Saidu Conteh: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 4 September 2019:
Ornithologists have reported in their findings for countless decades that there are roughly about 10,000 species of birds in the world. They studied their migration and flight patterns, feeding habits, physical appearances and emotional dispositions.
Strangely, their studies also indicated that some birds like predatory vultures, and the imposing bald eagle, which is the foremost symbol and emblem of the United States of America, upon reaching a ripe old age became vulnerable and prone to mental diseases like acute depression and chronic anxiety.
Scientists have also emphasized that at an extremely old age, the bald American eagle just simply cannot understand why it has lost its frightening speed, formidable strength, laser-focused vision and tactical hunting skills. And so it panics, freaks out and goes on a rampage, killing and destroying everything that crosses its path.
And sadly also, in moments when it is morbidly depressed and being overwhelmed by anxiety and stress, it becomes compelled through its survival instincts to brutally kill and eat its own helpless little ones. Sad isn’t it?
Well, this is the American story – a magical story of a rapid rise to greatness and a systematic, catastrophic decline, and fall towards obscurity and total annihilation.
Folks, let me reiterate, this is the predicament of the once feared and admired, “Leaders of the Free World” – pioneers of the foremost, oldest and most prosperous democracy ever. A sad story indeed – the American story.
The old bald eagle is now anxious and restless because it knows it is no longer the military monster that was once dreaded and revered by the rest of the world, neither are they the world’s leading undisputable, economic giant – nope, not anymore. Times have changed, the bald eagle has become old, worn out and weary.
There’s now a gigantic new bird soaring the skies above, endowed with unmatched abilities, skills and unimaginable strength – her name is “Far Eastern China”. In the twinkle of an eye, as brief as a regular sneeze or a twitch of the nose – almost overnight, things have changed completely.
The eagle that once out-soared others found itself helpless, crippled and unable to adequately compete. The weaknesses that comes with old age, taking its toll. And remember, a deranged, old eagle cannot be reasoned with, appeased or bargained with.
Whenever it becomes angry or frustrated, America – the eagle, has been known to always look for scapegoats to blame for its failing strength, dull worn out beak, and weak-sighted vision. Immigrants are regarded as sitting ducks, easy targets. So they become victims of its unforgiving, merciless, iron grips.
The decline of America didn’t begin with Donald Trump, but rather with George W. Bush. Obama contributed his own share, keeping Africa at the bottom of his list of priorities, yet working diligently for special interests – gay and lesbian groups, and never giving a moment of thought about the plight of poor black people on the African continent.
So as racist as Trump may sound, judge him not too harshly, but Barack Obama instead. Had he really been proud of his African heritage, he could have protected the poorest African nations from any future deportations through the signing of temporary decrees and complex executive orders that would have been very difficult for Trump to overturn.
So to our brothers and sisters who were brought back home in shackles and chains, as hard as things may seem, consider it as a glorious opportunity to begin life all over again, enthusiastically, from scratch.
And it is my belief, that the man who survives a hard fall but gets back up and keeps on fighting, is the greatest man alive.
African leaders have failed their people miserably. People are drowning in oceans and suffocating in hot deserts, yet not one of them has come up with a concrete plan that will offer genuine hope and reduce the unnecessary risk taking and the needless loss of life.
Let Donald do what’s best for America, and we also must gird our loins and do what’s best for ourselves. It must be so!
America has lost its way. Look not to them for help and assistance. These are the words written on the Statue of Liberty that America once used to live by, but not anymore:
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.
Friends, that is what the real America has always been, a country that is a friend to all the nations of the world – not an enemy of humanity, like Donald Trump’s hateful, mean-spirited, racist America. …Rising Sun Will Rise Again.
Thank you Saidu for your generous praises. My wife senses that you are a kind-hearted, honest and very loyal person. She asks that you continue being sincere and direct in your comments on this forum, in the interest of Mama Sierra Leone. She has also confessed to me that she is now one of your biggest fans.
First things firsts – to my brother BRAHIM, I salute you,and thank you sincerely for your kind words,and bold utterances – Greetings “Mon Frere”. Indeed,a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. Its nothing but pure mean-spiritedness,and insanity to hear someone blatantly justifying gut wrenching cruelty,and unspeakable barbarism against people with skins as dark as their own. Folks, what you are seeing, still being called a ‘Super Power’ is an empty shell,a feather floating in the wind,a dead man walking – that’s what America has become! Yup, a merciless,ruthless,giant is now on its knees,incapacitated by his abominable sins,and unforgivable vices – a monster,with Cocaine,and Methamphetamine running unstoppably through his veins – an entity capable of creating disasters,quicker,and much faster,than the continuous crowing of tireless,restless rooster.
Are these are the people you want to emulate,and consider as heroes? And in case you were not aware China is not just a nation but an entire Civilization capable of thriving on its own. Think about that! Can America the demented,and deranged eagle be able to do such an admirable thing? Absolutely not. A nation that has lost it’s way, overcrowded with bigots, racists, pimps,drug addicts,criminals,and warmongers – that’s what America has become. True.
In today’s America, good men don’t have a voice! Only Donald Trump speaks,and only Donald is heard by all! Again,China has the largest standing army in the world, followed by India. If a war breaks out somewhere,and enemies are forced to put troops on the ground,China will win hands down. And listen, I don’t care if Obama is as black as a shoe,dabbed with liquid Kiwi polish. What did he ever do for Africans? Nothing!
And did he help create policies than could changed the lives of African Americans. Nope! So what was his greatest accomplishment? Legalizing perverse,abominable Homosexuality. Imagine that quietly for a second! So to our brothers,and sisters that were deported in shackle,and chains,keep your heads up – the days and nights full of blessings in store for you, are as countless as grains of sand….Rising Sun Will Rise Again!
I don’t understand what metric Saidu Conteh uses to measure national decline. How would the United States cease to be the dominant global power when it still possesses the world’s largest economy as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) and the most powerful military in the world? In fact, the United States is still such a dominant global power that as measured by gross domestic product per capita, Mississippi, which is the poorest state in the United States is far wealthier than China, which many people believe has replaced the United States in the order of global dominance. While China’s GDP per capita is a paltry $9,608, Mississippi’s is $31, 881 ( IMF 2018).
Also, for all the praise that is often being heaped on China, it is still a country with many of the characteristics of a developing nation. Such characteristics include, low per capita incomes, poor healthcare services, and low human development indices. Conversely, the United States is the most developed country in the world with a dominant service economic sector that is unrivaled globally. And another vital statistic – militarily, the United States is twice as powerful as the entire European Union (Global Firepower, 2019).
Now, to the deportations. Why blame president Barack Obama? president Obama was not elected president of the United States to represent African interests. As president, his primary responsibility was to defend American interests. And when Obama was in power, most deportees from the United States were folks with criminal records, who had even served time in prison. Why should these folks be tolerated in the United States?
For deportees in chains, it is a standard policy of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to chain deportees so that they do not escape the custody of immigration officials. This applies to all deportees be they African, European, Asian or South American. Additionally, from what I have read so far, many of the deportees under the Donald Trump presidency are also folks with criminal records. Personally, I don’t feel sorry for such folks any more than I would for folks thrown out of Sierra Leone for criminal offenses. Law abiding Africans are still welcome in the United States.
For BRAHIM, chaining deportees is not a Donald Trump policy. This policy is a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy that has been around for years. It is primarily meant to prevent deportees from fighting immigration officers or fleeing their custody. The policy is applied to all deportees be they African, European, Asian or South American. Also, for every African that you may have spoken to on your last visit to the United States that expressed fears of being deported, there are thousands other Africans that do not express such fears since they are legal in the United States, are highly educated and are also gainfully employed.
Mr Higbie – SIERRA LEONE my country, rarely deports people, and doesn’t brutally shackle and chain them like animals like the UNITED STATES is doing now. In the past, until now, corrupt businessmen and other questionable individuals who were found guilty of criminal activities against the State were asked to leave voluntarily on their own, without being disgraced and humiliated as America is doing to immigrants presently. If you support Trump, at least be decent enough to admit that American policies under his administration have become tainted with hatred, prejudice and racism. Saidu is right – THE EAGLE HAS GONE MAD!!
Saidu Conteh once again displaying his unmatched brilliance and penetrating insight in his unbiased analysis of America’s cruel treatment of immigrants. My wife and I have been to the United States many times since BILL Clinton was in office. And last year, we were there also, and we were shocked to see how things have changed, and worsened dramatically for immigrants.
Almost every African immigrant I spoke to confessed to me that they were afraid of being deported under the new administration of President Donald Trump. Some where having nightmares and bad dreams, others lived in fear – afraid to go outside their homes, or even to find work because Immigration officials were always on the prowl looking for people with dark skins and thick accents.
Saidu is right. America has lost its way. They are now displaying an attitude that is brazenly against FREEDOM,TOLERANCE,AND INJUSTICE, values that their Founding fathers once considered as venerated and sacred. All hope is not lost though, for those deported in shackles and chains, because as long as there is life, their will always be hope. The government of Sierra Leone must find it in their hearts to show some form of empathy for these deportees and render them some amount of financial assistance to ease the strain, and help them start all over. And the whole nation also, in the interest of Patriotism and Devotion to Country must stand in solidarity by their side, support and encourage them, and not unfairly judge, criticize and condemn them.
Every country deports non-citizen who commit crimes or don’t have current visas, including the USA and Sierra Leone.