President Donald Trump is not the demon that many think he is. Some of his actions are questionable. The maelstrom of activism following the travel ban being a case in point. Still, one should handle the fragility of Trump's narcissism with care, rather than fanning the flames of vitriol. What I'm seeing on the American media is a vicious cycle of hate and counter-hate, which is anything but productive. Trust me, the Obama administration doesn't appear to be an angel when its inaction and a general apathy towards the refugee crisis is taken into account. And it was given a pass by the media and the so-called liberals. There is even a greater need for objectivity now as American courts have started reversing the executive orders.
A non-partisan approach would essentially begin with a dissection of the Syrian crisis. The refugee ban has further enhanced its significance. The Obama administration, and its backers, cannot absolve themselves of the responsibility. The failure to protect the red lines and aiding and abetting the perpetrators in Syria -- whether openly or clandestinely -- triggered the refugee crisis. Let's not forget the Islamic State either, which rose on the ashes of the American fallen promise. The Obama administration took great pains to keep the Iran deal on track, overlooking the consequences and Iran's naked aggression against humanity in Syria. It later joined hands with Russia, which has unleashed new waves of terror upon the Syrians.
The American media chose to downplay the Obama administration's criminal conduct on Syria. It also supported the Iran deal without offering the American public an unbiased view of the consequences. The deal has only emboldened the regime, which is flouting the restrictions by test-firing ballistic missiles and doubling down on its agenda of chaos in the region. There have been reports of widespread ethnic cleansing and sectarian genocide being carried out by Iran and Hezbollah. The Saydnaya prison carnage, which was only recently revealed, could very well be just the tip of the iceberg. That these things happened under the nose of Obama and, by extension, through his tacit approval, speaks volumes about the bipartisan moral downfall of America.
During the last five years, the Obama administration resettled only a few thousand refugees, compared to hundreds of thousands who sought asylum in Germany alone. Thus not many Syrian refugees are affected by the Trump ban in the first place. The number will be in a few thousand, with their fate hinging on the eventual Supreme Court decision. Canada has already offered to resettle them without raising an eyebrow.
The highly controversial drone attacks took to new heights under the Obama administration, almost ten-times higher than the Bush administration. With a topsy-turvy legitimacy, these strikes targeted many civilians in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia. There was a troop surge in Afghanistan and now thousands of Americans are involved in the fight against ISIS. US is arming the murderous Shiite militias in Iraq, who have a storied history of violence and crimes against humanity. The Libyan fiasco is another blot on Obama's legacy.
Truth is, the Obama administration waged wars, flouted international laws, and abetted certified genocidal regimes. That it was hailed as a hero by the mainstream American media and received little, if any, scrutiny speaks volumes about the integrity of the fourth pillar. The alternative media emerged as a counter-weight to these partisan policies. It, however, resorted to spinning lies and falsehoods, instead of offering a real alternative picture. Thus the American public - and the global audience - was torn between the somewhat sycophantic MSM and the blatantly lying alternative media. A large chunk of gullible Americans believed the latter and the rest is history.
Perhaps the best way forward in dealing with President Trump's idiosyncrasies starts with a deep soul-searching. The left should acknowledge the grave mistakes of the Obama administration before casting stones at Trump's. The loss of high moral ground for Americans started with George Bush Jr.'s presidency, when many acquiesced to his lies and fabrications. The eight years of Obama administration ushered in an era of significant collusion between the political establishment and the MSM media. Rachel Maddow, for one, toured Afghanistan as an embedded journalist and sang praises of the campaign. Others also hailed the questionable policies of the administration that only engendered violence and chaos. The outcry on Syria was soon muffled by Obama's now legendary philosophizing and feet-dragging.
If one is anti-war then one should remain one irrespective of the change of guard in Washington D.C. If one prefers to protect human rights then one should be a perpetual campaigner, irrespective of the political climate. If one wants the media to stay independent then one should expect fair and transparent coverage at all times. Nitpicking has already damaged the standing of American brand around the world. Rebuilding it will require hard work and a genuine sense of non-partisanship.