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I'm typically fairly sympathetic to the argument that Brit politicos care far too much about US elections and also that it's a little embarrassing. But not this time.
In 2016, Brexit shocked the world. It was a sign that the rules-based post-war multilateral order was facing severe challenge. But nothing compared to Trump's election. It was a body-blow.
His election showed that the new nationalist wave was an existential threat, that it could take any country, no matter how powerful.
The US is the primary author of the post-war order. When it turned away from it and started attacking international institutions, tearing up regional trade agreements and starting trade wars, it had a greater effect than any other country doing so.
The US presidency is the most famous job in the world. So when it is given to a white supremacist -and let's not argue about this, that is plainly and demonstrably what he is - it has an impact on the political standards in every country.
The same is true for all sorts of other political standards - on truth telling, for example, or basic civility. He degrades these notions as operational principles of debate.
It is absurd to pretend that the effects of these changes are limited to the US. They are not. They affect everyone.
The principles at stake cannot be overstated: Respect for the rule of law, the peaceful transfer of power, the moral norms against racism and sexism, the maintenance of a global rules-based order.
Chucking him out of office will not undo what has happened, and it will not bring the nationalist wave to an end. But it will show that it can be stopped. It would be the start of something, not the end of it. It matters to everyone on this planet.
