Those are words attributed to, or heard from Mr. Donald J. Trump (DJT), President of the United States of America.
Truly, they are vile words, by anyone, let alone a president and supposedly leader of the free world.
In the first place, the world is not free anymore. DJT assured us so. It is clearly so when even in his own country, the rights of a wide swathe of the population is so brazenly disregarded and the voices of many violently muted.
But that is an American problem. They will, as they always are able to, deal with it. Somehow.
What is our problem in the shithole is the simple and obvious fact that we probably do live in shitholes. Maybe it’s not right for anyone to remind us so crudely but it is a fact.
Otherwise, why would such a large part of Africa pay so much to be sold in Libya on their way to ‘better’ life in Europe and, maybe, ultimately America?
We live in a shithole.
No power and therefore low and slow development, in spite of the mind-boggling potentials. America has power. It is run by a large number of people from shitholes from across the world.
It is very tempting to look at Trump with scant eye, rage or disdain but I argue that we do that just after we have told ourselves the truth.
Yes, there is little excuse for anyone to call me a bastard because I do not know my father but really, do I know him? Donald Trump just reminded us all in the shitholes that we are indeed by simple definition that we are bastards.
Yes, even if we all remember from what we read that his father was a gun-totting, strong arm for the gangs of New York in his time and his grandfather is not so far back in history that we do not know that he lived in Nazi Germany. An American immigrant.
I listened as the lame, limp and apologetic reaction of the African Union to his warped, weak-minded, deranged mind-set was read, and I knew that they could not have said more. All our leaders crawl to have audience with him, wait with bated breath for the condescending call from his highness. They could not have said more.
And I started to admire the guts of the Iranians, the Pakistanis and the majority of the Arabs who are usually quick to tell him where to shove his piggy pink tongue.
Donald J. Trump is not at fault. We are. We are generally unable to see beyond the flash of light on the streets of New York, the glitter of the streets of London and the order of Norway, his favorite country. We desire NEPA so much that, instead of protesting on the streets of our country in insistence that someone does something about power, we will eat shit even if it’s straight from the hole.
I have asked myself many times, having been opportune to occasionally visit these places what exactly we are so enamoured about. The answer usually comes down to light, organised bus and train systems, law and order, and respect for the rights of the citizens. Not a lot more. Sadly, all those are absent here.
It is not high physics, we can do those things here as well and make it more habitable.
Then, we will not need to queue at the embassy so much, be asked insulting questions at the border so much, be abused on the streets so much, and be hated so much by Trump.
Ask yourself, what exactly is there for anyone to come to your country for, beyond the easy money they are able to pick on the streets of Africa, aided by our leaders who have not yet been able to come to live beyond their precolonial and slave mentality and the fear of poverty.
Still, I hope. I hope that my children will change, change their own lives and show the Trumps and Bannons and other bigots that indeed, they are human, gifted with higher intellect than advantaged crooks and neo-colonialists.
Bimbo just muses.
- Bimbo Manuel, celebrated Nigerian actor, contributes this article from Lagos. Starting from this week, he writes for The Crest under the column title: BIMBO MUSES. Nominated for Best Actor in a supporting role (in the play, Broken) at the 2013 Nollywood Movies Awards, as well as 2013 Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor In Leading Role (in Heroes and Zeros), among others, Bimbo Manuel will captivate readers of The Crest on end. Fasten your seat belt, relax and enjoy the flight.