By Jonathan Colon
Commentary on an article originally written by Mo Abbas on NBCNEWS.com.
Former President Donald Trump will kick things off. He once again was able to simultaneously help a perceived enemy of the nation while disregarding what many in the nation asked of him. The perceived enemy in this case was Saudi Arabia a country many believe to have been responsible for 9/11 because it was home to 15 of the 19 hijackers from that day. Former President Donald Trump said, “nobody has gotten to the bottom of 9/11.” The sentence itself, coming from a Former President of the United States of America, well, it is not something you hear all the time. To make matters worse a Saudi-funded golf tournament took place in Former President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club. Both the comment, and the tournament are being actively criticized by human rights groups. Of course, Former President Donald Trump is not the only one who made what can be called, a wrong move. Current President Joe Biden bumped fists with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman during his visit to Jeddah, a coastal city in Saudi Arabia. French President Emmanuel Macron shook hands with the Crown Prince in front of the Élysée presidential palace. It’s as if everyone is forgetting what happened in 2018 the murder of Jamal Khashoggi a prominent Saudi critic and Washington Post journalist. The Crown Prince was accused of this murder, and only 4 years later efforts by the country to repair it’s image are seemingly working.
Is it right? Well, when money is on the line and the world is trying to emerge from a global pandemic, anything seems possible. This of course is not the only factor, Russia and China are rapidly gaining influence in this region of the globe. This is the last thing Western Allies want. So, what do you do? Well, you try to walk that fine political tight rope. You try to mend relations with a powerful voice in the Middle East and hope that everyone, your critics, stop talking about. Your own image? Simple, that can be repaired once your new best friends help you out? The images being referred to here are those of the Western Allies. It is really challenging to bring about the change you seek when you’re constantly viewed as Hypocrite. Although, this hasn’t stopped anyone before, and it won’t stop anyone now. What do you do about it? Just follow your gut, do what you believe is right, and always remember to vote.