Latest news with #tyranny
Telegraph
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Whoopi Goldberg epitomises the stupidity of the modern progressive mind
Actor and daytime talk-show host Whoopi Goldberg has always been one of America's great provocateurs. But this week she traded provocation for plain old stupidity. Or at least a deep indifference to logic and truth. On Wednesday, Goldberg was on The View, the mid-morning daily television programme she has co-hosted for years. This time the discussion centred on Iran, its war with Israel and the potential for US intervention. Goldberg's co-host, Alyssa Farah Griffin – who is both Arab-American and politically conservative – made what ought to have been a statement of the obvious: that Iranians live under extreme tyranny and repression, lacking basic freedoms, including over what they can wear. And when they have protested the oppression they must endure, they have faced violence – or, in the case of Mahsa Amini, even death. 'The Iranians literally throw gay people off of buildings,' noted Farah. But Goldberg found it impossible to accept such a clear-sighted condemnation of a reprehensible theocratic regime. 'Let's not do that,' she countered. 'We have been known in this country to tie gay folks to the car.' And her odious descent into compare and contrast moral relativism was just getting started. Griffin tried to push back. 'I think it's very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is to live in Iran,' she said quite reasonably. 'Not if you're black,' Goldberg retorted. No American could possibly pretend that their country is perfect, and it's impossible to ignore that many groups – my fellow African-Americans among them – still face serious challenges. But does Goldberg really think that things are as bad on the streets of the US as they are on the streets of Tehran, under an Islamist theocracy? Evidently, yes. It's easy to blast Goldberg's political and intellectual myopia, but in many ways she's not to blame. Her moral relativism merely reflects the way in which identity politics has so corrupted Western minds that problems in our own societies are weaponised in order to shut down criticism of even the most appalling totalitarian regimes. It's the same thinking that has fuelled so much progressive activism since Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7. Who are we, they chortle, to criticise Hamas or the Ayatollahs when the US remains a nation still mired in injustice and inequality? But there are vast differences between the 'regimes' in Washington and Tehran – including for African-Americans. They're so basic – free speech, the rule of law, freedom to protest, gay marriage – that it's almost comical to have to repeat them. There is no freedom of expression in Iran, no independent media or women's movement, no protection whatsoever for any of Iran's minority groups (or indeed for anyone at all). But there's nothing comical about Goldberg's world view. Nearly 350 Iranians were executed by the state in the first four months of 2025 alone – a 75 per cent increase over 2024, according to a report from Iran Human Rights. And guess what, Goldberg? Political prisoners and minorities were heavily represented within these figures – none of whom have the luxury of a daily talk show from which to demand justice. Because justice is non-existent in places like Iran and Gaza. The likes of Goldberg might point to the killing of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin as evidence that the US is a similarly arbitrary and unjust society. The difference is that Chauvin sits in jail for killing Floyd, tried amid a media frenzy by both a jury and public opinion. Mahsa Amini knew no such privilege when she was killed under police detention in 2022 for supposedly failing to adhere to Iran's strict dress codes for women. Goldberg's juvenile thinking – her belief that an America that allows her to pontificate on national television – is somehow as repressive as Iran stains the legacy of true heroes like Amini. Goldberg also undermines the very real need for continued reform in the US by insisting that we have as much catching up to do as the Iranians. I'd almost suggest that she should take a trip to Tehran, to see for herself whether her risible comparison between Iranian tyranny and American freedom really stacks up. Judging by the wilful blindness of modern progressives, however, even seeing the horror of life under the ayatollahs up close would be unlikely to change her mind.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Scenes From the ‘No Kings' Rallies and the Military Parade
To the Editor: Re 'Military Might, Protest Power' (front page, June 15): Thirty-three years ago this month, I was interrogated by the secret police in China when my year of teaching English was ending. At that time, I had no knowledge about my rights as a U.S. citizen, so I didn't know to demand them. Later, however, I realized that being a U.S. citizen afforded me rights in another country. This truth gave me confidence and calm from that day on. Today I no longer have such confidence. But what makes it so much worse is that my rights are being trampled in the United States, the country of my birth. The only hope I have is in my fellow citizens in the recent (and future!) 'No Kings' marches who are standing up against the tyranny of this administration. Elena YeePoughkeepsie, N.Y. To the Editor: So you ask: 'What good does protesting do? You're just preaching to the choir.' As I was protesting with a small crowd in Milton, Mass., and cars were driving by, I started yelling 'Honk!' and waving my sign. I realized that the actual words on my rain-soaked sign (or anyone's signs) did not matter. When people drove by in cars, I'd make eye contact and wave, and then maybe get a shy smile back or a big thumbs-up. When people honked, I'd pump a fist in circles to get them to keep it up. So many people of different races smiled back, with the surprised look of someone who isn't used to getting smiles and waves from a stranger. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump responds to 'No Kings' protests
Published: President Donald Trump was asked Thursday to react to the series of 'No Kings' protests planned for Saturday - as detractors take to the streets to push back against what they say are tyrannical actions. 'I don't feel like a king,' Trump mused during an East Wing event that turned into an impromptu press conference. 'I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.' The president was signing a resolution to roll back California's electric vehicle mandate , a first-of-its-kind initiative that would have stopped the sale of gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035. 'A king would have never had the California mandate ... he wouldn't have to call up Mike Johnson and Thune and say "fellas you've gotta pull this off" and after years get it done,' Trump continued, name-checking House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Trump then added, 'We're not a king, we're not a king at all, thank you very much,' before moving onto the next question. The comments come as 'No Kings' protests are set to take place all across the country on Saturday, to coincide with the military parade marking the Army's 250th anniversary - also happening on Trump's 79th birthday. 'No Kings' organizers have told potential demonstrators to actually stay away from Washington, D.C., which already has a heavy security presence thanks to the parade. Fencing was erected around the White House, the Capitol Building and parts of the National Mall ahead of Saturday's event. Instead a major 'No Kings' demonstration is set to take place in Philadelphia - and D.C. locals are being steered to suburban Virginia and Maryland. The 'No Kings' protests come on the heels of anti-ICE demonstrations taking place all over the country pushing back on the president's 'mass deportation' plans. The epicenter of the demonstrations was in Los Angeles this week - setting up a major confrontation between Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. Trump federalized California National Guard members against Newsom's wishes and deployed active duty Marines to the LA area. In the U.S., it's generally a no-no to have active duty troops patrolling civilian areas. Military parades have also historically been avoided, as they give off an authoritarian air akin to places like Russia and North Korea. But after seeing a Bastille Day - and World War I commemoration parade - in Paris in July of 2017, the president became fixated on having his own in the United States. Plans got nixed during his first term due to cost concerns - as the massive tanks were expected to damage Washington, D.C.'s roads. Saturday's parade for the Army kicks off more than a year's worth of celebrations marking the country's semicentennial - as July 4, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For years, Trump has talked about what all he would do to mark the occasion. While Trump distanced himself from being called a 'king' on Thursday, he's used royal imagery to troll critics in the recent past. In February, he posted an AI image of himself dressed as a monarch after officials from his administration moved to halt New York City's traffic congestion pricing system. 'Congestion pricing is dead. Manhattan, and all of New York, is saved. Long Live The King!' the post said. An official White House social media account also posted a fake Time magazine cover that replaced 'Time' for 'Trump' and showed the president grinning and wearing a crown.
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Does Trump feel like a king? The president offers a surprising six-word response on whether he feels tyrannical
President Donald Trump was asked Thursday to react to the series of 'No Kings' protests planned for Saturday - as detractors take to the streets to push back against what they say are tyrannical actions. 'I don't feel like a king,' Trump mused during an East Wing event that turned into an impromptu press conference. 'I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.' The president was signing a resolution to roll back California's electric vehicle mandate, a first-of-its-kind initiative that would have stopped the sale of gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035. 'A king would have never had the California mandate ... he wouldn't have to call up Mike Johnson and Thune and say "fellas you've gotta pull this off" and after years get it done,' Trump continued, name-checking House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Trump then added, 'We're not a king, we're not a king at all, thank you very much,' before moving onto the next question. The comments come as 'No Kings' protests are set to take place all across the country on Saturday, to coincide with the military parade marking the Army's 250th anniversary - also happening on Trump's 79th birthday. 'No Kings' organizers have told potential demonstrators to actually stay away from Washington, D.C., which already has a heavy security presence thanks to the parade. Fencing was erected around the White House, the Capitol Building and parts of the National Mall ahead of Saturday's event. Instead a major 'No Kings' demonstration is set to take place in Philadelphia - and D.C. locals are being steered to suburban Virginia and Maryland. The 'No Kings' protests come on the heels of anti-ICE demonstrations taking place all over the country pushing back on the president's 'mass deportation' plans. The epicenter of the demonstrations was in Los Angeles this week - setting up a major confrontation between Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. Trump federalized California National Guard members against Newsom's wishes and deployed active duty Marines to the LA area. In the U.S., it's generally a no-no to have active duty troops patrolling civilian areas. Military parades have also historically been avoided, as they give off an authoritarian air akin to places like Russia and North Korea. But after seeing a Bastille Day - and World War I commemoration parade - in Paris in July of 2017, the president became fixated on having his own in the United States. Plans got nixed during his first term due to cost concerns - as the massive tanks were expected to damage Washington, D.C.'s roads. Saturday's parade for the Army kicks off more than a year's worth of celebrations marking the country's semicentennial - as July 4, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For years, Trump has talked about what all he would do to mark the occasion. While Trump distanced himself from being called a 'king' on Thursday, he's used royal imagery to troll critics in the recent past. In February, he posted an AI image of himself dressed as a monarch after officials from his administration moved to halt New York City's traffic congestion pricing system. 'Congestion pricing is dead. Manhattan, and all of New York, is saved. Long Live The King!' the post said. An official White House social media account also posted a fake Time magazine cover that replaced 'Time' for 'Trump' and showed the president grinning and wearing a crown.
The Independent
03-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Budapest police deny LGBTQ+ march request, citing Hungary's legislative Pride ban
Police issued an order on Tuesday denying a request to hold an LGBTQ+ event later in central Budapest, a consequence of recent steps by the right-wing populist government aimed at banning the popular Budapest Pride march. The police's decision to prohibit the planned event later this month came after Hungary's parliament passed legislation in March, and a constitutional amendment the following month, that allowed the government to ban public events by LGBTQ+ communities — moves that legal scholars and critics have called another step toward authoritarianism by the autocratic government. In its justification for prohibiting the Budapest event, which organizers requested to take place on June 28, the city's police argued that 'it cannot be ruled out, or is even inevitable, that a person under the age of 18 will be able to engage in legally prohibited conduct' if attending the proposed march. The police also contended that the march could result in 'passive victims,' who, 'because of the assembly's march-like nature, did not wish to attend the assembly but, because of its public nature, nevertheless become a bystander.' In a statement, the organizers called the police decision 'a textbook example of tyranny.' The ban on LGBTQ+ events — which the government says ensures children's rights to moral, physical and spiritual development — allows for fines on people organizing or taking part in Pride events, and the use of facial recognition software to identify them. Hungary's contentious 'child protection' legislation prohibits the 'depiction or promotion' of homosexuality to minors aged under 18. Hungarian officials have given contradictory statements as to whether or not the new policies amount to a full ban on Budapest Pride. In a speech to supporters in February, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán advised organizers 'not to bother organizing this year's parade,' calling it 'wasted money and time.' The Budapest Police attached photographs and videos to its statement depicting scenes from previous Budapest Pride events — ostensibly evidence to corroborate its view that the march was likely to violate the new laws banning public displays of homosexuality. France, Germany and Spain were among at least 20 European Union nations who last month called on Hungary to revise its legislation banning LGBTQ+ events, expressing concern that it runs contrary to the fundamental values of human dignity, freedom, equality and respect for human rights enshrined in EU treaties. Organizers of Budapest Pride, which draws tens of thousands annually and is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, have vowed that the event will go on as planned despite the threat of legal sanctions.
