Untied States?

The headline is not a misprint: it is ‘Untied’ rather than ‘United’ States. There is growing speculation that if Donald Trump is re-elected, it is possible to envisage the USA ceasing to exist in its current form – maybe even splitting into two.

A whole raft of thinkers in a wide range of disciplines can be read online, in The Washington Post of 10 October 2022 for starters.

It is hard for most people in the UK to understand how Trump, found liable in May for sexually abusing columnist E. Jean Carroll (among many other shames to his name), is even remotely in contention for the Republican Party nomination in the US. That’s not to commend or endorse Joe Biden, of course: there are serious concerns about Biden’s mental faculties, as well as his stances on abortion and LGBTQi issues.