The Guardian reported yesterday that Donald Trump has once again been grossly derogatory about the impact of immigrants on European countries. Doing so, he is claiming that immigration is destroying European civilisation. That is a direct and racist attack on the lives, dignity and rights of millions of people who live here. It is also, and let's be clear about this, a threat to democracy itself because Trump is explicitly supporting far-right neo-fascist parties.
I need to be very clear about what appears to be happening.
First, Trump is not offering an argument. He is promoting hatred. His rhetoric is based on the assumption that people who are not white, and not “Christian” by his definition, are lesser beings. That is racism, pure and simple. It has no place in any serious discussion about how societies manage migration.
Second, this is not about America alone. Trump is deliberately exporting his own politics of fear to Europe. His intent is to encourage similar far-right movements here to copy his approach. He wants to tear apart diverse societies by portraying their normality, with neighbours of different backgrounds living side by side peacefully, as a threat when there is no evidence that this is the case.
Third, there is no rational foundation for what he says. As a matter of fact, Europe's economies depend on migrants to care for our elderly, keep our hospitals running, strengthen our universities, and contribute in countless sectors starved of labour. There is nothing unusual about this: the USA has precisely the same problems, and both face problems with ageing populations. Without migration, pensions might collapse, public services might shrink, and social care, which is already fragile, could break altogether. The idea that migrants are in Europe to undermine our societies rather than to contribute could not be further from the truth.
Fourth, Christianity is not Europe's cultural core. Most Europeans, including most of those who vote for the far-right, are not practising Christians. To claim that “Christian civilisation” must be defended against migrants is simply an excuse to impose white supremacy with a religious veneer. It is a lie. And like all lies of this sort, its purpose is to divide.
So, why does this matter?
First, when you describe people as Trump does migrants, the risk of violence follows. History leaves no doubt about what happens when politicians normalise dehumanisation. Attacks rise. Laws become more punitive. Rights are stripped. And some will feel licensed to take cruelty into their own hands.
Second, this rhetoric erodes solidarity — the foundation of any democracy. Once governments are encouraged to pick and choose who counts as fully human, the door opens to target almost anyone. It might be refugees today, but it can as easily be disabled people tomorrow, and dissenters and protesters after that.
Third, inequality, and not migration, is the real crisis. People are anxious about wages, housing, public service cuts, and social insecurity. The far-right exploits that fear, and then blames migrants, whilst letting billionaires, landlords, and austerity completely off the hook. Trump's story protects the powerful by demonising the powerless.
Fourth, Europe's identity is at stake. We need to ask whether we are a continent where human rights and social justice matter, or one that shuts its doors to those who look and sound different? This is not just a national issue: it is a continental one as well.
We have a simple choice. We either defend the equal worth of every human being or we let racism define our politics. There is no middle ground. In that case, anyone who considers themselves progressive must:
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Say without hesitation that this is racism. It is not controversial language and is not about border controls. It is all about racism.
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Refuse to let migrants be scapegoats for failures of economic policy. Austerity, privatisation and financialisation have all contributed to creating insecurity, not those seeking a safer life.
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Demand a humane migration policy that invests in integration, housing, public services and decent work. That, as the late Tony Benn pointed out, is how democratic societies strengthen themselves.
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Stand alongside the people Trump attacks — because defending their rights protects everyone's rights.
In conclusion, Trump is telling us something, but not about immigrants. He is instead talking about himself and those who want power by dividing people. They have no answers to the crises we face, whether they be inequality, climate breakdown, or collapsing public services. So they blame those with the least power.
No country in Europe, including all those that make up the UK, should follow him down that road. We should build a society where everyone who is here, regardless of where they were born, who they are, what they believe, and what colour their skin is, can belong, contribute and thrive. This is not naïve idealism. It is the only basis on which a fair, prosperous and democratic Europe can survive.
Racism has never built a better future. Solidarity always has.
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In one way Trump is right. Europe has been lulled into a false sense of security, and grown complacent.
But what Trump will not acknowledge is American political/political economic hegemony in contributing to Europe’s degradation. America made promises and saw Europe as the frontline facing the East.
Trump’s attitude is driven by his real boss Putin, who will let Trump have the U.S. all to himself and bits of Europe too for Trump’s family to exploit, whilst Putin seeks to turn back the clock and rebuild a soviet style Russia geographically. The ultimate act of revenge.
I agree with everything you say, but what is really nasty is how Trump just waves away his country’s own complicity in all this and writes off millions of innocent people in Europe. Trump is like some sort of superannuated Caligula or Nero.
It’s sort of pathetic but also extremely scary and deadly says this father of two fighting age children.
And all the time these evil scumbags such Fartrage spout their nasty, disgusting racist language and point fingers at the most vulnerable to blame them for society’s problems, their rich and powerful (and they themselves) continue to get richer and more powerful.
Craig
Trump is talking about the growing percentage of non-white people in Europe.
The percentage of non-white people ( they count Latinos as such) is higher in the US than Europe.
Trump has mobilised the darker aspects of society to support his rule. The only plus is that one can no longer be in doubt what he stands for and people in this country have to take their stand on one side or the other.
Sadly there are a significant number who will stand with him and what he represents. But they are a minority and we must make sure they don’t prevail. One hope is younger people, especially younger women do not like these Fascist opinions.
Well said Richard. I hope you are feeling better.
In response to PSR I would prefer to refer to either “two working age children” or “two voting age children” although I do fully understand and emphasise with his sentiment and fear.
Trump’s National Security Strategy published at the weekend seems more like a declaration of war by the obscenely immoral elite on the rest of us. Unless we resist we will be nothing more than 21st century serfs. We can begin the resistance by refusing to be divided. As the old adage puts it, “united we stand, divided we fall”. We can see this in the Brexit referendum and its outcome. Just who has really benefitted from this act of political folly? Not the many only the few (and they were the ones behind it all along). We must, therefore, ensure that we don’t get fooled again.
Thanks. Agreed.
Martin, you miss the thrust of PSR’s carefully chosen words. “Fighting age” starkly reminds us that if the world degenerates into war, those we love will be in harm’s way. Avoiding that is something we should all work hard to achieve.
Hi Kim,
Many thanks for your reply. No, I did not misunderstand the thrust of PSRs use of the term “fighting age men”. I agree with him and his sentiments. However, what underlies my comment is my belief that we are already in the early days of what I fear will become akin to WW3. Having read, inter alia, Catherine Benton’s excellent ‘Putin’s People’ and Anne Applebaum’s recent books, it seems to me that, on the European front, Putin has effectively declared war. The invasion of Ukraine was a just old style warfare. But there are new weapons of war now from drones to computer hacking to buying certain politicians who then campaign to destabilise Europe (both as an institution and as a collection of nation states) by sowing division and hatred.
We cannot begin to resist without the younger generation seizing the political system from the clutches of the vested elite. I shall be 69 next year: I grew up surrounded by neighbours and friends who fought in one or both of the twentieth century’s world wars. Victory was had fought and came at an enormous cost to all. For them Wilfred Owen’s words about “the old lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori” rang true. If WW3 breaks out then all their sacrifices will have been in vain.
Furthermore, both WW1 and 2 might have been avoided had the politicians of the day been better informed and barely competent. Today, we are in no better a position. Can anyone seriously see Starmer or Streeting or Badenoch as a “war time leader”? Farage would be, at best, Putin’s appeaser.
If we want to avoid history repeating itself, again, we must take back control of democracy from the current crop of political chancers and gravy train riders.
And who thinks the result would be the same this time? What if Europe loses? What then? On the last two occasions the US came (late) to the fight. After last weekend’s Trump NSSA, it is clear that not only will the US not come to our aid but it has already turned against Europe. Today’ politicians have left us dangerously exposed through incompetence, negligence and worse. I am truly afraid for all Europeans, regardless of age. The political system is the most immediate ground on which all of us should begin the resistance.
All true, all despicable, but what about the UK, and our foreign policy, our military policy, our trade policy, our economic policy?
They are all closely tied to our traditional close (one sided unequal) relationship with our American “ally”, shoulder to shoulder, etc., NATO, G(insert number here), trans-Atlantic trade treaties, Thatcher-Reagan, Bush-Blair, Trump-Starmer, Gulf War, Afghanistan invasion, support of Israel – the list goes on, Vietnam being the rare exception, thank-you Mr Wilson).
I see no visible sign of UK dissent from Trump’s rule. No attempt to put dirty grey water between us and Trump’s unconstitutional, undemocratic, gangster, unlawful, genocidal, ruinous rogue terror state rule, and our nominally independent state.
Starmer gets photographed with him, kowtows to him, is complicit in genocide with him, and sells more and more of the UK economy to him. He is not capable of making the break, he lacks any independent thought or ability, he is a puppet.
So HOW should the next UK Gov’t move from our historical closeness to the USA, to establish a more moral, sustainable humane distance from this deluded dangerous fascist regime as it collapses into chaos?
As Starmer is unlikely to respond, the Labour Party needs to ask any potential Starmer replacement how they intend to deal with this, or whether we will just suffer the fate of Austria in March 1938 and get “absorbed” into Trump’s lawless empire?
What practical steps should the UK be taking to genuinely distance ourselves morally from Trump’s crimes, and practically, from the economic and military might of the USA, bearing in mind that Trump will throw tantrums.
Or do we just carry on with appeasement and face our eventual judgement?
(One for after the cold perhaps)
I agree – for later. But others can wade in.
Added to that, a weak and cowardly response from Downing Street – it wasn’t a defence – of the revolting things Trump said about Sadiq Khan in the same interview on Politico.
And the BBC, and the print media, are happy to amplify the hatred giving plenty of column inches and airtime to those spouting it.
The UK is becoming an intolerant, vile place to live with racists encouraged to spew their hatred day in, day out and given platforms to do it whilst others, who don’t, are hardly given any airtime at all.
And declaring fatwas on individuals in UK as he has done in the US – Sadiq Kahn has 24 hour security I think.
This is a world I thought I wouldnt see.
It also gives the impression of being another area where Trump parrots Russian talking points. Russian interests have decried the EU and NATO as objectionable, so Trump (and Musk) attacking the EU shows not just a lack of understanding of the constituent countries still being sovereign (if Brexit proved nothing else, it proved that countries still have the sovereignty that allows them to unilaterally leave the EU), but also shows how heavily they are influenced by regimes hostile to Europe. There is nothing about the rhetoric that has the best interests of Europeans at heart. It is all divide and conquer.
hopefully a related development:
https://www.reuters.com/world/tax-prosecutions-plunge-trump-shifts-crime-fighting-efforts-2025-12-10/
The orange-arse appears to have decided that tax-cheating is OK. This could be construed as anti-competitive – be interesting to see if the Europeans do anything (obvs Starmer won’t).
Europe has to stand on its own two feet. ASAP.
“Europe faces civilisational collapse”, reflects Mickey Mouse, leaning back, sipping a Coke and checking the baseball scores on X in McDonald’s on his way back from the latest Marvel movie.
Just how will Europe cope without all that culture?
Wasn’t it Ian Fleming who said the U.S. had slipped from adolescence to senility without passing through a period of maturity? I see Trump as a further symptom of that decline, not a cause.
Or Gore Vidal who commented that America was the only country that had gone from barbarism to decadence without an intervening period of culture.
And now it’s gone back to the barbarism stage.
Thanks for the follow-up; I wasn’t aware of Vidal’s comment and I’m planning to try and find it along with Fleming’s – I guess they’re saying the same kind of thing. May have to re-read some Bond – originals, of course – over the Christmas period . . .
Ian Dunt recalled overhearing someone on a guided tour of Auschwitz “this is what happens when extremism flourishes.” In response the guide said:- “This place is not explained by extremism. It is explained by conformity .”
I think there is a lot in that.
Hannah Arendt would totally agree under the banner of ‘the banality of evil’.
We have sleep walked into the valley of death, we really have. Fascism – this intolerance of ‘the other’, this desire to destroy what is the ‘other’ can only ever imply death.
Death to anyone considered to be ‘othered’.
Death required even by those who conform to prove your conformity – your ultimate sacrifice to the cause.
Dietrich Boehoffer – and then they came for me. After they had come for everyone else and I did nothing
The best argument for taking action early. Or Tim Snyder in his book On Tyranny about not complying.
It is the compliance of so much of American society, especially those in any position of power, that is so depressing.
Much to agree with.
Why did they kill him three weeks before the end of the war?
A quality historian recently remarked that the population of this island dropped by 10% between 1650-1700. The Kings did not respond to this by importing 2 million immigrants. This was a mistake and in the following century the country became an economic backwater.
Ok. How would a multitude of kings have done that? Please explain.
Have you heard of the Crown granting monopolies to people merchants to transport them between countries? Or offering incentives to come voluntarily. By the way, why do you ask questions in this strange way, I mean you block the response before even reading it.
What are you talking about? For the record, I block those who are incoherent. All editors should. You are heading that way. You have one last chance. But you’d better explain well.
The underlying philosophy if you can call it that reminds me of the style of Christianity of the crusaders.
I was born in this country and I am grateful for that but I will depart this earth at my end. In the future , in an ever heating world life will be quite different. When much of the earth becomes unable to sustain life my area in Scotland will have to sustain a more dense population. I find it difficult to understand people who don’t seem to understand that they are only here for a short time.
“When much of the earth becomes unable to sustain life my area in Scotland will have to sustain a more dense population”.
That assumes the dominant English will allow the population to become dense. It’s just as likely the English will decide who can and who can’t reside there.
No, it’s a fundamental error to confuse political choices and reality assessment. The NSS is first of all admitting that the Americans no longer have the capacity to establish or maintain world order, ideologically, economically or militarily. That’s not a values based choice and things are not going to be much different whoever is in charge over there. Start getting used to that, it’s big. And let’s not end up like the moany Atlanticists who think they can wish the new day away.
Umair Haque has posted an article on the consequences of Trump’s attacks on Europe.
For Umair, it’s about racism but also incompetence and short termism. His analysis is compelling.
Here is the link :
https://www.theissue.io/how-trump-just-signed-americas-economic-death-warrant/
I subscribe. We have met.
OK. But this is not about value choices . It’s about what the US can no longer do. Can’t not won’t. Let’s start getting used to that.
Yesterday, or was it the day before Sarah Montagu questioned Katya Adler the Beeb’s European correspondent (probably World at One). Katya was emphasising firmly and clearly that Europe had better get its act together to get behind the defence Ukraine and European values. I know, we aren’t talking directly about this, but an incredulous Sarah couldn’t grasp that Katya was highlighting the serious and potentially deadly situation Europe and the UK are facing. Trump is attacking Europe, all it stands for and by doing so delighting all far right wing politicians. The interview reminded me of a supine British Government in 1938/9 unable to believe that Hitler was an existential threat while those that did see it were ignored.
He is.
In effect, he’s declared war.
No . Not at all. But we will face US displeasure if we don’t dispose ourselves to re-establish normal relations with Russia.
I write to a penfriend in New York who absolutely DETESTS Trump. He has contemplated moving to Scotland.(his ancestors came from Fife) Not all Americans admire Trump.Trump’s mother was an immigrant Scot and his father a German ..maybe that’s where the whiff of Goebbels emanates from! And not all Germans are like Goebbels I add quickly.
What’s that old saying?..Evil flourishes when good men/women do nothing.
Trump’s actions are decided by those who are pulling his strings. These people are plutocrats. Trump himself is an empty vessel, a seriously flawed human being, who has a knack for publicity in an age where hype is everything. He manages to mock himself and take himself too seriously at the same time.
Everything about him, his confederates, and their crazy ideas is horse feathers, as time will show.
The rest of the world can go hang as far as these people are concerned. They are going to cause some serious harm to many people and the planet itself.
In 200 years time, if the planet survives, the inhabitants will not understand how this period in history unfolded without Trump and his gang not being locked up in 2026 and never allowed out.