In the US we are living through a heyday of conspiratorial nonsense, most dramatically the deranged QAnon cult that surveys suggest is, at least in part, believed in by many Republicans, including some members of Congress.
Beyond these fringes, though they are hardly as fringe as they once were, both left and right have developed widely accepted paranoid theories that profoundly misrepresent how politics and policymaking actually work, and badly damage the national conversation.
Most of the right appears convinced that there exists a nefarious cabal of administrators, bureaucrats and others in government plotting against conservatives, especially former president Donald Trump, and enforcing an insidious far-left agenda. They call this the "deep state," conjuring up images of a permanent administrative establishment manipulating and bypassing political leaders, as military and intelligence officials allegedly historically did in countries like Turkey, where the term “deep state” was coined, and Pakistan.
The fantasy is used to explain policy failures and blunders by political leaders such as Mr Trump and his allies, or as an explanation for why experts and officials contradicted their more bizarre pronouncements.
Criminal prosecutions of many of Mr Trump's associates, including former national security advisor Michael Flynn, former campaign chairman and White House strategist Steve Bannon, former campaign manager Paul Manafort, and many others are chalked up to machinations of the deep state.
So is Mr Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election, which many Republicans believe was stolen through fraud by the deep state, even though the election was remarkably clean and well-run despite the pandemic.
The deep state is also blamed for the pandemic itself, for the economic collapse it produced, and for supposedly lying to Americans about everything from mask-wearing to vaccines.
This extreme and widespread paranoia is largely responsible for the fact that even though Covid-19 vaccines have been easily available to adult Americans for over six months, about a third of the population, largely in Republican-leaning states, remain unvaccinated and bitterly reject masking and other crucial mitigation practices.
Instead of pride in one of the few countries where vaccines are readily available, and gratitude to the administrators who organised it in remarkably short order, much of the right rages against the Centres for Disease Control and Dr Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden. He is routinely depicted as a nefarious leader of the deep state, and has been disparaged by Republican leaders like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is, not coincidentally, now presiding over one of the worst outbreaks of coronavirus in the world.
There is, of course, no American deep state.
There is a US government, with officials and administrators. But there is no cabal, no plot and no parallel authority. That is a fantasy, but also a useful, albeit absurd, explanation that exculpates right-wing heroes like Mr Trump and places all blame on a shadowy group of liberal plotters supposedly controlled by the likes of Dr Fauci.
This position reflects a generalised animosity towards expertise that permeates the populist right, especially in western countries, where conservatives now consider knowledge and experience to be a black mark against any official, scientist or analyst.
This same antipathy towards expertise and knowledge is expressed, in an only somewhat different form, in the liberal version of grand conspiracy theorising: the mirage of the "blob".
A number of former officials from the Barack Obama administration, most notably former speechwriter Ben Rhodes, deride the foreign policy establishment as a monolithic and homogenously hawkish cult that invariably pushes in lockstep for military action.
That is supposed to explain how the US ended up in protracted wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, with troops in Syria, and other military commitments around the world, on top of a history of other military actions.
The fantasy of the blob is primarily employed by isolationists as a rhetorical tool to bolster their case by pretending they are bravely confronting a uniformly militaristic and interventionist opposition that is institutionalised and exceptionally difficult to overcome.
But, as in the case of the deep state, the blob plainly does not exist.
As in the case of the deep state, the blob plainly does not exist
In fact, the “foreign policy establishment” and the analytical policy-framing community is decidedly heterogeneous, particularly compared with the second half of the 20th century, when there was a broad consensus about the Cold War.
In recent decades, by contrast, influential and respected policy analysts, and former and even current officials, in and during all recent administrations held a wide range of attitudes on when and how to use military power, what the global force posture should look like, and especially what the major US strategic goals are and how they should be achieved.
Unanimity is the one thing you almost never see.
But it is much easier for those who find themselves repeatedly on the losing side of arguments, largely because they are making bad cases for bad policies, to chalk everything up to a nefarious cabal on the other side.
Just as much of the right fantasises that a non-existent liberal deep state manipulates domestic policy, many on the left now believe that an equally chimerical right-wing, or at least hawkish, blob dictates most foreign policy.
In both cases it is absolute nonsense but also extremely convenient and deeply reassuring.
The prevalence of such paranoid phantasms infiltrating both Republican and Democratic mainstreams is extremely troubling.
Clearly there is no deep state and no blob. But in both cases the willingness to seek refuge, reassurance and emotional comfort in patent hallucinations – both rooted in antipathy towards expertise and experience – demonstrates a deeply disturbing collapse of confidence in competence.
That is, of course, not completely baseless.
The CDC made mistakes during the coronavirus pandemic, but it has been dealing with an unknown disease. The US government has made terrible foreign policy mistakes in recent decades, but many experts and officials warned against them, and virtually none were uniformly supported by any means.
Cynicism and misgiving are understandable affects, and scepticism is a healthy political impulse. But this degree of alienation from a fine cadre of public servants and other experts genuinely dedicated to serving the country is deeply damaging.
More significantly, the US political process cannot be relied on to make rational policy decisions until these demons of deep-seated doubt are finally exorcised.
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
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What Super Bowl LIII
Who is playing New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams
Where Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When Sunday (start time is 3.30am on Monday UAE time)
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]
Not before 7pm:
Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]
Court One
Starting at midday:
Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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One in four Americans don't plan to retire
Nearly a quarter of Americans say they never plan to retire, according to a poll that suggests a disconnection between individuals' retirement plans and the realities of ageing in the workforce.
Experts say illness, injury, layoffs and caregiving responsibilities often force older workers to leave their jobs sooner than they'd like.
According to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, 23 per cent of workers, including nearly two in 10 of those over 50, don't expect to stop working. Roughly another quarter of Americans say they will continue working beyond their 65th birthday.
According to government data, about one in five people 65 and older was working or actively looking for a job in June. The study surveyed 1,423 adults in February this year.
For many, money has a lot to do with the decision to keep working.
"The average retirement age that we see in the data has gone up a little bit, but it hasn't gone up that much," says Anqi Chen, assistant director of savings research at the Centre for Retirement Research at Boston College. "So people have to live in retirement much longer, and they may not have enough assets to support themselves in retirement."
When asked how financially comfortable they feel about retirement, 14 per cent of Americans under the age of 50 and 29 per cent over 50 say they feel extremely or very prepared, according to the poll. About another four in 10 older adults say they do feel somewhat prepared, while just about one-third feel unprepared.
"One of the things about thinking about never retiring is that you didn't save a whole lot of money," says Ronni Bennett, 78, who was pushed out of her job as a New York City-based website editor at 63.
She searched for work in the immediate aftermath of her layoff, a process she describes as akin to "banging my head against a wall." Finding Manhattan too expensive without a steady stream of income, she eventually moved to Portland, Maine. A few years later, she moved again, to Lake Oswego, Oregon. "Sometimes I fantasise that if I win the lottery, I'd go back to New York," says Ms Bennett.
