Would you rather fiddle while Rome burns, or head for the water pump?

If this is the new new normal, civilisation is heading for a nosedive...

My last post concerned the guilt of Republican politicians relating to their refusal to condemn President Trump's blatant racism and other disreputable acts. The problem, however, does not stop there. The danger is that the conduct of Trump and his entourage could become the new normal. Indeed, the political world is full of examples of oppressive and unprincipled leaders, but to have the United States join that clique is a serious blow to decency, human rights and environmental accountability. 

Rightly or wrongly, the US has generally been considered a beacon radiating the values of tolerance, magnanimity and progressiveness. True, much hypocrisy went into the making of that impression, but it served an important purpose nonetheless. With the US now openly flouting and deriding these principles, toxic self interest around the political world will be emboldened. Recently, Iran mocked Trump's "genocidal threats", but we may not know, until it is too late, what dangerous consequences such reckless behaviours could have.

Doing nothing is doing something...

Progress is fragile; as is morality. A Christian mystic once said that we must do what we believe is right, before we start believing right, whatever it is we do. With the rotten examples prominent people like Trump and Putin are presenting, the culture of disrespect and bulling will only increase. We must not take civilisation for granted. If we do we will be sleepwalking into another dark age. Doing nothing is doing something... and that something is bad.

UN-aligned is working for a fairer world. Joining us is one way of ensuring that you are not just a spectator to the disastrous events of recent years. As Ken Saro-Wiwa pointed out: silence would be treason!

Trump's blatant racism given a green light by Republican politicians

America's racist President

If a manual on how to be a racist existed, "Go back to your own country!" would certainly be there at the top of the recommendations with other hateful slurs. Even Trump isn't stupid enough not to know that. He took it a step further, however, by hurling his insult at four American citizens, congresswomen, in fact: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Three of them were actually born in the United States, the exception being Ilhan Omar, who was born in Somalia. 

The implication is that anyone whose skin is not white is not truly American. If this is not racism, what is? In one of the comments he said that they should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came." But Trump is Trump: no surprises there. 

Carte Blanche 

What is surprising (well, perhaps not that surprising), is the fact that a resolution condemning the President's comments on June 16, passed with only four Republicans supporting it. They were Fred Upton of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of  Pennsylvania, Susan Brooks of Indiana and Will Hurd of Texas. The remaining 187 Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted, opposed the symbolic resolution. 

One wonders what Trump has to do to induce Republican politicians to object. Incarcerate migrant children? Obstruct justice? Attack the free press? Mock the science on climate change? Sell arms to rogue states? Cause havoc with the international community and jeopardise world peace? Oh, right... he has already done all that; and more. Well, credit where credit is due: Trump has managed to do what no Democrat could have dreamed of doing so spectacularly. He has show the true colours of the Republican Party and what they stand for.

The UN unable to condemn attack on migrants

And so it continues...

Migrants are once again the victims of indifference and direct aggression. Six children and about 50 adults were killed and more that three times as many were badly hurt when a migrant detention centre was bombed by the forces of General Khalifa Haftar who are fighting the UN recognised government of Libya. The site had clearly been designated as a UN sanctuary, but this made no difference. The attack that took place on the early hours of Wednesday, but reports are now coming to light that people were fired on as they tried to escape the bombardment.  No surprise there. Migrants are treated as sub-human even by those who have the responsibility of attending to them. 

The UN adds insult to injury

In a Security Council special meeting yesterday, the members failed to condemn to attack, apparently owing to US opposition to the condemnation. No surprise there either. Today about 80 migrants died when their boat capsized near Tunisia. The tragedy goes on and on while the UN is paralysed by its inept mechanisms.  People are dying: again and again and again... We cannot stand back and let such a hollow organisation be the mouthpiece of out moral obligations.

Changing the UN

You have three options: 

1. Pretend everything is all right
2. Admit the UN is a big mess and do nothing about it
3. Work for a better UN

UN-aligned is dedicated to the third option. UN-aligned may not be perfect, but at least it is trying. Perhaps it is the only organisation whose main goal is to change the UN for the better and from the outside with something completely new. Change cannot come from within because the UN procedures and structures are too flawed. A new United Nations is needed and that is what UN-aligned is striving for. Why not help us? You can help by joining UN-aligned. You can help by making its mission more robust and its message more visible. And finally, you can help by adding your personal magic and your passion to this noble mission.

Contact us today: UN-aligned.org.