I am forced to retract a statement made previously. Retract is to take back, withdraw, unsay, recant, disown, disavow, disclaim, abjure, repudiate, renounce, reverse, revoke, rescind, annul, cancel, go back on, backtrack on, do a U-turn on, row back on; eat one’s words. So I am eating my words and doing a U-turn on my bold assertion that the Al Jazeera Network was in need of my sense of humour.
This from Al Jazeera written by Marwan Bishara, the senior political analyst at Al Jazeera, from an article called Trump, the Teflon President. I did suggest in a prior blog that Al Jazeera needed my sense of humour but Bishara is most well equipped. “ Watching the United States election season from across the Atlantic, I am reminded of the story of the 19th-century French writer Guy de Maupassant, who hated the Eiffel Tower but had lunch at its restaurant because it was the one place in Paris where he could not see it.” That is most amusing and poignant comment and such a great way to start a very serious Opinion about a very serious topic. Then – . “Indeed, Americans are increasingly losing sight of America, of the big picture, as they turn inward and against each other with such venom, blinded by racial hatred, religious bigotry and the cult of personality. Watching the “quantum of solace” drop fast, as political incitement diminishes tolerance, promotes violence and spreads panic, one wonders if the country will descend into civil strife if incumbent President Donald Trump loses the upcoming election. in many ways, the presidential vote is not only a referendum on his character and leadership, but also a referendum on the character of the country and its standing in the world. Predictably, liberals and Democrats blame Trump and his Republican enablers for all that is ailing America today, though, as the president himself puts it, he would not be in power in the first place if it were not for their failings and follies”
Bishara describes Democrats analysts of Trump’s character. “They see him as a mean, vulgar, cheating, lying character, who either practises or embraces racism, chauvinism and bigotry.They see him as an immoral, divisive and dangerous leader who has torn the country apart to stay on top, serving the narrow interests of one group over another, They argue that he is an incompetent and lazy commander-in-chief, unfit to serve the common good of the country, as he has demonstrated during the pandemic.” But then Bishara further asserts, the Republicans are not too fond of him either. “They took turns calling him a liar, narcissist, authoritarian, ignorant, demagogue, bully, crook, crazy, delusional, a racist bigot and unfit for office.In other words, there is a consensus of sorts across the political spectrum over Trump’s defects and derelictions.”
The opinion piece ends in these words: “If the election produces a more insular, authoritarian and aggressive American leadership, the implications for the world’s leading liberal democracy will be catastrophic and perhaps irreversible.It will also trigger a dramatic domino effect in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere, where populist leaders, far-right demagogues, and dictators look to Trump for inspiration and momentum.”
Read it in its entirety. Go to Al jazeera.com, go to the Opinions section. Read it and share it with friends, neighbours and family. Education and knowledge are the two factors that will make the difference – qualities not known throughout most of the populace of these United States.
Oops, It’s back to the Middle East again. The 91 year old Emir of Kuwait died and leaders throughout the world expressed their condolences. This from a ambassador to Russia; “Speaking to Al Jazeera, Qatar’s ambassador to Russia, Fahad Al Attiyah, said the late ruler’s greatest quality was “his integrity and commitment to truth” It is my personal belief that integrity and commitment to truth are two of the most worthy and precious commodities. Well, that and a sense of humour.
Even Trump (remember him?) has something rather profound to say about the Emir of Kuwait: I am deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend… Sheikh Sabah was an unwavering friend and partner to the United States,” Trump said in a statement.“The emir was an unparalleled diplomat having served as foreign minister for 40 years. His tireless mediation of disputes in the Middle East bridged divides under the most challenging circumstances. I hope that the Gulf nations will come together to honour his legacy and work toward the cooperative future he envisioned. Now that does not exactly sound like words emanating from the mouth of Donald Trump. Someone else had to have written it and for some reason Trump’s approval was not necessary. The Emir of Qatar declared a three day period of mourning in his country, ordering the flags flown at half mast. A member of his family told me two days before that the Emir and her mother were killed in a car accident. I believed that individual and was most distressed as one whole family can attest. For some reason she lied, I guess she thought it was a joke. It was a relief to read of the Emir’s declaration of a period of mourning.
Me: He cannot very well declare a period of mourning if he is dead.
Personal Driver: No you are right about that!
I am not at all happy with that individual as her lie caused me much stress, which I am to avoid. I have not met the Emir of Qatar but admire him greatly do to his efforts to bring world peace and his ability to lead his country out of the deleterious results of the illegal blockade. But I do know how to deal with the lying individual, actually with the help of the Quran.
Most political opinions of the day urge the election of Biden in order to contain the aggressiveness of Israel and Saudi Arabia. But I have suggestions for both Trump and Biden. Biden should replace Elizabeth Warren as his vice presidential candidate for many reasons. Intelligent individuals will vote for him and her because of her proven leadership abilities. Harris is not popular in these parts and she is from California, after all. For Trump, the following advice – cut your ties with Israel and Saudi Arabia before the election. It seems the pundits forget that Trump is not exactly known for his loyalty and Saudi Arabia is not doing him much good any more. There is an absolutely brilliant Opinion piece about Saudi Arabia on the Al Jazeera network which shall be paraphrased in a subsequent blog.
Today is an IN day – tomorrow groceries and chores, Life is becoming very well ordered, necessary for the lowering of stress levels and also for creativity. It is known that order is necessary for creativity – creativity does not emerge from chaos.
The photograph is of the LOO sign on my bathroom door. A little bit of levity ending this rather serious blog. Also a photo of Alexis McBride (aka Alya) in a tiara, looking rather like a Queen. Hahaha
