Imagine a 17-year-old black teenager in the US taking up an assault rifle and travelling to a neighbouring state. He joins vigilantes claiming to protect property during contentious street protests. The black teenager shoots two protesters dead and wounds a third, but a jury finds him not guilty of any offence.
That, more or less, is the story of Kyle Rittenhouse, now aged 18, but with one big difference. Mr Rittenhouse is white. His victims were supporters of Black Lives Matter. And the local police, in an area where in 2020 an officer shot dead a black man, Jacob Blake, in the back, were very accommodating towards Mr Rittenhouse and those armed white vigilantes.
Would a black teenager have been acquitted of the killings? President Joe Biden said it is necessary to “acknowledge that the jury has spoken” in acquitting Mr Rittenhouse, but he also noted something very disturbing about the verdict, which re-opens America’s many unhealed wounds. Slavery, the Civil War, the civil rights protests of the 1960s, the Rodney King beating case of the 1990s and the Black Lives Matter protests of the 2020s are not past history. They are part of today’s "dis-United States", and what we now call “Culture Wars,” those differences of opinion in which the gulf between Americans is less about resolving policy disputes than about entrenched ideology, and contradictory values, practices and beliefs.
American politics is often a blood sport. But even in the contentious Nixon or Reagan eras of the 1970s and 80s, Democrats and Republicans often co-operated. Constitutional democracies can only function if political leaders go beyond the written words of the constitution and observe at least some norms of civil behaviour.
Republican President Ronald Reagan had no more wily a political foe than Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O’Neill. O’Neill called Reagan a “cheerleader for selfishness”. But, as O’Neill’s successor as Speaker, Tom Foley, once proudly told me, O’Neill and Reagan were both (like Foley himself) fundamentally good-natured Irish Americans, patriots for whom political hostilities ended at sundown, at which time they would often share a drink. Reagan once famously said, “Tip, you and I are political enemies only until six o’clock. It’s four o’clock now. Can we pretend it is six o’clock?”
Both men recognised the art of compromise is important in the US system of governance. But by the 1990s something changed. One example is the Republican Whip (and later Speaker of the House of Representatives) Newt Gingrich, who personified a new kind of hyper-partisan politics. Mr Gingrich and his colleagues in 1990 produced a pamphlet for Republican candidates titled Language: A Key Mechanism of Control. He selected “optimistic governing words” to help Republicans “give extra power to your message”. These positive words included: courage, common sense, dream, fair, family, freedom, hard work, liberty, tough, vision and many others. There were negative words, too, and Republicans should “apply these to your opponent”. These include: bureaucracy, cheat, collapse, corruption, crisis, decay, hypocrisy and incompetent. The key is that these words signify two tribes, Us and Them. They do not signify policies or ideas. There is no middle ground here, only abuse and emphatic difference.
American politics is often a bloodsport
Mr Gingrich, a highly intelligent and affable man, employed his particular genius to define the Culture Wars through emotive wedge issues – guns, abortion, race, gender, welfare and crime – "hot-button" issues which stir up voters much more than questions about economic policy. Mr Gingrich did not invent these divisions. But he did weaponise them. In Congress, Republican Culture Warriors used what some call “weapons of mass obstruction” to stymie the political decisions taken by Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. These weapons ranged from filibusters in the US Senate to enforced government shut downs in 1995 and 1996 against Clinton’s budget plans, and another shutdown in 2013 against Obama’s healthcare proposals. Democrats adopted the same strategy in the 35-day shutdown of 2018 and 2019 during the Trump presidency, amid rows about immigration.
What does this have to do with Mr Rittenhouse? Everything. As US National Public Radio’s Dan Gonyea put it, the Gingrich shutdown of 1995 is now commonly recognised “as a landmark in US political history, birthing a new era of American gridlock that arguably led to the sharp partisanship that has gripped the nation”. Hyper-partisanship means that rather than “binding up the nation’s wounds”, as Abraham Lincoln wanted to do in 1865 at the end of the Civil War, America’s 21st-century cultural conflicts are uncivil wars with no obvious resolution.
Mr Rittenhouse's supporters glorify his actions. FOX News treats him as both victim and hero. Others believe Mr Rittenhouse acted criminally and was treated very differently to any black teenager might have been. Mr Gingrich’s vocabulary of Liberty or Corruption, Us and Them, has no middle ground. Neither, sadly, does American politics in 2021. And behind all of this there is another obvious question: Whatever the jury’s verdict, why does the world’s most modern democracy think it is somehow acceptable, even normal, for a 17-year-old to walk the streets far from home carrying a loaded, military-grade assault rifle?
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
THE%20FLASH
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Roll of honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia Premiership season?
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Cup - Winners: Bahrain; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy - Winners: Dubai Hurricanes; Runners up: DSC Eagles
Final West Asia Premiership standings - 1. Jebel Ali Dragons; 2. Abu Dhabi Harlequins; 3. Bahrain; 4. Dubai Exiles; 5. Dubai Hurricanes; 6. DSC Eagles; 7. Abu Dhabi Saracens
Fixture (UAE Premiership final) - Friday, April 13, Al Ain – Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo
Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 28
Sector: Financial services
Investment: $9.5m
Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
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The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
Virtuzone GCC Sixes
Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
Time Matches start at 9am
Groups
A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; C Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.