Sic semper timidis

In a preview of what will happen in November, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and poolboy devotee Jerry Falwell, Jr., are calling on disgruntled Virginians to secede from the state, which fell into the hands of Democrats last year on account of more people voting for them.  Now the demon-crats are coming for their guns, their fetuses, their cows, and their god-given right to discriminate against LGBTQ people.  Already the new tyrants have implicated Virginians in destabilizing the nation by ratifying the long-dormant Equal Rights Amendment, and there's no telling what horrors await unless the Real Virginia-Americans courageously RUN AWAY!  They may want to raise the minimum wage, or tax the hyper-rich, or even copy Massachusetts under Romney and give everybody health insurance.   It's Book of Revelation time, people.

Critics griped that season three of The Crown was not up to the first two; now they're griping because it will end after season five.  I think that's merciful.  We don't need to see the queen in miserable old age, forced to spend an hour a week with Mr. Blobby condescending to her in Latin and facing the breakup of her very kingdom.  Tonight's the night, apparently, when Little England throws off the shackles of free travel and no-tariff trade with Europe, and all because of some lies about potato chips and curvy bananas.  To avoid making the border with the Republic look like Checkpoint Charlie of Berlin memory, Britain chose to erect a metaphoric trade barrier in the sea between Northern Ireland and what they humorously call The Mainland, which some expect to drive Ulster into an eventual reunion with Ireland.  Scotland is already organizing a "Leave" referendum of its own, and even the Channel Islands would probably like to remain in the EU.  Elizabeth may continue to be queen of Scotland -- she has a summer place there and her mum was Scottish -- but it won't be the same.

When Putin began grooming Trump and Boris -- Boris!  Not very subtle, is it? -- he may have dreamed of weakening the UN, undermining NATO, and continuing to sell oil and natural gas to an overheated planet just to keep Russia's zombie economy on its feet.  How could he have imagined a disunited Kingdom and secessionist sedition in his ancient enemy America?  It must feel good to out-Stalin Stalin.

Remember the name Huawei.  It's the Chinese company that's building Britain's 5G infrastructure.  Can you hear me now?  Count on it.