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FORMER IRISH PRESIDENT Mary Robinson says that Donald Trump’s travel ban on citizens of certain countries from entering the US has “upset a balance globally”.
Describing what is happening in America at present as “chilling”, Robinson said that it is “also worrying because it is not going to make America any safer”. “This may just act as a recruitment tool for Isis and make things worse.”
In an interview with RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Robinson was speaking in her role as a member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders, founded by Nelson Mandela, and working in their own words towards “peace and human rights”.
“The trouble is this ban on all refugees from Syria and other Muslim countries has really upset a balance globally. It is very un-American,” she said, while declining to comment on pre-clearance and customs checks in Ireland as “it would not be appropriate for a former president”.
I have been in New York a lot in recent times, and I have seen the extreme vetting of refugees from around the world, so the idea that you have a global ban on all refugees at a time when Syria needs maximum support and allowing in, and now this issue is being discussed more seriously at international level than at any time that I can remember.
Last September a major meeting was held on refugees and the world committed itself to two global compacts, one on migration and one on refugees. This executive order cuts through all that in a way that’s very disturbing and a very bad example.
Robinson said that she sensed that a “lot of people believed what [Trump] was saying was just to gain votes” during the election. “It is chilling that so much of it is becoming a reality.”
She said she could not tell whether or not Trump’s order was the beginning or if the ban will be revoked in a few months, as has been outlined.
“It’s very hard to know, we have very little knowledge of how the administration will function and will cope with the analysis they say they’re going to do,” she said, adding that the executive order was the work of “a small cabal around President Trump”.
I fear the influence of people like Steve Bannon (Trump’s chief strategist), who is well known for his right wing and racist views.
Robinson described the ban as “definitely anti-Muslim” but stopped short of describing it as racist. “The good thing about the US is there are checks and balances and there will certainly be challenges [to this] in the courts.”
She also decried another of Trump’s executive orders – the reinstatement of the ‘global gag’ rule blocking funding for non Governmental organisations (NGOs) which may provide abortion counselling in developing countries.
“What we’re concerned about is that the impact on the ground in developing countries is shocking,” she said. “It will mean more unplanned pregnancies, more backstreet abortions, and a lack of proper neonatal care, childcare, pre healthcare, at a time when we’re supposed to be implementing sustainable development goals.”
Robinson said she believes that support for Trump comes from a “white entitlement bubble”. “People, whatever their grievance, which is certainly real, but they happen to be white people who have entitlement and feel that others are doing better,” she said.
In the rest of world we’ve been making progress, but this is a bubble in developing countries where mainly white people feel they have been left behind and are blaming the other, the migrant, the refugee, for taking their jobs.
She said that in case of coal workers, for example, “President Trump has fooled them into thinking they will get their jobs back”.
Coal is both non-competitive and a major source of greenhouse gases.
Asked whether or not the protests being seen against Trump will really make any difference, Robinson replied “well he’s certainly very interested in crowds and crowd sizes”.
And the crowds seen the day after his inauguration were much bigger despite all attempts to say otherwise.
“President Trump has a giant ego, we know that, and he’s a bit of a bully.”
And you have to stand up to bullies.
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how come he doesn’t have to stand up for his allegations? It’s beyond me how it can be his decision whether or not he wants to peruse this further! these things must be investigated and either be validated or rejected and somebody will need to be made responsible for their actions…it’s always the same in Ireland we never get any answers and this way it becomes ok to act like that, we can’t do anything and nobody is ever held responsible
I wonder if its possible for a citizen to make a complaint on to the Gardai on someone’s behalf? I’II have to investigate in the morning!!
Yes that would be great and post as a comment what you find, Thanks!
Totally agree. If he’s making an allegation he should be made to reveal who it is. What’s the point of the whole thing otherwise.
Yes it is
If the allegation was proven to be true it’s almost certain that nothing would be done about it anyway.
Oh how cynical !!!
Native lee please remove yourself from the journal . You are posting on every post now with no relevance to the post for a fraud basically . Now go somewhere else and scam
has the balls to say a bribe attempt was made yet hasn’t got the cajones to say by who, just trying to make a name for himself
He is such an influential figure that his vote is going to make or break it ??? Maybe in his own little world !!!
That’s not the point. The point is there was a bribe put to him. Back to sleep sheeple
Oh Denis. This does sound a whole lot like you were telling Porkie Pies to keep the Seanad gravy train on track.
“He believed it to be an attempt to get him out of the country in order that the government’s proposal could be defeated.”
This implies he was going to vote in agreement with the government and therefore he wouldn’t e expecting the Gravy Train’ to keep going.
I agree with you that it sounds like a lie. Still, 20 mil a year is cheap to maintain democracy.
IMHO we need reform and downsizing of both houses, not abolition of one.
Fair point, Ian. I don’t see a need for two empowered houses. “Checks & balances” between the three strands of US Government delivers log jams and meaningless short term compromises. Much better to elect a Government every 5 years and empower them to do the job. Arguably our electoral system already has checks & balances in that it delivers coalitions so regularly.
I agree, but we have no history of successful reform in this country. People see reform as a means to drag out the “gravy train” even longer. The only way to reform anything in Ireland is to tear it down and rebuild.
well all the check up to now have not worked??
I call Bullshit
I call it outLandysh…
well am sure he is getting well payed for making up this bull shit. well if i was thinking of keeping the senate every time i see a bit more about our senators it says get rid of it a wast of money we dont have.
Are we as a nation still believing the sh1t that comes out of these politicians mouths? We are the people and we shall overcome!! This great country of ours is on its knees and a lot of people still on the gravy train! It has to stop! I think we should take a leaf out of the Egyptians book.
Oh, thank heaven for Senator Landy, he has single handedly saved democracy :-(
isn’t he aiding n abetting a crime by not reporting it to the cops,can we now report him
If this attempt to bribe a Senator is “put on public record” why are the Gardai not investigating??? It is not, or should not be, down to Landy “not to pursue the matter! Oh wait, I forgot, crime does not occur in the rarefied atmosphere of oirish elitism. Another example of Labour betraying their principles in favour of their new friends.
Labour ship sinking,
Porky pies unbelievable.
Its a criminal matter i would imagine
There is an unpleasant smell off this article. Theres a lot more going on there than meets the eye I’d say.
A spokesperson said that ” senator Landy has been told to whatever you say, say nothing, and while you’re at it, why don’t you just go underground till all this has blown over … You fool, what are you doing throwing stones, don’t you realise we live in a glass-house ?”
Well if he reported it to the Gardaí instead of going public via media outlets then maybe something could be done
Holiday in New York Ted ,
No fecking way doogle . Shir nothing beats sitting on your arse here and getting well paid for it . Are ya mad or what
I bet he got the dates wrong.
Wait and see . Missed his flight and reckoned he’d score brownie points instead .
have your say