This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.
Michael Commane
For all the time that Donald Trump has been President of the United States we have been hearing about some of the zany aspects of his presidency. Most of it has come from the media he despises, whether it be ‘The New York Times’, ‘The Washington Post’ or CNN.
But when the United Kingdom ambassador to the United States writes back home to his prime minister similar thoughts about the shenanigans in the White House surely one has to be alarmed.
Ambassadors are quintessentially careful, polite and proper with their words. They are not prone to hyperbole and certainly British ambassadors are renowned worldwide for their diplomacy. I’m scared when I hear Sir Kim Darroch write home to Theresa May that the main reason why the US has reneged on the Iran agreement is because of the depth of bad feeling Donald Trump has towards former President Barack Obama. That does not augur well for the world.
On July 14 Trump tweeted: ‘Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they come.’
He was referring to four Democrat congresswomen of colour. They are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes from New York, Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts; Rashida Tlaib, Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
All of these congresswoman with the exception of Omar were born in the US. Omar was born in Somalia and moved to the US when she was 12.
In simple clear language the US president has shouted at them ‘to go home’. That is simply racism and should be called that and nothing else.
In Germany in the eastern state of Thuringia there is a politician by the name of Björn Höcke, who is a member of the far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD). Even in his own party there are people comparing him to Goebbels. Last year he came close to being expelled from the party for having said that Germany’s efforts to remember and learn from its Nazi past had crippled the country.
And right now Höcke is in a strong position to take over the leadership of this extreme right-wing party.
How has it all come to this?
But what is most scary of all, people like Trump, Höcke, Britain’s Boris Johnson, Italy’s Matteo Salvini and may I add in Cardinal Burke, all know that they have wide support for their far-right, xenophobic rantings. Yes, that far-right phenomenon is also showing its ugly head in the Catholic Church. And it is merciless.
Some years ago I had the great good fortune to visit Iran. I was most impressed by the people and the little I learned about their culture in the time I was there.
Right now the relationship between Iran and the US is dangerous and worrying.
I believe that should the US lay a finger on Iran the world could easily go up in flames.
Remember, the US has broken a deal it made with Iran. And all the while Russia and China look on in silence.
The world needs peace. But it also needs to tell Trump and his allies that his behaviour might ignite a spark that would be impossible to quench.
I’m reminded of Homer Simpson driving by a Republican convention observing a banner outside that says: ‘We’re just plain evil.’ Then further down the road outside a Democratic convention there is another banner saying: ‘We just don’t know how to govern’.
Good governance executed through compromise and consultation is what the world needs. Scoring points is for games
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