I think I’ve remarked on this before (now that I’m a septuagenarian I’m allowed to repeat myself) but it says something about our vaunted democracies that the rich and powerful can still be held to account by the law. Trump has been indicted (again) and faces a criminal court in August; Boris Johnson was found guilty by the Commons Privileges Committee and walked the plank; President Biden’s son has pleaded guilty to gun and tax offences (that wouldn’t be allowed to happen in Russia); in France, both Presidents Sarkozy and Chirac faced criminal charges; in Spain King Juan Carlos abdicated after some scandal or other; if I recall correctly Helmut Kohl of Germany faced some kind of untoward issue which seriously damaged his reputation. And let’s not forget Nicola Sturgeon, who was arrested and is now the kind of neighbour nobody wants, not with that bloody great camper van blocking your view. All in all, these are heartening episodes, which restore one’s faith a little in our imperfect system. But there’s the rub—the same rich and powerful people will have more lawyerly tricks up their nefarious sleeves to keep the long arm of the law out of reach. Prison doesn’t seem to be an option. How embarrassing to a nation would it be for a former Prime Minister or President to be mug shot and strip searched (what nuclear secrets would they find up Trump’s arse?). Trump of course has been relieved of having to have a mug shot taken on the grounds that ‘he is already very well known.’ Yes, careers and reputations can be destroyed, but I imagine that might simply multiply your speaker circuit rewards. There was a scene in the film ‘Legend’ about the Kray brothers, where we were told that in Reggie’s club in Soho, wealthy patrons loved the vicarious thrill of mixing with gangsters. Imagine that.
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