David Bullard
To many it was unthinkable Donald Trump beat Kamala Harris and won a second term. In the run-up, American and other commentators were incredulous that the two would be so close given who Trump is and what he stands for. But here we are again.
In his column Tuesday November 4 on Politicsweb, David Bullard wrote that while he's not fond of either Trump or Harris, he'd vote for Trump because he has job experience as president. (He conveniently excludes that Harris is vice-president.) He then attacks Harris for her policy of giving $20,000 to black Americans to start a business, which Bullard describes as a "handout", not help. He also criticises other proposed measures for the LGBTQ+ community in a derogatory way.
But these were not Harris's only proposed policies. But it suits him that it was. Harris did not spark the imagination of many people, American liberals and around the world, particularly for siding with the status quo on Palestine. But Trump is far, far worse, a different species completely.
Bullard ignored Trump's many defects:
Trump is bat-shit crazy.
Trump is a rabid racist, xenophobe and misogynist.
Trump is sociopathic, a compulsive liar and creator of malicious conspiracies and fiction.
Trump is dangerous and anti-democratic and fermented an attempted coup in January 2021 (for which he was not punished). He aligns himself with Nazi supporters - members and supporters of the Republican party.
Trump is an indicted criminal, including for vote-rigging and sedition, and loser in civil cases.
Trump is a bankrupt, having lost fortunes apparently many times.
Trump is vindictive and promises to use the American justice system and institutions to illegally take revenge on personal enemies.
But these are not enough for Bullard's disapproval. He said his friends were dismayed by his support and therefore must be a "neo-Nazi". But then Bullard is boastfully rightwing, at times extreme right. If he were American, he'd fit right in with Tump-era Republicans.
Trump cynically and shrewdly mined the vein of American racism and fear of foreigners. Liberal and centre commentators are nonplussed particularly after his numerous problems, especially court cases. But they shouldn't be. He has even captivated individuals in places like South Africa. But this is no different to left-wing South African's adoration of Putin.
RW Johnson
RW Johnson is one of the handful of astute political analysts in South Africa. He's conservative in that he does not view society through rose-coloured glasses and has no inherent sympathy toward Ramaphoria ANC politics and views mainstream analysts have. His opinions of other parties, including DA with which he's nominally aligned, are also forthright.
Johnson is objective in a way Bullard, for example, and others to the left and right aren't. It just so happens that conservative people concur with his opinions about the country, but that doesn't mean he and they are wrong - the ANC is and has been an unmitigated disaster, an irredeemable criminal enterprise that has taken the country on the path to ruin. (It's too early to say if the coalition, termed GNU, will slow it but the left clamour it already has.)
Johnson is not perfect, though. I can't put my finger on it but his analyses must be viewed from his (conservative) worldview; they lack perspective of things foreign to him. Perhaps I'm talking nonsense but his latest piece about Israel and Gaza in Biznews, a conservative business-oriented website where he's a regular writer, illustrates this.
I'm wary of commenting on foreign politics beyond that which is reported and verified. I'm especially wary of commenting on Israel and Palestine because the problem is intractable. Before the events of October 7, my view was both sides, that is, political establishment, were to blame. That's likely underestimating the nature of the problem by many degrees.
On balance, though, I came down on the (slightly) pro-Palestine side because Israel, while having valid security concerns, behaved excessively and unfairly toward Palestinian people. It's an apartheid state. This was not support for Hamas and Hezbollah because these administrations are hopeless at serving their people and corrupt.
Johnson was reacting to Gift of the Givers' Imtiaz Silliman who said Israel was "genocidal" among other things. Johnson's response was Israel was not because 42,000 dead Gazans (he provisionally accepted the figure but put a question mark upon it because it was Hamas') out of 2 million was not genocide; that if Israel wanted to exterminate Gazans, they have the means to do it. And other reasoning like this.
Johnson was extremely disingenuous and casuist. It's evident Israel has acted excessively, disproportionately, inhumanely, vindictively and with murderous intent, vengeance in its, Netanyahu's and the cabinet's mind.
Johnson ought to know that by definition genocide is not limited to killing but actions that lead to the elimination of a population. Razing a city with carpet-bombing, forcing the population to flee and starving them are evidence of a pogrom.
Other actions like calling Gazans "animals", soldiers proudly displaying victims in selfies and Netanyahu's not wanting a cease-fire and Israeli groups seizing, with state connivance, vacated Palestinian property, which is illegal by international law, and assassinating civilians, media and aid organisation staffs by drone, bombs and sniper fire are collateral actions of genocidal intent.
(Netanyahu has fired Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant who argued for moderation. This has led to protests throughout the country. He's also faced ongoing protests from the hostages' families and Israelis, who want a cease-fire and conclusion to the conflict, for his handling of the crisis.
Johnson's reasoning is like the US and West who give consent to Israel under the false flag of "the right to defend itself". This is not a war but a militarily advanced country taking punitive action against defenceless people. Using advanced fighter planes and bombs, tanks and elite troops against a civilian population - Israel's claim Hamas hid behind Gazan civilians was largely unfounded - is not defending itself, but war crimes and genocide in progress.
Johnson has shown himself, though. Ultimately we cannot forever hide who we truely are. His demeanour of the venerable Oxford don, gilded by smarmy media worshippers like Biznews, is somewhat threadbare.
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