Sunday 29th January
It is just over a week since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of America. And every day he has made the headlines, making speeches and signing Executive Orders as if they were Christmas cards. He is aptly named because it seems every new day he trumps the last in outrageousness.
His Inauguration Speech was bad enough – “America First”, because in Trumpspeak America has been savaged and ripped off in trade deals over the years. This from a Republican, when many of those trade deals were set up and signed by Bush (obviously a traitor of the first water – who knew?). And even those signed by Obama have been viewed by the rest of the World as more than favourable to America.
He has re-instated the pipelines, many crossing Indian Reservations, which Obama had placed on hold while Environmental concerns were investigated. He has offered American manufacturers tax cuts to establish factories back in America and threatened tariffs on goods from abroad. He has cancelled a Trans-Pacific Trade deal which took years to negotiate. Both of the above may not be wholly bad, but will probably have a negative impact on World Trade and prosperity. He has cancelled all State Aid to any NGO which propagates abortion or even contraceptive advice in any part of their operations. A move which will at the very least continue the misery for many women in the third world. Obamacare is destined for repeal too (just don’t be poor and ill in America)
He has met Theresa May and preened like a schoolboy getting a gold star from teacher as she obsequiously praised him on his ‘stunning’ victory (nearly 3% lower than Hilary’s vote). This seems rather strange; praising the one who got less votes where here she is totally disregarding the concerns of Remain who also lost by around the same margin – but, hey – that’s Politics.
He has again promised ‘The Wall’, which some analysts say will cost 50 Billion dollars, who knows if it will ever be built – but Donald still insists Mexico will pay for it.
And just yesterday he did what seems so far the worst…banning all visitors (even those apparently with green cards) from seven Muslim countries. Chaos at airports as innocent people are turned away or stopped from even getting on their planes. Iran has already retaliated, others are bound to follow. How cruel, and how Racist.
And we have almost become immune to it, numb and dumb we stand like rabbits caught in the headlights as the juggernaut rolls on. Can it possibly get any worse? Almost certainly. That is the real tragedy. There is no end to this nightmare.