One thousand years ago the Western world was a nasty place. Absolute rulers governed with arrogance and avarice, using their wealthy friends to keep the people in ignorance and defending their position by claiming that they had been anointed in their power by God.
That era passed with the emergence of more democratic and tolerant societies and now we can look back on the bad old days and marvel at how far we have come. Or have we?
Today, the Western world is dominated by the United States, where an absolute ruler governs with arrogance and avarice, using his wealthy friends who control social media to keep the people in ignorance and defending his position by claiming that God saved his life to put him in power. We have just gone back one thousand years.
Welcome to a return of the Dark Ages.
They were described as the Dark Ages (about 500 AD to 1200 AD) because society was marked by ignorance, intolerance, injustice and violence. Today, Donald Trump rules with those same values and European countries compete for his attention and approval.
- Patrick Murphy: A tale of two assemblies and a Stormont sicknessOpens in new window
- Patrick Murphy: Dear Donald, when exactly was America ever great?Opens in new window
- Patrick Murphy: Your government is a party to terrorism, Mr Benn. Instead of appealing the Sean Brown ruling, just do the decent thing and resignOpens in new window
His supporters attacked the Capitol building when they disagreed with the 2020 democratic election result. In the style of a medieval monarch, he recently released from prison those who had attacked his political enemies. Just like the king in 10th century England, the US President decides what is lawful.
In fairness, he only pardoned those who had broken the law. Joe Biden pardoned members of his family from all future law-breaking. So if the Bidens fancy a spot of bank robbery, they can do so, confident in the knowledge that they have already been pardoned.
For 200 years from 1095, Europeans carried out a series of invasions and wars against Muslims in the Middle East. The English King Richard I murdered some 2,700 Muslim prisoners in 1191. Joe Biden helped in the killing of 47,000 in Gaza and Trump threatened to kill even more.
The difference today is that, unlike Trump, King Richard did not suggest that Muslims in what is now Palestine should be deported to neighbouring countries.
Medieval monarchs issued currency with their image on the coins. Before his inauguration, Trump issued a new crypto currency showing his image.
Those who understand these things have described his announcement as posing dangers for investors and opening opportunities for criminal activity, while boosting his net worth to $56 billion.
The most strident criticism of Trump has come from Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who asked him to show mercy to scared individuals. He responded that she had brought her church into the world of politics, while failing to acknowledge his claim that God was a right-wing Republican.
Like a medieval king, Trump rules by controlling the flow and content of information. The main social media outlets are owned by his oligarch friends, who fail to check the accuracy of what their sites contain. Dark Age ignorance is alive and well.
It is not the Democrats who will end the darkness, nor Britain’s Labour Party, nor Irish politicians who will genuflect before Trump on St Patrick’s Day. It is journalists.
Even some of the mainstream media is now under Trump’s influence. Under the ownership of billionaire Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, the hitherto highly respected Washington Post newspaper has now rallied behind the wealthy monarch.
The paper catalogued all 30,573 of Trump’s false or misleading claims during his first presidency, but its cartoonist recently resigned after the paper rejected a cartoon that depicted Bezos and other media figures genuflecting to Trump.
Finally, about 1,000 years ago the first Scandinavians arrived in Greenland, which was then much warmer than today. The aim of their leader, Erik the Red, was to colonise and exploit the island. Today, Donald the blond has much the same intention.
One factor which led to the end of the Dark Ages was the invention of the printing press. It allowed a wider dissemination of information, which fostered knowledge, understanding and reason.
Trump recognises that the printed word in newspapers still plays an important role in combatting ignorance today. To dilute that influence, those invited to attend White House press briefings will now include not just professional journalists, but those who have a following on social media – and we know who controls that.
It is not the Democrats who will end the darkness, nor Britain’s Labour Party, nor Irish politicians who will genuflect before Trump on St Patrick’s Day. It is journalists.
They will shine a light in Trump’s darkness and in that contest between light and dark, people in this country will have no hesitation in deciding which side they are on.
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