As this momentous week comes to an end, what can we now see developing in the distance?In the United States, is the end of Donald Trump’s presidency now finally coming into view? In the United Kingdom, is the political demise of its insane Brexit fantasy — and of Boris Johnson — actually taking shape? And after years of self-inflicted crisis and doubt, has this — finally — been an uplifting and hopeful week in the embattled history of modern democracy?Bluntly put, the answer to all three questions in my view is an emphatic yes.This became evident in a week of high political drama that played itself out in stunning fashion in both Washington and London. Incredibly, we saw what happens when democracy’s core institutions — its judiciary, free press and public servants — stand up, roar back and say “enough is enough” to governments that, rather than serving the public interest, wantonly break the law to preserve their own power.In Washington over the past several days, we saw a series of dramatic developments that may very well lead to the collapse of the Trump presidency — through impeachment, resignation or his re-election defeat in November 2020.It was triggered in the simplest of ways — by a leak to the Washington Post from an unnamed “whistleblower” who, from his perspective as a U.S. intelligence officer, alleged that Trump pressured the president of Ukraine to get political dirt on a political rival, former vice-president Joe Biden.The release of the whistleblower’s complaint and the rough transcript of Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy served to confirm the allegation, prompting charges that he not only violated U.S. laws but actually betrayed his country by inviting foreign influences into the 2020 presidential election.The Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, responded by announcing an impeachment inquiry into Trump’s ac ...
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