I’m in Davos. For the World Economic freebie junket thingy to which all important freeloaders go to so they can show everyone how important they are. In a Worldly, Economical way. I’m not actually ‘there’ like physically, just spiritually. I’m staying in a fuck-off Swiss hotel with hot and cold running chambermaids, flying around in helicopters, eating Michelin starred cornflakes for breakfast. And skiing. Because otherwise you’d have to listen to the speakers.

And yesterday there was a duel. Between the two most irritating people on the planet. Both are fair of hair and greatly outspoken. Both belie their ages with tragic mismatches of chronology and intellect. And both you really want to punch.

Greta Thunberg probably walked to Davos. But without treading on anything in case she harmed it. She’s 17 now and getting more annoying with every minute. And again she launched into her tirade about how governments have the power, make the noises, but consistently do nothing about climate change as far as any positive action is concerned. And by ‘governments’ she means ‘America’. Ok, others are pretty guilty too, paying endless lip-service to vague concepts like ‘reducing carbon emissions’ and shit but implementing very little. America doesn’t even bother with lip service.

Trump flew in Air Force 1 over to Switzerland. On his own. With four engines. Not just because he’s so fat but because its safety in numbers. He then flew in Marine 1 helicopter to Davos, flanked by two others as security. But there he spoke of the environment. Well, what he actually said was ‘I’m a very big believer in the environment’. Which, as worthless sayings go, (and his entire presidential tenure has been filled with them), is superlative in its meaninglessness. Of course he ‘believes’ in the environment, he’s fucking standing in it. Its all around him. Its not like Santa Claus or Jesus or Mikel Arteta, FFS.

But that was it. He ‘believes’ in the environment in the same way he believes in guns. Things which are just ‘there’ and should be totally ignored, whatever the manifestations of their presence may be. America is ‘doing great’. And that end justifies any means whatsoever. Being the biggest Carbon producing country doesn’t bother Trump. Not in election year. If Americans have a few bucks in their pocket, just enough to buy beer, burgers and bullets, then they’re happy (no facile stereotyping here then). And they’ll vote to stay happy.

I’m no massive climate change proponent. But anyone has to be at least peripherally aware of what is going on in the world. To deny it and remove yourself from it is an arrogance verging on total stupidity. And that is almost a working definition of Donald J Trump.

Happy Wednesday

A xxx