Voltaire: If you want to know who rules over you ask yourself who cannot be criticized.

1. Israel and AIPAC, the Israeli lobbying group. Anyone criticizing Israel’s polices is branded anti-semitic. And a very effective brand it is. Along with lots of cash it cows and intimidates Congress and the Administration of the moment, plus most of the media and commentariat.

2. The untouchable financial “services” industry. The same crooks and spivs that caused the 2008 crash are still at their desks instead of where they should be – crushing rocks in a chain gang.

3. The National Rifle Association, who bully anyone who queries the right to carry loaded guns into public places like churches, bars and restaurants, and who have had dismantled, for practical purposes, most common sense safety regulations.

4. If you happen to live in the other country I know well, the UK, the people you absolutely dare not criticize are moslem immigrants, and this has given carte blanche for years to gangs of predatory males of Pakistani origin who abuse young white girls with impunity. No, they don’t rule the country, but some seem to feel they are above the law.

A visitor from outer space would find all the above puzzling. “Why have you let this happen?” he would ask.

The consolation is that these disagreeable examples of bullying cannot last. In a hundred years time people will ask, “Why did they let that happen?”