Aamer Anwar Message to Trump

Speech by Aamer Anwar at the Meadows festival of resistance anti-Trump rally today.

Donald Trump what can I say that hasn’t already been said Trump is a racist who glories in obscene wealth, boasts of sexual assaults on women, has a cabinet full of white supremacists, Islamophobes, and conspiracy theorists.

He is a billionaire property speculator who claims to stand up for ordinary people, but he’s a thug only out for himself

His speeches play with the lives of men, women and children, asylum seekers, Muslims, immigrants are portrayed as  threatening a “civilised” way of life treated as the enemy within.

We have celebrated his arrival not with hate but with a carnival of resistance with chants of “No Trump, No May—racist, sexist, anti-gay”.

Donald & Theresa, have slavered over their special relationship but I for one am not interested in a special relationship between the USA and Britain which celebrates war and weapons of mass destruction, that excuses genocide whilst serenading dictators with state banquets and arms sales

I’m not interested in the UK laying out the red carpet for a man who tears babies away from their mothers, whilst backing gun ownership which allows the repeated massacres of school children

But I am proud of a different kind of a special relationship which exists between the people of the United States and this country

Through the generations we have been inspired, empowered and moved by your people, your music, your history, your culture, your sport and spirit of resistance

We love Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Noam Chomsky, Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Marilyn Munroe, Jimi Hendrix, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springstein, even Britney Spears and of course  Rachel Corrie, Heather Heyer …

… and many many more- whose names will live on long after Trump’s name has turned to dust.

We are inspired by ‘black lives matter’, by the civil rights movement, by the LGBTI movement and the history of Stonewall, inspired by  American football players kneeling during the national anthem for those murdered by a racist police force.

So no Donald Trump we will not take lectures from you, we will not welcome you, nor will we hold your tiny groping hands or keep silent as you cage  terrified children and force toddlers to address judges in court.

But remember in this country  Theresa May operates a barbaric immigration policy where 15,000 children grow up without seeing both their parents and deports asylum seekers to their death or persecution.

Donald Trump we will not be silenced when you a son of an immigrant, married to an immigrant in a country built by immigrants tells Europe that its culture is being stripped by immigrants.

We stand in solidarity with our American bothers and sisters whether they are here today in Edinburgh, Turnberry, Los Angeles or Charlottesville.

When Trump tries to build walls we will tear them down , we will resist, we will unite , we will defeat you.

In conclusion I would ask you to remember that on the 30th July we go to court for Professor Clara Ponsati.

Who faces extradition to Spain for peacefully promoting a referendum,- if convicted she faces 33 years in prison.

So I urge you to support the campaign defend Clara and the vigil outside Edinburgh Sheriff court.

Thank you so much brothers & sisters.

Comments (27)

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  1. Hilary Christie says:

    Well said. You express the feelings and thoughts of thousands and thousands of us.

  2. Willie says:

    Well said but not so well said by Police Scotland assistant chief constable who has in relation to the para glider protester issued a statement to say that with all of the armed assets (US secret service, Met officers) that the protestor was lucky to avoid grave danger.

    Trigger happy gun toting US militia operating freely on Scottish soil, and there’s not a hot folks can do about…

    Speak to the barrel of a gun punks, go on, they dare you!

  3. nick gethins says:

    Well said.

    I do , however, have concerns over the anti-Trump movemet. On the one hand seeing 100s of thousands moblised against a regressive politician is to be welcomed. But i would also argue that Trump is not the issue, the more fundamental issue is the nature of American politics and how the collective power of the corporation are wielded though lobbyists and the media to control the government and consciousness of the people. This remains with or without Trump. The focus on one man misses this point.

    Im also concerned by many who view Obama or Clinton as being positive. This has been exemplified by Sturgeon’s backing of war criminal Clinton and referencing Albright and Kissinger, two significant figures in the most bloody regimes of the latter half of the 20th century.

    The military industrial complex, corporate rule is the issue of our time: lets be conscious of the of the fact that the Reagan era ushered in the dark period of American politics it did not start with Trump. Is it enough for folk to have anorher right-wing, PC , corporate war monger in office like Obama ? By the tone of things i fear this to be the case.

    1. SleepingDog says:

      @nick gethins yes, I think your comment cuts most deeply to the heart of this, only missing a few other nations’ complicity in USAmerican global power struggles including the UK, and of how out-of-step the USA is in world ideological progress (in effect a rogue state). If anyone is taking baby steps it is the protesters, although hopefully politics will mature in the UK, sooner rather than later would be good.

      1. Jo says:

        SD
        You are absolutely right to point out the level of UK co operation in every thing the US does and, especially, with the really awful things. In foreign policy both are guilty of dreadful and immoral decisions.
        I’m not entirely comfortable either with Mr Anwar as spokesperson. I see him as someone who gets involved in the “big” cases and, as we saw in this address, he never misses an opportunity to plug his latest cause. (I mean no offence to the lady involved by pointing this out.)

    2. Abulhaq says:

      Yes indeed Trump is not the problem. He is one of a line of US presidents engaging in the cult of Americanism. When did it all start? From the day the USA was founded. The perception that ‘they’ were different from and conceivably better than the so called Old World infused the foundation myth.
      Of course this did not prevent America from engaging in ethnic cleansing or foreign imperialist adventures and wars. But it did all this in the light of a English Protestant Puritan worldview that ultimately America was on the side of the righteous and doing good, whatever cost the ‘co-lateral damage’.
      The notion of elect and chosen came to justify the latter consolidation stages of the British Empire too. The Americans draped its imperial mantel around their shoulders when the British could no longer bear the weight.
      Left or right Americanism is the mystic motivator. All offer incense to the ‘object’ of the state cult. Whether the rest, the greater part of the world should also, ought to be a self-evident no.
      However, marginalising or indulging in juvenile ‘virtue signaling’ regarding the US head of state is counterproductive.
      Indeed that nose-in-the-air, holier-than-thouism is exactly what the US practices. Think for example of Saddam, Al Assad, Gaddafi and Iran and where has that led us?

  4. Jamsie says:

    Methinks Ms Ponsati is facing much more serious charges than you put across.
    And if she had nothing to answer for would simply go home and face the charges.
    If they are as innocent as you say then she has nothing to fear.
    Spain is after all a civilised country and a key member of wee Nicola’s beloved EU.
    If she is innocent of such trivial charges she should act with honour and dignity and go home to face them.
    i would have thought external pressure in the form of protest here would be entirely unnecessary given her legal expert representation.
    Unless of course you are not confident she is as innocent as you say and need to have some other tool to defend her with, such as misguided public opinion
    which might not be so readily supportive as you think if she is found to actually havecommitted crimes which entitle her to be deported.
    If that is the case she should be sent to face her peers and allow them to prove her guilt.
    After all she will be innocent until proven guilty in our EU partners legal system.
    Won’t she?
    But what I would like to know is whether she is claiming legal aid for your expert services?
    And given the nature of the case where she has put herself beyond the justice system of her native country is this really an appropriate use of the system.

    1. Derek Thomson says:

      Methinks you should away and bile yer heid.

      1. Jeff says:

        Well said, Derek.

    2. “Spain is after all a civilised country” – and with that Jamesie, you forfeit your right to credibility …

      1. Jamsie says:

        Mr Ed

        Credibility?
        I am sure mine is not at stake, however……

        https://en.mediamass.net/world/es/best-country.html

        Not so sure about yours.

        You obviously missed this.

        1. Jamesie I can tolerate your ridiculous views but if you become personally insulting you’ll be removed.

          1. Jamsie says:

            Not sure what you mean Mr Ed.
            I don’t think I mentioned anything derogatory or personally insulting about your views.
            I usually try to portray my own views in contrast to the sometimes weirdly expressions of opinion on here.
            Never personal, always intended to be based on differences of opinion.
            Nothing more, nothing less!

      2. Jamsie says:

        My point is Mr Ed ….the Spanish see themselves as being civilised.
        Who are we to argue that they are not?
        Despite ironic comments from sites like this and people like you the country portrays legitimacy in the EU.
        The whole fiasco of Catalonia was created by politicians acting beyond their legal mandate.

        Wee Nicola despite being told by France and Spain that Scottish membership is off the table continues to try to prop up indy with the promise of going back in.

        Which I suppose illuminates the real contradiction currently going on in the indy movement as their are many who do not wish to return to the EU.

        1. Jamsie says:

          Seem to be having probs on here today posting!
          As I was saying….
          Opinions on Spain and it’s legitimacy on civilisation and democracy seem to have been tinged somewhat by the statements made in 2016 when they advised wee Nicola that Scottish entry to the EU was off the table unless the criteria could be met.

          Ever since then the indy movement have denigrated the Spanish Government as being wholly undemocratic and acting as if they have acted illegally.

          The fact that the Catalonian politicians broke the law seems to be completely overlooked and worse the fact that they chose to flee to evade their actions being tested in a court of law tells all that should be needed.

          They made themselves criminals by doing so.

          Given the high profile nature of their cases it was obvious that legal procedures would need to be followed for Spain to retain credibility in the eyes of the rest of Europe and the World.

          But they chose to flee.

          Why?

          Did they already know what they had done was illegal?

          And now they burden the legal systems of other countries in Europe trying to fight extradition to enable them to be tried.

          If they are indeed innocent of any wrongdoing under Spanish law then no doubt they will be acquitted however by their own actions they portray that even they think they might have broken the law.

          Like any other citizen they should be made to stand trial and if guilty punished appropriately, if innocent set free to get on with their lives.

          1. Wul says:

            “…They made themselves criminals….”

            Link to Telegraph article showing another of your “criminals” Jamsie. (Scroll down to second picture)

            https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/01/eu-crisis-catalonian-referendum-descends-violence/

            Look at that picture. That’s what you are defending.

            Last time I respond to your posts (a promise to myself) your comments are a waste of space.

          2. Jamsie says:

            Ah so 90% of 42.3% of the population voted yes!
            Less than 40%!!
            And you think that is legitimate???
            I don’t really care whether you respond to what I post.
            If you post something sensible I normally won’t disagree or respond.
            When I go it is because something in the state of Denmark is not right.
            Or Catalunya!!

          3. Frank says:

            From what I have read elsewhere Jamsie you are right in what you say. Sadly, for some people the truth is not acceptable and should be shouted down. So much for honest debate.

          4. Mike Slessor says:

            Well you’ve been proved wrong. Spain has bottled it, as they had no case to answer. But how you can defend a state that allows the police to beat up innocent voters exercising their right is beyond me. Presumably you’d defend the same action in Scotland when we have IndyRef2 and it’s not ‘approved’ by Westminster? Don’t you recognise Fascism when it stares you in the face? Breaking a ‘law’ against voting doesn’t justify judicial violence.

          5. Jamsie says:

            MS
            I rather think you have got the wrong end of the stick.
            The Spanish have dropped the EAW only.
            The charges in Spain stand and these politicians are now exiled.
            Interesting that some of the reports coming out of Spain suggest it is only a short respite as they look to strengthen the charges for the EAW to enable extradition to happen.
            They are also considering moving the case in Germany into appeal and ultimately to the ECJ to enable the warrant to be enacted and have the politicians face a court of law to answer the charges.
            They seem to be a tad disappointed and let down by their EU “partners”.
            What I don’t understand is why these politicians do not want to return to clear their names if they are innocent.
            Perhaps they know something we don’t eh?

  5. Derek Henry says:

    Donald Trump what can I say that hasn’t already been said.

    To give it some balance even though that is an impossible task. You can’t just keep on ignoring what’s going on in the US and the UK.

    You can’t ignore why it is happening and why brexit happened and why populism is on the rise everywhere. Giving people labels just won’t cut it anymore. You have to recognise the reason for both is a failed economic system of supply side Jesus tosh.

    The lazy fat Greek, the sleepy Spanish, the commie french, the warm blooded Italian, the feckless and the workshy and the racist.

    When the Left Abandons Workers, They Are Easy Prey For the Right by Steve Hall gives a good backgrounder.

    https://www.thefullbrexit.com/edl

    Free trade only works if the playing field is level

    Which means it doesn’t exist. Free trade is invalid it is as useless as the four freedoms that support it. Which should be called the four prisons especially free movement of capital.

    To sum up, It is inapplicable, and irrelevant in the real world of trade imbalances; global movement of capital, technology, research, and management skills; worker specialisation; persistent large-scale unemployment; huge wage-level gaps between countries; “sticky” prices, wages, and currency rates; technological progress; “learning curves”; production overcapacity; geopolitical and economic instability; and unprecedented uncertainty.

    We haven’t even mentioned such things as predatory trading and currency manipulation.

    Among the best sayings of George Orwell, “There are some things only intellectuals are crazy enough to believe” takes a place of honor. Free trade is one of these things.

    Yet, here we are with both remainers and leavers arguing in a sack about figments of their own immagination.

    Free trade and the four freedoms means one Freedom and one freedom only and that is the Freedom to exploit.

    Trump, is the first Keynesian GOP president in many, many years. Bigly.

    US gov’t spending now up $125 bln over last year. Growth rate 3.54% y-o-y. Spending really accelerating. It’s expected to reach $5 trillion a US record.

    Huge tax cuts which could have been targetted better.

    The complete opposite to austerity.

    Protection of domestic industries and stimulating/incentivising domestic production.

    Everything Keynes advocated after the war.

    The slow growth of the past 30 years has been exactly due to neoliberal policies, i.e. trade agreements, outsourcing, financialisation, etc.

    He’s doing what most of what we have been screaming for, for nearly 4 decades now.

    Infact the only thing missing is a new deal aka a job guarentee and that would have been so much better to create jobs in the US. Rather than impose tariffs to bring jobs back to the US.

    I would call it military Keynesian.

    It’s not far off a left wing dream what he is doing with fiscal policy and monetary policy. He is
    definately Protecting domestic industries and stimulating/incentivising domestic production via import substitution.

    Supply side Jesus has gone missing in action. I’ll keep saying it, it is the new Brexiverse the right acting like the left in many ways and the left acting like liberals in many ways.

    What the Trump administration has also been doing is balance sheet reduction.

    Other countries haven’t even thought about all the QE they did and what they are going to do about it.

    The Fed’s balance sheet resumed its decline last week. Down $12.6 bln to $4.347T. That is the lowest level since May 2014 and down $166 bln y-o-y.

    Fed Treasury holdings down $7.6 bln to $2.37T. Down $94.5 bln y-o-y. They are now at the lowest level since May 2014.

    MBS down $5.9 bln to $1.72T. This is the lowest level since Nov 2014. MBS holdings are down $49 bln y-o-y.

    This is yet another huge Keynesian fiscal stimulas into the economy.

    QE sucked billions worth of interest income out of the US economy as it swapped interest bearing treasury securities for reserves.

    Balance sheet reduction is the opposite it swaps reserves for interest bearing treasury securites or lets the treasury securities mature putting interest income into the economy instead of stripping it out.

    They plan another $400 billion reduction next year and the year after that.

    Also, because their monetary policy is to hike interest rates that aslo increases the interest income flowing into the economy another Keynesian fiscal stimulas.

    As of the 5th July Interest on Treasury Securities, $197 bln, up $15.9 bln and growing at 8.8% y-o-y. This is the fastest growing major line item in the US at the moment. Going into the economy.

    Compare that with Medicaid, $289.4 bln, up $6.4 bln and growing at 2.3% y-o-y.

    The Federal deficit thru July 5, 2018 is $555 bln or 2.8% of GDP. It is $83.2 bln more than same time last year.

    = The household, business and foreign owners of $’s sector surplus is $555 bln and is $83.2 bln more than same time last year.

    The private sector has $83.2 bln more than same time last year. As the government budget deficit = private sector surplus.

    Total net spending for the fiscal year thus far, $3.68 Trillion.

    Trump’s policies including tariffs are, in essence, a general price hike on the entire population. So are hiking interest rates because they do the exact opposite of what they say they do.

    They cause inflation they don’t fight it

    https://d3fy651gv2fhd3.cloudfront.net/charts/united-states-inflation-cpi.png?s=cpi+yoy&v=201806121236v&d1=20130101&d2=20181231

    Because when they raise interest rates the cost of borrowing increases but that cost gets passed onto the consumer as higher prices.

    So interest rate hikes are price hikes and then you have the interest income channels with 20 trillion worth of debt paying interest no wonder Interest on Treasury Securities, $197 bln, up $15.9 bln and growing at 8.8% y-o-y is one of the highest spending items at the moment.

    Record government spending

    Record tax cuts

    Balance sheet reduction

    Tariffs

    All inflationary which causes inflation pressures EVERYWHERE. Inflation Reducing purchasing power (which is what Trump’s policies are doing) does not result in a higher exchange rate.

    After 7 US rate hikes inflation is at a 6 year high. So much for rising interest rates fighting inflation and making the currency stronger.

    Somebody better inform Mr Market.

    So yes he is a horrible person nobody can deny that. Who always goes to the extremes to gain some leverage ( the art of the deal) which is a very dangerous game and has worked for him so far. What happens when it doesn’t is anybody’s guess.

    However, the left should recognise that his economic policies are Keynesian even if they are a bit rough around the edges. The only place at the moment that you can find supply side Jesus is in the EU. You’ll find him doing A sermon from the mount in Greece.

    Not many from the left will openly admit that they are too busy acting like liberals.

    1. Wul says:

      Derek, what exactly is “supply side Jesus” ?

      You’re going to have to explain that one if you want folk to follow your argument.

      1. Derek Henry says:

        Sorry..

        I thought everybody had seen the Supply side Jesus you tube video

        It is Monetarist supply side economics

        If you want the history then it is here

        http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=39842

        1. Wul says:

          Thanks.

      2. Derek Henry says:

        Milton Friedman told everyone the central bank could control the money supply.

        He lied.

        They tried it for 6 months it failed miserably and they abandoned it. Yet, here we are over 40 years later still pushing on the same bit of string. The 0.01 % liked it.

        Eventually it has caused brexit and the rise of populism everywhere.

  6. Derek Henry says:

    What is needed from the SNP is a recognition of what caused both Brexit and the rise of populism everywhere. No more pointing fingers and burying heads in the sand.

    When the Left Abandons Workers, They Are Easy Prey For the Right

    https://www.thefullbrexit.com/edl

    Then the SNP needs to come up with a a progressive vision of national sovereignty

    https://thomasfazi.net/2017/05/11/what-is-needed-is-a-progressive-vision-of-national-sovereignty/

    Then they need to take a long hard look at the four freedoms or the four prisons as I like to call them.

    Especially free movement of capital that has no place in an independent Scotland.

    Free trade only works if the playing field is level

    Which means it doesn’t exist. Free trade is invalid it is as useless and the four freedoms that support it. Which should be called the four prisons especially free movement of capital.

    To sum up, It is inapplicable, and irrelevant in the real world of trade imbalances; global movement of capital, technology, research, and management skills; worker specialisation; persistent large-scale unemployment; huge wage-level gaps between countries; “sticky” prices, wages, and currency rates; technological progress; “learning curves”; production overcapacity; geopolitical and economic instability; and unprecedented uncertainty.

    We haven’t even mentioned such things as predatory trading and currency manipulation.

    Among the best sayings of George Orwell, “There are some things only intellectuals are crazy enough to believe” takes a place of honor. Free trade is one of these things.

    Yet, here we are with both remainers and leavers arguing in a sack about figments of their own immagination.

    Free trade and the four freedoms means one Freedom and one freedom only and that is the Freedom to exploit.

    Is it possible to call the political regime of the euro democracy?

    https://braveneweurope.com/sergi-cutillas-is-it-possible-to-call-the-political-regime-of-the-euro-democracy

  7. Jamsie says:

    A great victory has been proclaimed!
    The EAW has been dropped by a Spanish Court.
    But the national warrants stand.
    How this is a victory I have no idea but there we go.
    She cannot go home again.
    Maybe she does not want to.
    But those Catalans who were led up the garden path will be more wary before being misled again.
    It’s nice to see politicians standing up and taking responsibility for their actions isn’t it?
    How much damage have these five exiled caused to Catalunya?

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