Month: August 2021

One of the things I like about stories of the Holocaust is that they illustrate that under the right circumstances, ordinary people who find themselves in exigent situations can accomplish extraordinary and heroic things that one would not think possible. One such example is that of Josephine Baker.

It is likely that not many of you are familiar with the story of Josephine Baker. I, for one, had never heard of her. However, in my view, she led one of the more interesting and significant lives of the 20th century. Read on, and see if you agree.

Despite humble beginnings, as a young lady she was a much celebrated entertainer based in France. As such, during WWII she was uniquely positioned to spy on the Nazis for the Allies, which she did to great effect. Later in life she was a strong advocate for civil rights for women and people of color.

Freda Josephine Baker was born on June 3, 1906 in St. Louis, MO. Her lineage was somewhat murky. Her mother had been adopted by her maternal grandparents both of whom were former slaves. I could not find any information about her birth parents. Her estate listed her natural father as a vaudeville drummer named Eddie Carson (who was white), however, her birth certificate lists her father vaguely as “Edw,” perhaps, to disguise his real identity. It is worth noting that Josephine and her family always believed her real father was white, but not necessarily Carson. Her real lineage remains a mystery to this day.

Baker appears to have had a troubled, turbulent and undisciplined childhood. For example, she was raised in a racially mixed low income neighborhood in St. Louis, an area that consisted primarily of rooming houses, brothels and apartments without modern conveniences such as indoor plumbing. Her mother had married a “kind but perpetually unemployed” man, and the family barely earned a subsistence-level income. Josephine spent a lot of her time on the streets doing whatever. As a young girl she began working as a live-in domestic and earned spare change by dancing on street corners.

At 12 she dropped out of school. At 13, she got married. After less than a year she was divorced, and then she remarried at 15. Her relationship with her mother was contentious and turbulent to say the least.

In her mid-teens she decided she wanted to become an entertainer. Her mother objected, telling her that she should stay at home and “tend” to her second husband. But, Josephine was very independent-minded and used to making her own decisions. She joined a dance troupe called the St. Louis Chorus Vaudeville Show, divorced her second husband, and left with the troupe for NY. She performed at clubs, such as the Plantation Club and in hugely successful Broadway revues, such as Shuffle Along and The Chocolate Dandies. Soon, she became a featured dancer and was billed as “the highest paid chorus girl in vaudeville.” Eventually, her tumultuous relationship with her mother led her to further her career in France.

In Paris her popularity and fame rose to a new level. Baker was one of the first dancers of color to move to France. She always said she “couldn’t stand” America with its overt racial prejudice and segregation lifestyle. Even though she had begun her dancing career in NY on Broadway she always felt she got her big break in Paris.

She specialized in “erotic dancing,” that is, she would often dance virtually nude. Her signature costume was a “banana costume,” which was basically a skirt made of a string of artificial bananas. It was considered very risque for the times, even for Paris. Before long, she was one of the most successful American entertainers performing in France. No less a personage than Ernest Hemingway considered her to be “the most sensational woman anyone ever saw.”

All of this was preamble for the most significant stage of her life. As we know in September, 1939 Germany began WWII by invading Poland, whereupon France and other countries declared war. Before long, Baker was recruited by the Deuxieme Bureau, France’s chief intelligence agency as an “honorable correspondent.” Her job was to collect military intelligence and pass it along. Due to her occupation and her celebrity she often socialized with high-ranking Axis diplomats, military officers and intelligence operatives, which made her uniquely qualified for the job. Nevertheless, this was still very dangerous work. Basically, she was a spy and despite her fame, if caught she would have been tortured and executed.

Later, she moved to southern France where she provided housing, visas and other documents to the Free French. In addition, her status as a famous entertainer enabled her to carry sensitive information, often in invisible ink hidden on her sheet music or pinned to her undergarments, to other countries such as Portugal, Spain, Morocco and South America.

In 1943 she toured North Africa entertaining the Allied troops and raising some three million francs in the process. In 1944 after France had been liberated Baker returned to her beloved Paris. She was appalled by the dire living conditions of its citizens and proceeded to sell her own valuables to raise money for food, shelter, and other necessities for them. Her contributions to the war effort were recognized after the war by none other than Charles de Gaulle, who presented her with the Croix de Guerre and the Rosette de la Resistance and made her a Chevalier of the Legion d’honneur.

After the war she resumed her career, first in France then later in the US and other places. She still chafed at the racial inequities in the US, and often her outspoken nature got her into trouble. For instance, while performing at the Stork Club in 1951 she criticized the club’s unwritten policy of discouraging Black patrons. Then she doubled down by criticizing powerful columnist, Walter Winchell, an old friend, for failing to support her in the aftermath. Winchell responded with a harsh rebuke, which included mentioning what he referred to “communist sympathies,” a very serious allegation in the era of “McCarthyism.” As a result, the State Department terminated Baker’s work visa, which necessitated her returning to France. It would be some ten years before she would be allowed to return.

During the 1950s from her home in France Baker was an outspoken supporter of the Civil Rights movement in the US. Upon her return to the US to perform she was appalled by the racial discrimination that was still prevalent [in the US]. She gave speeches at Black colleges, such as Fisk University. She refused to perform before segregated audiences. She became active in the NAACP. She was the only official female speaker at the March on Washington in 1963. As a result of her work and her fame after MLK’s assassination she was encouraged by none other than King’s widow, Coretta, to succeed him as leader of the Civil Rights Movement. She declined, saying “her children “were too young to lose their mother.”

CONCLUSION

Despite her busy lifestyle Baker found the time to adopt and raise 12 children of various nationalities and religious affiliations. She referred to her family as the “Rainbow Tribe.”

Toward the end of her life Baker fell on hard times financially. For example, she lost her castle due to unpaid debts, although none other than Princess Grace helped her out by offering her an apartment in Monaco.

Baker passed away on April 12, 1975, but her influence still lives on. For example:

1. In 2003 Angelina Jolie, in an interview with USA Today referred to her as “a model for the multiracial, multinational family she was beginning to create through adoption.”
2. In 2006 Beyonce performed Baker’s signature “banana dance” at Radio City Music Hall.
3. In 2017 Google released an animated slideshow it called a “Google Doodle,” which chronicled her life and achievements.
4. In 2019 she was one of the honorees inducted into the Rainbow Honor Walk, which celebrated LGBTQ persons who have made “significant contributions in their fields.”
5. There have been numerous songs, sculptures and films honoring her life and achievements, too many to mention here.

As I said at the outset, in my opinion, Baker, despite very humble beginnings, led one of the most interesting and significant lives of the 20th century. I believe that outside of the entertainment field she is not as well known as she should be.

And so, it continues. Every day millions of Americans rush to find out the latest developments of the Afghan debacle. I have tried to describe it, but I cannot find the appropriate words. One of the worst aspects of this is the inconsistent and, at times, contrary messages emanating from those in authority as I will detail below.

Perhaps, the acronym, FUBAR, describes it best. For the uninitiated, FUBAR stands for “f**ked up beyond all recognition.” One would be hard-pressed to deny that this disorderly, disastrous withdrawal is a FUBAR. Steadfast Biden and Dem supporters have either remained silent or tried to dance around the issue like Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly. Furthermore, as I stated in my last blog, I fear the long-term ramifications will be far worse.

The situation remains very fluid, but as I write this, below please find some of the more significant recently-reported developments:

1. As reported by virtually all major news outlets, including longtime Dem supporter and apologist CNN, and Administration members, such as Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, the situation on the ground remains more dire than President Biden has been reporting to the American people. For example, in one of his rare press conferences Biden stated that there was “no indication” of any Americans being prevented from gaining access to the airport. He is continuing to deny he received any warnings from the State Department, the military or the embassy. He is claiming Al Qaeda is “gone from the country. On the other hand, there have been multiple reports that they are very much a presence. Spokesperson, John Kirby, the Pentagon’s Press Secretary, tried to “walk back” that assertion saying Biden “meant” Al Qaeda was not a “significant ” threat,” but the damage was done. Austin relayed reports from multiple sources of Americans being assaulted, “beaten,” detained, and harassed by the Taliban. Biden is continuing to deny what we can all see with our own eyes. He is either woefully misinformed, is unable to fully grasp the situation, or he is lying directly to the American people. You decide.
2. CNN and other news outlets have reported interviewing many people who have been stuck at or near the airport for days. Some have been unable to get in due to chaos at the gates. (They’re open; then, some are closed; then they’re open again.) Others have gotten in, but have been unable to fly out for various reasons.
3. According to USA Today and other news outlets the US Embassy has issued contradictory advisories. First, go to the airport at your own risk as we “cannot guarantee your safety.” Then, don’t go without “individual instructions from a US government representative.” People are fearing for their lives; they are desperate for clarity of guidance; and they get that.
4. Pentagon officials have told USA that they are continuing to process people “with the proper paperwork,” but there have been multiple reports of people possessing US passports and/or visas being turned away.
5. In the midst of all this chaos there have been multiple news reports of airplanes flying out with empty seats.
6. At times, the gates have been closed. Why? It seems that Qatar, which had been accepting refugees declared it could not take any more.
7. The US military finally sprung into action, rescuing, by helicopter, 169 Americans who had been trapped in a hotel only yards from the airport. Great news, but it was a very minor victory. Also, British and French troops have been rescuing their own citizens for days, while our soldiers have been ordered to “stand down.”
8. The Pentagon told CNN it has successfully evacuated 14,000 people since the end of July. Biden has characterized this as “one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history.” That sounds good, but it is far fewer than the military’s own stated goal of “5,000 to 9,000 … a day.” Moreover, Biden stated we should anticipate that all American citizens will be evacuated by the end of August. Good luck with that. There are reported to be tens of thousands more people still in-country, including Americans, allied Afghanis whom we swore to protect from retribution, and their families. No one, not embassy personnel, not the State Department and definitely not the Administration knows who they are, how many there are, and where they are. As I have said, in my opinion, we will not know who and how many have been left behind until they turn up on Al Jazeera being tortured or beheaded.
9. The BBC and multiple other news outlets have been reporting that Taliban soldiers are going door to door seeking to exact retribution against Afghani “collaborators” and their family members. Those who have not gotten out are in hiding.
10. There continues to be what CNN and others have characterized as an “international outcry” over the US’s handling not of the decision to end the war, but of the evacuation, itself. I have not found one positive statement from any world leader or member of the international media.

CONCLUSION

,According to USA Today, Senator Mark Warner, Chairman if the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Rep Adam Smith, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, both Dems, have signaled their intention to hold hearings on the matter. That would be fine, if they follow through. We’ll see.

Currently, Biden is taking a lot of criticism for this situation and rightly so. According to the latest Reuters poll his approval rating is down to 46%. In addition, there have been multiple reports of a “red wave” in 2022. However, the public has a short memory, especially regarding politics. For example, the September 11, 2012 attack on our diplomatic compound in Benghazi was a huge story in the months leading up to the 2012 presidential election. The outcry over four Americans being killed was fierce. But, at this point it has been largely forgotten, superseded by other events. How many of the four Americans can you name? Can you name any? This is not meant to be a criticism, just reality. See answer below.

The 2022 elections are over a year away. A lot can and will happen in that time, both good and bad for Biden. By then this may all be a distant memory. The primary issues will likely be COVID and the economy.

UNLESS, as I said above, we see public torturing and/or beheadings of Americans left behind. Remember, one of the primary reasons for Reagan’s victory over Carter in 1980 was the continued issue of the US hostages in Iran.

Quiz answer: Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Information Officer Sean Smith and CIA operatives Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.

For the last several days those of us who have been following the debacle in Afghanistan have been sickened by what has been occurring. We have seen the most disturbing, humiliating, and embarrassing images most of us have ever seen on the tv news. It is like a Steven Spielberg movie. This cannot be real, we say. But, alas, it is. It is very real. For example, we have seen (1) people running after airplanes that are about to take off, (2) people clinging onto said planes ignoring the obvious dangers, (3) people falling off airplanes that are in the air, (4) people so desperate to save their children that they are attempting to pass them, by hand, or even toss them over barbed wire barriers to strangers on the other side, and (5) indiscriminate maiming and murdering of innocent civilians.

Simply put, we have been witnessing the destruction of a country and a way of life right before our very eyes. I remember the scene during the fall of Saigon of desperate people gathered on the roof of the American embassy fighting to get on the last helicopter out of the city, clinging to the skids. I never thought I would witness something like that again. But, here we are.

And America, which is supposed to be the most powerful country in the world, is standing by impotently, powerless to stop it. There have been reports that State Department officials are actually pleading with Taliban leaders to grant safe passage. Pleading! America pleading? Are you kidding me? Can you imagine President Trump or any other previous president, for that matter, actually pleading with terrorists to stand down? I can’t. Make no mistake about it. Our allies and our enemies are watching and taking note. This will have repercussions far beyond Afghanistan.

The stark comparison between Biden and Trump has never been more obvious. We have abandoned thousands of Afghanis who have been working with us to a fate of torture and death. These are people to whom we promised safety in exchange for their help. Many of them are already being hunted down and brutally murdered, as will their families as punishment. Already an untold number of women and young girls are being brutalized in ways we, as a civilized nation, cannot even imagine. But, we have abandoned more than people. We have also abandoned billions of dollars worth of the most advanced war materials. We can expect the Taliban to be returning that material to us in battle and terror attacks.

Even worse, various news outlets have reported there are tens of thousands of Americans who are trapped in the country with no viable plan for exfil. Incredibly, we don’t even know how many there are. There are news reports that they are being advised to make their own way to the airport – through Taliban territory. Good luck with that. Their fate is anybody’s guess. In contrast, former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows reported on Fox News that President Trump’s evacuation plan had included a dire warning to the Taliban that if they hurt even one American or violated even one part of the evacuation agreement he would “destroy” them “immediately.” And, they knew he meant it, and they believed he would follow through. On the other hand, they know Biden is weak and would do no such thing.

We have created the largest hostage situation and propaganda victory in history. Don’t be surprised if some of them turn up on Al Jazeera being tortured and beheaded. Our political and military leaders have failed us and our Afghani allies miserably.

CONCLUSION

Let me be clear. I am not expressing an opinion as to whether or not we should have been in Afghanistan in the first place. Generally, I am not an advocate of “nation building.” But, that is a separate issue from the inept way we have been trying to extricate ourselves. (For the record, however, I would like to remind everyone that in its entire history Afghanistan has never been conquered, not by Alexander the Great and the Greeks, not by the Romans, who otherwise conquered the “known world,” not by Genghis Kahn and his Chinese hordes, not by the British, not by the Russians, and now, not by us. They are a fierce and independent people, and the terrain is extremely inhospitable to would-be conquerors. Our various leaders have ignored history and therefore were doomed to repeat it.)

Biden has been blaming President Trump and other previous Administrations. We can argue culpability, but that is separate and distinct from the current situation. We are not debating whether or not we should have been in Afghanistan and the manner in which the war was prosecuted. We are focusing on the manner in which the exit is being mishandled. Our leaders totally misread the strength of the Taliban. Exfil should have begun months ago. Where were our intelligence-gathering people? Where were our military leaders? Where were Biden and his senior advisors? Who was formulating an exit strategy? What was it? Why was it not employed months ago when it became apparent that a Taliban takeover was inevitable?

In summary, the problem as I see it is not the leaving. It is the execution of the leaving.

We need to know what went wrong. We need a thorough independent investigation. We need the media to do its job for once. We need Congressional hearings. People are dying and will continue to die. American people. But, I won’t hold my breath.

Some people have been calling for Biden to resign. Yes, he is incompetent. Yes, he is cognitively-challenged. We knew that before all this happened. I agree he should not be president, but the alternative, VP Kamala Harris, would likely be worse. She has repeatedly demonstrated that she is in no way suitable for the job. For example, what has she done to resolve the border crisis? Where has she been this week?

Besides Biden, personally, there is plenty of blame to go around. Where have the generals in charge of our troops been? Why haven’t the Dem leaders such as Chuck and Nancy, Congressmen, various self-righteous women’s groups and Hollywood elites weighed in? Are the 70+ million Biden voters happy with their choice now? We are in the midst of a serious crisis, perhaps an existential one, and our leaders have failed us. I hate to say “I told you so,” but I told you so.

Below please find a list of significant historical events that have occurred during the month of August.

August 1, 1838 – Slavery in Jamaica, which had been introduced by Spain in 1509, was abolished.

August 1, 1944 – Fifteen year-old Anne Frank, who was fated to be captured by the Nazis three days later and killed at Bergen-Belsen, wrote her final entry into her famous diary – “[I] keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would like to be, and what I could be if … there weren’t any other people living in the world.”

August 2, 1776 – Most of the 55 signatories to the Declaration of Independence signed the original document (not on July 4, as is commonly believed).

August 2, 1923 – President Warren Harding died suddenly and was succeeded by Calvin Coolidge.

August 3, 1492 – Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain seeking the elusive Northwest Passage to Asia. Do you remember the names of the three ships in his convoy? See below.

August 5, 1583 – Explorer Sir Humphrey Gilbert founded the first British colony in North America in present-day Newfoundland.

August 5, 1861 – President Abraham Lincoln signed into law an emergency war measure to levy a 3% income tax on income in excess of $800.

August 5, 1962 – Actress Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson), symbol of Hollywood glamor and sexuality, was found dead from an overdose of sleeping pills.

August 6, 1945 – The US drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians, destroying the city, and hastening the end of WWII.

August 6, 1962 – Jamaica achieved independence, ending some 450 years of colonial rule first by Spain and then by England.

August 6, 1965 – President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law.

August 7, 1964 – Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which provided legal “cover” for the US’s entry into the Vietnam War.

August 9, 1945 – The US dropped a second atomic bomb (on Nagasaki).

August 9, 1974 – President Richard Nixon resigned as a result of the Watergate scandal.

August 11, 1965 – Six days of racial riots began in the Watts section of LA. The riots resulted in a reported 34 deaths, over 3,000 arrests and property damage estimated at $40 million

August 13, 1961 – East Germany put up the Berlin Wall separating West and East Berlin.

August 14, 1935 – FDR signed the Social Security Act.

August 14, 1945 – V-J Day commemorating Japan’s surrender, which marked the official end of WWII.

August 15, 1969 – The Woodstock festival began in Bethel, NY.

August 16, 1896 – Gold was discovered along the Klondike River in Alaska, precipitating what became known as the Great Klondike Gold Rush.

August 18, 1920 – Ratification of the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote.

August 21, 1959 – Hawaii was admitted to the Union as the 50th state.

August 24, 79 A. D. – The volcano, Vesuvius, erupted destroying the cities of Pompeii, Stabiac and Herculaneum.

August 24-25, 1814 – During the War of 1812 the British attacked Washington D.C. and burned much of the city, including the White House and the Capitol.

August 26, 1883 – One of the most catastrophic volcano eruptions ever recorded occurred on the island of Krakatoa in Indonesia. It produced tidal waves of 120 feet and killed 36,000 persons.

August 28, 1963 – Over 250,000 persons participated in the March on Washington in support of civil rights. One of the many speakers was the Reverend MLK, who gave the famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

August 31, 1997 – Princess Diana died from injuries suffered in an auto accident while fleeing from pursuing paparazzi.

Birthdays – Francis Scott Key (wrote the “Star Spangled Banner”), 8/1/1779 in Maryland; Herman Melville (wrote “Moby Dick”), 8/1/1819 in New York City; Ernie Pyle (WWII war correspondent), 8/3/1900 in Dana, IN; Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong (Jazz trumpeter), 8/4/1901 in New Orleans; (Quiz question #2 – Do you know the derivation of his very unusual nickname?); Raoul Wallenberg (saved 33,000 Jews from the Holocaust), 8/4/1912 in Stockholm; Barack Obama (44th US President), 8/4/1961 in Honolulu; Alfred Lord Tennyson (poet, wrote “Charge of the Light Brigade”), 8/6/1809 in England; Alexander Fleming (discovered penicillin), 8/6/1881 in Scotland; Herbert Hoover (31st US President), 8/10/1874 in West Branch, IA; Alex Haley (wrote “Roots”), 8/11/1921 in Ithaca, NY; Cecil B. DeMille (directed “The Ten Commandments”), 8/12/1881 in Ashfield, MA; Annie Oakley (sharpshooter), 8/13,1860 in Ohio; Alfred Hitchcock (British film director, “The Birds,” “Psycho”), 8/13/1899 in London; Fidel Castro, 8/13/1927 in Cuba; Napoleon Bonaparte, 8/15/1769, on the island of Corsica; T. E. Lawrence, 8/16/1888 in North Wales, Quiz Question #3 – Who played Lawrence in the Oscar-winning movie, Lawrence of Arabia?); Menachem Begin, 8/16/1913 in Poland; Davy Crockett, 8/17/1786 in Tennessee; Meriwether Lewis, 8/18/1774 near Charlottesville, VA; Orville Wright, 8/19/1871 in Dayton, OH; William Jefferson Clinton (42nd US President), 8/19/1946 in Hope, Arkansas; Benjamin Harrison (23rd US President), 8/20/1833 in North Bend, OH, (Quiz question #4 – He was the grandson of another president. Who?); Leonard Bernstein (conductor and composer), 8/25/1918 in Lawrence, MA; Lyndon Baines Johnson (36th US President), 8/27/1908 near Stonewall, TX; Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (aka Mother Teresa), 8/27/1910 in Yugoslavia.

Quiz Answers

1. Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria
2. The most likely story is as a youth Louis would dance for pennies in the streets of his home city of New Orleans. To prevent other boys from stealing the pennies he stored them in his mouth, which would then become so stuffed as to resemble a satchel. Someone dubbed him “satchel mouth,” which became shortened to “Satchmo.” Many of his friends called him “pops.”
3. Peter O’Toole
4. William Henry Harrison

Strap it up, and get ready for mask mandate 2.0 and other restrictions. For months I have sat back and watched and listened to the “experts” bloviate with respect to the positives and negatives of wearing masks. Everyone intones “follow the science,” and yet many of our political leaders and medical spokespersons do not. Instead, they choose to follow the politics. Politicians have been imposing draconian policies on the general public, which are not always based on science and which they don’t follow personally. Their motto is “rules for thee but not for me.” For example, earlier this year during the lockdown CA Governor Gavin Newsome and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot were photographed eating in restaurants without a mask. Nancy Pelosi and Lightfoot had their hair done when the rest of us could not do so. Pelosi has actually threatened to have any congressman who does not wear a mask in the House chamber arrested. NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio has threatened to bar the unvaccinated from any public venues, such as restaurants and the theatre. Several political leaders are talking about requiring a so-called “vaccination passport.”

The medical experts have been wrong continually from the beginning. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical “expert,” has flip-flopped on the mask issue and other aspects of the coronavirus daily (or so it seems). At this point his credibility is “shot.” He isn’t the only one. Most media outlets have repeatedly trotted out “experts” who don’t have the foggiest notion of what they are talking about, but who feel free to give authoritative advice to the rest of us.

The average person is confused and no wonder. The messaging seems to change daily. Wear a mask; don’t wear a mask. You don’t need a mask if you are fully vaccinated. Yes, you do because you might infect those who are not. In fact, wear a double mask. Wear a mask outside. Businesses such as hospitals and restaurants should require all employees to mask up. No, they shouldn’t. Close the schools to in-person classes. No, don’t do that. It is damaging to the kids in various ways. Do all who recover from COVID retain antibodies? Yes/no/maybe. If so, how long do they last? Do we need booster shots periodically? No one really knows, but many act as if they do.

Estimates vary, but according to the latest numbers published by the CDC approximately 50-60% of the population is vaccinated. After all this time the numbers should be higher. We are far short of the Biden Administration’s goal and the percentage needed to attain herd immunity. Some of the unvaccinated have legitimate reasons, but most don’t. Meanwhile, COVID cases and hospitalizations are rising, likely due to the Delta variant. According to a study published by Forbes the fully vaccinated are only half as likely to catch COVID if they have been exposed to an infected person, and they are less likely to die from it. Recently, the vaccinated and the non-vaccinated have been sniping at each other. Many of the former resent the latter as causing them to endure additional restrictions in their lives, which make them wonder what was the point of getting vaccinated in the first place. On the other hand, many of the latter feel it is their right as Americans to choose to forego the vaccines if they want to or if their personal physician advises them to do so. In my view, both sides have legitimate points.

Adding fuel to the fire is new Delta variant, which has shown signs of being more highly transmissible than the “regular” COVID strain. It is the cause of some 80% of new cases. Get ready for government mandates requiring one to show proof of vaccination to be able to engage in certain activities, such as flying, entering a restaurant or a gym, or attending the theatre.

Require your employees to wear a mask. No, you don’t have to do that. Is it even legal? Require everyone to be vaccinated. No, you can’t do that. This is America. We have freedom of choice, and some people have valid reasons for eschewing the vaccines.

According to WHO contrary to popular belief a mask alone does not provide sufficient protection against the virus, particularly the Delta variant. Therefore, those who assume it does are operating under a false sense of security. Furthermore, not all masks are equal. For example, how many people have you seen wearing a bandanna as their “mask?” How many people fail to clean and disinfect their mask regularly? How many people have you observed wearing a mask while exercising? WHO advises not to do so as it impairs one’s ability to breath properly.

Are you thoroughly confused yet? You should be. What should we do? Everyone has an opinion, but no one really knows. Repeat: EVERYONE HAS AN OPINION, BUT NO ONE REALLY KNOWS. Based on my observations people’s opinions are based, in large part, on their news source and political leanings.

In my humble view, these aforementioned mask mandates and other restrictions are not about the health of Americans, not even about combatting the virus. Yes, it dangerous. Yes, it kills people, especially the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems and those in generally poor health. Yes, we need to take it seriously. That said, the mask mandate and other safety measures are not about all that. Not really. What are they about? Power and control. That’s P O W E R and C O N T R O L.

Why do I say that? Simple. Despite all the talk about the dangers of the virus and its capacity to spread and kill, our fearless leaders adamantly continue to keep our southern border open to anyone and everyone. That makes absolutely no sense. Migrants have been pouring across every day. The visuals shown on tv are incomprehensible. It makes me ill just to look at it.

CBP data reports that in excess of 200,000 migrants were apprehended in July 2021, the highest monthly total since 2000. At that rate the annual total will approach 2.5 million, which is a phenomenal and unsustainable number. And those are just the ones we know about. We have no idea where they are from, what their motives are, nor if they are infected with COVID. Estimates run well into the thousands since the start of the year. Fox News has reported that the sheer quantity of these migrants has overwhelmed the system of social services in many border towns such as McAllen, TX. It is causing a humanitarian crisis. The Dem politicians in charge are focusing on penny ante safety measures while they allow the all-time super-spreader to continue. Don’t forget the kids in (Biden) cages subjected to insufficient food, water, toilet facilities, and medical facilities with a COVID positivity rate of up to 10%. The hypocrisy is unbelievable. The only explanation that makes any sense is that the Dems don’t care how many Americans die as long as they can grow their voting base.

Moreover, soon after arrival these migrants are being transported all over the US in many cases surreptitiously in the dead of night without the knowledge or consent of local authorities. I believe this policy is the cause of the spike in COVID cases in Texas and probably Florida as well. And Biden has the unmitigated gall to blame those spikes on Governors DeSantis and Abbott. More on this later. Here we are worrying about wearing a mask or not, gathering in public or not, opening schools or not and the infected migrants are being placed in our backyards. There is probably a cluster of infected migrants near you.

Memo to Biden. You are president of the US, not the world! Do your job. Protect us. Close the border!

CONCLUSION

Personally, I have concluded;

1. COVID has provided our elected officials with the opportunity to exert control over how we live, how we earn a living, how we worship, and how we educate our kids, among other things. Think about it. These restrictions would have been unacceptable and unthinkable two years ago.

2. Once again, the media has failed to do its job. Instead of investigating they have been enabling.

3. Fear of COVID has caused us to surrender many of our liberties and freedoms little by little under the guise of protecting us from an existential threat. Some changes have been radical, while others have been so imperceptible as to be barely noticed. None of them will be beneficial to our traditional way of life. We are literally witnessing the remaking of America.

4. In particular, the Administration has frequently gone out of its way to criticize the COVID policies of “Red State” governors, notably Florida’s Ron DeSantis and Texas’ Greg Abbott. Here is where the politics comes in. DeSantis is seen as a potential GOP presidential candidate in 2024. The Dems desperately want to discredit Abbott and turn Texas “blue.” At the moment, COVID cases are up in both states (likely due to Biden’s open border policy) but in my opinion their overall performances have been stellar, and I am confident they will rectify the matter.

5. The virus has become a political football. We have been induced to cede much control over our lives to people who don’t have the foggiest notion of what they are doing. In many cases, they are literally making it up as they go.