Welcome to my podcast channel. For this exposé on what I think is America's crumbling democracy I'm delighted to be joined by my good friend the Rt Hon Norman Baker. Norman was our MP here in Lewes, England for 18 years. Since leaving Parliament he has been a commentator on a whole range of public affairs appearing on TV and publishing a number of books.

Background notes:

It's difficult to keep track of Trump's anti-democratic actions since he took office for the second term last year in January 2025. First of all, it's the attack on immigrants who have probably lived for decades in the United States by the ICE, heavily armed troopers right throughout the USA.

Then we have the threat to make Canada the 51st state of the USA, which was resoundingly batted off by the excellent Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney. But it goes on with Trump threatening to take over Greenland, the illegal regime change in Venezuela, even though that country operated a virtual dictatorship under Maduro. Trump may boast he has brought peace to the Gaza Strip, but what about the more than one million people who are left homeless and the almost total destruction of all buildings and homes in Gaza? Then as like a bolt out of the blue, Trump decides to initiate a war with Iran, which has left many hundreds of people dead or possibly even thousands. And now we hear he is blockading Cuba, preventing oil supplies from getting through. This now is making the situation desperate for millions of civilians in Cuba.

Visit my website for more podcasts and articles - a space where the past meets the present, and where I try to use my experience and travels to bring history, places to life. Enjoy my travels by train and bicycle on trips through England, France and beyond. Check out my thoughts on current affairs and climate change, - some serious and some I hope you will find informative. Join me in these conversations across time and place; past and present.