Yesterday, the Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump called for barring all Muslims from entering the United States – see the above You Tube video.
Yesterday also saw Donald Tusk, President of the European Council issue his formal written response to Mr Chameleon’s letter.
In it, Mr Tusk makes no reference to “demands” for the simple reason that Mr Chameleon did not make any! Mr Tusk merely confirms that, in November, Mr Chameleon “set out the four areas where he is seeking reforms to address the concerns of the British people over UK membership of the European Union”. This demonstrates that unlike the Unfortunate Cummings he [Mr Tusk] has shown that he can read English!
Herewith a link to the letter: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/12/07-tusk-letter-to-28ms-on-uk/
Rather than re-plough a field that has been ploughed in previous articles, today’s article will attempt to draw to the attention to such as the Unfortunate Cummings that “politics” is not conducted in a vacuum.
At this point the Editor would wish again to apologise to you Dear long-suffering Reader for having to state the blindingly obvious as unfortunately such as the Unfortunate Cummings lacks it seems the basic capacity of understanding possessed by most 5 year olds!
Let us remind the Unfortunate Cummings of a three FACTS. More than three will probably overstretch the poor fellow!
FACT ONE: Tuesday 8th November 2016 will be the day the New President of the United States of America is elected.
FACT TWO: On Friday 20th January 2017 the Inauguration of the new President and Vice President of the United States of America will take place.
FACT THREE: The EU referendum is most likely to take place on Thursday 4th May 2017. On this day elections will be held in 27 English County Councils and 6 Unitary Authorities, and all Welsh and Scottish Councils.
What these three facts demonstrate is that the final touches negotiations and the EU Referendum campaign and the vote itself will take place against a back drop where there is a new President in the White House.
Given the present situation in Europe vis-à-vis the migration crisis and also the situation with the terrorist situation and the campaign against IS in Syria is HIGHLY UNSTABLE we do not know what the precise political environment will be when the British People make their momentous choice.
Prudence demands that we have to consider the possibility of Mr Trump becoming the 45th President of the United States.
Given Mr Trump’s proven capacity of let us say, “making bold statements” we can conclude that it is possible that the British People may be making that decision against an auspicious/propitious back drop.
Many who will be voting for the UK to leave the EU will do so in the hope of looking forward to an early arrival of the good times and a period where all will go swimmingly.
They will be sorely mistaken!
The next decade is going to be difficult. Sorry.
Herewith the Guardian’s take on Mr Trump: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/07/donald-trump-ban-all-muslims-entering-us-san-bernardino-shooting?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+Charity+appeal+081215&utm_term=142205&subid=15907465&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
Speaking the Truth unto the Nation
I do feel that there has been a total avoidance on the subject of the TTIP.
This is what should be all over the main stream. Some truthful reporting on this subject.
If this is pushed through to completion it will have a major influence on all our trading and many laws.
This is what the British public need to be informed about.
Do you think that you and your associates could start the pressure push to help bring this to mainstream news?
Kind regards
It would appear at this present time, and possibly for some time, that anyone ‘brave’ enough to make bold statements is heralded not for what they are saying but for saying it loudly – as this somehow makes it more ‘truthful’. Donald Trump has made an extremely foolish and dangerous statement. In fact, Donald Trump has made many foolish, self opinionated statements. I don’t know why he is even standing for presidency as he seems to have already assumed he ‘owns’ the US along with all his other commodities. Where are all the great statesmen/orators/thinkers? We really need a few more of those at the moment. If, as the British Gazette points out, Mr Trump does become the 45th leader of the ‘land of the free’ and the UK electorate decides to make the bold choice to leave the EU, I hope it works. Not because I want to see a egotist in the White House (although there is already one there now) but because I think the UK will be ‘better off out’. I am under no illusion that Britain will seamlessly glide back into the good old days. Quite the reverse is true, for a while at least. But in the long run I feel it will be for the best. It will be hard work for some time, but like leaving a corrupt multinational company who pay a good salary but compromises a person’s integrity, things will get worse before they get better. And anyway, it will give us something to else to enjoy complaining about all the time – and that’s a supremely British pastime!
I like your attitude – summed up in your last sentence – Deborah. I think one of the points the British Gazette is making is that we do not know now what the conditions will be in the run-up to the actual vote, if as the British Gazette suggest the vote takes place in May 2017. We have already seen Cameron’s reaction to Trump’s speech. That in itself is unusual as British PMs tend to say little as they do not want to soil their copy books. If Trump were to reach the White House it would probably be after one or more IS inspired terrorist attacks in the Continental USA. As Obama himself is at pains to point out, acquiring military type weapons in the USA is much easier than acquiring them in the UK. This and the obvious reaction – from the US electorate – to any further terrorist attacks is likely to be figuring in the minds of IS leaders. So let us ask ourselves a question:
What will be the reaction of Cameron and the rest of the UK politicians to a Trump victory? Obviously critical as what such a ban would seem to mean is that UK Citizens with no criminal record and otherwise cleared to travel to the USA would be barred on account of their religion. There is one obvious example of a person who would be affected the BBC news presenter Mishal Husain. What is clear is that IS inspired terrorism has the capacity to divide societies. I like the Editor of the British Gazette am not optimistic.
You are quite correct Jack. IS has, is and will continue to divide societies. Cameron and other UK politicians, should Trump secure a victory, will have to tread very carefully indeed. They won’t be able to demand that all UK citizens should have the right to travel to the US as the ban will exclude ALL Muslims from ALL countries with no exception. They also need to somehow keep good relations with our ‘special allies’ without insulting our own UK Muslim communities. This will be virtually impossible but so is barring all Muslims from the US. It can’t be done. How will people prove they are or are not a Muslim? While it is the norm of many countries to practice a certain faith, religion is ultimately a choice. People can renounce their faith in favour of another, certainly in democratic societies. A Muslim can become a Catholic, even temporarily! And visa-versa. Names can be changed legally by deed poll. I did this myself 15 years ago and have never had to declare this at customs or show any documentation. And fake passports are easily obtained. Will anyone who ‘looks’ like a Muslim be barred, just in case? So this ban would only deter law abiding Muslims, as they would not attempt to enter the US deviously. It can’t be done and Donald Trump’s bold statement is of course damaging rhetoric for this reason. So I guess our politicians would have to keep playing the ‘unfair to all law abiding citizens of any religion card’ to try and keep the peace. Which of course of it won’t.