In January 2018, news broke of reports of the President of the United States blanketly calling African countries "sh1th*le contries."

Being an African, it hurt immensely that someone could cast such an insult. Granted, my own country, South Africa, has multitude of problems, but we are trying to make good in spite of the challenges.

On this very site, I had (American) people say to me that it may have not been nice to say, but African countries are sh1tholes in any case.

It is ironic therefore that, looking at the USA, it is currently justifiable to throw that same branding back at the US.

Let's look at the facts.

• The country has rampant disease, with just under a quarter of a million deaths in 6 months. My own country with 25 % of the US population and 13% landmass has 17 000 deaths in the same time.
• The president of the USA employs his daughter and son in law in his office.  My president does not.
• The unemployment rate is increasing dramatically in the US. In my country the unemployment rate is much higher that the US, but stable in spite of a 4 month lockdown.
• The US president has indicated that he may not accept the results of the upcoming election, and even asked to "get rid of the ballots", so there will be continuation instead of transition. With our past 3 presidents, one served only a single term and the other two left office before the end of their second term.
• The US is currently a police state, with police, state guard, and unidentified militia clashing with protestors. My country has isolated strikes related to the lack of service delivery,  but is politically stable.
• The president of the US has pardoned jailed political allies. We have not seen this happen in my country.
• The president of the US calls the free press the enemy of the people  and the vicious assault of a journalist a "beautiful thing ". Press in my country are respected and appreciated.

So, while the honorable president of the USA might brand all African countries as sh1thole countries, face it - he presides over a sh1thole country largely of his own doing.