#BorisJohnson may end up being worse than #DonaldTrump ... A #thread

Despite the obvious similarities of privileged background, crazy hair, narcissistic personalities, dubious morality and dog-whistle race baiting EVERYONE has always assumed that Boris is much better than Trump

I must confess, that despite my occasionally provocative tweet suggesting otherwise, I have also thought the same. I would much rather live under a Boris than a Trump though both are obnoxious and odious. But recent events and developments have made me question this assumption!

Let me explain. First comes the #taboo-breaking response to #Covid. The post-covid environment will open up macro, fiscal, monetary, housing, health, industrial policy and much else to a possible regime-shift never seen before. Who is in-charge will matter much for future policy

Here timing matters. #Trump has destroyed norms, torn-up alliances, stoked division and anger and his incompetence has dealt a low blow to the once dynamic US economy. But it's unlikely he will be re-elected. He has already inflicted much of the damage to the US that he could

It is likely that his democrat successor, will given how consequential policymaking will be post-covid, have a chance not just to undo much of the damage #trump has inflicted but also to actually address long-term structural problems with the US such as no Universal Health Care

#Boris is only just starting & has more than four more years to go in which the scope 4 norm-destruction, burning of bridges, breaking alliances, making bad domestic policy, & overseeing the breakup of the United Kingdom is scary 2 contemplate. His #NoDealBrexit is just the start

Covid taboo breaking, unleashing of state control offers #BorisJohnson a chance to completely re-shape the country in a dystopian manner to a far greater degree than #Trump was ever capable of. And he has shown signs of hubris, incompetence and malevolence 2 exactly do that

Last but most important. Checks and balances in the UK's centralised majoritarian parliamentary system of democracy are far weaker than tate/federal and institutional checks and balances that saved the US from the worst of #Trump. #Boris has carte-blanche', a terrifying thought!