German Paper's Brutal Statement On 'America First' Slogan Is Scarily Accurate
On Friday, the prominent German magazine Der Spiegel made a brutally accurate statement about President Donald Trump's travel ban and what "America First" truly means.
Its cover features an image of Trump holding the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty.
This is essentially a portrayal of the death of America's purported values.
There was a lot of discussion about the cover image on Twitter. This is how the world sees America now.
The German magazine definitely has a point.
Donald Trump's travel ban is an un-American policy.
The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of America's immigrant tradition, and a testament to the millions who've come to the US in search of a better life.
There's a poem engraved on a plaque inside the pedestal of the statue, and it's a tribute to refugees.
The poem, "The New Colossus," was written by Emma Lazarus, a New Yorker of Portuguese Sephardic Jewish descent.
She drew her inspiration for the poem through work she did with refugees on Wards Island.
The poem says,
Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
Donald Trump's approach to the global refugee crisis is the antithesis of the sentiments surrounding this poem.
Simply put, he might as well have cut off the head of the Statue of Liberty when he signed the executive order that put the ban in place.
President Trump's travel ban specifically targets some of the world's most vulnerable people, as well as a particular religious group.
Trump has temporarily banned refugees and people from seven predominantly Muslim countries, and indefinitely banned Syrian refugees.
Syria is currently the world's largest source of refugees, with 4.9 million worldwide.
According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), there are roughly 21.3 million refugees globally.
This is the worst refugee crisis of our era, but Trump seems determined to ignore it, arguing we have to put "America First."
But, of the roughly 800,000 refugees admitted to the US since 9/11, less than 20 have been arrested or detained over terrorism.
Since 9/11, no one in the United States has been killed in a terrorist attack by someone from the seven countries targeted by Trump's travel ban: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
It's estimated that Trump's travel ban has already resulted in the revocation of 100,000 visas.
In other words, people who have gone through all the legal hurdles to get to the US are now being denied entry.
Also, for those who argue it is "not a ban," please be aware that Trump referred to it as a "ban" in a tweet.
It might not ban all the world's Muslims, but it's certainly a big step toward that.
Terrorism does not pose a major existential threat to the US, but Trump is using it as an excuse to discriminate against people who are fleeing daily terror.
Not to mention, terrorist organizations are celebrating the travel ban. They want Muslims to believe the West is at war with Islam, as it helps them recruit.
Trump's policy directly targets Muslims, so it reinforces their propaganda.
"America First" is the rallying cry of a president who wouldn't know American values if they hit him in the face.
He's not putting the country first. He's simple engaging in a futile attempt to wall America off from the rest of the world.
Citations: Jihadist groups hail Trump's travel ban as a victory (Washington Post), More than 100,000 visas revoked amid Trump travel ban: reports (REUTERS), Politicians decry refugee program after 2 Iraqi-born men arrested on terrorism charges (Politifact)
