A Plague On All of Their Houses

By Rebecca Kennedy, The Charmed World Literary Supplement, Madrid, Wednesday 4th March 2026

In his latest work, The End of Honour: From Absurdity to Global Thuggery, Martyn Jones presents a searing, non-linear “collage of collapse” that chronicles the steady erosion of political integrity and the rise of a “surrealist theatre” in global governance. Drawing on a quarter-century of observation, Jones argues that the democratic institutions we once revered as “pillars of integrity” have been hollowed out, replaced by a “theology of managerialism” and a “moronic embrace of the void”.

The Architecture of Decay

Writing with the clinical despair of a veteran observer, Jones identifies a “cognitive collapse” in the American political psyche that has metastasised across the globe. He traces this decay through a succession of U.S. administrations, from George W. Bush’s “frat-boy evangelism” to Donald Trump’s “pulsating double-whammy ham sculpture of a regime”. This is not merely a critique of personalities but of a systemic shift where “honour becomes expediency” and “integrity becomes ‘messaging discipline'”.

Jones is particularly sharp in his analysis of the “unholy alliances” between neoliberalism, neoconservatism, and postmodernism. He posits that postmodernity serves as a “convenient smokescreen,” allowing for the rejection of universal truths and the obfuscation of critiques that threaten those in power. In this landscape, the “neoliberal ego” seeks to fill the “fundamental universe,” reducing the concept of community to the corporation and treating the public as “mere adjuncts” to the machinery of global capital.

The Geopolitics of “Thuggery”

A central theme of the book is the transformation of American hegemony into a form of “transactional extortion”. Jones examines the “Grand Strategy” of the United States, which he argues prioritizes the “use of power as a means to shape global outcomes” over traditional diplomacy or international cooperation. He highlights the 2003 invasion of Iraq as a primary example of “military adventurism” that, under the guise of spreading democracy, resulted in a “prolonged and costly quagmire” and regional chaos.

This “global thuggery” extends to current international relations, where Jones views Donald Trump’s NATO strategy—demanding 5% of GDP spending on U.S.-made arms—as a “geopolitical shakedown”. He suggests that the “shared values” marketed by the West are often a “brochure” hiding a “fine print” of self-interest that treats sovereign partners as “clients in a protection racket”.

Leadership and the Loss of Meaning

Jones laments a leadership vacuum where “visionaries” have been replaced by “think tank meat puppets” and “libertarian influencers”. He identifies a “paradox” in the modern era: politicians who command “widespread admiration” despite having no real influence over their supposed achievements. This loss of meaning is exacerbated by a media that amplifies lies and a public that increasingly embraces “anti-intellectualism” as a “religion”.

Despite the “spiralling anxiety” of his narrative, Jones offers a dedication to those who have exemplified “courage, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to justice,” including figures like Tony Benn, Willy Brandt, and the architects of Spain’s democratic transition. These “great, compassionate, and visionary individuals” serve as a reminder that politics can, in theory, be an “instrument of liberation and dignity”.

Conclusion

The End of Honour is a “whispered dare” to look at the “haunted house of political degeneracy” without flinching. Jones does not promise simple lessons or moral clarity; instead, he provides a meticulous “catalogue of the stupid” and a warning that if we build a global order on “strategic bullshit,” it will eventually “buckle under the weight of its own duplicity”. For those seeking to understand the “temporal confusion” of modern politics, Jones’s work is a vital, if profoundly unsettling, guide.