The Western Alliance was created during the Second World War  on the basis of the close relationship that existed between British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin Roosevelt. The former knew that without US support, his country would not win the war he was leading against Nazi Germany. The latter agreed that the US had to enter the war but faced the resistance of multiple political American factions which disagreed their country should join what they considered to be a European quarrel.

From this starting point, during the lifetime of most of us, the "security" architecture of the West was designed and developed. From it, the US drew many advantages as did their allies.

It seems like this structure is coming to an end which has long been approaching. Donald Trump's accession to the US presidency greatly accellerated the process. It is not clear who will be better or worse served should it come into effect. The Americans are risking that they end up alone and isolated, considered by one and all as a power which cannot be trusted.

***

THE LIMITS OF LOYALTY

A parliamentary democracy functions properly when it is being run by parties which represent the wishes and aspirations of a substantial number of citizens. They then have to act in a coherent, firm and sustained manner. For this to happen and for a party to remain viable, it must have a solid group of members who are willing to serve as the party's militants, be its spokesperesons and come forward to represent it before the rest of the country's citizens.

They must be linked together by ties of loyalty towards each other and towards the party. But such loyalty can fracture when there come into play considerations relating to personal ambition; or to doubts about the political direction being taken by some of the party's leaders or the integrity of their behaviour. It's this last problem that has the most subversive impact on a political party's credibility.

***

TOURISM THE BIG WINNER

In almost all "advanced" economies, tourism has become a mass activity covering  economic and cultural dimensions and continuing to grow fast. In no way did the Covid pandemic slow it down over the long term.

The emergence of low cost airlines catering for more and more people contributed massively to this development. However, perhaps more significantly, there has been the inherent wish of many human beings to visit where, in faraway lands, other humans live and enjoy life. The pleasure afforded by travel goes deep, beyond that of a pastime, for it offers the opportunity to experience more aspects of the world we inhabit.

If that is the case, tourism will remain a winning sector. In the past, only wealthy and privileged members of society could enjoy travel, as shown in the accounts left by writers like Goethe and travellers like ibn Battuta. Today most people can travel in ease, as they did.