Last week, the US party primaries ended, setting up the crucial November midterm elections. The Democratic and Republican parties are profoundly divided, but while the Republican Party continues to charge towards the extreme right, with rare exceptions Democrats are tenaciously sticking to the moderate centre embodied by President Joe Biden – at least for now.
American "polarisation" is not yet between left-and right-wing coalitions each becoming increasingly radical, though that could eventually develop. To the contrary, US voters will be largely faced with choices between relatively restrained centre-left Democratic candidates and a Republican Party that is becoming further radicalised.
During the Donald Trump presidency, many wondered if the Republican Party would return to less extreme and personality-driven politics once he was out of office, and if his style of high-octane demagoguery could transfer successfully to other candidates. The answers, at least within the party itself, are now clear. The party base is becoming more radical, and Mr Trump’s style of politics has proven all-but-essential for would-be Republican officeholders. Many of these politicians may not be fanatics privately, yet they are following their own voters down highly alarming rabbit holes.
But what was unanticipated until the aftermath of the 2020 election was that the Republican Party would be seized by a highly disturbing form of mass psychosis. Judging by opinion polls and the primary outcomes, most Republican voters believe in, and successful candidates repeat, the false idea that the 2020 election was fraudulent and somehow "stolen" from Mr Trump by Mr Biden.
There is no evidence whatsoever to support such claims, which were tossed out in over 60 failed lawsuits. There is no coherent or consistent – let alone plausible – narrative about how such fraud was committed. There is no explanation for how it was possible to rig an election simultaneously in hundreds of districts with different systems, but only for Mr Biden and not the many successful Republican candidates other than Mr Trump when they were all on the same hundreds of completely different district ballots.
One of the two parties in the two-party American system is, therefore, firmly in the grip of a collective delusion
There is also no explanation for why Democrats rigged the presidential election but did not bother to give themselves a majority in the Senate or more than a razor-thin margin in the House of Representatives.
Yet the article of faith that the 2020 election was “stolen” – a thoroughly irrational dogma that is objectively, verifiably, and obviously, false – is now the defining centrepiece of Republican politics and was the driving force in Republican primaries this year.
One of the two parties in the two-party American system is, therefore, firmly in the grip of a collective delusion. It would be preferable not to have to use such dramatic language, but it is not hyperbole at all.
Meanwhile, while Democrats are campaigning on familiar liberal themes about increased social spending, especially on children, protecting abortion rights and marriage equality, raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy, empowering unions, and so on. Their winning candidates generally shied away from hot button culture war issues such as "defunding the police," "abolishing the immigration enforcement services," or an expansive "Green New Deal”.
It is particularly alarming that Republican voters in many states have nominated scores of election deniers for state and local roles that supervise elections, count votes and certify results. One key ringleader of this campaign is Steve Bannon, who was recently indicted in New York State for allegedly defrauding contributors, Mr Trump pardoned him on federal charges arising from the same acts.
No Republican officials, up to and including former Vice President Mike Pence, suppressed accurate results or otherwise cheated on behalf of Mr Trump, in 2020. So the goal now is to put in place a small army of Trump acolytes ready to do just that after the next presidential election.
Fifteen Republican nominees for state governor, 11 for secretary of state (which usually oversee elections), and 10 for attorney general are avowed election deniers, and appear prepared to suppress democratic outcomes. Many, like Mr Trump, are also still hawking the preposterous QAnon conspiracy theory.
Worse still, North Carolina Republicans are asking the Supreme Court to endorse a once-fringe legal theory that elected state legislatures alone control all election-related decisions, independent even from court review, which could allow state legislatures to effectively cheat the voters within the bounds of a reinterpreted Constitution.
It is therefore vital that the federal Justice Department and Georgia prosecutors are both conducting extensive criminal investigations into plots to overthrow the 2020 election.
Last week, the Justice Department issued an astonishing 40 subpoenas for a huge array of former Trump aides and officials. They are not only looking into the January 6 assault on Congress, but also plots to submit slates of false electors purporting to represent Trump wins in states in which Mr Biden's victory had already been certified.
Mobile phones belonging to Mr Trump's aides Boris Epshteyn and Mike Roman were seized by the FBI pursuant to the scheme, which another of his attorneys, Jack Wilenchik, accurately described as involving "fake electors". The FBI also confiscated the phone of the chief executive of a pillow manufacturing company and notorious conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell, for reasons that remain murky.
It is now unmistakable that the Department of Justice is investigating a huge range of current and former Trump aides pursuant to a wide variety of alleged conspiracies and other major potential felonies. That is in addition to the ongoing probe into why Mr Trump unlawfully removed thousands of government documents, many highly classified, to his Florida hotel, and refused to return them even after they were subpoenaed by a grand jury, with his attorneys formally but falsely attesting that he did not possess them.
Whether or not it is intentional, there is a direct correlation between efforts to install 2020 election-deniers in key election-related positions in states throughout the country and counter-efforts by the Justice Department that should make the potential consequences of such actions crystal clear through these expansive investigations, subsequent prosecutions, and, hopefully, instructive convictions and exemplary sentencings.
Even if anti-democracy candidates win key state-level posts in November, presumably they will be on notice long before they might try to subvert, reject, or tamper with the outcome of the presidential election in 2024: conspiracy to defraud the United States and similar major felonies can lead directly to prison. The reality of an awaiting cell ought to prove more powerful than the most beguiling, paranoid or cynical political mirage.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
Race card
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (Dirt), 1,900m
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB), Dh120,000 (D), 1,400m
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB), Dh92,500 (D)1,400m
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB), Dh95,000 (D), 2,000m
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SE%20(second%20generation)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
heading
Iran has sent five planeloads of food to Qatar, which is suffering shortages amid a regional blockade.
A number of nations, including Iran's major rival Saudi Arabia, last week cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism, charges it denies.
The land border with Saudi Arabia, through which 40% of Qatar's food comes, has been closed.
Meanwhile, mediators Kuwait said that Qatar was ready to listen to the "qualms" of its neighbours.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
Quick%20facts
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
WWE TLC results
Asuka won the SmackDown Women's title in a TLC triple threat with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
Dean Ambrose won the Intercontinental title against Seth Rollins
Daniel Bryan retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles
Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax
Rey Mysterio beat Randy Orton in a chairs match
Finn Balor defeated Drew McIntyre
Natalya beat Ruby Riott in a tables match
Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a TLC match
Sheamus and Cesaro retained the SmackDown Tag Titles against The Usos and New Day
R-Truth and Carmella won the Mixed Match Challenge by beating Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox
RECORD%20BREAKER
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Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
