Corbyn shows he’d be the only prime minister who’d truly stand up to Trump

Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump


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If Donald Trump’s march into fascism is the illness, Jeremy Corbyn and his allies are the antidote. And Corbyn confirmed that yet again on 16 July as he stood up to Trump’s latest bout of very public racism.

In the fight for a better world, we need to speak out against injustice

On 14 July, Donald Trump told four US congresswomen of colour – three of whom were born in the US – to “go back” to their home countries. Like many others, Corbyn stood up to Trump, calling this out for the racism it was:

 

Trump’s argument was that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley should ‘put up or shut up’; they should stop trying to change the US for the better, and just be happy with everything that’s wrong in the country. As Ocasio-Cortez said:

He does not want to be a President to those who disagree.

And he’d rather see most Americans leave than handle our nation’s enshrined tradition of dissent.

Another part of Trump’s argument was essentially that these congresswomen should be more American, by apologising to one specific foreign country: Israel. They have all called out Israel’s occupation and its human rights abuses – in stark contrast to Trump’s shamelessly pro-Israel stance.

In the UK, Corbyn has shown that he stands firmly alongside these progressive women. They have opposed destructive US interference abroad, inhuman treatment of people seeking asylum, called for firm action to deal with the climate crisis, and held exploitative corporations to account. They are allies in the fight for a better world.

‘Centrists’ will save no one. We’re fools if we think they will.

Trump has had a long relationship with racism. But since entering the world of politics, he’s learnt to use that to his advantage, tapping into a deep history of discrimination. And in Britain, his Conservative Party allies are much the same. Seeking to court racists, prime ministerial candidate Jeremy Hunt has defended Trump’s previous racist attacks. His competitor Boris Johnson, meanwhile, has a long record of racist comments. So it was no surprise that these two politicians have refused to call Trump’s latest comments racist.

In general, the Conservatives’ response to “endemic racism” in their own ranks has been woeful. And widespread Tory Islamophobia has attracted very little corporate media coverage.

As US attorney and politician Bakari Sellers responded to Trump’s latest words:

Racism ain’t new, it just doesn’t wear a hood anymore.

In spite of this toxic environment, many so-called ‘centrists’ apparently prefer to side with the right than with Corbyn and his allies.

Corbyn has faced accusations of antisemitism from his enemies. But many prominent Jewish voices on the left have long accused these people – and their corporate media allies – of using antisemitism as a political football to attack Corbyn. Regardless, Corbyn has taken firm action, consistently, against antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.

As a recent poll suggests, however, the majority of Liberal Democrats (Britain’s so-called ‘centrists’) would apparently prefer to side with Trump apologists like Hunt over Corbyn. That means a preference for warmongering, privatisation and racism over peace, democratic ownership, and equality. And it means destructive business as usual over firm climate action.

Revolution is coming. Its biggest challenger is fascism.

In 2016, Corbyn spoke of the need to resist the failed austerity politics of neoliberalism and present a real, meaningful alternative. He said:

Unless progressive parties and movements break with that failed economic and political establishment it is the siren voices of the populist far right that will fill the gap

And ever since he became Labour Party leader in 2015, he’s been focusing on building the alternative that can truly challenge the far right and its global leader, Trump. He has stood up to exploitation and oppression around the world. He has also promised a green industrial revolution to create jobs and tackle climate breakdown:

In the US, the congresswomen Trump is attacking (and Corbyn is defending) are proposing the same alternative. As Ocasio-Cortez said after Trump’s racist attack:

Unlike their strongest opponents, Trump and his allies have no positive proposals for creating a better world. That’s why they’re trying to mobilise racists to push forward their corporate, elitist agenda. We must all stand up to that. And we must unite behind a truly radical vision of the future: one that protects the planet, encourages democracy, and seeks the wellbeing of all people.

Featured image via Wikimedia – Rwendland / Wikimedia – President.gov.au

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  • Show Comments

    1. I know the left wing love Corbyn but if you want a Labour govt you have to ditch him. He is now seen as weak, the anti-semite row should be long gone but he has pussy-footed around and it is still biting him in the derriere. As for standing up to Trump I’m really not sure we have a leader currently who is capable of that. Stop supporting Corbyn get him to retire

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      1. And whom would you replace Corbyn with ?
        Bear in mind Corbyn is still standing after 3 to 4 yrs of unmitigated professional and personal attacks that would likely have seen most other candidates in the ” funny farm” due to the pressure .
        If he can stand all that and it coming from your “own side” I use that term advisedly BTW , then he can stand anything that a mere PM post would throw at him.
        Now where are we up to on new Tory Prime Ministers , Corbyn having outlasted 2 of them and soon to be on his 3rd , humm ???

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      2. “if you want a Labour govt you have to ditch him.” We don’t want a Labour government. Not if it’s one with the enthusiastic support of war criminals, propagandists, and billionaires – which it would have to be for the mainstream media to declare their “anti-semitism row” resolved until next time. No, we want a Corbyn-led Labour government – or any government that holds true to our values. Why should we accept anything less?

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    2. It makes no difference what he does. If he took up the sword and defeated the attacks of anti-Semitism they would use the next item on their list of things to use to attack him. The truth is the right are afraid of him.

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      1. Indeed GillK , this has in fact already happened he has agreed against his better judgement to shift position over Brexit , and suddenly all the vociferous attacks from T-Watson and others in the PLP have ….. stopped !!!
        Now we are into the next phase and that is hammering him over A.S ,As if this needs pointing out , it is all to do with stopping a Labour Govt lead by Corbyn AT ALL COSTS , even if it destroys our Party and the RW PLP MPs are utterly ruthless in carrying this through.
        IMO the only way forward is for CLPs to utilise the opportunity to de-select as many as possible with the trigger ballot process now in play , AND for our delegates to this years Party Conference to be MANDATED to support any motion that gives the membership some form of mandatory automatic reselection of ALL MPs .
        They have to be made accountable again to the membership and not themselves or worse still their “special interest” sponsors

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