( I will not comment on the coup attempt itself-  it has had excellent coverage.  What interests me is the historical parallels)

The last four years (and yesterday was culmination) has shown the underbelly of the nation, what happens when jobs are scarce and insecure, education is dreadful unless you have a lot of money, and healthcare costs are sky-high; when the gap between rich and  poor has widened year on year, and companies hire immigrants for peanuts, (encouraging resentment and racism), or they send production to Asia.

Along comes the US version of Mussolini, full of bluster and blah.  His lies and promises are believed and his messianic (and bogus) promises blindly welcomed. Once in power Mussolini set about creating an Italian “empire” – incompetently, but it drew attention away from the maladministration and thuggery.  This is what we might just have avoided by the skin of our teeth.

Politicians and commentators:  concentrate on helping the poor feed, clothe and educate their families (an actual education is arguably as urgent as the food and rented shelter that isn’t whisked away from you).  Fortunately, the incoming regime has the right ideas, if they are allowed to implement them.