Imaginary enemies were erected and fake fights confected as both countries pugnaciously went about severing their ties with other nations and international institutions.
...
This is corrosive stuff – not only to the quality of public debate, but to the calibre of politicians. When the business of government becomes limited to populist set pieces, its ranks are purged of doers and populated instead with cheerleaders.
This isn't just well written, it's exactly freaking right. Still though, it's a typical lefty, picking on right wing ideologues like, er, "Barack Obama and Gordon Brown".