Of course, Ford was a relatively powerless mayor, and the actual damage he was able to inflict on Toronto’s citizens and institutions was minimal. Ford never kept me up at night, worrying about nuclear war. The closest he got to Russia was the brand of vodka that his aides routinely bought for him.

Ford's council stripped him of much of his power, but Herr Drumpf benefits from having a Congress that is as shameless as he is that will do nothing to alter his power. Unlike Ford, Drumpf can do serious damage - and already has. I had cheered for that once when I was still under the misunderstanding that the proletariat could elevate themselves into a fair and decent ruling class; that Middle Americans were, on the whole, a decent people. I no longer suffer such illusions.