Irish Times Columnist on a strange week for the monarchy:

| Ian Hanna

The great Fintan O’Toole has some wise words on the monarchy and this week’s differing responses to crisis in the UK vs. the US.

“The answer is that even constitutional monarchies developed limits on arbitrary power, chief among them an independent criminal justice system and some kind of parliamentary accountability. The United States, on the other hand, has allowed the application of its laws to be bent to the will of an autocratic president, and the checks its legislature…

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/21/opinion/andrew-arrest-epstein.html

Word of the day

| Ian Hanna

Tergiversations.

From Andrew Rawnsley’s Observer column, 15 November 2025:

Might be hard to work into a conversation, but it seems to define much of contemporary discourse.

Doing the right thing, after the damage was done.

| Ian Hanna

Late Thursday UK time, the “Firm” did what it should have done last week:

The original statement lacked accountability, a sincere apology and allowed the main subject too much agency over its tone and content. And it led to further leaks which further inflamed public discontent.

As a result, there was a needless week-long period of public anger and outrage, damaging the brand.

There needed to be someone in charge with a steady hand–someone who could foresee the inevitable public dissatisfaction and take the extreme action required.

Unfortunately, they waited a week to see if it would blow over.

That seldom works.