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SINCE TRUMP’S ELECTION victory, some of his apologists have suggested that those who are appalled by his election are “elitists” who should now hang their heads in shame.
They argue that we are all condescending liberals who don’t understand ordinary American folk. That argument is tendentious and should be rejected out of hand.
One only has to look at Trump’s initial appointments to see the most pessimistic warnings proven true. A man opposed to protecting human health advising on appointments in the health sector and possibly set to become Health Secretary. An Ambassador to Israel who believes Israel has a rightful claim to occupied Palestinian lands and has dreamed of building a holiday home there.
A Fox News host as Secretary of Defence, and the latest and most shocking of appointments from those on both sides of the aisle, highly controversial Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, his pick for Attorney General.
And if anyone has any doubt that Michael O’Leary was overhyping the importance of businessmen in politics, Elon Musk’s appointment to Trump’s Cabinet will quickly dispel any lingering doubts.
Sure, the Democrats made mistakes. Biden should have withdrawn from the race much earlier. Aspects of the truncated Harris campaign, including the clarity of its messaging, were poor. Yes, the Democratic Party should urgently analyse how it can better plug into voters’ concerns and do better next time — on the optimistic assumption, that is, that Trump doesn’t implement his plausible threat to make this the last truly democratic US election.
However, infinitely worse than running a poor campaign is running or supporting an immoral one. Only in a travesty of democracy is winning an election an end in itself. Only in an ethical wasteland does winning an election justify the use of deplorable arguments or supporting a politician who is a convicted felon, who seeks to overturn the outcome of elections that he hasn’t won, and who, in a reversal of Abraham Lincoln’s eloquent aspiration, appeals without fail to the “worst angels” of people’s nature.
So, no. It is not Kamala Harris and her supporters who today should hang their heads in shame, even if they must accept criticism for significant mistakes. They should rather be proud that they stood by the values of tolerance, of fairness and of democracy itself. Yes, they lost a vital election. But what they didn’t lose, unlike their opponents, was their dignity or their basic moral compass.
Those who should be ashamed are rather those who in recent years have supported, or remained silent, about Trump’s racism, xenophobia, misogyny and criminality. They should be ashamed about his cosying up to the world’s worst tyrants and his undermining of US democracy.
Winning an election is not a magic potion that can wash away the shame of those who have brought ignominy on their country or that can justify the havoc that Trump has been emboldened to wreak both at home and abroad.
A great many people around the world, including the vast majority of Europeans, are rightly horrified at the choice made by the US electorate. Like half of America itself, we will not be intimidated by the bullishness of Trump’s triumphalist apologists or by their utterly unwarranted high moral tone. Rather, we will redouble our support for our own democracies and fundamental values that face growing challenges, both from within and from outside.
It is hardly surprising that all of those who threaten Europe’s democracy and values are, without exception, strong supporters of the next US President: from Putin to his lapdog Orban in Hungary, from the disgraced Boris Johnson to the far right Alternative für Deutschland in Germany.
It is a measure of political sophistication and education levels in Ireland that Trump supporters here are relatively few and far between. The Taoiseach and Tánaiste were, of course, right to send their congratulations to Trump on his election. Ireland should seek to have the best relationship with the new US Administration that is possible in the challenging circumstances.
In common with every other country, Ireland should strive for pragmatic working relationships even with countries, the political leaders of which do not share our values. Moreover, there is a historical friendship between the Irish and American peoples that has withstood some ups and downs and will do so again.
Likewise, the European Union, with Ireland’s full support, will seek to work pragmatically with the Trump Administration, aiming to dissuade him from giving full effect to some of his most egregious campaign rhetoric. Of particular importance to Europe will be to avoid, if possible, a tariff war that would do significant damage to both parties, to maintain the US commitment to European security and to dissuade Trump from encouraging further war by throwing in the towel to Putin.
In this country, we should be both reassured and proud that our own current election campaign, apart from a small number of anti-migrant candidates on the far right, is largely devoid of the sort of populist rhetoric that has returned Trump to power. In comparison with most countries, we are comparatively well served by our political parties right across the political spectrum.
The highest priority of the next Irish Government must be to maintain and strengthen the decent and democratic values that distinguish us from Trumpian America. In that regard, our foremost obligation will be to take an ambitious approach to strengthening the European Union that remains, following the hopefully temporary suspension of traditional values in Washington, the world’s most significant bulwark in support of a democratic, decent, multilateral, law-based international order.
Bobby McDonagh is a political commentator and former Irish Ambassador.
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The first casualty of war is innocence. This is turning into a yugoslavian type war. Im concerned that the whole region will be destabilised & Europe will look on with indifference like it did in yugoslavia. Its a desperate situation. The EU with all its power is a toothless entity. The Russians could march to Dunkirk before anything would be done.
Have to agree with you. Probably not Dunkirk but probably Poland
We can sit here and comment on what the reasons are for this conflict and point the finger at world leaders for not doing enough, but the truth is both sides are suffering. Both sides are guilty of atrocities. But the innocent victims are the ones that pay high price and all the big players don’t give a damn
Germany and Europe have a lot to answer for.
They started this war pushing the people to overthrow an elected president.
terrorism sponsored by Europe to antagonise Russia
Bullsh*t. If you think Russia is a beacon of democracy go there on holidays & open your eyes.
I’ve been to Russia.
Democracy ! We don’t have it here in ireland ir Europe.
Europe lead by Germany for big business at the expense of its citizens
Mjhint
Russia is a great place to visit or live, you should try it sometime.
Have you gary me too. I worked there. Its people live in fear & law & order is dished out by thugs & henchmen. Theres a lot wrong with Europe on every level but its utopia compared to Russia. If you are suggesting that Russia is as good as Europe then you must be a member if the Russian mafia. Its a country run by a paranoid sociopathic credulous cretin.
Seriously you do know there is other sources of news than Sky news?
You are correct. Im rarely in one place at any time as im constantly travelling with my job. Its the bbc world service for me & I know a lot of Russian people who tell me what its like in Russia.
I think it’s cute. The Jewish traveller trolls here and the pro putin idiots fall for it :)
Anything anti west I suppose.
You’re right, it’s great place to visit
- (myself, I’ve been in Murmansk, Pertozavodsk & more).
BUT a terrible place to live
- if you like things like a free press, rule or law & the balances of democracy.
Apologising for Putinism is an *insult* to Russians who want what you’ve got.
They have one big advantage, freedom and democracy. What went wrong in Europe and America ?
Are you seriously suggesting there is freedom & democracy in Russia?!?
- Even those who love Putin laugh at that idea.
- They admit that they prefer less freedom & less democracy, in favour of their “strong leader”.
They choose to infantalise themselves & give-up their responsibilities to another.
A contemptible position.
You guys are deluded if you think Russia is a beacon of democracy I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw as the saying goes. Ask the citizens of the country’s they occupied during the Second World War and during Cold War.
If you go back in History and look how bad the Russians treated the Ukrainians, then you can kind of understand the hatred the Ukrainians have for the Russians and just due to that fact it’s not very hard for anybody to instigate a fight.
Well this is true. I remember having dinner in Dublin on evening 7 years or do age with these very lovely Ukrainians grandparents. I asked him thoughts on russia and they hate them for starving the people of Ukraine for raping their resources and for comdeming Ukraine to soviet poverty.
Russia is like a plague. They just consume and leave a trail of deviation
I might get stick for saying this but may god forgive the Russians and the Ukranians for what the deeds that are unfolding..
To be far their is animals on both sides. The Ukrainian military has been turning blind eye to the neo nazi paramilitaries they are equipping. Part of me sees why. I guess they are willing to fight and the bigger issue is russia.
The Russians on the other hand have invaded. Indiscriminate shelling of residential areas including schools and hospitals and “disappearing” anyone loyal to the democratic government in Kiev. There is a genocide going on by those rebels and possibly the Russian military. If they are not directly involved they are watching it and helping.
Ukraine is a mess and not everyone there is a good guy but they are sovereign they have been invaded. Families that beg for the life we have are being slaughtered. Europe needs to step up here. The UK and France came to polands aid against Germany. Germany now needs to remember it’s payback time to humanity and go with supplying defensive arms to Ukraine.
Once too many Russians go home in body bags they can’t hide it from their families as training accidents for very long. Russians want the life we lead too. Afraid to rise up.
Very informative clip. Evidently a big percentage of the troops trapped in the caldron are Western mercenaries, ‘blackwater’ types. And they’re in a position where they’ll either surrender or get wiped out trying to escape. could end up being very embarrassing to the ‘peace-seeking’ West.
Last 3 minutes worth looking at.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IcwOYEasuE
See also :
The Western Holocausting of Ukraine
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics_ukraine/2015/02/17/3565
It’s putins load
Pat O’Dywer, yer man that does those YouTube videos 108morris108 is a head the ball. The only thing he’s missing from those videos is little green men and an endless supply of shiny tinfoil to keep him entertained.
Please don’t fill the comments with the absolute waffle of a paranoid schizophrenic.
Pat – please, you must try harder.
Don’t say a “BIG percentage”.
Use your usual terminology … like “some evidence of” or “increasing reports of”.
Perhaps then you’ll persuade people will believe your nonsense.
OK, first of all, the guy in that video is spouting nonsense in half of it. Secondly, in his haste to get his unresearched viewpoints across, he continuously trips over his own words. Thirdly, he has provided absolutely no evidence that he even researched his information, never mind provided any evidence for his claims.
As for the second link, well the following sentence sums things up pretty well: “Russia had invested 100 billion in subsidies that had kept the kleptocratic government on Russia’s eastern border afloat.” In other words, Russia was propping up a regime that it knew was stealing from its own people. Now, that to me sounds like Russia was meddling already for quite some time and doing so to the detriment of Ukraine’s civilian population.
“German Intelligence…stated the real death figures…were in the 50,000 range”. It’s strange that in all of the Russian- and Iranian-aligned media outlets reporting this (I’m have yet to find a non-partisan or Western media outlet reporting on this), that not one of them has reported the name of the German intelligence agency that stated that figure, as there is a lot more than one German intelligence agency.
“Several members of the looting Oligarchy have fled to Israel, where they pay the customary 1-million dollar bribe for citizenship and gain Israel’s promise of extradition protection and asset seizure.” If this were true then the article would have been able to name at least one oligarch, but it can’t. Now it is quite possible that this is happening, but the fact the article can’t mention one single name suggests the piece was written based on hearsay, and not on actual research and gathering evidence.
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