Monday 30 January 2017

Donald Trump is not the problem

The problem I have with all of this business about a petition to cancel Trumps visit to the UK to see the Queen is that Trump isnt the problem. He is just doing exactly what he said he would do, much as we'd like to label him as an outsider, he won on the basis that this was exactly what he'd do. This means that its not Trump that is the problem but America and the American system. I wouldn't ask him to dinner, but he is just echoing exactly what the US electorate wanted him to do. We elected a right wing government and as far as I can see Theresa May sees him as being a like minded business partner. As such it is stupid to expect anything else but a Trump visit. I don't want to see campaigns to cancel the visit. That is like treating lung cancer with cough mixture. Anyone who really objects should be out on the street campaigning against our own government and getting organised to fight the next election. However we may feel about Trump, he is not our problem. 

I've written a blog for eight and a half years, trying to highlight injustice, corrpution and malpractice in our own neighbourhood. As a result of my efforts, along with a few other bloggers and campaigners, we've had a degree of success in our neighbourhood. We've seen some rather unpleasant local politicians, who had no respect for the electorate despatched from previously safe seats. We've seen unpopular and dangerous policies reversed. We've seen illegal council policies challenged in the courts and thrown out. Barnet Council is a better place because local people have shown that they are not prepared to be taken for granted. We have no say in what happens in the USA. Whether Trump has tea with the Queen or not makes no difference whatsoever. What we can do is we can challenge racism and inequality in our own neighbourhood. If I was gifted with some sort of special powers where I could change what Tump was doing, I would. But I don't, so I will campaign where I can make a difference and that is here.  

I've just heard Boris Johnson speaking on the issue. We have a spineless and unprincipled government. Johnson admitted it was a bad policy in the USA, but stated that as they are our allies we should simply turn a blind eye. Where will this stop? The answer is it will stop when this government are consigned to the scrapheap of history and we get a government that is prepared to stand up for decency.

No comments: