Friday, October 26, 2012

Donald Trump's Big Challenge To Obama - Also: Trump Lawyers Tried To Ban Film "You've Been Trumped" Recently Shown On The BBC

By Kathleen


Menie Dunes before Trump's bulldozers moved in. Image source: robedwards.com

It is official. Donald Trump is a creep! But he is not a harmless one.

Trump's challenge to President Obama is proving to have fallen flat and even President Obama himself mocked his efforts at trying to create controversy when there is no there there. This Guardian article written by Anthony Baxter, Director of the documentary film You've Been Trumped, reveals that Trump is a joke but that he IS NOT a harmless one. In fact his reach would appear to be so extensive that after Baxter himself was arrested whilst filming at Trump's site there were accusations that not only did Trump have the Scottish Government in his pocket but that the police themselves always seemed to take Trump's side throughout the many disputes that occurred during the construction of his elite golf course.

Trump has also been making further waves in connection with Baxter's documentary which has been awarded countless awards around the world. Last week Trump had his lawyers contact the British Broadcasting Commission in order to prevent the screening on television of Baxter's film You've Been Trumped. Trump's lawyers threatened to "formally complain to Ofcom", the British television regulatory authority, because they claimed that the documentary was "highly defamatory, biased and misleading". The BBC did not back down to Trump's lawyers and instead released a statement pointing out that the film had won many awards and that Trump had been given the opportunity to immediately respond to the film and didn't.


In a short statement, the BBC defended its decision. "You've Been Trumped is an award-winning film that has been screened at international festivals around the world," it said.
"During the making of the film, Donald Trump declined the opportunity to take part. We are confident that Donald Trump was offered sufficient right to reply in accordance with BBC editorial guidelines. Donald Trump chose not to participate but the film-maker took care to reflect his views on a number of different occasions in the film.
"In addition, Donald Trump was offered the chance to be interviewed live on the BBC following the BBC2 broadcast. He has not taken up our invitation."


After the film was shown last Sunday evening to an audience of some 1.1 million, a spokesperson for Trump International Golf Links, Sarah Malone, claimed that Baxter was trying to make money for himself  off the Trump name. This is a false and very untrue statement. In an interview for the Independent newspaper Baxter reveals that he first became involved in the plight of Scotland's sand dunes when he produced a documentary for BBC Radio 4's Face The Facts about the loss of the sand dunes in his home town, Montrose. It was his involvement in the Face the Facts documentary that piqued his interest in "the rare sand dunes a little further up the coast that had been purchased by Trump for his golf course."  In order to produce the film Baxter had to remortgage his own home. He was not given lots of money to produce it.

The film itself reveals the destruction that Trump's developer made to what was once one of the most magnificent and diverse stretches of coastline on the east coast of Scotland. The site is a designated site of special scientific interest due to the dynamic and shape shifting sand-dune system which houses the habitat of many species of birds and small wild-life. Many of the sand-dunes have now been replaced by Trump's vanity project, an exclusive golf course which will be played on by Trump and his rich golfer buddies. It is highly unlikely that locals will be able to afford to tee off there as the fees are even more expensive than those at the famous Old Course in St. Andrews which houses the oldest and most famous of the Scottish golf courses.  

Sadly, it is not only the environment that has been destroyed by Trump's golf course. Using vile methods of intimidation Trump has isolated and rode roughshod over the local people who refused to sell their homes to make way for Trump's folly. Folly? Read this post by local activist, writer and researcher, Andy Wightman,  in which he outlines ten excellent reasons why Trump's golf course is bound to fail and become unmanageable.

Trump's arrogance and the intimidation tactics that were used on his behalf against the locals is revealed in the documentary in a very powerful and moving way. I found an embedded copy of the documentary on the good old youtube which I have included in this post. This film should be seen by as many people as possible - I hope that you will find some time to watch it. 

The documentary that Donald Trump tried to ban:

 

Disclosure: I have met the director of the film, Anthony Baxter, several times. He has been a guest in my home. My eldest daughter who is a photographer has also met with him several times. 

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Mental health break update (by Patrick):

There is no Donald Trump here - just a dog doing what a dog needs to do in the morning:

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