Talleyrand has listened to an interview with an American politician called Gavin Newsom. The type is familiar. Simon Raven described it in another setting:
Mr Newsom seems to believe that the American people want some balance in their politics, which he has offered as a mirror image of the sitting president and his methods. Does this have appeal? Speaking of balance, the mind turns to the absurd conflict now taking place in the Persian Gulf. Not long ago a couple of important thinkers promoted a clever strategy called ‘offshore balancing’. Eureka! The Americans have kept their expensive kit so far offshore (a strategy of denial?) and have boosted Iranian prestige so much that they look to have succeeded in balancing the region’s superpower, Israel. For the moment, at least. Which is about as much as one ought to say about the charms of Mr Newsom. Talleyrand is free today. But if you enjoyed this post, you can tell Talleyrand that their writing is valuable by pledging a future subscription. You won't be charged unless they enable payments. © 2026 Talleyrand |