Some Immunity for Trump

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Toyin Falola

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Jul 1, 2024, 11:12:30 AM (2 days ago) Jul 1
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Emmanuel Udogu

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Jul 1, 2024, 3:35:28 PM (2 days ago) Jul 1
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Interesting. What if Biden decides to deal a quid pro quo (by emulating the previous president) in pursuit of the "law of self-interest?"
My "law of self-interest" suggests that, as human beings, "we" tend to set aside "our moral values or Judgments"  in chasing our ambition/s.

Character, in my view, matters! 

Ike Udogu








On Mon, Jul 1, 2024 at 11:12 AM Toyin Falola <toyin...@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:

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Toyin Falola

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Jul 1, 2024, 3:40:02 PM (2 days ago) Jul 1
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Sir:

Can you please continue with this thread, bearing in mind that one goal of power at this kind of level is to win a trophy: transition to becoming a statesman and, hopefully, to become a national hero.

TF

 

Emmanuel Udogu

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Jul 2, 2024, 7:47:27 AM (22 hours ago) Jul 2
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                                                           OPINION


All animals are [created] equal, but some animals are more equal than others (Animal Farm, by George Orwell).” Accordingly, forget “the rule of law.” It does not apply equally to everyone, and certainly not to the high and mighty. When our brothers and sisters come into America from Slovenia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland, et cetera, they have not come to take away White jobs. But, when our brothers and sisters come from the global south, they are not only criminals who have come to sully the blood of Americans, but also have come to take Black jobs! My stance is that our kith and kin coming from the global south to America are just doing what the Irish, Italians, and others from Europe have done in the past, and are still doing today.


On the matter of the response to the January 6, 2021 coup, I am not surprised that some of our prominent Republican leaders who condemned it in no uncertain terms after the mayhem are now applauding it (the law of self-interest). During the debate, we saw the blame for the violence being shifted to the former speaker of the House. Tragically, we are witnessing so many lies and distortions of political facts that are not sufficiently debunked tout de suite. You see, the maxim of the law is “Qui tacet consentire. The maxim of the law is–”Silence gives consent.” I was here when President Nixon was called a crook following the Watergate imbroglio. He immediately replied, “I'm not a crook,” to rebuff the allegation. I have heard Biden being called a crook, and a criminal by his opponents with no immediate riposte. 


Elsewhere, I wrote an opinion in which I alerted Americans that they are taking this great democracy, that President George W. Bush sent troops to Iraq to promote during the era of Saddam Hussein, for granted. I recalled in my piece that in human history, great empires, civilizations and societies have risen and fallen not so much from external threats, but from internal social, economic, and political disarticulations. I cited the great USSR (1917-1991) as an example, and applauded President George H. W. Bush for handling the fall of communism with splendid diplomatic dexterity. My view in the article was and is informed by the current political situation in America, the likes of which I have never seen in the last 50 years or so. That great sense of patriotism that I have always admired in this society is gradually evaporating. Democrats are “enemies.” Republicans are “enemies.” Little wonder, then, that I say please “take me back to the good old days of Speaker Tip O'neill (Democrat) and President Ronald Reagan (Republican),” when there was much comradeliness between members of the political parties. Regrettably, the last two decades have been tough due in part to the opening of the political space. Some folks couldn’t stand it, and still can’t stand it, and one of them worked against it ferociously. Fortunately, he failed. In any case, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, the great emancipator,


                          A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF CANNOT STAND!

    

                     DEMOCRACY IS UNDER SEVERE THREAT IN AMERICA!


          AND, THE FALLOUT IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH COULD BE IMMENSE!


I rest my case for now.

         

 Ike Udogu



Toyin Falola

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Jul 2, 2024, 9:08:44 AM (21 hours ago) Jul 2
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Great man:

Would it be possible to remove the sentence below from your piece:

 

Elsewhere, I wrote an opinion in which I alerted Americans that they are taking this great democracy, that President George W. Bush sent troops to Iraq to promote during the era of Saddam Hussein, for granted.

 

The war in Iraq was not about democracy. You are now becoming like Trump!!!

 

Michael Afolayan

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Jul 2, 2024, 11:10:34 AM (19 hours ago) Jul 2
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Funny enough, I enjoyed Ike Udogu's piece until I also got to that statement on George W. Bush, Iraq, and the democracy that Americans are accused of taking for granted.  I re-read it to be sure it was not devil's ink that beclouded my reading. I quickly shouted, "Haba!" I think Trump would be the only one who might probably agree with that declaration, not even the Bushes! 

But, to Udogu's credit, the Tip O'neill and Ronald Reagan's allusion is so apt, when he wrote, 

                    “take me back to the good old days of Speaker Tip O'neill (Democrat) and President Ronald Reagan (Republican),” when                        there was much comradeliness between members of the political parties."

And I agree snugly. That was the era of statesmanship, an age when a popular President and a charismatic Speaker from two opposing parties would disagree vehemently at joint public meetings, and would afterwards go to have coffee or wine together in the evening of the same day as if nothing ever happened two hours earlier between them.

MOA



Emeagwali, Gloria (History)

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Jul 2, 2024, 11:10:39 AM (19 hours ago) Jul 2
to Toyin Falola, usaafric...@googlegroups.com
I saw this “anomaly” as well but
concluded that the author
spoke sarcastically. Junior Bush
was one of the early prophets
of neocon, globalist  Zionism.
Senior Bush was old style
imperialist.





Dr. Gloria Emeagwali
Professor of History/African Studies, CCSU
Chief Editor- "Africa Update"
https://sites.ccsu.edu/afstudy/archive.html
Gloria Emeagwali's Documentaries
www.vimeo.com/gloriaemeagwali
www.africahistory.net
Founding Coordinator, African Studies, CCSU

From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com <usaafric...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Toyin Falola <toyin...@austin.utexas.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, July 2, 2024 7:53 AM

To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [SOCIAL NETWORK] Re: [External] [SOCIAL NETWORK] USA Africa Dialogue Series - Some Immunity for Trump
 

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Emmanuel Udogu

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Jul 2, 2024, 4:39:48 PM (13 hours ago) Jul 2
to usaafric...@googlegroups.com, Toyin Falola
It should be understood that if America was ready to send troops to Iraq (and die), America should work hard to protect democracy at home.  ECOWAS was ready to send troops to Niger to protect or advance democracy, while some of its members had problems practicing democracy at home. I believe Gloria explained my view correctly. 

In any case, I wrote this piece at midnight. 

Ike Udogu

On Tue, Jul 2, 2024 at 4:10 PM Emmanuel Udogu <udo...@appstate.edu> wrote:
Please do. I wrote the piece midnight.

Emmanuel Udogu

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Jul 2, 2024, 4:39:49 PM (13 hours ago) Jul 2
to usaafric...@googlegroups.com, Toyin Falola
Please do. I wrote the piece midnight.

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