Crackin’ Down

So yesterday Obama announced that he had signed an executive order targeting people and entities who use technology to help authoritarian governments crack-down on dissidents.

Obama stated in his speech on Monday at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington that:

“Technologies should be in place to empower citizens, not to oppress them,”

Ultimately these new penalties are aimed at pressuring authoritarian entities that use information technology to commit human-rights abuse. But the US in its statement specifically signaled out and targeted Iran and Syria for condemnation. The U.S. treasury department has already slapped sanctions on six Iranian and Syrian companies & government branches along with the head of Syria’s intelligence directorate. The sanctions implemented will freeze any of the assets they hold in US jurisdiction whilst also simultaneously banning any US citizen from doing business with them.

Now I am not one to criticize any steps made to help inhibit any authoritarian regimes crackdown on its people. After all, it is true what Obama has said, technology should be used to benefit the human race rather than crush it. But where my contention lies is in the selectivity of this policy. As is made clear, the policy is aimed at Iran and Syria, two regimes that aren’t or have never been in the good graces of the West. With the daily protests and rising death toll in Syria its emphasis in the statement makes sense topically as well as politically since the UN is at loss at how to best ‘discipline’ the regime’s wanton violence. But some may frown at the inclusion of Iran. If we are looking at the crackdown on dissidents, unlike places like Syria it is not going through an abnormal uproar of dissent. So why was it included? Two words… Nuclear Weapons. These sanctions fit nicely into the US’s Iran agenda and hence their integral inclusion in the statement is explained.

Now don’t get me wrong, that isn’t to say there isn’t any dissent or human rights abuses taking place in Iran. On the contrary, its record on human rights is as bleak as any paranoid authoritarian’s regime. My point isn’t that Iran shouldn’t be included on the list, just that it should have been joined by the likes of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan etc. Its inclusion and especially Bahrain’s exclusion is comical. Bahrain has been spotlighted in the news lately due to the ongoing heavy-handed crackdown on protesters as the F1 race is held on its shores.  The silence on Bahrain doesn’t surprise me, though. It fits nicely into the current US stance on it, i.e. Turn a blind eye.

But another interesting thing to note is the statements focus on ‘technology’. One might wonder why stop at technology that facilitates the authoritarian governments to locate these dissenters, why not also ban the weaponry these regimes use to crack down on these dissenters? After all, knowing who your dissenters are isn’t the same as having the means to punish them. So what’s the hold up? The US is the hold up. It is the biggest arms trader in the world. Awkward to say the least. Don’t want to be seen to be shooting oneself in the foot. It seems the US’s moral compass on those who aide authoritarian regimes is lost when it comes to weaponry. Technology? No No, Dear God No. Guns & Bombs you say? How many you want?

To view this hypocrisy one simply needs to look at any of the many events that have transpired in the Middle East’s revolutionary up-heavel.  An example of this would be that during the crackdown on Egypt’s pro-democracy movement the protesters in Tahrir square were being told that the US stood by them (Regardless of how timid and late this stance was) in their battle for democracy… whilst they had tear gas canisters being fired at them daily with the words ‘Made in the USA’ proudly embezzled on the side. Hypocrisy, you’re doing it right USA.

The point I’d like to stress is the fact that this policy isn’t and shouldn’t be viewed as one void of US interests. Iran and Syria have abused their positions of power and have wronged their people and therefore should be punished no question about it. I applaud the step towards holding to account those who help authoritarian regimes wrong their people, but what I don’t applaud is an inherent selectivity and bias in these steps. It’s poignant that Obama made this speech in front of the Holocaust memorial. After all, it wasn’t technology that simply led to the devastating events of the holocaust, but weaponry.

People are not blind to hypocrisy and those who make grand overtures of being the ‘world’s police force’ should remember that. As the protests in the Middle East have shown us, eloquence of words and speeches from above do not make-up for the hollowness of in-action below.

Simply stated it should be: Accountability of all, in the interest of everyone instead of the few.

 Follow @WellApparently

 

Oblivious Bernie

Bernie Ecclestone yesterday finally put rumors to rest and declared that the F1 race would definitely take place in Bahrain this year. He also claimed in his statement that everything is peaceful and quiet in Bahrain and that everybody is happy with the outcome of this decision. There had been much debate and deliberation prior to his announcement over whether or not the F1 race would be pulled from Bahrain due to the government’s ongoing heavy-handed repression and discrimination of its pro-democracy protesters. The reasons to why the people are protesting are varied and have been covered in this previous post so I wont recite the points again. But bear in mind since my post there have been have been a plethora of abuses of human rights and injustices that have occurred.

In hearing the news of the commencement of the F1 race as scheduled Amnesty responded criticizing the decision stating that:

“as the country prepares to host the Grand Prix, daily anti-government protests continue to be violently suppressed by the riot police that uses tear gas recklessly with fatal results.”

Not only that but on the same day as the announcement was made a young 14 year old boy was shot in the chest by government forces during a protest.

So peaceful and quiet Bernie says. If this is quiet and peaceful I’d like to see his idea of violent. Armagaddon is probably a walk in the park for this Hard-as-nails character. This race should not be held in a country which continues to ignore and repress the cries of its people.

But there are those who argue that the other side of the argument should be given some recognition. This side claims the F1 race will bring in revenue through tourism and jobs. To this I say yes it would, but right now ‘revenue’ is not what the country needs. Instead ‘Justice’ is what it should be seeking as the seeds of discontent and division continue to be sown. And anyway, whatever way you look at it, Bahrain is NOT exactly struggling economically. Fact: It’s not a picture of poverty and depravity. If it has survived countless years without the F1 race, I am sure it will manage to survive this year and the many more years to come without it. After all, this F1 race isn’t exactly going to be a constant yearly fixture on the Bahrani calendar.

Instead the Race should be cancelled. A message should be sent, however small, that no government who serves its needs over its peoples will be rewarded, be it with something as superficial as an international F1 race.

Injustice should not be Ignored, let alone rewarded.

Follow @WellApparently

 

Trial: Country vs. Detainees

On April 4^th 2012 the Pentagon finally approved the charges brought forth against 5 Guantanamo bay prisoners accused of playing a part in the terrorist attacks that rocked America on September 11^th. Amongst these 5 prisoners is Khaled Sheikh Mohammed who admitted during a military hearing to being the ‘mastermind’ behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks. They are expected to stand trial in a U.S base in Cuba in front of a military Judge in May of this year. If convicted of the charges of murder and terrorism brought forth against them, they may find themselves facing the death penalty.

11 years on and there is ultimately no clear verdict on these men’s fate and the other men like them who are still holed up in Guantanamo Bay. In this lengthy time there have been questions dogging the administration over how to try them, where to try them (civilian or military courts) and when to try them. There have also been countless questions surrounding the legality of detaining them in Guantanamo bay, with promises that Obama had made to close this controversial site down being ultimately scrapped early on in his first term in office due to ‘logistics’. Throughout all this, questions of legality and the breach of Human rights have been paramount in the highly contentious debates about both Guantanamo bay as a compound and its detainees.

But these men, who are accused in partaking in one way or another in the act which single handedly ignited America’s new age of warfare against the ever impending threat of ‘terrorism’, have been given a lengthy sentence in purgatory. A long time some would say, but even longer considering that it only took the U.S administration less than a month to declare its war on Afghanistan. The war on Afghanistan started October 7^th 2001 and this was, in the eyes of the administration, ample enough time for them to launch a full-fledged war on a country which had been historically ravaged time and time again by many different foreign forces. From the Brits to the Soviets to the Mongols, everyone it seems had tried and failed to stably secure this land under their military guise. Yet this did not seem to deter the U.S administration in their quest to seek ‘justice’ for the attacks on their soil.

As of April 3^rd 2012 there have been 2,853 coalition deaths in Afghanistan with the casualty figures of Afghan civilians in the tens of thousands. Unlike the deaths of coalition forces, the deaths of Afghan civilians are unfortunately not afforded the same prompt and detailed records so the estimates vary depending on which source you rely on. Afghanistan as a state is ravaged with internal conflict, corruption, lawlessness and injustice. Opium production has drastically risen since the war began contrary to the wishes and aims of the U.S. administration. The faux guise of democracy afforded to Hamid Karzai’s government also does not hide the chronic underlying problems facing the government’s structure and base, that it is weak and dysfunctional. One cannot deny that the state Afghanistan is currently in is less than ideal, but some argue nonetheless it is better than what it had before the war. I will not contest this claim but what I will contest is the idea that Afghanistan should have to settle for ‘slightly better than worse’. The reason why Afghanistan is in such a bad state is the simple fact that not enough (or hardly any) time was spent dealing with the logistics of the aftershock of war.

The issue here isn’t that people shouldn’t be given a fair and just trial regardless of how long it takes, but that this same logic of justice and more importantly time, is also afforded to the people whose lives you will ultimately change and affect when you finally decide to ‘drop that bomb’ for whatever cause. When you declare war you are ultimately passing judgment on thousands of people’s lives, be it troops and their families, or Afghan civilians and their livelihoods and lives. The balance we afford to one life over another is ironically dependent on some part on their geographic placement in the world. In our custody and on our soil the ideals of democracy, justice and fair trail are extolled in defense of what, at times, may seem like the indefensible. While the lives of the soldiers and civilians whose fate inextricably lie with the administration’s decisions, seem to be all too easily written off as ‘collateral damage’.

The logistics of war it seems are easier to handle than the logistics of the Guantanamo bay detainees. Wars are waged too easily without a thorough enough thought given to the consequences and aftershocks that it will inevitably bring. Invading and occupying a country is never going to be easy, lest one with as much of a troubled past as that of Afghanistan. Every action has its opposite reaction and consequences are born out of actions. As the U.S. has found in the case of Afghanistan and Iraq, you might have won the battle but the war has clearly not been so easily won.

Follow @WellApparently

 

Revolution Lives On

At least five people have been killed in a violent assault by the Egyptian army and police to evict protesters from Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Hundreds of soldiers and police, backed by armored personnel carriers, used teargas, rubber bullets and batons to evict several thousand protesters from the square that was at the heart of the popular uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak a mere nine months ago.

The mass protests were held to protest against the current ruling military Junta (Supreme Council of the Armed Forces) who are seen by many Egyptians to be preserving the institutional rule of the past and therefore threatening Egypt’s future. 

Now, the fact that Egyptians are still protesting isn’t something that should be simply decried. On the contrary, it should be something that’s in some way applauded. Why? Because in the run up to Mubarak’s toppling all the nay sayers could be heard saying something along these lines: ‘Even if Mubarak goes…nothing will change…someone will come in to replace him’. It would simply be a case of a different leader but the same type of leadership.

What has the recent protests in Tahrir shown? That the people who fought for this, bled for this, sacrificed for this WON’T let their efforts go to waste..won’t let their efforts get hijacked by a few enriched elite…won’t let the status quo rule again..won’t let their country slide backwards instead of move forwards…won’t let their children grow up in a world that was no different to theirs.

It’s dam well not perfect and its not easy, but no one who has studied revolutions or history would dare tell you any different.. but it’s all you have…. and by far..it is better then what you had.

In a revolution, as in a novel, the most difficult part to invent is the end ~ Alexis de Tocqueville

Nothing in life worth having comes easy

Follow @WellApparently

 

Ripple Effect

In a surprising turn of events, Kuwait has seen itself embroiled in the midst of growing political crisis after dozens of anti-government protesters managed to storm their way into Kuwait’s parliament during a debate over efforts to question the prime minister about corruption allegations.The demonstrators managed to briefly chant before they were forced out as hundreds of others protested outside on Wednesday evening.

Opposition parliament members have sought to question Prime Minister Sheik Nasser Al Mohammad Al Sabah over claims that government officials illegally transferred money to accounts outside the Gulf country. But these attempts have been thwarted by pro-government lawmakers who have managed to vote down a request for the questioning. Undeterred, opposition groups have filed another motion to force another debate later this month. Looks like the effects of the Arab spring continue to dominate a far-reaching ripple effect throughout the region. It seems that it doesn’t matter who you are and where you are as a leader, your people will hold you to account sooner rather than later. The age old technique of ruling through fear or suppression is being eroded. A new awareness of what citizens are capable of has swept the region and its pace is nowhere near slowing. Its a welcome breath of fresh air to see people demand their overdue rights and hold those who rule to account through their actions and not just their hushed voices

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people

Follow @WellApparently

 

I’m Special

King Abdullah of Jordan has added to the growing pressure on Syrian president Bashar Al Assad to resign from his post over the continuing violent and brutal crackdown on civilians in Syria. This comes amidst recent decisions by the Arab League to suspend Syria’s membership this Wednesday. King Abdullah of Jordan stated that “if I were in his shoes, I would step down,”.

This is the first direct call for Assad’s resignation by any Arab leader in the region so on that regards this is a welcome step forward. But once again, we must not overlook the fact that Jordan itself has its own problems when it comes to the governmental structure that King Abdullah heads. Some of the problems we see in Syria politically are mirrored in its neighboring country Jordan. So as is typical of Arab leaders, and leaders in general, its easier to preach than to practice. And in that respect, King Abdullah is no different.

b

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

b

b

Follow @WellApparently

b

 

Just the Two of Us

China and Pakistan have just announced plans to stage a joint military exercise to showcase their growing relationship in the mountains of the Punjab province. This comes at a time when Washington and Islamabads governmental ties are going through a real rough diplomatic patch. And as we all know nothing feels better after a recent split than to spite the Ex with heavy displays of PDA with your new beau. Meeeow. And just to rub some good old salt into the metaphorical wound an army official released a statement claiming that these displays of joint military prowess highlight, and I quote, how : ‘Pakistan-China(s) friendship is higher than the mountains and deeper than oceans’

And they say Romance is dead.

Follow @WellApparently

 

The Syrian ‘Contestation’

I know I haven’t written a new blog post in a while but I have unfortunately succumb to the laziness of the summer holidays. Plus I have been doing a bit of traveling and this has unfortunately messed up my writing schedule…yes I just used the word schedule to describe my erratic posting, I thought I’d bring a bit of sophistication to this post.

But it was actually through one of my travels that I was inspired to write this next blog post. I recently got back from a Viva Palestina conference which was held in Lebanon. It had a wide range of speakers who lectured at this event, from people like Salma Yaqoob, Ghada Karami and Karma Nabulsi to more controversial speakers like George Galloway. It was actually the last speaker who actually spurred me to write this post over his unabashedly biased and unfair views on the Syrian situation. So this post will basically flesh out some of the points I heard and have heard about before, regarding Syria.

Syria is Unique

Now this argument basically states that we cannot compare Syria to the revolutionary upheaval that is going on in other countries in the Middles East as Syria is ‘unique’ and is dealing with a ‘special’ set of circumstances.

Well to this I say, yes Syria is unique…so what? So is every other country on this earth and every human being for that matter. No one is stating that Syria is a de facto carbon copy of Egypt, Tunisia etc., all we are saying is that its PEOPLE share the same grief. What I don’t think is unique to Syria is the desire by its people to simply be free of tyranny, oppression, torture and censorship.   The power structures do differ in each of the different countries in the Middle East but that doesn’t mean we can’t judge each regime as harshly or as equally when it comes to the crimes it commits against its people. This excuse of Syria being a ‘unique’ case baffles me. It baffles me because it not only was the same tried and tested excuse used by dictators like Gaddafi, Mubarak, Saleh etc. but it is an excuse which is as vacuous and hallow as its orators morals.

Bashar looking for peace and reform-

Correct me if I am wrong, but last time I checked Bashar wasn’t traipsing round Syria blowing bubbles, handing out daises and making peace signs.

Fear of sectarianism-

This point has been highly debated, so I won’t go into too much depth. But what I say is whose fault is it if it does turn into sectarian warfare? Syria, like Bahrain, suffers from a minority complex, a twist let’s say on the Napoleon complex. By simply keeping the status quo the threat of ‘sectarian’ warfare is only exacerbated as it simmers under the flames of injustice. You are not going to resolve these so called fears of sectarian warfare by sticking to the status quo and wishing the so-called divisions away.

Plus remind me again who is the one currently loudly spouting these fears of ‘sectarian warfare’? Yes you guessed it, none other than the state itself. Suddenly the people murdering their own civilians in cold blood have acquired a sense of worry and attentive care over the possibility that its people might supposedly kill each other without its help.

I have yet to hear protesters in the street abroad or in Syria scream and rant about sectarian warfare. Last time I checked the chants weren’t sectarian in nature but specifically Bashars-&-the-rest-of-his-regime-should-f-off in nature.

And to say this is purely sectarian would be a grand disservice and affront to the many Alawites who have also stood against the Syrian’s regimes actions. This belief in the sectarian card seeks only to benefit the regime in power.

Need Syria to stabilize region-

When has the region ever been stable? Countless wars and conflicts have time and time again torn the region apart. And these wars and conflicts usually have the fingerprints of foreign powers all over them. But this revolution sweeping the Middle East is the first time initiation and actions have been spurred by the domestic populace and not some elitist twats in offices in Washington or London etc. It is only through the direct rule of the people that the region will finally find some sort of stability or peace. No longer will we have to put up with the west’s feigned cries of concern about bringing democracy to the shores of the Middle East…through bullets & bombs. This democratic spirit will instead be carried and resolved by the voices and chants of the people.

Pro-Palestine & Anti –Israel:

Now this excuse was a big favorite with a few *cough George Galloway cough* pro-Palestinian activists. This excuse basically states that Syria is basically one of the few countries in the region which is unabashedly pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli in its foreign policy. This is in stark contrast to lets say countries like Egypt under Mubarak’s rule which had stood by and done nothing to help ease the Palestinians plight.

So let’s tackle this point head on. Because Syria is ‘Pro-Palestine’ and ‘Anti-Israel’ (which by the way I don’t actually believe is truly the case) it means that it should be cut a little slack. What a Joke. How about if we used this type of logic and implemented it into another scenario. Just because a murder is a registered annual donator to Oxfam, Amnesty, The Red Cross etc. does not mean he should be judged any differently than a murder who is not as tickled pink when it comes to his charitable donations. That would be complete lunacy. I don’t care about Bashar’s foreign policy what I care about is his current disgraceful domestic policy. So even If he were to single handedly head into Gaza ready to do battle with Israel guns blazing like some Rambo stunt double, not a dam thing would change in my opinion. His people are still dying and being shot at in the streets. Fact. I don’t care if he cares & nurtures ill puppies to full health in his spare time and helps old ladies cross busy motorways as a hobby. This all doesn’t change the fact that as I type people are being shot at and bombed for the sake of securing his backside on the throne for a longer period of time.

And another thing, so he is pro-Palestine, tell me what has changed in the years he, or his dad in that case, have been in power? Correct me if I’m wrong but Palestine is still occupied and Gaza is still blockaded. Fat help his pro-Palestine stance has been to resolving the issue.

Also, there is a cloud of contestation surrounding the actual relationship between Israel and Syria. Israel in fact is not exactly popping champagne bottles and toasting to the idea of the Syrian regime maybe falling. Because as people rightfully say, better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.

So Bashar’s regimes political standing on the issue of Palestine doesn’t at all justify or excuse the brutal crackdown on protesters we see occurring. It’s still a tyrannical dictatorship regardless of whether or not it’s in bed or in a ring with Israel.

The blood of Syrians shouldn’t be used to wash away the blood of Palestinians, freedom should be a right afforded to all and not just the select few.

.

Till Next time,

Follow @WellApparently

 

The Real Hero’s

Have you ever asked yourself what would happen if you lived elsewhere or were born into a different life or fate? Would you be the same person you are now or would your current self be a hollow shell of your potential self. The fact you were born and live in a western developed country already means you have won the lottery of life by being in the top bracket of richest people in the world. This is because the west holds 45% of the worlds wealth even though they only compromise 13% of the worlds population. And that’s simply a fact from birth.

We all fall privy to taking the things we have for granted by complaining about things which would probably not even register on the radar of concerns of the majority of the world’s population. We all have needs and desires, but I’m guessing if we hadn’t won the geographical lottery our needs and desires would probably be markedly different. I’m not saying its evil or bad that we have been so lucky in life and that we can at times take things for granted. After all we are only human and as humans we are flawed and are in a way programmed to survive, live and adapt to the direct environment surrounding us. I’m just saying this becomes a problem when we choose to not look beyond our self-engrossed lives and fail to take heed of the lives and concerns of others. It’s when we become immune to the world around us that we begin to falter and loose balance and perspective. Some may call it ignorance; I like to call it pure laziness.

The current events in the Middle East I feel have really highlighted this for many people I know. People who were apolitical or not bothered suddenly have found their eyes opened to this new awareness of reality. Its mainly because many of my friends are Arabs like me and happen to have or know of people in the region. So seeing this turmoil and unrest occurring close to home has affected them. But the problem I sometimes find I ask myself, is what would happen if we were in the heart of that revolution? Would I act differently? Would I be that person who doesn’t speak up out of fear? Would I be complacent? Would I be as brave as those we hear about daily on the news?

The reason I wanted to speak about this was because of two main events I heard about that both distressed me.

The first one relates to the 13 year old child named Hamza Al-Khateeb who was beaten up arrested and grotesquely mutilated by security forces in Syria for joining a protest. The link below I think does his story justice in recounting what actually happened:

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/05/201153185927813389.html

He was only 13. Imagine that, at 13 I was busy worrying about which toy I wanted my parents to buy me or where I wanted to go out to with my friends. But here is this 13 year old protesting and enduring things that not even a fully grown man could endure. The torture he suffered is that straight out of the worst horror movies. But yet he had to suffer through it all and loose his life simply because he chose to join a protest. Protesting? Something many of us would go out of our way to avoid doing. And I will be the first to hold my hands up and say I don’t go to as many as I should and that’s something I will personally work on changing.

And the second event that brought this closer to home was finding out some news from a good friend of mine about her 17 year old cousin who has been arrested, detained and beaten by police for simply wanting to start up a protest with friends in Saudi Arabia. The details below of what happened were sent to me by her and I have paraphrased it as best as possible:

He wanted to start a protest in Qatif with around 6 other boys about the current situation in Saudi with the arbitrary arrests and the abhor able role of Saudi forces in Bahrain. So they all decided to go to Qatif and just as the boys started to gather, they arrested him. His aunt wanted to see him so she went to the prison place and asked the people there where he is. Of course they sent her from center to center from Qatif to Demmam until 3 in the morning trying to find where they had detained him. When they found him he had obviously been beaten. He has exams next week and the family doesn’t know when or if they will let him out. His dad offered to pay money but they said no. His name is Mousa Jaffer Alsadah and his date of birth is 13 august 1993.

So for those who ask me what is the point of all these revolutions and protests I say it’s for people like Hamza, Mousa and the many other brave souls like them. People whose unashamedly brave & bright light should not be dulled & crushed by a repressive dictatorial self-interested-and-engrossed regime. People whose actions put the majority of supposed ‘real’ men & leaders to shame. They do this all so that subsequent future generations can live without fear of this ever occurring to them. So that they never have to deal with such inhumane depravity. They sacrifice their today for the bright future of others tomorrow. Not many of us would be able to do or endure what they did. And I’m not asking any of you to do that, all I’m asking is that you make sure their actions aren’t all in vain. So do your bit and please spread the word anyway you can by sharing this article if you haven’t already. This is especially a pressing matter of concern regarding my friend’s cousin Mousa Jaffer Alsadeh who is still being unfairly detained as I post this.

Till next Time,

Rest In Peace Little Angel, Hamza Al-Khateeb

Follow @WellApparently

 

‘Donald Trump, your fired’… By Donald Trump

Before I get into the post, I’d just like to explain that I haven’t been able to update this blog as regularly as before due to end of year university exams and essays. This post was actually written a while back but I never got round to finishing it due to the above mentioned reasons but I have tried to modify it as best as possible so its up-to-date. So in summary, exams & essays are pure evil and I hope you enjoy this scatter-brained post.  :)

So yesterday Donald Trump single-handedly crushed the dreams and ambitions of millions of comedians stateside… how did he do this I hear you ask? By saying that he would NOT be running for the US presidential office in 2012…. GUTTED.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Trump-fan policy or ideas wise…I just think he is comedic gold who channels the late greats before him like Sarah Palin and George Bush…he simply manages to carry the torch of Tom-Foolery onwards.

So now what? I guess we have got to pool our prayers and thoughts together and hope Sarah Palin makes a blast of a come-back and takes on the republican candidacy in the race for president. But until then, let’s all take a sweet, short and poignant look back at some of the gems that Trump bestowed on us *wipes tears*:

Let’s backtrack a slight bit.. for all those who don’t know who Donald Trump is. He is simply the  ‘Alan sugar’ of America…but only in the sense that he hosts the same show as  Alan Sugar which is ‘the apprentice’ but stateside…that’s where the similarity ends though. Still not completely sure of who he is character wise? Well simply imagine someone with the brains of Sarah Palin, the looks of Susan Boyle, and the arrogance of Piers Morgan/Simon Cowell but with nothing much to back it up save for a fortune bestowed on him by his parents. Point is, boi is putting the lemons out of business in the ‘sour’ department

So let’s look at some of the views Trump made in his fake-tease-of-a-run-up-to-presidency.

The current Political climate:

Trump: The American people are tired of being ripped off by their government officials, representatives and leaders

Fighting words Trumpy, fighting words. But in the rest of the interview in which he stated this point, he spent basically boasting about his excellent and finely tuned skills at ripping people off which has got him to where he is today…Not only that but he also bequeathed us with his strong moral compass directed at equality… Trump is no ordinary man, Trump is blind to our differences and rips off people equally regardless of their ethnicity, creed, nationality, religious belief etc. … *tears up* A man that stands for equality, I know, Martin Luther King would be so proud.

On being called a Racist:

Trump: I have a great relationship with the blacks

Unless boi is referring to Rebecca Black’s family….. Enough said.

On his response to Obama releasing his birth certificate to silence accusations by Trump and his fellow birthers that he was not born in America :

Trump: Today I am very proud of myself because I have accomplished something that nobody else has been able to accomplish

I agree Trump, compared to your lackluster track record of achievements…this IS an achievement of sorts. I bet Trump felt the same kind of pride people at passport control feel whenever they ask to see your passport and you oblige…Nothing tops that high… you can see it on their faces…they are all kinds of E-C-S-T-A-T-I-C

On Libya:

Mirroring what we are all feeling watching these devastating events unfold and the untimely death and murder of innocent civilians by a mad dictator…

Trump: Are the rebels from Iran? Are they From Al-Qaeda?

Spot on Trumpy…spot on.. Smart play involving Iran and Al-Qaeda, that’s the buzz word that gets everyone in a tizzy… Doesn’t matter if they aren’t actually in anyway involved with the conflict… you got to use them buzz words…though I am slightly disappointed  you didn’t mention North Korea, Syria, Godzilla, Voldemort etc. as possible candidates…but it was early days yet, I’m sure these big baddies would have got their time to razzle, dazzle and shine throughout you’re campaign.

On oil in the Middle East:

Trump: I’m interested in Libya if we take the oil, if we don’t take the oil ..No Interest.

And the same kind of mantra was espoused in relation to Iraq and  any other oil-producing state. But when presented with the question of what he thought the Arab countries would think or feel to the concept of his policy of ‘it’s-all-about-the-oil’ he replied > Who cares

Simply put let us re-phrase the wise musings of Antione Dodson to best sum up his stance and message :

“I’m invading your countries, I’m snatching your oil, so y’all need to hide your kids, hide your wife, hide your husband, ’cause I’m stealing everything out here.”

Trumpy, you could have borrowed this campaign slogan for free if you had decided to run for office. I’d have gladly waivered all copyrights entitlements to this along with Antoine Dodson to help you best get across your message

And if you don’t know who Antione Dodson is and this refrence made no sense check out this Youtube link :

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzNhaLUT520

r

Though the above mentioned topics only scratch the surface of Trump’s views and opinions, it’s the most I could cram into a post without this turning into a personal autobiography of sorts. And to bring this Turmp-fest to a close we will end with a quote by Trump released when he declared he wasn’t seeking to run for office

Trump: I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election”

And that folks…is why he WONT be running for office…it’s only ever fun or right to run when the odds are you’ll lose…

Till Next Time,

r

r

Follow @WellApparently