Another unpopular analysis, Umair, although I think you're right. Neoliberalism is the original zombie economic faith, but it's still walking around.

I don't have a problem with Kamala Harris having been a prosecutor in a racist justice system. She's a lawyer. Lawyers are guns for hire and they don't usually worry whether they're working for the poor townsfolk or the bad cattle rancher. If you're squeamish about that, then don't be a lawyer - which would have severely limited Ms Harris's chances of ever getting rich enough to be a politician.

I would like to think that the various people campaigning for Black Lives Matter will swallow their perfectionism and vote for her on the grounds that she has more melanin in her skin and she isn't Trump - but what do I know?

As for the secret haters - is there any way of embarrassing them out of their covert Trump-love? I don't think anything else will work.

I'm getting the feeling that America may actually need a civil war.

Bear with me. Think of the English Civil War, a complicated and nasty business that started in 1642 and ended in 1651. The causes were very different, but it is true that the English were extremely divided (mainly on religious and governance grounds) and that neither side was listening to the other.

After the smoke dissipated, around 200,000 were dead from a population of 5 million and the Army was in control in the form of Cromwell, the Lord Protector.

On his death, the Army high command realised his son couldn't do the job and negotiated the return of the King's son and heir Charles II (1660). 1688 and the Glorious Revolution (a bloodless coup) established Parliamentary democracy of a sort.

My point is that after ten years of civil war and ten years of dictatorship, nobody young cared about the causes their fathers had died for. They enjoyed the 25 years under Charles II - who was as politically astute as his father was a genuine Idiot - and when they were threatened with more division, the Army brought in the monarchs known as William 'n Mary from Holland and established Parliament on a much firmer footing. It was the most bloodless invasion ever known - because the Army high command wanted it.

So the really important question now is "How enlightened are the US Armed Forces?"

Because when push comes to shove, when the chips are down, when your back's against the wall, that's what really matters.

Are the Army the good guys or the bad guys?