The Groundhog Wanderings. 24–07–2024.
There is something amusing about watching politics right now. On both sides of the Atlantic. In the UK Labour have taken the reins of power for the first time in 14 years. The Tories have so far been relatively quiet. Although Liz Truss is still trying to pretend she is important by going to the US Republican convention. And then there was Nigel Farage running to his best buddy, Donny after the failed assassination attempt only to find he was too busy to see him (feel supported yet, Clacton?) But the quiet of the Conservative Party is understandable given that the voters effectively took them out the back and gave them a sound kicking. The real entertainment, however, has been on the US side.
Seriously, how dumb do you need to be to be a Republican these days? Led by both a serial liar and convicted felon, the reaction to the recent movement from Biden to Harris is hysterical. Both in reaction to and amongst the usual suspects of the Trump cult. All that work in insulting ‘Sleepy Joe’ and demanding that Hunter’s laptop (and dick pics) be made public have been wasted. How many ads are now sitting on hard drives that will never be shown as they target Biden and only Biden? How much money (that hasn’t gone to Trump’s lawyers) has been wasted on campaign materials with Biden’s face on them? How many strategic meetings on focusing on that ‘Biden crime family’ rubbish have been wasted?
Now they face, not career politician Joe Biden, but someone who was a lawyer and has track record as a prosecutor. Worse, someone who is a woman of colour. And they are panicking…
Those ideas of an easy debate are gone. The Republicans had already dropped the idea of the spineless non-entity called JD Vance (who used to hate Trump, remember?) taking on Harris in a debate. All they and Trump have is insults and fear mongering.
Where is the policies?
Where is the much hyped health care plan that was always two weeks away?
Other than cutting, cutting and cutting (usually education or health or other things that actually help people) where is their ideas of governance?
They are like the Tories in the the UK. They have nothing solid. Nothing to offer. It all comes down to the voters. Are the voters capable of asking what have the Republicans actually done…?
And, looking at a lot of those voters, some hiding behind an AR-15 (cause that’ll take down that government tank knocking down their door), that’s the scary bit….
The OG is back, baby!
On Judge Dredd that is. After what feels like years away from the strip, John Wagner is back with a new story for Ol’ Stoneyface.
One part in and the story already feels like a heavyweight. Robo-Judges have taken over running a sector in Mega-City One with the permission of the local Cector Chief. Dredd, who had reluctantly accepted the role of robots on the streets, finds this to be a development to far…
The story is action packed and the writing is on the button as you would expect from both Dredd’s co-creator and legend of British comics, John Wagner. The art by Colin Wilson is the usual high quality work.
This isn’t to say all those other writers we’ve had since Wagner last graced the pages of the strip are no good, they have to be to get and keep getting the gig of writing the Judge, but there is only one John Wagner.
Welcome back, the streets have missed you.
