It is the classic trope and often heard anywhere that the xenophobic virus is out of the bottle.
Wanting the othered to be “sent back” is a heady brew for those infected by the racist meme.
In the past few days, supporters of the current President of the United States demanded the involuntary repatriation of Congresswoman Ilhan Abdullahi Omar to her native Somalia.
She has been the U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 5th congressional district since 2019.
Her story is inspiring and uplifting and in many ways, it is the classic “American Dream” for the 21st century.
America should be proud to have her as a citizen.
However, the “make America great again” slogan in 2016 was really a code for “make America white again”.
Sadly, in the land of the three-fifths comprise race is never far from the public discourse.
I was encouraged by the swift reaction to the Trump rally in North Carolina.
In her home state, the support for Ms Omar was undeniable.
Pointing out that President Trump’s mother and his wives were all immigrants to the USA will not register with his base.
That is because the women in question are white European and therefore they’re the correct type in the eyes of his supporters.
Of course, racism is not just about skin colour and that is something that racists try and deflect when the othered group they are targeting is also white.
However, it can also confuse those who adhere to the social construction of whiteness as being inherently superior.
When Charles Kingsley, a Church of England minister and university professor, visited Ireland in 1860 he wrote a letter to his wife about what he saw in the west of Ireland:
“I am haunted by the human chimpanzees I saw along that hundred miles of horrible country …to see white chimpanzees is dreadful; if they were black one would not see it so much, but their skins, except where tanned by exposure, are as white as ours.”
Despite being as white as any British person Professor Kingsley still consigned we Irish to being lesser creatures among the higher primates and somehow not a genuine Homo sapiens.
As the son of an immigrant, I’ve always been fascinated by the historical ignorance that racists within imperialist centres like Britain have to their history.
The reason that people from Jamaica are in Britain or, say, the Senegalese are in France is a direct consequence of European colonialism.
Britain was the centre of the first truly global empire.
Consequently, many different peoples have been drawn to that small island off the coast of Europe.
Like the Windrush Generation, many of them had a touching belief that Britain was somehow their home.
My Mayo father, pushed by economic circumstances here at home, never suffered from that delusion.
He told my mother that he saw the signs in England in the 1950s, “No Irish No Blacks No Dogs”.
When they were newlyweds he wanted my mum to settle in the States, but she didn’t want to be so far away from her mother.
If she had agreed then their son would have been born in a country where it isn’t a cultural crime to be Irish.
Instead, I got Scotland…
In the USA the Irish did face discrimination from the WASP majority in the 19th century.
However, that is now a thing of the past.
Sadly, there are now many surnames in the White House that point to the fact that we have become absorbed into the racist ruling class.
Kellyanne Conway Exhibit “A”:
History forgotten is a betrayal.
Trump’s rally in North Carolina can only be understood by knowing that he had targeted four women in politics.
Representatives Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna S. Pressley of Massachusetts.
Only the first was born outside of the USA.
All of them are women of colour.
On Planet Fitba we know that the “send them back” trope does not just refer to those who are foreign-born.
It can also mean those who are of immigrant heritage.
This site started in 2008 just as the Famine Song was introduced into the Ibrox repertoire.
“The Famine is over why don’t you go home?”
The initial response of some in the Fitba Fourth Estate was to defend this new addition to the klan song sheet.
Thankfully the following the year the High Court in Edinburgh ruled that the Famine Song was indeed racist.
After that there Famine Song defenders in the Fitba Fourth Estate were rather silent.
Of course, it is at moments like that when you find out if people have a functioning moral compass.
Trump has been roundly condemned for his attack on the four Congresswomen and for cheerleading the crowd in South Carolina.
So much so that he rowed back somewhat and aid that he didn’t approve of what his supporters were chanting.
There is no antidote to calling out racism where it appears whether that is at a political rally in South Carolina or at a Sevco match.
Moreover, it is the role of the Fourth Estate to take a lead in shining the light of forensic scrutiny on what racists do.
Many Stateside journalists have shown that they are up for the fight this week.
Sadly, in Fair Caledonia that cannot always be said, especially when the target of the racists is the multi-generational Irish community.
It is that failure that led to this site entering into the public arena in the summer of 2008.
I felt it important that my contribution was not concealed and that I was reporting as a named member of the NUJ.
Unsurprisingly, this caused a spigot of hate to be opened and it has flowed in my direction ever since.
I suspect that the heroically anonymous types beside this tsunami of invective hoped that I would be quickly silenced and re-take my seat at the back of the bus.
For the avoidance of doubt, they rather miscalculated.
I also hope that the current incumbent of the Oval Office will find that the essential decency of the American people will cause them to unite to defeat him in 2020.
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Wow Phil, even your site, dealing as it does with exposing and calling out anti-irish shitebagery, attracts a fair number of pro-trump lunatics who don’t see the irony of indulging in right-wing arseness and xenophobia while claiming to be irish or irish-supporting.
I fear for the human race.
Wow Phil, even your site, dealing as it does with exposing and calling out anti-irish shitebagery, attracts a fair number of pro-trump lunatics who don’t see the irony of indulging in right-wing arseness and xenophobia while claiming to be irish or irish-supporting.
I fear for the human race.
There isn’t a single living soul who resides within Britain’s or Ireland’s shorelines who isn’t the descendant of an immigrant.
People migrated to these Islands from Europe via the Middle East and one of the oldest known human remains found in Britain “Cheddar Man” have been tested in recent years and it transpires he was most likely Brown Skinned with black hair and blue eyes.
Ignorance is no longer a reasonable excuse for what is open racism.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42939192
Billy Carling, I hope you were wearing your armadillo helmet when you wrote that…
Dumb and Dumber – The post by Phil and the replies on here agreeing with him and calling Trump a racist shows that the the very Celtic people slagging off the Rangers fans as being gullibles when you are all the same. None of you have a clue as to what is really going on in the US and world. The FACT is Trump and the US Military Intelligence/Military is exposing and working against the Deep State Government that really runs the US, UK, Ireland and most of the world – the very same Deep State that owns and controls the mainstream media. They have tried to demonise and set up Trump with the totally FAKE Russia Collusion Dossier that was paid for by Hillary, Obama and the DNC and was created by the UK, Australian, Italian and Ukranian Governments and Secret Services in order to stop Trump getting into power and when did in order to try and get him removed from power. Now that has failed and Trump and the US Military Intelligence/Military are exposing Obama, the Clintons, Epstein etc etc etc involvement in PAEDOPHILIA, Child Trafficking, Human trafficking, Funding terrorism, drug and gun running etc etc etc the Elites mainstream media is still trying to demonise Trump especially as the new elections for the President are next year and the other candidates are miles behind and also to steer people away from what is coming out with regard to Epstein and all of the Elites that he was involved with in that massive scandal. You are all too stupid to realise that these are the same corrupt Elites that are funding the movement of all of these immigrants that are flooding our countries as part of their New World Order – One World Government DICTATORSHIP agenda to get rid of countries and governments of which the UNELECTED EU is a part of with their Elite placemen Commissioners. Trump and the US Military knows that is what they are up to and that is why they are building the wall to put a stop to that happening to the US. As someone has already commented you havent got a clue as to what UN Agenda 21, Agenda 2030 etc is all about that these Elites are bringing in where you will not be allowed to own anything, travel anywhere, the government will tell you what job to do and the government will bring up your kids the way they see fit etc etc etc – Communism by the back door. The dumbest people on this planet are those who read and listen and watch the mainstream media especially the ones on here who slag off the mainstream media about their constant lies about everything around Rangers when they believe the lies and drivel such as this with regard to Trump – They lie about EVERYTHING and most of the masses are intellectually lazy and dumb.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PrY7nFbwAY
@Billy Carlin I agree with almost everything you say ….the only thing I will add is …….Trump is part of the same gang . He is just playing his part in the game, If he was truly against the elite he would have been JFK’d by now 😉
Indeed. A big orange bloated distraction to further reduce the postage stamp consensus and perceptual limitations.
Liked specifically with regard to the exposure of UN Agenda 21/2030
Exactly great post
I voted Brexit on the basis of a flat out rejection of the Neoliberal globalist agenda.
Not because I am Racist or any of the other smears that usually get attached to those of us who did vote this way.
None so blind as them that cannot see.
Follow the money as always.
Well said!!
Someone with enough sense to know Trump is the only guy with enough common sense to realise the real mess we’re all in and who is hated by the media for not being a PC sychopant, unlike the general media platforms.
Keep it up my man
David
The bbc have reported that a coloured rail passenger in the borders was told to go home.
Have the bbc ever reported the tens of thousands of rangers supporters who sing the famine song on an almost weekly basis.
Phil, i love your articles on Sevco, Irish politics and sectarianism but i really think you have caught the wrong end of this stick/ have went a bit early on this one. i’d like to preface this by saying i am by no means a fan of Trump, i find his politics brash and narrow minded at best. There have been allegations Re: Ilhan Omar in the MN local news and on sites such as reddit, the chans, voat since as early as 2015 from both sides of the political spectrum. There is emerging evidence that her asylum claim was also under a falsified name. In the spirit of journalistic scrutiny and you are found to be wrong will you publish a retraction?
While I agree with you on most things football wise, I feel I need to challenge your simplistic argument here.
You don’t like President Trump, that’s not a problem, nobody is asking you to, but to go the extra step and give overt support to the “Squad” just because they don’t like him either gives the impression that you are working on the basis that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
With friends like that you should sup with a long spoon.
You say that America should be proud to have Ms Omar as a citizen, where is her pride in being a citizen of America?
It’s a two way street.
For Ms Omar, her overt support for Islamic terrorist organisations, her constant attacks on American law enforcement and Customs officials, her trivialising of the holocaust, not to mention her grotesque anti semitism are just a few of the causes she espouses and by which she identifies herself.
On any level these are the opposite of what any American takes pride in.
Others have made the valid point that President Trump’s comments and tweets have been misquoted, and at times twisted out of any reality, to attack the man. At times they quote them back to you in their efforts to bring a bit of balance to the rhetoric and faux outrage.
More times than enough you say that facts are sacred, and quote Orwell on his definition of journalism, this might be an occasion for you to reassess this particular post in the light of such principles that you wrap around yourself so often.
Trump might be an arsehole, but even guys like that deserve a far hearing.
Criticising Apartheid in Palestine is not antisemitic. bbc state funded faux journalism is determined to topple Jeremy Corbyn using the same tired trope. We now have another opportunist racist divisive clown in 10 downing st who gets a free pass from the msm.
Does anyone really believe that those who follow the teachings of Mohammed care about other beliefs and the rights of others to think and believe different from them. Of course they do when they are in the minority but wait until they reach a certain percentage of the population, so if you want to really see racism and hatred and genocide in full flow, have a look at the decimation of Christianity in those Muslim country’s where they rule, that is fact, a fact that the liberal snowflake left never seem to mention, President Trump is a breath of fresh air, he has stopped the left wing madness that was threating to engulf our freedoms to think and speak as free souls.
A Irish prodestant politition Edmund Burke once said. For evil to succeed, is for good men to say and do nothing.
That is so true today when free speech is being attacked by haters of free thought and haters of Christianity and the values that gives them the platform to attack those freedoms they dispose so much.
Excellent piece. Well said. Trump is the only Western leader who realises the real danger by Islam and to freedom of religion
Does anyone really believe that those who follow the teachings of Mohammed care about other beliefs and the rights of others to think and believe different from them. Of course they do when they are in the minority but wait until they reach a certain percentage of the population, so if you want to really see racism and hatred and genocide in full flow, have a look at the decimation of Christianity in those Muslim country’s where they rule, that is fact, a fact that the liberal snowflake left never seem to mention, President Trump is a breath of fresh air, he has stopped the left wing madness that was threating to engulf our freedoms to think and speak as free souls.
A Irish prodestant politition Edmund Burke once said. For evil to succeed, is for good men to say and do nothing.
That is so true today when free speech is being attacked by haters of free thought and haters of Christianity and the values that gives them the platform to attack those freedoms they dispose so much.
More power to you .KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT .
All of these apologists on here for Trump should just stop.
I emigrated to USA in early 90’s after Thatcher decimated my land meaning I had 2 choices to work after college – London or abroad. I chose the latter. My kids were born and raised in USA – my 18 year old son has only been to Scotland to see his grandparents at Xmas every few years etc. He is as American as they come. Telling these USA born folks to “go home” is exactly same as telling my son to go home. He has absolutely no connection other than family to Scotland. SO what home would they tell him to go home to?
I am lucky in USA – I am not a Latino or a Muslim who will now be told by an ignoramus in a fast food place to go home in a manner following their president they elected.
During Clinton era these same Republican apologists screamed that the President was an example to the kids and shoudl be beyond reproach.
Only John McCain whom Trump despises stood up to these idiots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIjenjANqAk
John McCain? That be the neocon warmongering imperialist who devoted his entire political career to slaughtering as many human beings as possible and lobbied endlessly for the American war machine to unleash endless death and destruction on humanity aye?
My goodness, the amount of bullshit and belief that somehow America has been made evil under Trump is astonishing….ignorance really must be bliss in those tiny little aggressively propagandized minds. Dear oh dear.
What would America be like today if the founding fathers, who obviously were disenchanted with the way their country was being governed by the English, decided, that instead of fighting to change the way it was being governed to instead just leave?
Trump played his audience knowing full well what reaction he would get.
It’s no surprise that so many Americans support whatever dribble emanates from his mouth.
He’s a racist, pure and simple, which guarantees him a huge rump of followers in the good old USA.
He’s a constant embarrassment and thinks that being the most powerful man in the world allows him to do and say whatever he wants with no consequences.
Hopefully his 2 Scottish ventures which are both losing oodles of money will see him pack up and remove the stain of association which he has with Caledonia.
He’s a truly disgusting human being.
When I saw this on the news, what immediately sprang to my mind was of Adolf Hitler addressing the assembled masses at the Nueremberg Rally, where the rhetoric was that the Jews amongst them were the worst sort of vermin amongst the German people. If Trump is given the same oxygen of publicity, don’t be surprised if we witness another holocaust – only this time it will be the Hispanics. Trump is a clear and present danger to world peace – as fragile as it is at the moment.
And what news would that be Steven? The centrally owned and aggressively propagandized mainstream media news? That one?
The American imperialist war machine is the gravest threat to world peace and security not Trump, he is nothing but a distraction, look to his handlers in the likes of Pence (the fundamentalist Christian Psychopath who probably masturbates himself to sleep every night thinking about the end of humanity to fulfill his belief systems desire to bring about the apocalypse) or Pompeo (see above for Pence) or perhaps John Bolton, a guy who has never seen a country on a map he didn’t want to bomb. Along with the Zionist psychopaths in Tel Aviv who are funded to the Nth degree by said imperialist psychopathic plutocratic elites in Washington DC and their lackeys in UK, France, Canada, Australia etc etc who seek global dominion over all resources and peoples, they are collectively the greatest existential threat to ALL of humanity. do yourself a favour……Pull your head out of your own arse.
Sorry, strike Zionist and replace with a more accurate description, Sabbatean Frankists.
Kellyanne Conway may try to defend the indefensible. Contrast this with her husband, George Conway, who gives Trump an absolute coating for racism in the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-conway-trump-is-a-racist-president/2019/07/15/b13c0bd4-a740-11e9-9214-246e594de5d5_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.17828bedf4be
Phil, you are now acting like the Trump obsessed lying media who will distort anything to have a pop at Trump.
Let’s look at Trump’s exact tweet: “In America, if you hate our Country, you are free to leave. The simple fact of the matter is, the four Congresswomen think that America is wicked in its origins, they think that America is even more wicked now, that we are all racist and evil. They’re entitled to their opinion, they’re Americans. Now I’m entitled to my opinion, & I just think they’re left wing cranks. They’re the reason there are directions on a shampoo bottle, & we should ignore them. The “squad” has moved the Democrat Party substantially LEFT, and they are destroying the Democrat Party. I’m appalled that so many of our Presidential candidates are falling all over themselves to try to agree with the four horsewomen of the apocalypse. I’m entitled to say that they’re Wack Jobs.” Louisiana Senator John Kennedy
Note: Nowhere does it say these woman should be “sent back”. Stating “In America, if you hate our Country, you are free to leave” is completely different from “send them back”. Also, Trump was tweeting a quote from Senator John Kennedy. Sorry for this “inconvenient truth” 🙂
The inconvenient truth is Trump’s dog whistle politics, send her back, he maybe smart enough not to say it himself his audience clearly got it.
Can’t disagree with you more on this Phil….Nothing that Trump said was racist. Offensive maybe but not racist. You have 4 woman saying that America basically sucks and needs to change ..so Trump says if you don’t like it leave . Where’s the racism in that ? If you were in my house and you said you didn’t like the way I cooked the dinner and I told you to leave , would that make me a racist ?
They are in their own home though
But in this case it’s not Trump’s house, it’s their house too. They have every right to complain about his cooking 😉
Like it or not ..while Trump is in charge …it’s his house. Do I like Trump…No he’s a complete arse ( but so are all politicians) none of them work for the benefit of the people. There’s is a much bigger game afoot here and the anti-Trump lobbying is just a part of it ( Killary Clinton is much worse) just do some research on agenda 21 and see for yourself 😉
He allowed that crowd to chant what they did and where are they supposed to go back to. The man is an avowed racist and what he did and said is more proof of that
At no point did I say he’s not racist ….all I’m saying is the statement he made wasn’t racist. All the anti-Trump brigade just jumped onto the fact that it happened to be 4 women of ethnic origins that came out slating him …..IF it were 4 white women , you would just call him sexist , 4 Lesbians and he’d just be homophobic ….. No matter what he ever says , some one will bash him for it. Take a closer look at the shit that Obama done , not 1 bit of criticism for him though ? All politicians are just playing the game …If you don’t like the game don’t play it. To quote Mark Twain ” If voting made a difference they wouldn’t let you do it ” Don’t give them power DONT VOTE ( or at least research where the x in the box when you vote first started and what it means 😉 God bless
Your comparison of being a democratically elected citizen of a country and someone criticising your cooking in your home is so pitifully childish it is laughable. Anyone who denies that Trump and his supporters aren’t racist are either incredibly naive or are themselves closet racists.
By deliberately ignoring the ”send them back” mob at Trump’s back, his followers on this forum aren’t quite winning the argument. Trump is every bit as racist as those who vote for him because he is a kindred spirit. Two cheeks of the same arse, if you will. HH
@ M Mccarthy so you are calling me a racist now because I don’t agree with you ? So say in 20 years time and they try to bring in Sharia law in the UK will you just sit by and say nothing or just except it ? Before you say I’m mad ….did you know the most popular boys name in the UK is Mohammed ? so when they all get to voting age what will they vote for ? and they will be the majority ? look up the Kalergi plan
Change the object of your sentiment to the Catholic faith, and the most popular name to Declan. Does it look somehow familiar? Do you feel a bit of a tit?
No, I Don’t suppose you do…
No I don’t …… I claim no religion. Only God can create …and it was man that created religion ergo it goes against God maybe do some research on this subject ….Try starting with Albert Pike “3 world wars “
He didn’t mention any faith. He simply said it’s the most popular boys name in the uk. The fact that YOU mentioned a specific faith makes me think you’re the one with the problem here.
These women are not guests. It’s their house too.
So if they don’t like the food then they’re entitled to say.
To deny them that is to deny them their basic democratic right,
Once you tolerate an attack on one group’s democratic rights you’re on a very dangerous path where everyone’s basic rights become threatened.
Mark Twain, “I disagree with almost everything he says, but I’d die defending his right to say it.”