Refugee crisis unfolds
DONALD Trump’s presidential campaign in the US appears to have run into choppy waters. He’s getting into one pointless, acrimonious argument after the other. He’s sliding in the opinion polls. And he’s done great damage to the Republican Party, where senior figures and donors have deserted him, some openly endorsing Hillary Clinton.
Andy Borowitz sums it up in the New Yorker. “A humanitarian crisis has been unfolding over the past week as Republican refugees seeking asylum have overrun the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington DC.
“DNC staffers have confirmed that they were woefully unprepared for the masses of desperate Republicans who have shown up at the DNC’s door, looking for safe haven.
“These people have been brutalised for months and have decided to risk everything to save themselves and their families,” DNC staffer Tracy Klugian said. “When they tell you their stories, mercidler@inl.co.za
they are absolutely heartbreaking.”
“Meg Whitman, who is 60, said she left her entire life as a Republican behind after witnessing unspeakable horrors under the new GOP regime.
“Taking comfort from a blanket and a cup of coffee provided by DNC staffers, Whitman appeared to be in a state of shock about where life under a failed state had brought her.
“‘I never thought I’d find myself in a place like this,’ she said as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings of the DNC headquarters. ‘Still, anything has to be better than where I came from.’
“When asked if she had any regrets about her decision to flee, Whitman choked back tears before responding. ‘I had no choice,’ she said. ‘There is no respect for human life there.’”
Great satire. But – wow! – what damage to the party of Abraham Lincoln and to the pendulum effect in the American two-party system.
The winner
WHO’S rubbing his hands? Why, Bill Clinton of course.
The White House is in prospect. All those little interns running around.
Heh, heh!
The lists
JOUSTING at the Olympics? English Heritage says it’s lobbying for the sport – increasingly popular in the UK – to be declared an Olympic event.
Knights in armour, what a spectacle. But imagine the Russians on horses the size of elephants.
Shopping incident
NEVER leave your dogs in a car with the windows fully rolled up.
But if the windows aren’t fully rolled up, the air-conditioning won’t work.
Never leave your dogs in a parked car with the windows fully rolled up, even if it’s airconditioned.
A woman in Wayne, West