Alternative Facts

Cruising over the Atlantic, en route to Vegas, relaxing with films and food and enjoying an alternative Monday morning to the usual jugggernaut of meetings, emails and rapidly growing to do lists.

I'll shortly land in Las Vegas, in an America where a new political dawn is breaking. Where record crowds turned out for the new presidents inaguration, where millions of women lined the streets to show solidarity and where healthcare is the top of the political agenda.

That's how you use alternative facts Mr President- formally known as spin, it at least had an element of truth. The record crowds, groundbreaking for their low numbers in memorable recent history, the millions of women's lining the streets, but to protest at the new Presidents misogynistic rhetoric, and healthcare topping the agenda, because Mr Trump, billionaire businessman considers the provision of safe state care for millions of Americans abhorrent.

I'm about to land in an alternative America, alternative potentially to the relatively progressive, safe and stable democracy that was maintained throughout my lifetime (to a measurable extent). Alternative because Foreign policy is conducted over Twitter at 2am, diplomacy now deemed irrelevant. Alternative because the media, for all their faults are now being roundly routed and ridiculed by the President (although straight back at ya Mr President). And alternative because there is a very real fear of this 'alternative' approach  amongst much of the wider world, all bar Russia, who have just won big at the metaphorical Krapps table.

Las Vegas is known to be a magical place full of wonder, where reality is suspended and the world can be whatever you make it. Today Vegas makes a suitable allegory for this alternative America, where reality is suspended but where wonder is woefully absent.