The international elite.

 Those in the Epstein international elite are apparently immune to the ordinary - ups and downs of the man in the street. This network of men abusing women and girls across the world. They are power structures that have inoculated these men as part of this elite. How has this been allowed to continue for so long? The reason is that - they occupy positions of power and influence in the structures. This is a cabalistic system - almost Masonic in nature. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. 

The shit hits the fan.

 This morning Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, was arrested on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. He was arrested on - suspicion of misconduct in public office. This is the first arrest of a member of the royal family, since King Charles I - during the  Civil War in June 1647 and we know what eventually happened to him. The current King Charles has said that “the law must take its course”. It was only recently said by a government law officer “no one is above the law”. This process of the investigation will take many months to be completed. Meanwhile, Andrew is in - deep shit. This wouldn’t have happened if the Queen was still alive as she protected him. 

Given this serious development in the investigation - how will this impact on the broader Royal family? The problems with Harry and Meghan are ongoing in addition there is the stress and strain on other members of the family. This is potentially a dangerous time in the life of the family. Can they survive this unacceptable behaviour of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor? The public in general may feel that the - whole system is untenable and should be abolished. So a difficult time in the role of the monarchy and constitution. 

Annus horribilis: this could turn out to be a very bad and horrible year for King Charles - as his brother faces the full force of the law. How will this affect the perception of the royal family? There is also the way in which this could affect the rein of William? There are no easy answers or solutions to this nightmare. The best way forward is - complete openness and transparency and giving up on their clandestine opaque - monetary arrangements. Something they are not use to.

Prince William and mental health.

 Prince William, talking to BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks said “we need more male role models”. He was talking in a panel discussion about the issue of - male suicide. As someone who founded the first male consciousness raising group in the UK in mid 1970’s - I endorse this idea. In addition I worked as an adult psychoanalyst for many years and had many male patients. A common theme was the unconscious anxiety and fear about expressing emotions as this - might be interpreted as weakness. Today that is manifest in the virulent misogyny of Andrew Tait and his brother. The current crisis in the wake of the Epstein files is a further example of the depth of the international abuse of women in general and under age girls in particular. There is a serious crisis today - in the way in which men and women relate to each other. Too much time in the unreal world of the internet and - swiping right is creating a profound malaise in the way in which we relate to each other. Only exasperating the feeling of alienation and anomie. 

 

 

A cover up, of a cover up.

 It’s becoming increasingly obvious that the Trump administration is - trying to avoid an open discussion about the Epstein scandal. Pam Bondie, the attorney general had a splenetic outburst last week at the congressional oversight committee. According to The New York Times today there is information about president Trump, in the files. This could therefore be the reason for the obfuscation and delaying tactics by Bondie and others. If this is the case, this will be disastrous for Trump at the midterm elections in November? This scandal isn’t about to go away anytime soon - a cover up of a cover up. 

The beginning of the end.

 Never a day goes by, but we have more revelations about the conduct of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. He has brought the whole institution of the monarchy into disrepute. We have not only the information regarding Jeffrey Epstein, but also his actions when a - trade envoy from 2001/2011. This was a privileged role and he appears to have abused the trust invested in him. Despite the fact that he is - now in exile on the Sandringham estate, he is still causing immense public opprobrium. Moreover the - whole family are being dragged into the gutter. There is a lack of public scrutiny of the royal household and that must now change. For too long they have hidden from public scrutiny. Time for light to - shine on this opaque institution - otherwise this is the - beginning of the end. 

A political overview.

 In The Spectator magazine this week there is an excellent overview of the - dire leadership of the government by Keir Starmer. Tim Shipman, goes into great detail about the failings of the prime minister. The question is - can Starmer change or is it more of the same chaos and turbulence? From the article it would appear the prime minister isn’t an instinctive politician - who understands the rules of politics. As we all know there have been a number of missteps and stupid mistakes. In addition Kemi Badenoch, has improved her performance in the House of Commons and is therefore more effective in - holding the prime minister to account. He by contrast is - floundering and is clearly rattled by her. All in all the - political tide is going out for Starmer and he looks bereft of ideas and is sinking. 

The Premier League.

 The manager of Tottenham, Thomas Frank has been sacked. Last night they lost against Newcastle at home - the score 1/2. There were boos at half time and at the end of the game. Frank looked sad and bereft of any ideas for his team. He did so well at Brentford, but clearly the - fit at Tottenham wasn’t working and the fans made their feelings known. For some reason or other - they don’t seem to recruit the right manager. The Premier League is a notoriously difficult and a very challenging place for any manager and it’s - results that determine how long you stay. Who will now take over as they languish at 16th? It’s very close to the drop zone and only 10 games to the end of the season. I’m an Arsenal fan and Tottenham play against them on Sunday 22/2. So it doesn’t get tougher than - the north London derby.