We’re in a bizarre new era for international diplomacy in the US. The Gulf of Mexico, depending on who you ask, is no more. There’s suddenly an opening for a 51st state, if not a 52nd, with a few hopefuls in the mix (no, they’re not the ones doing the hoping). The Panama Canal is reportedly in the process of being “reclaimed”. It was against this profoundly unsettling backdrop that the old St Patrick’s Day show had to go on last week. Any philosophising about whether or not to attend the annual pressing of the flesh, any talk from any…

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