by Mark Angelides
When Donald Trump won the US election, a petition was launched to have the House of Commons debate on whether or not he should be permitted an official State visit because of his comments on migrants and the need to build a wall. The petition reached 2 million “signatures” (although a search through the locations of the signatories showed that people from North Korea and Antarctica were signing it…clearly a robot). It was debated, as is the law, but not taken seriously enough to even consider cancelling his visit. But now the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has called yet again for Trump to be refused, and his reason seems to be because Trump was mean to him.
Soon after the London terror attacks this weekend, the two leaders got involved in a Twitter spat worthy of 14 year-olds. One accusing the other of this, and the other responding with that. And in modern politics, Tweeting prowess has become akin to gladiatorial contest…but the golden rule is still that the “fight stays in the ring”. Khan calling for Trump to be denied an official visit to the UK is petulant and is playing a game by which he hopes to secure his power. He is pandering to the Islamic radicals in London by “denouncing” Donald Trump wherever he can, in hopes that they will cement his present and future power grabs.
Following the attacks, Khan Tweeted that police would be on the streets and that there was no reason to panic. Trump responded by pointing out that 7 deaths and multiple casualties was a good reason to worry. This began a back and forth which culminated in khan saying:
“I don’t think we should roll out the red carpet to the president of the USA in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for,” he said.
“When you have a special relationship it is no different from when you have got a close mate. You stand with them in times of adversity but you call them out when they are wrong. There are many things about which Donald Trump is wrong.”
To start with, Sadiq Khan is the Mayor London, not the Mayor of the UK. And secondly, there are a great many people who either support Trump or at least support his view of events following the attack. Does the Mayor believe these people too should be denied a voice?
And even if Khan’s version of events is the right one, saying that British citizens now have to live with a virtual police state on the doorsteps is more worrying to some than random terror attacks. It is the act of looking to armed police watching us daily that really disturbs many about this whole event; a sudden loss of liberties and freedoms that were before taken for granted (David Icke is once again proven correct with his theory on “problem, reaction, solution”).
Naturally the complicit media is fully behind Khan in his calls for Trump’s exclusion, but at least on this occasion, wiser heads have prevailed. Prime Minister, Theresa may, has said that there would be a State Visit as planned and that “normal” relations will continue.