American political 'civil war' damaging the system

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Europe

Editor’s note: Wang Xiao is a senior editor at Guancha.cn. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The American political civil war between Liberals and Trump has deepened. This war is bringing down the credibility and operability of "American style democratic system".

In the past week, Trump’s war on illegal immigration has drawn the world’s attention. Media says over 2,000 children were separated from their illegal immigrant parents, and they have to live in terrible living condition while their parents are being prosecuted by the US government.

The reality is that the whole thing was a mess.

US President Donald Trump displays an executive order he signed that will end the practice of separating family members who are apprehended while illegally entering the United States on June 20, 2018, in Washington, DC. /VCG Photo.

"Building the wall" is one of Trump's major campaign promises. Making campaign promise is easy, but Washington is never a town for easy mode. Getting the money out of Congress' pocket for a costly wall takes time and negotiation, but the Midterm-election is four months away. A “zero tolerance” immigration policy could be a temporary alternative.

Furthermore, acting tough is always a good choice for his conservative supporters.

After all, the election is beyond everything in a “democracy”.

It is not American taxpayers’ obligation to guarantee illegal immigrants’ safety and prosperity, but since the war between Democrats and Trump peaks, the Liberals will always be standing at the opposite side of Trump. However, they have chosen a terrible tactic to counter-attack Trump’s policy. They choose to cloth them with morality.

Democrat politicians and Liberal media have unloaded their bomb on Trump’s policy, and picture the whole thing as a moral disaster.

A two-year-old Honduran asylum seeker cries as her mother is searched and detained near the US-Mexico border on June 12, 2018, in McAllen, Texas. /VCG Photo.

One picture gained most of the attention. A two-year-old crying Honduran girl standing by her mother, who was searched by a border patrol officer.

TIME magazine’s latest cover shows the photoshopped picture, Trump is seen staring down at the two-year-old, accompanied by the headline: “Welcome to America.”

Many people were shocked by those news headlines and those pictures. This news angered people unfamiliar with this issue, who left angry comments on the internet against Trump's policy.

But what is the truth? Why would Trump separate kids from their parents?

Actually, Trump is not the first president doing that. President Bush set up the "operational streamline" on the border, brought illegal immigration from civil case to criminal case, and placed the root of Trump's "zero tolerance" policy.

Carlos Hidalgo Gutierrez, an undocumented migrant from Honduras, sits with his newborn Daughter Gabriella while waiting for an asylum hearing outside of the port of entry in Tijuana, Mexico on Monday, June 18, 2018. /VCG Photo.

Since illegal immigrants are criminal in the US, they cannot practice their role of guardian to their children while being detained, so that their children will be taken care of by the DHS.

The problem is that the Liberals make people thinking that the separation is forever. However, the truth is the US government prosecutes illegal immigrants, and they will deport the whole family together.

Obama administration somehow knew separating kids from their parents would cause a moral crisis, so they put kids and their adult guardians into the cage together. Which means the Obama administration did not loyally enforce the law, just because they did not want to get into trouble on the moral ground. Don't forget it; enforcing the law is a president's constitutional duty and responsibility.

When politicians try to get away from taking responsibility, the rule of law has no place in the policy-making process.

Children and workers are seen at a tent encampment recently built near the Tornillo Port of Entry on June 19, 2018, in Tornillo, Texas. /VCG Photo.

However, separation still took place when the government prosecutes those illegal adult immigrants. Data shows the Obama Administration prosecuted more than 500,000 illegal immigrants and separated more than 200,000 kids from their parents.

Therefore, Trump's policy of separating kids from their illegal immigrant parents is nothing new and nothing shocking. The Liberals didn't go harsh on Obama, why they do it to Trump? Double standard? I guess.

President Obama and Democrats dominated the White House and both chambers of the Congress from 2009 to 2011 if the Democrats really thought this was a terrible law, why didn't they just fix it? They had total control for two years, and now they suddenly realize how immoral this law is? Clearly, partisan and ideological warfare have dominated Washington, DC and the rest of the country.

However, the Liberals and Congress Democrats keep painting Obama to be a saint and Trump to be a devil. We see less and less common ground in American politics, especially before the midterm election. Bravo!

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks during a visit to the US Mexico border wall for a press conference with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Thomas D. Homan, discussing immigration enforcement actions of the Trump Administration near San Diego, US, on May 7, 2018. /VCG Photo.

Time's cover is a plan to kill two birds with one stone. It is the duality of inconsequentiality and propaganda. There is Trump, the heartless orange monster. And there is the crying little girl who is helpless and hopeless. Nobody else is there on Time's cover.

The little girl just appeared at the border and Trump ruthlessly stops her and makes her cry. Anyone cared about the reason why this little girl appeared at the border? Not really.

No wonder why American media outlets love to show off their creativity.

How to make a good president in the future in America? Passionately achieving goals, strictly enforcing laws, energetically building the country, or enthusiastically acting as a moral leader?

For a better midterm election result, Trump is using tough policy to save his falling promise on the border wall. Democrats choose to occupy the moral high ground to attack Trump without checking their own history.

For the Liberals, they use dramatic lie. The rule of law is collapsing under this growing conflict. Maybe Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy is temporary, but the reality is that the American society is getting more and more zero-tolerant on different political issues. This country's division is deepened by the extreme, hypocritical and greedy politician.

The Liberals and Conservatives all think their way is the best way to create the world a better place, but what they actually do is to fuel the feeling of division and fear into people's mind.