Is it my overly fertile imagination or are we presently being ruled by a bunch of overgrown schoolchildren? This week's risible political antics in the United States are only the latest in a litany of petulant displays by people who, one would have hoped given their position, might have been in possession of little more class and decorum. It appears not.

In case you missed it, before his State Of The Union speech, Donald Trump refused to shake the hand of the speaker and impeacher-in-chief Nancy Pelosi, instead turning haughtily on his heel sporting the expression of a sulking fifteen year old, leaving her outstretched arm dangling limply in the breeze.

At this point, had she shown a modicum of restraint, Miss/Mrs/ Ms/Mazz/Mozz Pelosi, would have held the moral high ground and, I suspect, gained a little respect from even her most ardent detractors. Unfortunately, in the manner of an affronted schoolgirl, she chose to hit back soon afterwards by theatrically tearing up the speech the president had just read directly behind his back. So far, so childish.

In the same vein, we've also recently been treated to the unedifying spectacle of Nigel Farage waving his little Union flag in the European parliament, grinning like a ten-year-old with no real friends. A word to the wise - nobody likes a gloater, Nige.

Meanwhile, in December, Jeremy Corbyn had claimed that his party had 'won the argument' after being royally battered in the UK election. This has to be one of the most delusional political statements ever uttered, unless he was referring to an argument in the Labour headquarters canteen about who could prove themselves to be their most unelectable leader.

Here in Spain, things aren't any better. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez who, not long ago, categorically stated that he'd never be able to sleep easily if any members of the far-left wing party Podemos or their affiliates formed part of his cabinet, promptly lobbed a few of them in when it became politically expedient to do so, and now seems to spend every waking hour embracing and hand-clasping Pablo Iglesias (Podemos leader) in that peculiar semi arm wrestle gesture usually the preserve of people who call each other 'man' even though they're not American. 'Statesmanlike' isn't a word that pops into one's bonce at the sight of any of this.

It's been well documented that we currently live in an infantilised society but surely we might at least expect our leaders to act their age rather than their shoe or sandal (in Iglesias's case) size.

Anyone who's ever read Lord Of The Flies will know precisely what happens when children are left in charge; it's not a pretty sight.

Come to think of it, that explains a lot.