Against a backdrop of political apathy and distrust of politicians, a demagogue comes to power. He appeals to sections of society that claim they aren’t listened to by politicians and left to experience worsening conditions while other groups prosper. His xenophobia and aggression is a concern on the world stage but it largely goes unchecked. The groups he and his supporters show the most vitriol for are increasingly subject to hate crimes until said crimes are now effectively organised by state agencies. Sound familiar?
It might sound like the synopsis for a dystopian novel but you’d be correct if you assumed I was referencing Hitler’s rise to power in Nazi Germany. You’d also be correct if you said it similarly described Donald Trump’s ascent to power in America.
We’re all aware of Trump’s rhetoric and we expected him to attempt to portray himself as the arrogant cretin he is. So when he signed the executive order for nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries and all refugees to be banned from entering the United States, it should probably have been met with less surprise. The disgust, however, was not misplaced.
Trump has claimed this isn’t a Muslim ban but that’s exactly what it is. A ban on people who have established lives, families and jobs in America, contributing to American society, but they happen to be Muslim or from a country that increases the likelihood of that being their faith. It’s a ban on people who are escaping a life of persecution and seeking solace and sanctuary in America as a nation of immigrants with a history as a sympathetic host towards refugees before them. But again, they happen to probably be Muslims. It’s an unfathomable act and one that has been criticised globally. Well, not by everyone.
Returning to the Nazi Germany parallels, in 1938 British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement giving parts of Czechoslovakia to Germany in an attempt to appease Hitler’s threats of war with its eastern neighbour. Hitler ignored the Agreement and in 1939 invaded Czechoslovakia and World War 2 essentially followed. Sadly, Chamberlain played himself and history has not been kind to him for his naivety and lack of balls in standing up to Hitler.
The same could be said for Theresa May for whom history will judge a racist and a poor man’s Margaret Thatcher throwback. She couldn’t have been further up Trump’s backside if she tried when they met on her state visit. The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg outlined in one question much of what is so dangerous about Trump and why a relationship with America under his leadership is something we should be giving a wide berth. She gave May the opportunity to take the moral high ground for once in her morally bankrupt premiership but instead she chose to remain pathetically obsequious towards Trump.
Though more apparent was her refusal to condemn Trump’s Muslim ban, only eventually bowing to pressure to later show lukewarm opposition when it became apparent that some British nationals were affected. As Trump takes the role of Hitler on the stage, May is primed to assume the role of Chamberlain and history will not portray her favourably either.
Theresa May is a disgrace to British values and British people. An admittedly chequered British history of benevolence has been further eroded under her leadership. Not to mention the ability to actually have the cojones to stand up for what is right in the face of a man that shows moral vacuity almost every time he speaks.
I understand May’s attempt to preserve the ‘special relationship’ and with the UK looking like a pariah of Europe (as she pursues Brexit without a plan), America probably looks like an even more desirable and necessary ally. But there’s no excuse for her approach. If these are British values, it’s little wonder I’m again ashamed to be British with her at the helm.
This is just the beginning from Trump and there will be more opportunities to condemn his actions. May needs to ask herself, is Trump’s America an ally we want to have? Do we want British history to record that we stood by, mute while he inflicted his prejudice on the world? Any nation of moral fibre should be turning its back on him.
During May’s state visit, she extended an invitation to Trump to visit the UK but a petition to halt it was approaching 500,000 signatures within hours of being posted. British people don’t want anything to do with Trump and don’t want him here either. If May wants to reflect the will of the people as she claims is her driver behind Brexit, she should reflect our will in relations with undesirable allies.
Trump has normalised the hatred that he espouses by bringing it into mainstream politics and May is now endorsing this. That makes her no better and those aren’t the ethics we should want in a British Prime Minister.
It might sound like the synopsis for a dystopian novel but you’d be correct if you assumed I was referencing Hitler’s rise to power in Nazi Germany. You’d also be correct if you said it similarly described Donald Trump’s ascent to power in America.
We’re all aware of Trump’s rhetoric and we expected him to attempt to portray himself as the arrogant cretin he is. So when he signed the executive order for nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries and all refugees to be banned from entering the United States, it should probably have been met with less surprise. The disgust, however, was not misplaced.
Trump has claimed this isn’t a Muslim ban but that’s exactly what it is. A ban on people who have established lives, families and jobs in America, contributing to American society, but they happen to be Muslim or from a country that increases the likelihood of that being their faith. It’s a ban on people who are escaping a life of persecution and seeking solace and sanctuary in America as a nation of immigrants with a history as a sympathetic host towards refugees before them. But again, they happen to probably be Muslims. It’s an unfathomable act and one that has been criticised globally. Well, not by everyone.
Returning to the Nazi Germany parallels, in 1938 British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement giving parts of Czechoslovakia to Germany in an attempt to appease Hitler’s threats of war with its eastern neighbour. Hitler ignored the Agreement and in 1939 invaded Czechoslovakia and World War 2 essentially followed. Sadly, Chamberlain played himself and history has not been kind to him for his naivety and lack of balls in standing up to Hitler.
The same could be said for Theresa May for whom history will judge a racist and a poor man’s Margaret Thatcher throwback. She couldn’t have been further up Trump’s backside if she tried when they met on her state visit. The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg outlined in one question much of what is so dangerous about Trump and why a relationship with America under his leadership is something we should be giving a wide berth. She gave May the opportunity to take the moral high ground for once in her morally bankrupt premiership but instead she chose to remain pathetically obsequious towards Trump.
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| "Have I still got that brown stuff on my nose Donald?" |
Theresa May is a disgrace to British values and British people. An admittedly chequered British history of benevolence has been further eroded under her leadership. Not to mention the ability to actually have the cojones to stand up for what is right in the face of a man that shows moral vacuity almost every time he speaks.
I understand May’s attempt to preserve the ‘special relationship’ and with the UK looking like a pariah of Europe (as she pursues Brexit without a plan), America probably looks like an even more desirable and necessary ally. But there’s no excuse for her approach. If these are British values, it’s little wonder I’m again ashamed to be British with her at the helm.
This is just the beginning from Trump and there will be more opportunities to condemn his actions. May needs to ask herself, is Trump’s America an ally we want to have? Do we want British history to record that we stood by, mute while he inflicted his prejudice on the world? Any nation of moral fibre should be turning its back on him.
During May’s state visit, she extended an invitation to Trump to visit the UK but a petition to halt it was approaching 500,000 signatures within hours of being posted. British people don’t want anything to do with Trump and don’t want him here either. If May wants to reflect the will of the people as she claims is her driver behind Brexit, she should reflect our will in relations with undesirable allies.
Trump has normalised the hatred that he espouses by bringing it into mainstream politics and May is now endorsing this. That makes her no better and those aren’t the ethics we should want in a British Prime Minister.
