This is not new that Donald TrumpMeetings are not preparedThey told him the former assistants, hinted at the allies, and dozens of leaders suffered in silence. But this rarely became as clear as in this Wednesday, when at a summit with several African leaders in the White House, the US president starred in such an absurd scene, which, according to the visible, was taken from a parody.
Liberia President, Joseph Nyuma Boacai, went to the floor in English to thank the invitation and express his will to cooperate. Trump, with an unexpected gesture, is interrupted to ask: “What a good English! Where did you learn to speak so well? In Liberia? “
A nervous laughter, some kind of grimace, contained, uncomfortable appearance. Boacai, with forced politeness, He nodded, not knowing how to answerTrump field, convinced that he was sweet, he finished: “What a good English. Very beautiful”.
What the US president did not know – or did not read to the dossier, which he undoubtedly ignored is that this English has been the official language of Liberia since the 19th centuryThe field and not only this: the history of Liberia is deeply intertwined with the history of the United States. This is not a cultural coincidence, but a key chapter in the history of slavery and emancipation in America.
Liberia: a country with an American accent
Liberia was founded in 1822 by the former Afro -American slaves, released, which were sent to Africa by the American Society of Colonization, an organization that promoted its “repatriation” as a decision of racial debate in the United States. Years later, In 1847, Liberia declared an independentbecoming the first modern African Republic.
His flag is almost identical For an American – with one white star instead of fifty – and his capital, Monrovia, bears the name of the fifth president of the United States James Monroe. The political system, state structure and many cultural aspects of the country were listed from the American model.
According to historian Usman Power Grina, author of the book “Against the Wind and Marea”, “Liberia represents One of the most direct and symbolic connections between the United States and the African continentIts history cannot be understood without understanding the history of America. “
Ordinary disinterest, today’s embarrassment
The alarming thing about that moment was not only the comment itself, but also what it reflects: Trump did not even know who was in advance, and he did not care to find outThe field according to the sources of the White House, the event was aimed at “studying commercial opportunities between the United States and several African countries”, taking advantage of the closure US Agency for International Development (USAID), an American foreign assistance agency, which Trump dismantled for generating “waste”.
But the diplomatic intention was completely overshadowed President slippageWhat once again confirmed his lack of preparation, sensitivity and interest in what is happening outside his borders.
Because For Trump, everything that is not the United States is far awayThe field and Africa, even more. And although Liberia was historically an involuntary expansion of the American project, his history, his language and their cultures still have no place in the President’s radar.
Leg of the leg is more than adding to Long listA joke, which summarizes in less than 30 seconds, as Trump understands the world: with improvisation, ignorance … and without a minimum of context.
