Yesterday, the American Ambassador expressed great concern about the Tanzanian electoral process leading to the upcoming August 12 local elections. In its condemnation, the US government went as far as criticizing the Tanzanian Government on the act of violence, intimidation, and other irregularities geared to suppress the opposition. While Tanzania, like many African countries, has shortcomings with its electoral system, it’s bizarre however, to hear Trump administration lecturing Tanzania about the morality of conducting fair elections, abstaining from violence and showing respect to dissenters and opposition parties.
There is a saying in Swahili that states that it is a convenience for a monkey to point a finger at another monkey’s naked buttocks. This is especially prevalent when one considers the circumstances surrounding the USA’s 2016 general election, which up to date, is still being litigated and investigated by a special prosecutor. An election that even the President Trump himself has called a rigged election on numerous occasions.
Noteworthy, the then-candidate Trump, had publicly beckoned the Russians to hack the emails of his opponent to give his campaign a competitive edge. These circumstances have now revealed that President Trump’s son, Trump Junior, together with the son-in-law Jared Kushner, and his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, met with Russian operatives in the Trump Tower, New York City and the agenda of this meeting was to coordinate the means of crippling Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
President Trump has labeled the press and mainstream media “the enemy of the American people” and much of the news coverage, especially those that are critical of him as “fake news”. To add insult to the injury, he has continually undermined journalists by calling them disgusting, nasty and sick people. Ironically, the President of the so called “Free World”, Mr. Donald J. Trump has made a habit of encouraging his supporters to mock and attack the media and protesters at his campaign rallies physically, whilst the United States of America goes around the world throwing tantrums about how other countries are lacking in democratic values.
During the 2016 campaign, this GOP (Republican) nominee publicly insulted his opponents by calling them vile names, mocked disabled reporters, disavowed the POW and war veteran John McCain in addition to the alleged accusations that one of the candidate’s father was involved in the assassination of former US president. He kicked off his presidential bid by calling Mexicans rapists and later on as a president called on a Muslim ban to enter US. He has called women pigs and dogs, as well as wrongfully accused President Obama of not being born in the United States. He has proudly spoken about the size of his private parts, paid hush money to his mistresses while bragging about sexually assaulting women with impunity and getting away with it because of his celebrity status. Since he became the leader of the free world, he has shown no regards of the truth, or the freedom of speech. He applauses foreign authoritarian leaders while constantly denigrates US democratic allies. He uses his presidential power to intimidate his critics. The big question is: What entitles the United States, in this very day and age, where chaos and censorship has become the normalcy in its governance, to question other countries about their electoral system?
I get it! In the grand scheme of things, Africa can be and has been condemned of multiple mischiefs. However, coming from the current US administration is like listening to a chronic alcoholic friend preaching about the health risks of consuming caffeine. It is beyond irony. It is a cliché of sorts, one that brings to life the saying, “when you point a finger at me, remember you have three fingers from the same hand pointing in your direction”. It might just be the nature of things, but quite frankly, Africans are tired of it and should not stand for this kind of bullying and submission techniques to continue. We understand, Tanzania, has a long way to go in the democratic process, but the last thing it needs, is a country that elects the kind of president that Mr. Trump is, telling them about how to run its democratic process and electoral system.
28 comments:
Well stated. However, Matope be wary of the denaturalisation scheme which is being undertaken i.e. be cautious when you criticise the current regime. You don't want to be tagged for removal. Brotherly speaking, many of us admire your bravery and courage, but at the end, you won't have many defenders. Kuna majasusi amongst wabongo in diaspora.
you relentlessly tell hard truths about America. I ain’t mad atcha, but I am a little sick of it. At least half of us get it, and the ones who don’t never will. Karma, yeah what comes around goes, but we are not all deserving of whatever America has coming. So for those of us who have tried our best to do what’s right, maybe an essay or two? Every American is not ignorance times evil, to the second power. Some are victims of the system and others are light bringers within the system.
Exactly, in very fine detail.
We Americans all got the leadership that after a long time, we finally came to truly deserve.
Some of us deserved it because we’d become generation by generation so lacking in situational awareness that a TV character automatically drew a greater share of our attention than any actual person could. The more Trump acted like a fictional character, to many people the more familiar and comforting he appeared.
Some of us saw that about him, rejected it, and simply assumed that the more “genuine” political players would always win out, like they had before more often than not. We didn’t think anything exceptional really needed to be done; enough rational people would of course show up to vote for any other reasonable choice; nothing further needed to be done.
Some of us played the “hide and seek” game, harboring our real intentions while being “positively noncommittal” up until our fingers touched the ballot-box keys or buttons.
Some of us lazily thought we would still have every right to complain, to violently protest even, after having sat out the entire voting process. Other people with more commitment to anything in general would of course make sure that our world wouldn’t become so constrained that we’d have to make any changes to our current lifestyles.
I can’t say that any of us got what we wanted, because so many of our actions belied the premise that we were ever expressing a strong sense of “want”. ”Want”, but never enough to fully participate in assuring a positive future? Not nearly enough, “want”.
So what we got is the result of our actions to make sure that at least a worst-case scenario had the least chance to happen, of all possible choices. Anyone wondering why Trump has never “happened” to such large extent, before? Remember why he did, now. TELL YOUR CHILDREN.
It for sure didn’t come about because “nobody saw it coming”. Nope, no way. For all the types of “effort” way too many displayed, we simply got exactly, precisely, inevitably, what “we”; the whole country as a society, deserved.
That’s powerful, that we need to see our own reflection in what we’ve created and allowed to be created. Thank you for this.
Is sad that the action of one man , like baby Trump makes all of us look foolish and stupid around the world.
The rest of the world sees clearly what Trump is, but many of his voters still don't want to understand what he is doing to this country.
I am not so sanguine as to the strength of our institutions. As great as they are, and despite the fact they have endured for over two centuries, they are fragile. We must be vigilant, see where the threats are coming from and deal with them rather than be complacent that our government will survive as envisioned by the Founders. As Benjamin Franklin said when asked what type of government the Costitutional Convention had given us, " A republic, ....if you can keep it."
Dear,Mr Matope, what world are you living in? The investigation is proving that there was no collusion between the Russian's and the Trump admin. Other than buying ads on facebook and posting garbage on twitter, there's no there there, and you want Trump to go to war(metaphorically) with the Russian's over this? Wake up dude, you're dreaming. There's a new sheriff in town and he doesn't play like the last sheriff(some would say he was a lapdog to tyrants). Just ask North Korea, notice how they've quiet they've been lately?
Obama was welcomed by many nations, especially in Europe. It's no wonder after the debacle of Bush and his Iraq war. Obama didn't start any major new wars, and managed one very hairy situation (Egypt) pretty deftly. He wasn't a great leader, wasn't a horrid one.
Trump isn't nearly as bad as many feared, and hasn't started any new wars. Hasn't settled any wars yet, but we all got to see how hard it is to end a war.
The world isn't 'a freer place' because of Trump. That's ludicrous, so I'd love to see you justify that statement because I would enjoy a good belly laugh.
So you can't really back up your contention that Trump is great and Obama was horrible. But your statements are rarely based on a strong foundation. Instead, they're just smoke, or the kind of gas hot blubber emits.
No one can say they didn't know what was going on, as a frankly incompetent and disorganized old man, driven by paranoia and a thirst for entertaining himself, tore apart a system that was working just fine. He has no business in the White House, and the voters who thought he would "surround himself with good people" and "shake things up" apparently had no idea of the harm he is doing.
As the entire world points at laughs at the vacuum of leadership that the incompetent so-called president instructs from his weekend golf outings, many countries are poised to assume the global leadership mantra. China, Ruassia, Germany, etc. are quickly replacing America as global leaders, as America slips or SIXTH in just one year.
People with no leadership skills compensate by destroying whatever is in their path. Thus, the Trump presidency
He has done nothing to improve world peace or the lives of American citizens. I think he wakes up every morning and asks himself "What can I destroy today?
Trump is evocative of the classic image of a grumpy old man. His visage these days whether it be in still photographs or images on television is one of a man who is angry, embittered, frustrated and perpetually having some sniveling tantrum about how he is portrayed in the media. No other President in our history has been this thinskinned and whiny. Not only is Trump himself a grumpy old man but practically everyone he has hired are grumpy old men. Even the women he has hired are grumpy old men.
oo many bad words to describe this mentally unstable president. Folks Alzheimer’s patients can recall long term memories. Trump is stuck in the 60’s pre civil rights and women’s movement era. Add to that he was obviously an emotionally abused or neglected child. No one with good parenting acts like trump as a mature adult. Bullies are usually bullied themselves either physically or mentally. He lacks personal boundaries like most sociopaths with personality disorders do.
Someone tell him he relinquished the title of global leader to China, France, England, and Germany (Putin) with his nationalist agenda and antagonistic culture wars. The world now sees how trump was manipulated by Putin...and we have to endure a criminal. North Korea correctly called him a dotard who will start WWWIII. When will we oust this crazy man?????
TRUMP'S YEAR OF LIES. The mouth that never stops. The mouth that never stops lying. The creature who never stops his insatiable lust for MONEY. The cold-blooded Reptilian Neanderthal brain that never stops lusting for toxic revenge against the entire world. He's the center of His Universe. He's the KING. He's deadly dangerous.To tell and be listen by any credible African leaders such as our President Magufuli is a joke.Tanzania is a free country, we don't need USA to tell us what to do.
The United States of America is no longer the leader of the free world. Seems everyone knows this except for Trump. So please stop referring to the POTUS as a leader of anything other than the U.S. No country on the planet wants or accepts the U.S. as a leader. They gave up that role when they attacked NATO, attacked the UN and dropped out of the Paris Accord. You can't lead the free world when you are calling the free world the reason for your economic failures. And you can't lead the free world when you are walking away from all bargaining and decision making tables forfeiting any chance to make policy at those tables. Trump is a leader of nobody. Please stop calling him such.
Because he is the President, Trump can make whichever executive decisions that he can legally get away with. But, let's not pretend that Trump represents America's values. In the case of foreign policy, he certainly does not. The majority of Democrats do not support his 'American First' agenda nor does the majority of Republicans. The man is ignorant, boorish, and just plain crude in his approach to foreign policy. Having displayed that to the rest of world (particularly in 'lecturing' the Africanleaders), the rest of the world is simply gong to ignore him as much as possible. He is like a fly on the wall who will soon disappear.
perfectly stated. For eight years the O'bama administration guided the US international policies in a dangerous and misguided direction of globalism. And even in the Bush years it was more talk than real action. It certainly seems we are getting back on track.
Well said Author! This is a wonderful piece!
Hapa kazi tuu, Raisi Magufuli hasikii wala hajali pressure za Trump . Tanzania ni independent country , hatuingiliwi na vibaraka wa nje
I don't see how this fact based article like this will put Mr Matope in trouble with current regime. Every point listed in this article can be plainly undisputed without shred of doubt.
What the heck does this have anything to do with unchallenged Tanzania election including fabricating the number of voters?
First to wrong doesn't make right, and second there is no problems in America elections, understand your hatred to Trump but America is Country of rule of law, Trump he doesn't control institutions like African countries, there working fine that why Trump is under investigation, try African countries never!!, please don't compare shit Authoritarian regimes and American
Yes !! This piece has everything to do with TZ election. Both elections in TZ and US were rigged. And moral equivalence is similar. So if TZ didn’t point a finger at US , US should resipricate. Trump is just a bad messenger. You don’t bring the guy with 7 divorces to cancel you about staying long in merrage .
Trump is trying or think he can control all Governments institutions including judicial system, court , Congress. He even tweeted the other day that he can ran Muiller investigations himself. He is all over FBI and justice department. He had despise US intelligence time and time again.There was a news the other day that he asked attorney general to arrest Omarosa .!!There is no hate here, it’s just the facts.
This piece did not say anything or about the validity of Tanzania election, infact, a author said Tanzania has a long way to go in its electoral process. Rather it’s about the messenger, if UK or Canada criticizes Tanzania election that would not probably been the issue.
The American Embassy question the election, rightly so, not the internal policy, to me they didn't go far enough. The disregard of human rights, and other atrocity committed by the government without accountability is outrageous. UK, Canada and other western countries they usually don't have the back bone to step in front but believe me always hide behind US. That why at this times where Trump is trying to disregard the world norms the authoritarian and dictators are feeling embodied, thanks God the US institutions build strong and continue to work fine.
If you try to compare constitutional, just one example, you can see now Trump and his inner circle on hot sit, given he is the president and his Republican party control the Congress, let try Tanzania, Makonda's certification was questionable at one time may be fake or forgery, no one questioned anymore not because it proven wrong or he was vindicated, no, because one day Dictator stand up and undermine constitution and said he doesn't care if certificate was fake or not, the whole Country shut up, try to question that. And yet try to compare moral compass of US and and this Authoritarian regimes Please!! msijisahau. If you bless to leave on the land of the free embrace it don't allow your emotions blind you how lucky your are, ##free!
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