Quiz Jonathan Freedland on Trump, May, Brexit and anything else that takes your fancy

[KateMumsnet]

Hello all - do join us for a webchat with Jonathan Freedland this Thursday at 1pm. Jonathan writes about UK and global politics for the Guardian and the New York Review of Books, amongst others - and is the author, under the pseudonym Sam Bourne, of the Maggie Costello series of thrillers.

His latest, To Kill the President, charts the rise to the presidency of a volatile demagogue whose vanity and tyrannical leanings threaten global stability. As the US hovers on the brink of a nuclear attack on North Korea, Maggie discovers a plot to kill the president - and has to decide whether to expose the plot or leave the president to his fate.

The novel was published in July to great reviews - many of which pointed out that the novel's eponymous president is a not unfamiliar figure .

So now's your chance to ask one of the premier analysts of global politics your questions on the Trump presidency, the prospects for American democracy and its place on a turbulent world stage - and indeed, any questions you might have about the current state of play of British politics, mid-Brexit.

The webchat will take place at 1pm on Thursday 3rd August - do join us then, and in the meantime leave your advance questions in the comments below.

@Fiderer

"One question per member plus one follow-up" - My follow-up follows a comment of yours ;)

Do you think Senator Flake's book will have any impact?

Maybe not right away - but give it time. When - if - other Republicans eventually break from Trump, the Flake book will be seen as significant. But he does need to follow words with deeds. Last week, Flake voted to repeal Obamacare, for example...

Thank you for answering my question

Now I've 'seen' it I can't unsee it. Case in point was today; watching Seth Meyers on YouTube satirising trump's rambling speech patterns in latest Washington Post interview. All I could see was dementia.

I have ordered the book: 2 stars on Amazon.com I notice vs. 4 on Amazon.co.uk. What can it mean?

This points to an important issue: the impact Trump is having on the wider world.

At the start, I picked up a sense, rarely articulated, that overseas governments were hoping that the Trump phenomenon would just pass and then things could revert to normal. But after six months, it's been worse than most expected -- and I think many nations, including friends of America, are worrying that the damage left by Trump could be permanent. The kind of daily chaos coming out of Washington alone reduces America's standing in the world.

That could have a positive consequence. I'm not sure about relations between Xi and Putin, but it was clear at the G20 summit in Hamburg that the rest of the world - the G19 - had concluded that, on climate change at least, it would have to get on and do what needed to be done without America. We may see more of that in, say, Nato.

It could be for just four years, as the world learns to run itself without Washington. But it's just as possible that this shift will endure. That will leave a leadership vacuum - and the chances are that non-democratic states, such as Russia and China, would fill it. That is not a hopeful prospect.

@TheaSaurass

Welcome Jonathan

Following on from the OP subject matter, I have two thoughts on my mind that I realise could almost be books in themselves, but clearly based on the format a brief comment would be appreciated.

Regarding President Trump and his first international meetings of other world figures, and at EVERY press conference afterwards (possibly with the exception of ‘mutti’ Merkel) he gushes about a ‘beautiful relationship’ as if that leader will be THE Trump U.S. relationship, including China’s President Xi, who appears to me, to be building a better relationship with Russia and President Putin.

And so in your opinion is Trump’s presidency pushing them closer together, and would this be a development Europe should be concerned about on ANY level?

Regarding Brexit, IMO in the UK we historically tend to sidestep revolutionary movements as somehow ‘common sense’ appears to kick in, and (arguably) on balance we got it right. But with so many UK politicians basically saying ‘the people’ got it wrong via a referendum, how democratically significant would it be within the UK if, one way or another, the admittedly close result was overturned.

Would we just go about our business, queuing, looking after our lawns etc as the British do, almost as if nothing had happened, or would it cause lasting popular damage to our democratic process, where in the future, even less people ‘bovver’ to vote?

@IdentifiesAsYoda

Thank you for answering my question

Now I've 'seen' it I can't unsee it. Case in point was today; watching Seth Meyers on YouTube satirising trump's rambling speech patterns in latest Washington Post interview. All I could see was dementia.

I have ordered the book: 2 stars on Amazon.com I notice vs. 4 on Amazon.co.uk. What can it mean?

Ah, the book is not actually for sale on Amazon.com -- so that page has attracted a few Alt Right types who've used it to defend Trump (and who very obviously have not read the book!

It seems our time is up. Thanks so much for all those fascinating questions -- I agree with CaveMum above about people feeling more politically engaged these days. Hope you've found it interesting. And my fingers are crossed that you might pick up To Kill the President by Sam Bourne as your summer read. Hope you enjoy it if you do.

Many thanks again,

Jonathan

Thanks Jonathan, that was an interesting chat!

Thanks for the reply to one of my questions, even if it was in Kellyanne's style.