When I was a kid, and such bullying was de rigor, if someone was culpable of actions you thought ill-informed or downright stupid, you would call that person ‘a tool.’
The meaning of the epithet was quite clear, the accused didn’t have a mind of his own, but was simply a blunt implement in the hands of whoever wanted to use him.
Donald Trump is a tool.
The latest images of him yelling like a squalling brat into a microphone, are accompanied by headlines about his intention to impose a ‘total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.’ This after he’s already committed to setting up a mandatory ‘Muslim database’ if elected president.
His is probably the most dangerous strategy that could be imagined, if your objective is to reduce the risk of terrorist attacks inside the USA.
Even if it’s unconstitutional, the very ‘conversation’ about this kind of bigotry is dangerous, and increases the likelihood that recruiters will be able to find more converts to the cause of radical Islam.
Even if we could ignore the racist, some say fascist redolence in the slipstream of Trump’s increasingly strident statements, they make no sense and will result in the exact opposite of what they are – perhaps – intended to achieve.
In fact, his message plays perfectly into the hands of organizations like ISIS, which must be congratulating themselves on their success at having such a willing tool to manipulate.
There’s nothing ISIS wants more than isolated, angry communities of Muslims within the borders of its enemys’ territories, and the kind of redneck reaction Trump is whipping up with his inflammatory rhetoric is a measurable step in that direction.
Thankfully most North Americans understand Muslim citizens and communities are part of the cultural mosaic that makes this continent something special. Most of us realize that now is a time for reaching out, not xenophobic diatribes.
So tools like Donald Trump are the last thing we need right now, worsening the situation. Hopefully Americans and Canadians, too, will recognize that fact, and put him and his ilk down.
Craig SpenceEditor
