The Silicon Valley News is reporting widespread opposition to Trump's travel restrictions and I thought, well that's just Democratic California bitching 'cause Hilary wasn't elected.
But one line did make me re-think. The biological Father of Steve Jobs was a Syrian immigrant, did you know that? Abdul Fattah Jandali was the lad's name and he came from the city of Homs. Steve's Mother, Schieble, became pregnant in 1954 when she and Jandali spent the summer with his family in Homs, Syria, so Steve was born in Syria. Wouldn't it be a right mess is he was still around today?
In my own case when my businesses of ten years were closed by the Bank I was at a loss for a while to pick myself up and start again. I tripped into computers rather than make any great decision to do so and then I was contacted by a man called Samir Naji. His new Apple-based business was in its infancy and he wanted me to join. It didn't take the twitching Mallon nose long to ask where he got a name like Samir Naji. His Father was an Iraqi doctor who came here to practice.
Samir, or Sam as we called him, was a wondrous human being. He was a true entrepreneur and leader at a time they were a rare breed. You couldn't help but like Sam when you met him because he had the 'vision thing,' to quote an idiot. Sam knew where he was going and was gathering the crew around him to get there. He had an infectious bubbly enthusiasm and even a zany sense of humour and boundless energy. He was a very nice man to know and he was always genuine in everything he did. I learned a lot from Sam and developed a deep respect for him during the years I worked with him. After I had left the company he went on to become a millionaire, (not because I left mind you), and I couldn't wish it on anyone more deserving than Sam. Life has not always been kind to the man but he is an eternal optimist who never stops trying. I'm glad his Father choose Ireland because my life would have been less if he'd gone with most other Iraqis to the States. Samir was, and is, a credit to his Iraqi Dad.
But back in 1954 if Trump had been President instead of Eisenhower, Abdul Fattah Jandali, or old Mister Jobs, would not have gained entry to the USA. There would have been no Apple, the biggest publicly quoted company on earth and you'd have to wonder what the young Steve would have done back in Homs. Eisenhower was of Pennsylvanian Dutch ancestors. Donald Trump's grandfather, Friedrich Trump, emigrated from Kallstadt (then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria) to the United States at age 16. He anglicized his name to Frederick in 1892 when he became a U.S. citizen. Donald's own Mother was Scottish. Barring the native Americans, everyone there is from somewhere else. It is what made America the great melting pot super power it became.
Now, citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are banned from entering the good old USA. One must presume that many of these desperate people will instead try to get into the EU and you'd have to think Donald knows that as well. If you Google, "American troops in," any of the above countries you will find several instances in each. For one reason or another American soldiers have killed citizens in their homes in all of them. Anyway, these's an article here that describes what it is like in each of those unfortunate places today and worth a look.
I am reflecting on the article I wrote last Tuesday and wondering if the existence of Muslim extremists justifies our painting all Muslims with the same brush. Indeed wiser heads than my own have suggested the existence of extreme Islam is squarely down to US foreign policy since World War II. There's a lot of truth in that methinks and if so, is it okay in world opinion for the Americans to just trample into these places, wreck all around them, steal everything that isn't nailed down and then build a wall around their own country? I believe they owe people in all of those seven countries some recompense for the damage they have done to them. But I doubt either the Republicans nor the Democrats see it quite that way.
Is the self-styled World's Policeman actually the World's Biggest Bully?