Trump may disavow the Klan but supports its British Counterpart?

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   Credence2posted 7 years ago

   In November 2017, the President of the United States, Donald Trump caused controversy by re-broadcasting three anti-Muslim videos shared by Jayda Fransen. The re-tweets were responded to by Fransen and Paul Golding with the statement "God Bless you Trump! God Bless America!".[82][83] Britain First boasted of a surge in support after Trump retweeted its videos.[84]
   The three Islamophobic videos tweeted by Fransen were inflammatory and unverified: Britain First has a history of sharing misleading videos.[85] A video ("Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!") was filmed during the Syrian Civil War in 2013 and showed a man, who is believed to be an Al-Nusra supporter, destroying a statue of Mary and stating: "No-one but Allah will be worshipped in the land of the Levant." The third video ("Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!") contained footage from Alexandria, Egypt, during a period of violent unrest following the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état.[86][87][83]
   Trump's retweeting was condemned by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Labour MP Chuka Umunna, Labour MP David Lammy, Labour MP Yvette Cooper, Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, journalist Piers Morgan, Unite Against Fascism and the Council on American–Islamic Relations.[82][88][89][90] The incident resulted in calls for Trump to be banned from the UK; Jo Cox's successor in Parliament, Tracy Brabin, said he would not be welcome.[91] A spokesman for the Prime Minister, Theresa May, condemned Trump's retweeting and added that Britain First spread "hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions".[92] Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, also condemned Trump's retweets, writing on social media that, "Britain First seeks to divide communities and intimidate minorities, especially our Muslim friends and neighbours. Britain First does not share our values of tolerance and solidarity. God calls us as Christians to love our neighbour and seek the flourishing of all in our communities, societies and nations. I join the urgent call of faith groups and others for President Trump not just to remove these tweets, but to make clear his opposition to racism and hatred in all forms."[93]
   
   
   For more, see the attached article.
   
   https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-tru … dent-help/
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   So, you have to wonder and ponder:
   
   What is President Trump doing involving himself with a radical group as this “Britain First”?
   
   And, don’t you dopey rightwing types say that it is free speech, such advocacy is completely inappropriate from the “leader of the free world”, can we acknowledge that?
   
   Sticking his proboscis where is does not belong has been condemned from the highest levels of British Government. That is good enough for me.
   
   This President behaves like not much more than a common street brawler and those that continue to make excuses for his behavior cannot be much better.
   
   I hope that he is 'banned' from the UK, it would be just what he deserves.

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      Randy Godwinposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      He is already personae non gratis in Great Britain, as he should be with our greatest ally. What a miserable representative of America Trump is. He makes me ashamed of having him as president of our already great country.

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      1. 82

         Credence2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Randy, yes, I have to wonder how America would react if Theresa May, British PM, were cavorting with any of our extremist groups, completely ignoring our State and Federal governments and its position regarding the group?
         
         This is another 'character' moment a lot like that Boy Scout fiasco that Trump was involved in a few months ago.
         
         What would possess Trump to associate with a minute, ragtag organization of bigots and malcontents, while risking the ire of the entire British Government?
         
         If he is standing on principle, that only principle is bigotry and intolerance. Is it natural to assume that that is the driving force behind his immigrant agenda, though he and his handlers paint it as something else?
         
         Just like the Boy Scout fiasco, the real Trump emerges here, and he is not even smart enough to keep his mask (covering his true intentions) in place.
         
         The Right is cowardly, playing sematic games with our legitimate arguments, when we all know that no man with Trump's temperament could be trusted to be put "in control of it all" with his finger on the button. This stark example of poor judgement colors my attitude about everything he does.
         
         Yet, I am supposed to give him a "chance", my portfolio hasn't risen. The recent senatorial race in Alabama was for the Black minority a referendum on Trump, it is astounding how far apart we are from the vast number of conservative whites as most of them are, when one looks at the demographic nature of the returns. Trump has shown me whose side he is on and it certainly is not to my advantage.
         
         We have to keep treating the rightwingers with kid gloves who take offense at the slightest thing, while the left are expected to kowtow at frequent attacks from the right in return, sorry but nada.
         
         Thanks for your response, so, where is the Right with their explanation as to the reasonableness of the latest Trump foible? The silence is deafening.

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      Nathanvilleposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Credence2, a very thorough intro. 
      
      Unfortunately, Trump will not be ‘banned’ from the UK because our Prime Minister (Theresa May) is desperate for a Trade Agreement from him.
      
      However, the ‘Speaker’ of the House of Commons had the guts to publically ban him from speaking in the House of Commons if he ever does visit the UK; a bold step in that the ‘Speaker’ is ‘neutral’ by tradition that goes back centuries.
      
      A ‘Speaker’ is the ‘Chairperson’ of the House of Commons e.g. decides who can speak in debates in the House.  A Speaker is an MP (Member of Parliament) who is elected by his fellow MPs in the House of Commons.  Once an MP is elected as Speaker, regardless to which political party he belongs, he is committed to being neutral, and loses his right to vote on Legislation.  The current Speaker is a Conservative (right wing MP).
      
      Speaker blocks Trump from addressing UK parliament: https://youtu.be/ywOGF0NHJXc
      
      As you may know, soon after Trumps inauguration Theresa May invited him to a ‘State Visit’ for this summer; which was later postponed because of ‘public outrage’ and fear of mass demonstrations.  A ‘State Visit’ being where a dignitary meets the Queen.
      
      Last month, that visit was downgraded to just an ‘Official’ visit e.g. he doesn’t get to see the Queen, and the visit is postponed until further notice due to fear of public demonstrations in the UK if and whenever Trump does set foot on British soil.

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      1. 82

         Credence2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Arthur, I am delighted to see you and hoped that you would see this thread and provide your thoughts.
         
         Who says that "Calvary does not come over the hill in the nick of time" anymore?
         
         I understand the need for pragmatism on the part of the PM and consequently,  the need for the show to go on despite Trump and his behavior. 
         
         Here, there are so many that consider any criticism of Trump akin to touching the eyeball of God, himself, or as Mick Jagger would put it, "sympathy for the devil".
         
         From your perspective as the man on the scene, is my assessment of the circumstances regarding this tragic affair and the relative role of the players a correct one?
         
         I am deeply embarrassed that our "President" and I use the term loosely, has been the source of such needless controversy.
         
         Even from the position of your relatively conservative as the Speaker, Trump is a persona non grata. I am sure that he would not receive a ticket tape parade upon his visit, there.
         
         When in modern times (or in not so modern times for that matter) has an American president ever been the source of this much negative reaction from our closest of allies?
         
         Best wishes to you and yours during the holiday season!!!

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            Nathanvilleposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks Credence2, your intro and comments are very precise, detailed and comprehensive, and as far as I can see faultless; spot on.
            
            John Bercow (a right wing Conservative MP) is very popular with MPs from all political parties; albeit he does have a few enemies on the far right of his own Conservative political party, who tried to oust him as Speaker after he banned Trump from speaking in the Commons on any eventual ‘Official’ visit to the UK.   
            
            Because of his popularity with MPs, John Bercow has been re-elected by them as Speaker of the Commons after every General Election since 2009.
            
            Each time a Speaker is elected (or re-elected) its tradition to drag him (or her) to the Chair.  An old custom dating back centuries as a reminder that the Speaker, who used to also be the ‘messenger’ from Parliament to the King (or Queen), often lost their head (beheaded) if they brought the King bad news e.g. the ‘bearer of bad news’, ‘don’t shoot the messenger’ etc.
            
            John Bercow dragged to Speaker of the House of Commons chair: https://youtu.be/RVKz-ClYSHI
            
            Best of Bercow as Speaker: https://youtu.be/oc4nakOcGbs

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