Trump Humiliated

Published in Le Devoir
(Canada) on 4 September 2018
by Michel Lebel (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Beth Holding. Edited by Nkem Okafor.
On Saturday, I watched the television coverage of Senator John McCain’s funeral service and I understood why I’ve always liked America; not Trump’s America, but Obama’s America, Clinton’s America and Bush’s America (now, anyway.) These three former presidents were there, deserving, defending the honor and the reputation of the United States. Admittedly, they acknowledged, not without a certain amount of humor, that McCain wasn’t perfect, and neither were they, but that the Arizona senator had helped them become better people and better presidents. It was nice to hear and it wasn’t too soppy either.

McCain, who choreographed his own send-off to exclude Trump, undoubtedly wanted to demonstrate that the United States would remain a great country, founded on the respect of the laws, honor, and the equal dignity of all its inhabitants. The speeches targeted and criticized, on a number of fronts, Trump’s fashion of devising and constructing politics. According to them, America deserved better. During the national funeral service, Trump was playing golf. Trump, a small petty man and McCain’s polar opposite. This is undoubtedly how history will judge him.


J’ai regardé à la télévision samedi les funérailles à Washington du sénateur John McCain. J’ai compris alors pourquoi j’aime toujours les États-Unis. Pas ceux d’un Trump, mais des Obama, Clinton et Bush (maintenant). Ces trois anciens présidents étaient là, dignes, défendant l’honneur et la réputation des États-Unis. Certes, ils ont reconnu, non sans un certain humour, que McCain n’était pas parfait et qu’eux-mêmes ne l’étaient pas non plus, mais que le sénateur de l’Arizona les avait aidés à devenir de meilleures personnes et présidents. C’était très beau à entendre. Et ce n’était pas gnangnan.

McCain, en chorégraphiant sa cérémonie d’adieu et en excluant Trunp de celle-ci, voulait sans aucun doute démontrer que les États-Unis demeuraient un grand pays, fondé sur le respect des lois, l’honneur, et la dignité égale de tous ses habitants. Les discours tenus visaient et critiquaient à bien des égards la manière Trump de concevoir et de faire la politique. L’Amérique (America) méritait beaucoup mieux que cela, affirmaient-ils. Et pendant le temps de ces funérailles nationales, le président Trump jouait au golf… Trump, un homme petit et mesquin, aux antipodes d’un John McCain. C’est ainsi que l’histoire sans doute le jugera.
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

Hot this week

Bangladesh: Machado’s Nobel Prize Puts Venezuela and US Policy in the Spotlight

Sri Lanka: The Palestinian Story Outshines Flattery and Triumphalism

Switzerland: Don’t Give Trump the Nobel Peace Prize Now!

Spain: ‘Censorship, Damn It!’*

Turkey: No Kings in America but What about the Democratic Party?

Topics

India: The World after the American Order

India: The Real Question behind the US-China Rivalry

Pakistan: No Coalition for Reason

Pakistan: The Beginning of the 2nd Cold War

Sri Lanka: The Palestinian Story Outshines Flattery and Triumphalism

Pakistan: Israel Bent on Sabotaging Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan

Turkey: No Kings in America but What about the Democratic Party?

Ireland: The Irish Times View on the Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting: 1 Step Backward

Related Articles

India: The World after the American Order

India: The Real Question behind the US-China Rivalry

Pakistan: No Coalition for Reason

Pakistan: The Beginning of the 2nd Cold War

Sri Lanka: The Palestinian Story Outshines Flattery and Triumphalism