This is the way the world ends

That Donald Trump -- such a card!  Last week, talking about trade with China, he glanced heavenwards and declared himself "the Chosen One".  The White House quickly clarified that he was joking, though he didn't seem to be smiling as he said it.  Remarkably, this piece of casual blasphemy has attracted very little criticism from the evangelical "Christians" that make up most of both Trump's electoral base and the Republican caucuses in Congress.

Trump's gag writers have evidently been working overtime, because over the weekend he offered up the obviously humorous suggestion that nuclear bombs might be used to divert hurricanes away from the United States. And today brings the darkest gag of all: The Washington Post reports that Trump has promised presidential pardons to any of his aides who break the law in order to get the border wall built before next year's election. 

White House officials have been quick to assert that Trump is "merely joking" when he says such things. Still, there's been plenty of evidence that he interprets his right to grant pardons very widely, including the possibility of pardoning himself -- not, of course, that he's ever done anything wrong.  The morning show hosts on CNN were stunned by the WaPo story, pointing out that the right to grant pardons applies only to offenses that have already taken place.  Assuring people of pardons in order to encourage them to break the law is sheer lawlessness.

There seems to be a lot of that about.  UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today confirmed the worst fears of his opponents by announcing a scheme to "prorogue" Parliament early next month and recall it only in mid-October, leaving almost no time for elected politicians to prevent a no-deal Brexit on October 31. Recall that BoJo was elected PM only by the members of his own party, not the electorate at large; that he has a majority of 1 (one) in the House of Commons, a majority that exists only because of an unholy arrangement with the "Democratic" "Unionist" Party of Northern Ireland;  and that all public opinion polls now suggest that a majority of the electorate opposes Brexit.

Proroguing Parliament in order to reset the legislative agenda via a new "Throne Speech" is a normal procedure.  However, the length of the suspension is usually a matter of days, not weeks, and the timing of this particular prorogation is so egregious that Johnson's denials of any connection with the Brexit deadline are entirely risible.

What happens next?  Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has already written to ask for a meeting with the Queen, who can (at least in theory) say no to Johnson's plan.  A petition against prorogation is already gathering huge numbers of signatures, and street demonstrations are expected to start as early as this evening. A no confidence vote is likely as soon as Parliament returns in early September, and there is every possibility that enough disillusioned Tories will vote with the opposition parties and bring the Government down.  Then what?  A temporary coalition, as suggested by Corbyn, to seek a further delay in Brexit while a general election is held?  Who knows?  This is entirely uncharted territory.

This is the way the world ends, or at least the world as we have known it.  Not with a bang, nor with a whimper, but with the tearing down of the basic principles of democratic societies by egotistical right-wing populists.