America, I Am Not Your Ally

Today (Australian time), Donald Trump was inaugurated as US President. Now I'm not going to add to the millions of words already written expressing peoples' real grief, fear, anger and horror, except to respond to what Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said today:



As millions of principled, decent Americans have proclaimed Trump is not their president, so I would like to say that Malcolm Turnbull does not speak for me, as an Australian citizen. As long as Trump is in the White House, swept in on a tide of treason, interference and corruption, standing for bigotry, hatred and pessimism, I am not an American ally. I am not an ally of the Trump administration.

My alliance - my solidarity and love - is with the millions of Americans who fought and will keep fighting against everything the Trump presidency stands for. Who fight for healthcare, women's rights. Who fight for the environment. Who fight for economic equality. Who fight against racism and bigotry. Those who protest and march. Those who write to their elected representatives. Those who fight for Planned Parenthood. At Standing Rock. Black Lives Matter. Those are who I want to be an ally to.

My fight will be here. As the dark spectre of alt right fascism rises, as elements within the Australian government seek to being this populist, reductionist ideology of hatred here, I will be marching and writing and petitioning and - if they dare touch Medicare - sitting in the streets. I will not let them destroy our egalitarian democracy. I will fight to strengthen it.

But Malcolm Turnbull does not speak for me. I am not an ally and friend of America, America in the guise of the Trump administration. I will not condone or endorse it as an ally or friend. I stand with those who fight. I will keep fighting here.

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