Simon Tisdall hits the mark in his analysis of our contemporary “villains” but I fear he is over-generous (“In an unheroic age, Putin, Trump and Netanyahu are sick parodies of great men”). For these men are tyrants and their impact goes beyond their murderous actions, crimes against humanity and “undermining of universal values”.
Perhaps their most insidious impact is in reconfiguring the ethical and moral framework by which such men (and it is invariably men) can be perceived as dangerous and unfitted for power. They create the conditions for perpetuating tyranny. In this, they are supported by the tyrants of social media, a group headed by Elon Musk who, as Carole Cadwalladr argues (“Don’t rejoice yet, Elon Musk and his tech bros-in-arms are winning the global battle for the truth”), promotes the spread of “distorted truth” – for which read “lies” – thereby helping to normalise this new morality.
Ian Sanderson
Leeds
