A Demonic Presence

Although I don't believe in him, there are times when I think the devil is alive and well,  wielding his chicanery from the White House. While I realize such hyperbolic assertions are probably unworthy of this blog, consider the 'evidence'.

The devil is traditionally depicted as the sower of discord. Disunity, division, suspicion, hatred and chaos are his main calling cards, withs goodness equated with weakness. As Shakespeare said, "...goodness to the vile seem[s] vile". There are countless examples to demonstrate this dominant ethos in Donald Trump's Amerika, but the following encapsulates it nicely:

At the end of the report, Andrea Mitchell speculates that Elon Musk might have influenced the decision to 'rescue' these Afrikaners. Given that Trump is shunning all other such attempts at assuaging the suffering of others (mainly non-whites, by the way), I think the explanation is simpler: he is appealing to his racist base and sending the powerful, malignant message that people of colour have little value. Again, what better way is there to sow discord than that?

How are churches feeling about the Afrikaners? Well, Episcopalians want no part of them.

The Episcopal Church has severed a four-decade-old relationship with the federal government, citing its moral opposition to resettling white Afrikaners from South Africa the Trump administration had declared refugees.

The hearty ‘nee’ (‘no’ in Afrikaans) from the religious denomination marks an extraordinary act of protest. The Episcopal Church long had participated in resettling refugees fleeing persecution and war in their home countries, Religion News Service reported. 

The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Sean More, said this:

Rowe told his fellow believers that it had been “painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years.”

“I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country,” he continued. 

And, of course, as the NBC report makes clear, Trump is bringing down the hammer on most other groups.

The order comes even as the White House has executed sweeping actions to remove undocumented immigrants from the global south, sometimes scooping up permanent U.S. citizens in its net.

Fair-minded people worldwide are not fooled by Trump and his divisive, diabolical tactics. The Evil One (if I may be permitted a bit of literary licence), however, must be laughing with delight.

UPDATE: I came across a paragraph in an article by Bruce Arthur about the reinstatement of the late Pete Rose to the MLB, thereby rescinding a 'permanent' ban and making him eligible to be considered for Hall of Fame induction. The following, I think, captures the morally tortured tenor of the times:

This is a time of vice and wickedness, however, and a time of freedom from consequences for bad behaviour. It’s also a time of compliance, for some. The American government is making flying more dangerous, education more stupid, health more precarious, scams more rewarding and corruption more common. [MLB commissioner Rob]Manfred, notably, met with U.S. President Donald Trump on April 17. After Rose’s death, Trump brayed that Rose should get a complete pardon. Trump’s brain is stuck in the 1980s in many respects, but he also is attracted to anti-virtue like a fly to feces. 

Another Warning

Canadians have traditionally found it difficult to answer the question, "What defines a Canadian?" The default answer has always been, "Well, we aren't Americans." That answer speaks volumes; however, in light of American threats against our country, coupled with the ongoing breakdown of their societal norms, we have been thinking lately much more about what makes our country special and almost unique.

One of its defining characteristics is that Canada cares about its people. While I know there are many things that might illustrate otherwise, we do take real pride in trying to help those who need help, both individually and through government supports.

I'm never sure how much interest there is amongst readers when I post stories about what is happening in Amerika. However, part of my motivation in addressing such stories is that they remind us of the things we Canadians value and the things we must strive to protect. The following story falls under that rubric.

The Trump administration plans to terminate federal workers focused on preventing and responding to work-related illnesses, including "black lung" disease in coal miners, according to an internal government memo obtained by NBC News, despite in recent days reinstating some who had been let go. 

Those terminations could threaten critical programs used to screen for health issues in workers with toxic exposures, including 9/11 first responders, according to people who work on or benefit from the programs. Some workers who benefit from those programs have expressed fears that conditions such as cancer or lung disease could go undetected as a result.  

Concerns about the future of those programs began earlier this month when the Department of Health and Human Services effectively gutted the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), drastically cutting the headcount of an agency that has been around for 55 years. The move was part of a broader plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce, including a massive restructuring of federal health agencies that called for the termination of roughly 20,000 full-time employees. 

In Appalachia, the consequences of such cuts will be dire. 

Donald Trump was elected on the promise of making life better for Americans. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the Americans he had in mind excludes a wide swath of the people. May that mentality never infect us.

Amerika In Pictures

In a world riven by American-led incompetence, the following pictures reveal that there are at least some in Trump's Amerika who haven't drunk the Kool-Aid.

Time To Come Home

It wasn't until Don Trump was elected the first time that I made the decision never to travel to the U.S. again, barring unforeseen, exigent circumstances. And it wasn't until that election that I started to look with a degree of disapproval upon those who seek refuge from our winters in places like Florida. 

By and large, Canadian snowbirds seemed either oblivious to, or willfully ignorant of, the implications of their travel patronage. The wallet often carries more weight than most other things, and opening that wallet to a Trump-loving Amerika strikes me as a form of endorsement of policies and values inimical to the majority of Canadians.

Now, however, events and a hostile atmosphere may be doing what moral suasion could not. First, a brief clip from Global News, detailing the experiences of a Moncton couple, Mary Ann and Mike Jeffries, who have been wintering in the Sunshine State for the past 15 years. This will have been their last visit when they return at the end of March.

Yet now comes news of another reason to avoid the benighted land to our south: the apparent requirement to register thanks to one of Trump's executive orders, entitled Protecting the American People from Invasion.

A U.S. crackdown on illegal immigration will affect many Canadian snowbirds who drive across the border, with officials requiring visitors staying for at least a month to register on the government’s website, says an immigration lawyer.

The executive order

directed the Department of Homeland Security to enforce requirements for “aliens” to register with the government under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under the rules, those aged 14 and over must register, and parents and legal guardians must register their children if they are under 14, in both cases within 30 days of their stay in the U.S.

Many Canadian retirees are feeling “annoyed” about the new registration rules, says Rudy Buttignol, president of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP).

“Unfortunately, these moves by the United States is just one more irritant, especially for snowbirds that travel regularly down south,” Buttignol said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca from Vancouver on Monday. “The overwhelming reaction that we’re getting is that people are changing their travel plans. They’re not feeling welcome.

“People are cancelling their bookings if they can. And if they can’t, in many cases, people are already thinking about next year and what they’ll do.”

While registering may not be a big hassle, he said the new rules are just another “slap in the face” to Canadians.

We have seen a real resurgence of Canadian pride since the Americans began showing such massive disrespect for our country with the re-election of Trump. As outlined in recent posts, booze boycotts and concerted efforts to buy more Canadian products at the exclusion of American goods, are real manifestations of that pride.

Let's hope returning snowbirds will feel the same way.