Boris Johnson the Counter-Revolutionary|ECFR

Johnson’s behaviour is also called opportunism or a brazen face, as far as I remember. In other words, totally unprincipled, ready to jump on any bandwagon. I reckon that when a significant percentage of the population is permanently stoned, post-truth society is an obvious consequence: you can say anything and the contrary of anything and nobody really cares, as long as it’s entertaining – just let’s have another joint – and Boris surfs this surreal world better than most.

If history repeats itself – first tragedy, then farce – what comes next is Boris Johnson, a shape-shifting politician who embodies the contradictions of our age. Johnson is a tribune of the people who grew up with the privileges of the 1%; a child of immigrants who campaigned for closed borders; a Conservative who wants to upend the political order; an erudite man who mocks expertise; and a cosmopolitan who casually calls black people “piccaninnies.” Johnson did more than anyone to bury Britain’s European future; but his ultra-flexibility may yet prove to be its salvation.

Source: ECFR

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