Trump is a dangerous racist. It’s been more than 100 years since we’ve had an outright racist in the White House, the last being Woodrow Wilson, an apologist for slavery, who actively worked against admission of African Americans to Princeton and, as president, mandated that the federal workforce be segregated by race. Trump’s racism is particularly vicious and threatening because he cloaks it with nuance and rationalizations that are ostensibly moral and popular.
The recent much publicized granting of refugee status to 59 white South Africans was blatantly racist, especially in contrast to Trump’s war on immigrants and rejection of Afghans and other threatened refugees such as Haitians. For Trump, Afrikaners are the perfect foil politically to win votes from the MAGA base, flout his “humanitarianism” and showcase his immigration policy.
Trump’s allegation that the Black South African government is actively discriminating against white farmers and threatening to seize their land has little merit in truth. White Afrikaners still own most of the best farmland in South Africa and continue to prosper despite growing unrest by disenfranchised blacks. I don’t know what the personal stories are for the 59 Afrikaners now in the United States; they may be decent and deserving people who, like millions elsewhere, look to the United States for a new start in life. The truth is, however, even if they have been threatened and discriminated against by the Black majority, their plight is no worse, at best, and possibly much better, than millions of other would-be refugees from Afghanistan, Haiti, the Middle East, Venezuela, Honduras and other countries where the politics and economies encourage migration. The bottom line for Trump is that the Afrikaners are white and speak to his base that white Americans have been getting a raw deal because of DEI, affirmative action and discriminatory action by “woke” Democrats. Like Southern fire-eaters, Trump plays the race card whenever possible.
Trump is a dangerous racist who threatens to pit Americans against one another. Whether it is race, ethnicity or religion, he mines opportunities to create chaos and discontent to his advantage. This is evident in his deportations of Latino and Islamic immigrants, his charade about rooting out anti-semitism, and his posturing as a Christian savior.
The truth is that Trump doesn’t give a damn about any of these people. By rejecting asylum for Afghans who supported U.S. troops in Afghanistan and blatantly ignoring the plight of racial minorities, Trump dishonors all Americans.
Great blog today, Panch. Yesterday too. The more you lay it on the line, completely unvarnished, the better. When so many of us feel there’s little we can do besides giving a few bucks to anti-Maga sources or show up at a protests, you have found a way to do your bit. Bravo, old buddy.
Thanks for your comment. It’s reassuring for me to know that my scribblings don’t all disappear unappreciated. These are frustrating times, to say the least, for those of us who follow current events and care about the direction of our politics. Btw, I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t recognize your email address.
Thanks again,
Panch