A Planet for the Taking

Abstract

He was a cowboy first and last, even after he had traded the governor’s office for the White House at the beginning of the first of two terms. Once he was in power, the Oval Office became an extension of his ego. Narcissistically, he enjoyed being in charge even as he evinced little interest in the nitty-gritty of day-to-day governance. His staff pre-chewed for him daily news digests, which he skimmed or ignored altogether, preferring to play with his dog. Scant knowledge of the world did not stop him, however, from riding it like a herd of beeves: stampeding it when it pleased him, branding Americâs name on all that moved, and culling heads in the name of defending freedom and all that is good and just in the world.

I realised belatedly that the name “Ritchie” might awaken The West Wing echoes.

Alistair Beaton to Peter Swirski