AND so it’s all over: the hype, the panic-buying, the craziness and overindulgence associated with the Christmas season.
The real message and purpose of Christmas is often overshadowed by secularism and commercialisation.
The older this columnist gets, the shorter the year seems to become.
In a few days’ time, we will enter a new year.
As a rule, I am a glass-half-full type of guy. Like Wilkins Micawber in David Copperfield, I live in the permanent expectation that “something will turn up”.
That said, with all the political madness, violence and disruption of 2025, my half-glass-full attitude has been truly tested.
2025 was an awful year, and according to a recent poll, most people are not entering 2026 with any real sense of optimism.
The western political world has been hijacked by a manipulative, perverse, self-serving, anti-democratic set of xenophobes with vested interests in creating political and economic chaos and profiting from it. What is worse, they are doing it in plain sight.
Trump is only the visualisation and vocalisation of the extent of their manipulation.
He promised to flush out the DC swamp, but in truth, he simply enlarged and grew the quagmire by teaming up with oligarchs and ideologically-driven zealots. He is by far the worst president ever to hold the post.
The White House, which is a magnificent and historic public/federal building – not a private Trump mansion – is being transformed into something which resembles a tacky, gilded and gaudy casino.
How long will it be before Trump copies the lead of the former president of Turkmenistan, who unveiled gold statues to himself?
It’s already happening with his hand-picked trustees adding his name to the prestigious Kennedy Centre in DC.
President Kennedy and Mrs Kennedy were icons of their generation – educated, cultured, and refined.
This butchering of the White House is doing more damage than when Rostrevor’s General Ross burned the place down in 1812.
It was cringeworthy watching the FIFA president giving Trump a peace award. But then again, the reputation of FIFA is low.
There are signs of Trump’s incoherence worsening. Age is a factor, but his attention span seems less than a goldfish.
The Democratic leadership resemble Rip Van Winkle, as they don’t seem to understand the political world in which they have awakened.
America has a serious dose of political amnesia about its cherished values about democracy, justice, free speech and liberty. It’s a wonder Lady Liberty hasn’t fled back to France.
Trumpism is spreading to Ireland and is already in the UK in the form of Nigel Farage.
In Ireland, there is no credible public-facing leader of the populist right – just wannabes, failed candidates, and even a few lunatic Hitler fans.
Housing is the main area of dissatisfaction for the electorate and targets aren’t being met.
The talking needs to stop and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael need to start delivering.
The main opposition party, Sinn Féin, have a long wait to the next election and don’t seem to be building any head of steam.
2025 was a disaster for Prime Minister Starmer and the Labour Party.
Not even the barmy Boris Johnson could dissipate the optimism of the British public as quickly as the current government.
Starmer will be glad to see the door close on 2025 but, surrounded by the same inner cabal who have overseen calamity after calamity (most of which were avoidable), the outlook doesn’t inspire confidence.
With a vast amount of new MPs, Labour could start a turnaround by anchoring these to their constituencies and not the Westminster bubble.
2026 will be real litmus test for the Labour government. If they get routed in Wales, a slap back in Scotland, and humiliation in the English local government elections, it’s almost certainly curtains for the prime minister.
He could change tack by listening to Labour figures like Steve Rotherham, Andy Burnham, Lisa Nandy, Angela Rayner or Louise Haigh who are connected to the Labour membership and, better still, the electorate – instead of hinging his future on an unelected political Svengali.
Compassion is missing from this government, however well intentioned. Ruling by calculator will definitely not win back hearts and minds.
But one glimmer of hope that the world can reclaim its sense of values, obligations and moral compass comes not from the political classes but a spiritual one. And one with significant clout.
Pope Leo is a breath of fresh air in the international arena. His voice is clear and unambiguous on temporal, spiritual and environmental matters.
As leader of the universal church, Pope Leo reminds us all that we are a shared humanity.
Perhaps as the Holy Father’s pontificate takes a hold and with a ready-made global audience of 1.4 billion Catholics, this American Augustinian Pope may be just the antidote to counter the populism of the valueless far right.
To him the last words: “Peace is built from the heart... by eliminating pride and vindictiveness and carefully choosing our words.”
My 2026 glass is already looking half-full. Happy New Year.