Scene I Act I – Hollywood actress Meryl Streep used her acceptance speech for the Cecille B DeMille award to criticise Donald Trump. She said “if all the foreigners are kicked out then there would be nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts. Hollywood, Foreigners and Press are the most vilified sections in the society.” Meryl Streep also criticised Trump for mocking at a differently abled person.
Trump has refuted this. As usual, Trump took to twitter and said that Meryl Streep is the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood. Hollywood celebrities have gone on to praise her for a bold and beautiful speech. Robert De Niro wrote a full letter praising Meryl Streep. Other celebrities who have praised her include Ellen De Generes, Alyssa Milano, Gina Rodriguez and many others.
Anyone who sees the video will clearly conclude that Trump was mocking the differently abled person. Trump’s gesture was a shameful thing to do. Even if he is not broad minded enough to apologise, the least that one can hope is that he does not do it again. That said, what was so bold and beautiful about Meryl Streep’s speech? Firstly, is it fair for Meryl Streep to use the award platform to have a go at the then President-elect? Secondly, it was good that Meryl Streep became emotional about Trump mocking at the differently abled journalist. Along with that, it would have been good if she had become emotional about Syria and Libya too.
Who will cry for Syria and Libya? These devastations were a result of the decisions taken by the ‘regime-change-mongering’ administration of Hillary Clinton ably backed by Barack Obama. It would have been good if Meryl Streep would have cried for that cause too. Of course one can understand her not doing that. That would have made her speech look like she was in support of Trump. How can one do that? Supporting Trump is the worst criminal act that one can ever commit in this life, isn’t it?
Scene I Act II – John Lewis, a civil rights icon, recently said that “I don’t see this president-elect as a legitimate president.” When asked why he does not consider Trump as a legitimate president, he replied “I think the Russians participated in helping this man elected.” “I think there was a conspiracy on the part of the Russians and others to help him get elected. That’s not right. That’s not the open democratic process.” In return, Donald Trump tweeted that John Lewis should spend more time on fixing his crime infested district which is in horrible shape and falling apart rather than falsely complaining about election results. As a result, some Democratic members of the Congress decided to boycott the inauguration on January 19.
John Lewis is a civil rights icon, He was an ally of Martin Luther King Jr. He was even beaten brutally in Alabama in 1965 while marching for civil rights and suffered a fractured skull too. Full respect should be given to him for that. On the other hand, does it mean that he is beyond criticism? He has cited his reason as the Russian interference in the US elections. Allegations of Russian interference are not something that has broken out only after the elections. This is something that has been in the air for quite some time. The American voters were fully aware of the allegations against Russia that they hacked the computers of the Democratic National Committee. In spite of that, they decided to back Trump. Without accepting that fact, complaining bitterly that this is not a legitimate election would only portray the person to be a bitter loser.
Scene I Act III – In an interview with The Sunday Times recently, Donald trump said that Angela Merkel, the German President, made a catastrophic mistake with her open policy on refugees. Trump also suggested that the Christmas market attack by a Tunisian man in Berlin was one of the effects of Merkel’s policies and described Syrian refugees as “all these illegals.” In contrast with Trump, Merkel has given a matured response by saying that she is going to wait till the American president takes office, and then will work with him on all levels. Trump’s comments on Merkel’s policy especially during an election year should have been avoided. Trump was criticised for that and rightly so. However, there are other things that have been conveniently forgotten.
For example what and how did the international community talk about Donald Trump before the elections? French President Francois Hollande warned that if the Americans elect Trump, they will have consequences because American elections are world elections. The consequence that Hollande mentioned probably is his own defeat in the upcoming elections of 2017. Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal Alsaud called Donald Trump a disgrace not only to the GOP but to the entire America and called on to him to quit the elections because “you are never going to win.” A host of other world leaders also criticised and maligned him before the elections. But they were not criticised for that. However Trump, on the other hand, was derailed for being ‘inappropriate.’ That is because the International law according to Article ‘007’ says that “Any mistake done by a certain Donald Trump should be analysed via a powerful microscope. However, those mistakes committed by others should be conveniently ignored.”
Scene I Act IV More than 3 million women and men joined Women’s marches in more than 500 US cities. Every state in the US hosted a women’s march. Apart from these cities, women and men marched in cities like Sydney, Paris, London, Nairobi, Berlin, Wellington, Barcelona and Cape Town. Marches also took part in Greece, Kosovo, the Czech Republic and Georgia. Let’s leave alone the international cities for a reason. Let’s look at the protests that happened in the US. Comparisons are being done of the crowds that assembled for these protests with the crowds that gathered for the Trump inauguration ceremony.
This comparison cannot be made for two reasons. Firstly, let’s assume that this march was done as a warning/protest to/against Trump even though it can be argued otherwise. The challenge with taking that line of argument is that half of these people who have joined the protests when asked by the media, as a part of opinion polls, who they were going to vote for, happily shouted out “Hillary Clinton” or “I am undecided”. Then they went to the polling booth, silently voted for Donald Trump and came back. Secondly, even if the polls were to be held today, it is safe to assume that the same protest marches would happen today too. Much of these women and men folk would then loudly chant “Donald Trump down down”, “We want Hillary Clinton” etc. Again they would take a break, go silently, vote for Donald Trump and come back and rejoin the protests against Trump. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the fact of the matter.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author
