving door juvenalia – or even a flight of fancy – mapped over the West Wing’s excumbent flapper?

madeleinebaird.com

FIFA for purpose?

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Image result for Donald Trump

If a thing is fit for purpose, then it fulfils its obligations to stakeholders. No story there.

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association or FIFA as one might more succinctly say, is “an association governed by Swiss law founded in 1904, based in Zurich. It has 211 member associations and its goal, enshrined in its Statutes, is the constant improvement of football.”

Improvement, something of a blanket term, warms hope that if the game is the summit, then all that goes into enabling its play constitutes the mountain beneath. To whom do all those thousands of people whose function is to deliver that aim and are governed by its rules look for shining leadership towards integrity, nobility of purpose, inspiration of generations to leap beyond limitations?

Drooping the threat of a fine over FA heads should the national teams sport an empathic poppy on their arm on Armistice Day: is that not something of an own goal? FIFA’s argument is that shirts must not carry political statements. With all the branded sponsorship currently splattered over Strips, chance’d be a fine thing actually to see a political statement.

Doing the right thing trumps neutrality when it comes to being fit for purpose. Come to think of it, with doing the right thing, the clue seems to be in the title.

* In the absence of finding a self-explanatory illustration of an own goal, an image of not fit for purpose was more readily available.