Godfrey Hodgson: a legendary author who predicted America’s unravelling
The legendary Godfrey Hodgson, author of essential books and reports on the US, a journalist with The Observer and then The Sunday Times Insight Team when they were in their prime, and in later life the head of the fellowships programme at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University, has died, aged 86. This is just a note to acknowledge the remarkable series of articles, a masterclass of analysis and observation, that he wrote for openDemocracy.
The
first was a month after 9/11 when he reflected on a theme that he had
written about at length: that the US thought of itself as “the exceptional
country”. Americans thought they had created a model for the world and believed
it was only a matter of time before the rest of us, everywhere, would come to
see this. Perhaps, Hodgson suggested, more in hope than expectation, the shock
of the terrorist assault would finally make America realise it was not the
exception after all.
The most striking contribution Hodgson made, however, was
not in any single article or essay, like this. From April 2004 to November
2011, he wrote 80 articles on American politics, sometimes monthly. These track
the decline of the Bush presidency: with brilliant characterisations of George
W. Bush’s flaccid character, class background and
corruptions; the pathetic grovelling of
Tony Blair seeking American influence; and the rise and victory of Obama, which
is coolly observed…
Amulya Ganguli - End of India’s “Howdy, Modi” Bonhomie
with the USA
Donald Trump's gift to America: Realizing we've never
been a liberal democracy. By PAUL ROSENBERG
Steve Bannon Documentary, 'The Brink', Will Leave You
Cold
Mohammed Hanif: The rest of the world has had it with
US presidents, Trump or otherwise
You're fired ! Americans taunt Trump with his own
catchphrase
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ends truce by warning
‘incompetent’ Democratic party
George Monbiot: Ayn Rand - A
Manifesto for Psychopaths
Tom McTague: The Decline of
the American World
