Tag: politics

CLUELESS CELEBRITIES

The content of this blog is a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my own opinion, where indicated.

I don’t know about you, but I, for one, am sick and tired of clueless celebrities spouting their opinions on serious issues, offering unsolicited, often inane advice on how we should live our lives. You see them on tv or read about them virtually every day. They continually feel the need to opine on every “hot” issue, no doubt to feed their massive egos. Their latest target is ICE’s roundup of illegal immigrants, but there have been many others too numerous to mention them all as they flit from issue to issue.

They speak out authoritatively without the foggiest idea of what they are talking about. They don’t comprehend that no one values their opinion anymore. Many of them are “has beens” anyway looking to become relevant again, to resurrect their careers. They may be great at acting, singing, athletics or whatever, but when it comes to real life issues, they are clueless.

They advise the rest of us on how to live our lives. I don’t need to take advice on serious life issues from the likes of Jane Fonda (aka “Hanoi Jane”), Molly Ringwald (who hasn’t had a “hit” movie in forever), George Clooney, LeBron James, Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Schumer, or Lady Gaga, among many others. When do you suppose was the last time one of them shopped for food or gassed up their car? They have no conception of the cost of feeding or sheltering their family. They are insulated from crime behind their walled communities and personal security teams. I doubt any of them have ever met an immigrant, legal or illegal, unless he/she was a caregiver or gardener. I have two words of advice for them: “SHUT UP!”

Conclusion

I just had to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening. Do any of you feel the same way? I’d like to know.

by Tags: , Leave a comment

INSURRECTION IN MINNEAPOLIS

This blog is a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

Where is that bold, aggressive, daring president we elected? One of the major reasons he was elected was to locate, collect and deport the millions of illegal aliens that had infested the US during the Biden Administration. These people broke federal laws just by sneaking into the country. Many of them have been living quietly under the radar, but too many of them have committed heinous crimes in the US, such as rape and murder, and against children no less. Some are repeated offenders. Others have been soaking up social services meant for Americans such as Medicaid and hospital services. Most of the country is fed up and wants action.

Yes, his administration has deployed ICE personnel to roust illegals in various venues with much success, however, he has been strangely reluctant to deal decisively with the blatant insurrection in Minneapolis. In my opinion, this is completely out of character. It’s as if he went to sleep as one night as Donald Trump and woke up the next morning as Joe Biden (reminiscent of the movie, Big in which a 10-year-old boy wakes up one morning as Tom Hanks).

In recent years the country has become increasingly divided over the issue of illegal immigration. In particular ICE’s activities have become a major flashpoint among some people and in some areas of the country. Some states and cities have offered sanctuary to these illegals. Law enforcement officials have not been turning them over to ICE as the law requires. Instead, when they are detained, they simply release them. In addition, they actually inhibit ICE’s efforts to find them. Make no mistake. Granting sanctuary to illegals is contrary to federal law, and, as we know federal law supersedes state and local law. Otherwise, we have anarchy.

In Minneapolis the pro-illegal immigrant crowd has proceeded to a new level of resistance. They have gone way beyond mere peaceful demonstrations. They appear to be well-organized and well-funded. Many of them appear to be “professional agitators” who are paid to show up to protest any and all causes. Some may even be illegal aliens. Law enforcement officials need to follow the money and ascertain the identity of those who have been organizing and funding these protests.

They have taunted, physically attacked and doxed ICE personnel. They have destroyed federal property and even stolen sensitive federal documents and information. Yesterday, some even invaded at least one church and disrupted services. While doxing isn’t always a crime per se it becomes illegal when it becomes conjoined with criminal acts, such as stalking, harassment, threats, or incitement to violence, It is particularly insidious and dangerous in the current situation because the perpetrators have been employing it to disclose private information with “malicious intent to cause harm or fear” with respect to some ICE agents and their families.

Matters were exacerbated even further following the fatal shooting of a protester named Renee Good by an ICE official after she had hit him with her car. While no one wants to see a fatality, the empirical evidence indicates she was the instigator. Of course, each side has blamed the other.

Rather than trying to calm the situation MN Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, aided and abetted by much of the mainstream media, have, by their words and actions, openly incited more violence. They have caused local police to stand down and have left ICE personnel alone to deal with the protesters. They have stated repeatedly that they do not recognize ICE’s authority, and they want them expelled from their city and state. Clearly, their words and deeds are contraventions of federal law and are irresponsible and unconscionable. I see their actions as a direct challenge to federal authority not unlike the actions of the segregationist South before the Civil War and in the 1950s and 1960s.

This is classic insurrection. These people need to be put in their place NOW before other sanctuary areas become emboldened to follow suit.

The Insurrection Act dates back to 1807. It authorizes the president to deploy federal military troops inside the country to restore order and enforce the law if he determines that unrest or rebellion makes it impossible to enforce the law through the regular courts and police. According to most legal experts the Insurrection Act is only meant to be invoked in extreme situations, when normal law enforcement has broken down. In my view, the current situation in Minneapolis fits those parameters. The law does not clearly define what counts as an “insurrection” or “rebellion,” however, in 1827 the US Supreme Court opined that the president alone has the authority to decide when the law applies.

Trump haters may strenuously object to his use of the Act, but according to the Brennan Center for Justice it has been invoked 30 times in US history in response to various situations, including to enforce school desegregation in the 1950s and 1960s and during the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the acquittal of police officers who had severely beaten Rodney King.

Conclusion

These riots have obscured the other massive story emanating from Minnesota, the missing $19 billion Medicaid funds due to alleged fraud. It has been alleged that the perpetrators were mostly Somalis, both citizens and illegals. It is obvious that Governor Walz, US Representative Ilhan Omar and other officials either aided and abetted these crimes or ignored them for political reasons.

This is related to another disturbing story regarding Omar, namely how she went from being virtually broke one year ago to being worth an estimated $30 million presently. The financial dealings of both her and her husband are shrouded in mystery. The House Oversight Committee is investigating and has subpoenaed her spouse to testify. In the words of the late Desi Arnaz, “they have some ‘splaining to do.”

These are very serious allegations with potentially far-reaching consequences. I have blogged about this matter in more detail previously. We may be on the cusp of uncovering a new level of fraud, deceit and greed with respect to elected officials.

Once again, the Dems find themselves on the wrong side of an 80-20 issue. They are violating federal law by defending illegal aliens who have committed crimes against law-abiding Americans, in some cases children, rather than assisting federal officials who are performing their legal duties to protect us. You notice that these Dem politicians never mention the names of those citizens who have been victimized, but they are quick to defend the illegals. Good luck with that issue in the 2026 elections.

I hope that Trump makes the right decision and cleans up the mess in Minneapolis expeditiously.

by Tags: , , , Leave a comment

I HAVE A DREAM

Tomorrow, Monday, January 19, we will celebrate the birthday of, in my mind, the greatest civil rights leader in American history.  Of course, I am referring to Martin Luther King, Jr.  MLK Day is a national holiday, and as is the case with many of our holidays, we celebrate it on a Monday, in this instance the third one in January, rather than on the actual day of MLK’s birth (January 15). MLK Day has been recognized in all 50 states since the early 2000s, however, some states, such as Alabama and Mississippi, have combined it with “Robert E. Lee Day” to honor the birthday of the commanding general of the Confederacy who was born on January 19.

This year will mark the 58th anniversary of his untimely assassination on April 4, 1968.  Like the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the assassination of President JFK on November 22, 1963, and the terror attack on 9/11/2001 most of us will always remember where we were when we heard the horrible news.

For some people, the holiday holds no special meaning; it is just a day off from work, a day to spend with family or friends, part of a long three-day weekend.  For many of us, however, particularly those of us who were alive in the 1950s and 1960s, it is much, much more.

MLK was born on January 15, 1929.  MLK was more than just a pastor.  He believed that more advancement in civil rights could be achieved by civil disobedience and non-violence rather than by violence.  He preached peaceful disobedience such as sit-ins, marches and demonstrations, often in the face of wanton violence and cruelty by the police and others, rather than by rioting and violence.  In this regard, he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi.  In turn, he inspired many others such as Nelson Mandela and the Black Civil Rights movement in South Africa.

He also recognized the power of the press to bring attention to his cause and influence public opinion. For example, as many as 70 million people around the world witnessed the police brutality inflicted on the peaceful black and white marchers in Selma, Alabama, in March of 1965, including women and children as well as men.  Those images, broadcast live on TV and radio, appalled and disgusted many people and provided an immeasurable boost to the public awareness of the injustices being visited upon blacks in the South. These events were captured dramatically and realistically in the 2014 movie, “Selma,” which featured David Oyelowo as MLK.  If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it.

Unlike any other African American leaders before or since, he had the ability to unite, rather than divide.  Although he was criticized by some of the more militant civil rights leaders of the time, such as Stokely Carmichael, he commanded the support and respect of a large majority of blacks and many whites as well. In that regard, he was similar to Mandela.

After his death, despite the urgings of some civil rights leaders who wanted to continue MLK’s philosophy, more militant African American leaders, such as Mr. Carmichael, came into prominence. There was rioting in over 100 US cities, and a slew of violent incidents at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago in front of the national press and millions of Americans, which many believe swung the 1968 presidential election to Richard Nixon. 

MLK came into prominence in 1955 when he led a bus boycott, peacefully, in Montgomery, Alabama.  The boycott had been fueled by the famous Rosa Parks incident in which she had refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person.  She was arrested on December 1. (Most people don’t know that earlier that year in March a similar incident had occurred, also in Montgomery, involving Claudette Colvin, a black girl who had also refused to give up her seat to a white man.  However, that case did not receive the same notoriety.  Civil rights lawyers declined to pursue it because Colvin was 15, unmarried and pregnant. They chose to wait for a case with a more favorable fact pattern, and they were proven to be right.)

Later, MLK became the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and remained so until his death. He applied his non-violence philosophy to protests in Selma, Ala., St. Augustine, FL, and the March on Washington, D. C., among others. He made it a policy never to endorse a particular political party or candidate. He believed he could be more effective if he were neutral and not beholden to anyone.  Furthermore, in his view, neither party was all bad, and neither one was perfect.  In his words, “[t]hey both have weaknesses.”

Perhaps, MLK’s signature moment occurred during the famous March on Washington in August 1963.  Ironically, MLK was not the primary organizer of the March.  That was Bayard Rustin, a colleague.  The primary purpose of the March was to dramatize the plight of blacks in the South.  Civil rights leaders, including Roy Wilkins, NAACP, Whitney Young, National Urban League, A. Philip Randolph, Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, John Lewis, SNCC, James Farmer CORE, and MLK, wanted to bring awareness of these issues right to the seat of the Federal government.  More than 250,000 people of all ethnicities and colors attended.  MLK was one of several speakers, and he only spoke for 17 minutes.  But, his “I Have a Dream” speech became one of the most famous speeches ever.  The March, in general, and MLK’s speech, in particular, are credited with bringing civil rights to the political forefront and facilitating the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Some little-known facts about MLK:

1. His birth name was Michael King, Jr., after his father.  In 1931 his father changed his own name to Martin Luther King, after the German theologian, Martin Luther, whom he admired.  At the same time, he changed his son’s name.

2. In 1958 MLK was stabbed in the chest after a speech by a woman who had been stalking him, and he nearly died.

3. The FBI began tapping MLK’s telephone as early as 1963.  Robert Kennedy, who was Attorney General at the time and who is viewed as a staunch supporter of civil rights, in general, and MLK, in particular, authorized the tapping.

4. MLK won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at the age of 35, the youngest age ever at the time.

5. MLK won a Grammy Award in 1971, posthumously.  It should be noted that he won it, not because he displayed a great singing voice, but for a “Spoken Word Album,” “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam.”  In addition, he won countless other awards and was awarded some 50 honorary degrees from various colleges and universities.

6. Even though MLK was one of the great public speakers of his time, inexplicably, he got a “C” in a public speaking course at the seminary.  (Kind of like a baseball scout saying Babe Ruth can hit “a little bit.”)

7. MLK is one of three individuals and the only native-born American to have a holiday named after him.  In case you’re wondering, the others are George Washington (born in the COLONY of Virginia), and Christopher Columbus.

Some MLK quotes to ponder:

1. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
2. “The time is always right to do what is right.”
3. “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
4. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
5. “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.”
6. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

In recent years there has been much division among African Americans as well as their leaders.  Some are moderate and want to work within the system; others are more militant.  In my view, many of these militants are no more than “race hustlers,” have their own agendas and look for any excuse to foment distrust and discord.  They do more harm than good. If you doubt me, just randomly turn on CNN or MSNBC and listen to some of the news coverage. The coverage and commentary of some of the guest commentators (and a few of the news anchors as well) are ignorant, subjective and divisive.

Most often, crimes are viewed through the lens of race rather than the facts, and the media will very often jump to conclusions without regard of the facts. Later, when the facts become known if, as is often the case they are change the narrative, they are ignored or downplayed. “White on black” crimes get extensive coverage while “black on black” crimes, which are far more numerous, are largely ignored.

I firmly believe that MLK would have been appalled by the violent, arbitrary and senseless rioting and sharp uptick in crime of the past several years that have been instigated, financed, aided, and abetted by BLM, ANTIFA, professional agitators, many Dem political leaders and much of the media. Certain people of color (we all know who are) love to play the “race card” to justify their actions. (In my opinion this is a sure sign that they have no real argument.) Moreover, I find this to be senseless and ironic since most of the victims are themselves poor minorities. How is that helping the civil rights movement?  That is not what MLK stood for.  Furthermore, in my view, he would not have been an exponent of the extreme “cancel culture,” “critical race theory,” DEI, and “political correctness” movements of recent years that many see as divisive.

One can speculate whether and to what extent MLK’s assassination changed the course of history.  In my opinion, had MLK lived, the Civil Rights Movement would have been considerably different over the last 50 years, more peaceful and less divisive, with better results.  Furthermore, his assassination had a significant impact, not only on the history of the civil rights movement, but also on the overall history of the country, itself.  I hope and believe that eventually a moderate leader will emerge and bridge the gap as MLK did half a century ago.

CONCLUSION

In my opinion, we have made much progress in the area of civil rights.  For example, we have elected an African American president (twice) and vice president; African Americans have been elected to Congress and been appointed to the Supreme Court; and African Americans hold and have held positions of prominence in every field of endeavor, including business, entertainment, sports, and the military.  But it is still a work in progress.  We can do more.

So, as you enjoy the holiday in whatever manner you choose, I ask you to reflect for a moment on where we are as a nation regarding civil rights, where we want to go and how we get there.

by Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

SOCIAL SERVICES GREED, FRAUD AND CORRUPTION IN MINNESOTA

The contents of this blog are a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where noted.

The capacity for greed and corruption of some people never ceases to amaze me. The greed, fraud and corruption recently uncovered in Minnesota is an illustrative example. As I write this, various federal agencies are investigating this colossal theft and misappropriation of public money. Moreover, there are indications that it may extend to other locales besides MN.

MN has the largest Somali population in the U.S. Estimates vary, but a 2023 Pew Research analysis put the number at around 130,000, most of whom live in the Twin Cities. Around 95% of Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens. In my view most of them are law abiding citizens. Unfortunately, the misdeeds of a few will likely cast aspersions on all of them.

MN is virtually drowning in fraud. Federal prosecutors are investigating what they describe as “staggering, industrial-scale” fraud in the state’s social services programs involving numerous individuals and shell companies that allegedly stole and misappropriated federal and state funds intended for vulnerable persons, such as special needs children, disabled adults and the elderly, with potential losses that could exceed $9 billion.

According to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson that would amount to approximately one-half of the roughly $18 billion in federal funds that have supported various Minnesota-run programs since 2018. Fraud was found in programs earmarked for child nutrition, housing services and autism, among others. “I’m sure everyone is wondering how much of this $18 billion was fraud,” Thompson said. “That’s the $18 billion question.”

According to federal prosecutors members of the Somali diaspora, a group with growing political power, were largely responsible. More than 90 individuals, approximately 82 of which are Somali Americans have been charged so far, with over 60 convictions. They expect more charges in the ongoing investigations prospectively. MN Department of Human Services has identified 14 state-run programs as “high risk” for fraud because of program vulnerabilities, evidence of fraudulent activity and/or suspicious billing patterns. Thompson reported that they are seeing more red flags than legitimate claims, and many suspects created entities that billed multiple programs at once.

The New York Times was the first media outlet to disclose the shocking and disturbing details. The total [fraud] is more than Minnesota spends annually to run its Department of Corrections,” the Times reported. According to various law enforcement officials the fraud originated in “pockets of Minnesota’s Somali diaspora.” “Scores of these persons made small fortunes by setting up companies that billed state agencies for millions of dollars’ worth of social services that were never provided.

It appears that the genesis of these frauds was around 2002 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The perpetrators exploited MN’s sanctuary state laws and policies. Typically, they created shell companies that would then bill state agencies for services that were never provided. Instead, the money was used for luxury items such as purchasing real estate (namely properties in Kenya and Dubai), cars, and travel.

One major perpetrator was identified as Feeding Our Future, which is nothing more than a phony charity run by Somali nationals. It was given a $250 million grant under the Federal Child Nutrition Program. It was supposed to use this grant money to provide some 125 million meals to needy children. Federal counterterrorism sources have confirmed that millions of dollars were stolen and diverted to Somalia where it was used by various criminal enterprises including Somali terrorists such as Al-Shabaab. In the words of one confidential source “the largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.”

Investigators claim there are many more examples not only of fraud perpetrated by those in the Somali community, but also of a concerted effort by government officials to cover it up. Last Thursday, Peter Schweizer, the President of the Government Accountability Institute, in an interview with The National News Desk characterized the evidence as “overwhelming.” He averred “the corruption went on and on and on for years because there was this climate of fear of wanting to raise these issues they’re concerned about, you know, maybe being called racist or bigoted.”

This week House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. sent written notice to Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison demanding information about why state regulators, especially those in the Democrat-led administration, were “reluctant” to take action in with respect to allegations involving the Somali community.” Some people, including me, suspect that they allowed it to continue so as not to offend the Somali population, which votes overwhelmingly Democrat. Comer has also requested documents and information related to accusations that the MN Department of Human Services “deleted data to cover up the rampant fraud.” In a related matter on Thursday, December 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota disclosed that Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, the owner of Star Autism Center in St. Cloud, MN was charged with one count of wire fraud.

In addition:

  1. Dems are playing the racism card claiming that federal investigators are targeting Somalis unfairly. I stipulate that the overwhelming majority of Somalis are honest, hardworking people, but at the same time I would like to denote that most of the perpetrators are Somalis.
  2. Republicans have been criticizing Governor Tim Walz’s administration as well as other MN state officials for a lack of oversight and slow response.
  3. Far left Democrat House Representative Ilhan Omar, who represents the district in Congress and who derives much of her political support from the Somali community, was asked by CNN how the fraud got so out of control. She deflected responsibility claiming, “when you have these kind[s] of new programs that are designed to help people, you’re oftentimes relying on third parties to be able to facilitate.” Given her position and pro-Somali/anti-American history it strains credulity that she would not be cognizant of the scheme or perhaps approved it. I believe she was involved “up to her eyeballs.”
  4. Of course, most of the mainstream media has been downplaying the scandal.
  5. In response to the investigations, in October MN Governor Tim Walz ordered a third-party audit and paused payments to some 14 programs for 90 days. One program has since been shut down entirely.
  6. Walz says the state aggressively increased resources for fraud detection and prevention and recently appointed a statewide director of program integrity to oversee those efforts. This was a classic case of “locking the barn door after the horse has escaped.” Regarding the fraud, he maintained “I am the one that will fix it.” I doubt that.
  7. Republicans have blamed Walz’s administration, with Trump calling MN under the Democratic governor a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.”
  8. Stephen Miller, in his typical combative manner, opined, we shouldn’t be shocked by the MN fraud case considering Somalia’s primary occupation is ‘pirate.’
  9. According to Linda Miller, president and co-founder of the Program Integrity Alliance, a nonprofit focused on fraud prevention in the public sector and a former assistant director with the GAO, attempts to scam government programs have been rare but are likely becoming more common nationwide. Fraudsters have seen how easy it was during the pandemic “to just submit these fake invoices and get paid millions of dollars.” She added, the risk of fraud increases when programs expand quickly without sufficient staffing, modern technology or robust data verification systems. There are very likely people attempting to defraud these programs all over the country.” We should all take heed.

Conclusion

This scandal has become a major political and criminal issue. Under this administration it will not be swept under the rug. People are being prosecuted with more to come. MN state politicians and other officials responsible may very well see their careers ended. It is unconscionable that criminal elements were basically able to steal billions of dollars meant for Americans and funnel it to themselves and terrorist organizations.

Everyone is claiming they were unaware. I don’t know what’s worse, that or that they were complicit. I believe that the person in charge has the ultimate responsibility for any wrongdoing. As governor, Waltz, in the words of the late Desi Arnaz, has some ‘splaining’ to do. And to think, this buffoon was almost elected VP.

The blame game is already in full force, and it could get ugly when all is said and done particularly with the all-important midterm elections looming. In the meantime, politicians are doing what they do best, deflecting blame from themselves and onto others.

by Tags: , , Leave a comment

WORLDWIDE TERRORISM ON THE ASCENSION

The following blog is based on information disseminated by multiple media sources supplemented by my personal opinion where noted.

We are at war! Not with Russia. Not with China. Not with Iran. Not with any of the other “bad actor” countries prominently in the news. Actually, not with any individual country at all.

We are at war with radical Islamic terrorism, and we have been for some time. Many people trace the commencement of this war to the 9/11 attacks. I contend that the war goes back much further, all the way back to the Crusades in the 11th and 12th centuries. In any event, at the present time radical Islamic terrorism is omnipresent. Most of us are focused on the US, but as the recent attacks at Brown University and Bondi Beach in Australia illustrate the perpetrators can strike anybody, anywhere, at any time.

The definition of terrorism varies in different countries depending on their laws and legal systems. To me, however, terrorism involves violent acts or threats intended to create fear, intimidate civilians, or coerce governments for political or ideological goals.

The Global Terrorism Index, produced annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace, systematically ranks 163 countries based on the impact of terrorism, considering factors like the number of incidents, fatalities, injuries, and property damage. Based on the GTI for 2024, which utilizes data from 2023, Burkina Faso, which most people (including me) have never heard of, is the country most impacted by terrorism, accounting for a quarter of all terrorism-related deaths globally in 2023. Burkina Faso is a tiny landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km. In 2024 the country had an estimated population of approximately 23 million.

The incidence and impact of terrorism have become increasingly concentrated. The epicenter of global terrorism has shifted from the Middle East to the Central Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, which now accounts for over half of all global terrorism deaths. Most of the top ten affected by terrorism were located in that region. If you’re wondering, Israel was #2. The US did not make the top 10.

For the most part the sub-Saharin countries on that list live in a constant state of terrorism perpetrated by internal strife and even by the government against its own people. According to the GTI terrorism remains a serious worldwide threat. The data in the 2024 report denotes an overall increase in deaths from terrorism worldwide of 22% to a total of 8,352 in 2023, the most since 2017. Moreover, attacks are becoming more deadly. Over 90% of terrorist attacks and 98% of terrorism deaths in 2023 occurred in conflict zones, underscoring the strong link between conflict and terrorism.

For purposes of this blog, I will focus on terrorism as it relates to Western democracies. In 2023 the US accounted for 76% of terrorism-related deaths in Western democracies. By its very nature a terrorist act can occur anywhere, by any person at any time. As we have seen “soft” targets, such as a concert, a school, a place of worship, a mall, or a beach are inviting targets. Two recent attacks – at Brown University and Bondi Beach, Australia – illustrate this point. More on them below.

Most democracies, by their very nature, present a myriad of easy targets. We know that attacks are inevitable and predictable. We just don’t know where or when. For example:

  1. The US, Australia, UK, and France, among others, have sizeable Muslim populations that are disaffected, have failed to assimilate and are virulently antisemitic. The people are prone to recruitment by terrorist organizations. Many of them have carved out enclaves that are ruled by Sharia law, and even the police are loath to enter.
  2. Many countries have lax immigration policies and no or inadequate vetting. In Europe terrorists can move about easily from country to country. Thus, a terrorist entering a country with lax immigration policies can easily move to one with strict policies undetected and unimpeded.
  3. In the US due to the Biden Administration’s open border policy for the last four years as many as 18 million potential bad actors are believed to have gained entry undetected. We have no idea who they are, where they are, how many, or their intent.
  4. In many cases democratic countries’ civil rights laws and liberal politicians and policies have hampered law enforcement from acting until an attack is already in progress. Also, there is often limited funding and manpower.
  5. Many immigrants that have been vetted and approved for entry have become radicalized afterwards. Perhaps, a program of periodic vetting is needed. However, there would be restrictions emanating from a lack of sufficient funds and manpower.
  6. According to journalist Miranda Devine Australia’s lax immigration policies and strict gun laws have put them in the same boat as the US.
  7. Most governments have failed to curtail antisemitism, thus allowing it to fester. Often government officials and members of law enforcement, themselves, are antisemitic or at least indifferent. Thus, violent protesters are free to operate with impunity. The most common manifestation of this has been at various US colleges.
  8. Antisemitic-related attacks in the US, Australia and elsewhere have become common, particularly since 10/7/23. These include not just murders, rape and other violent crimes but also peaceful protests that often turn violent.
  9. Even locales that have strict gun laws are prone to violence because they hinder or prevent regular citizens from arming themselves, while perpetrators still manage to obtain weapons.
  10. In Australia politics has been a major factor. Government officials’ reluctance to identify certain people as potential terrorists for fear of being accused of bias is a problem. This was the problem regarding Bondi Beach.
  11. Like the Dem Party in Minnesota the Australian Labor Party panders to Muslims, perhaps due to the fact that they outnumber Jews 7:1 and constitute a strong and reliable voting bloc.
  12. Journalists who have dared to write about the terrorism problem have been denigrated as Islamophobic.
  13. In many cases potential terrorists are identified and placed on watch lists, because the country’s laws make it difficult to detain or deport them until they actually commit a crime. Often, persons on the Watch Lists are not monitored sufficiently due to incompetence or limited manpower.
  14. Just in the last week I became aware of four terrorist plots – (1) the shootings at Brown University, (2) the shootings at Bondi Beach, (3) a planned attack in LA that was thwarted by the FBI, and (4) Parisian officials canceling a planned NY Eve celebration due to fear of terrorist attacks by “rampaging migrant gangs.” French officials have been criticized for “giving in,” but one can argue that cancellation is better than suffering a tragic attack.
  15. The BB attack was a typical example of law enforcement incompetence. With Hanukkah approaching several Jewish leaders had warned officials that an attack of some kind was a strong possibility. In retrospect the Chanukkah by the Sea event was a tempting “soft” target and should have had better security. The perpetrators were a father and son who had suspected ties with a convicted ISIS terrorist. The Australia Daily Telegraph reported that both had traveled to an area of Southeast Asia that is a known ISIS training ground. Furthermore, supposedly the son was “known” to law enforcement and despite having “Islamic fundamentalist views” was disregarded as a “low level threat.” Somehow, between them, the pair owned six fully licensed weapons that were supposedly used for hunting. That dubious situation should have been a “red flag.” Why did they need six weapons to hunt? And did they actually hunt? Multiple witnesses and cellphone footage showed that when they commenced firing, inexplicably police in the area did not intercede for at least ten minutes while the perpetrators continued to mow down victims! That is inexplicable and unconscionable. It was only after an unarmed bystander interceded that they returned fire. Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is known to be hostile to Israel and soft on antisemites. But, like a typical politician, in the wake of the BB attack, he tried to adjust his previous position by characterizing the massacre as “an act of evil, antisemitic terrorism… [adding] an attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian.” Knowing his background, those comments rang hollow.
  16. To put it succinctly, the investigation of the Brown University shooting has been botched. As I write this it is nearly one week since the attack, and we have no more information than we did on Day 1. Usually by this time we know the identity of the shooter, what he looks like, his motive and his life history. Often, he would have been caught already. The press conferences have largely been attempts at “CYA” and a waste of time. The incompetence of the University and Town police has been astounding.

Conclusion

As I said at the beginning we are in a war with radical Islamic terrorism. Their oft-stated goal goes beyond the destruction of Jews and the State of Israel. Their ultimate goal is the destruction of all “non-believers” and Western civilization, itself.

The perpetrators are well organized, well-financed, relentless, and ruthless. Currently, most governments and law enforcement agencies, hampered by liberal/woke/socialist laws, policies and attitudes are ill-equipped to thwart them. Furthermore, terrorists have to be successful only once; the burden is on law enforcement to be successful every time.

As I said above the attacks, though fewer in number, have been getting more deadly. New Years Eve is in two weeks. We’d better “step up our game” quickly.

by Tags: , , , Leave a comment

TRUMP SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND OTHER ECONOMIC MATTERS

President Trump has been responsible for a myriad of accomplishments in his short tenure, for example, closing the border, deporting illegal immigrants, reducing crime in cities that welcomed his assistance, passing the “Big Beautiful Bill (the effects of which will kick in commencing in 2026), reducing inflation, and eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities, among others.

To be sure, those accomplishments are laudable, however, a large portion of the electorate is still dissatisfied with the state of the economy, particularly the rate of inflation, the price of gas, the cost of healthcare and the unaffordability of buying a first home. Home ownership is and always has been an endemic part of the “American Dream.” Since Trump is the president, rightly or wrongly, most of them are blaming him.

According to the latest Economist/YouGov survey despite all of the above positives President Trump’s approval rating has been in a steady decline for the last seven weeks. His latest approval rating was 38%, and his disapproval rating was 57%. The latest Reuters/Ipsos survey yielded similar results. Even more ominous the same polls disclosed that 55% of the respondents were more likely to vote for the Democrat candidate in their district, compared to 41% who said they would vote for the Republican candidate. This does not augur well for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. If they lose control of the legislature Trump’s ambitious agenda is likely to be thwarted.

Also, history is not on his side. Normally, the party in power loses a goodly number of House and Senate seats in the off-year elections.

Of course, Trump is cognizant of all that. Consequently, he is beginning to focus more on the economy. Historically, absent a monumental catastrophe, such as a world war or a 9-11 style terror attack, the most important issue to voters is always the economy. Yes, people care about other issues such as crime, healthcare, security and immigration, but they care more about a good job, the cost of food, being able to afford a nice place to live, supporting their family, the cost of gas, the cost of healthcare, their retirement, and their children’s and grandchildren’s future. Hence, the well-worn expression: “It’s the economy, stupid!”

Below please find some of the recent Trump initiatives regarding the aforementioned, which are designed to lower the cost of living and enhance the quality of life for all Americans. Some of these are already in process; others are just proposals, some of which may require the approval of Congress.

  1. Ramping up drilling for oil and gas, which, due to the fundamental law of supply and demand, should lower the prices of fuel both in the home and at the pump. Lower energy prices lead to lower prices on all goods and services, most notably food. According to AAA the national average of a gallon of regular gas at the pump is $2.999.  Of course, this will vary from state to state depending on state and local taxes and other factors. By comparison, according to the US Energy Information Administration the cost in 2022 and 2023, the last two years of the Biden Administration, was $3.52 and $3.95, respectively. In my view, Biden’s woke, green energy policies drove prices up, whereas Trump’s “drill baby drill” policy is driving them down. Therefore, it is unfair to blame the current cost of energy on Trump.  According to the more recent data available (“blue woke”) California has the highest average gas price at around $4.65 per gallon for regular, while (“red”) Oklahoma has the lowest at approximately $2.53 per gallon.  Make of that what you will.
  2. For most social security recipients one of the provisions of the “Big Beautiful Bill” will enable them to offset their federal income tax liability with a special federal income tax deduction.
  3. The BBB also authorizes the creation of the so-called “Trump Accounts,” which essentially are a tax-deferred investment account for qualifying newborns into which the Treasury Department of the federal government will deposit $1,000. The account will grow tax-deferred until the newborn turns 18. Then, the account will function as a traditional IRA. Briefly, to qualify babies must have been born to American citizens from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028 and have a valid social security number. In addition, the Dell family has pledged to utilize the “Trump Accounts” infrastructure to give $250 to each qualified child under 11. These initiatives are designed to encourage American citizen families to have babies by easing the financial burden of raising a family and helping to provide for them as they grow into adulthood. (For various reasons many families are postponing having children or deciding not to at all.)
  4. The BBB extended the 2017 “Trump Tax Cuts,” which will provide massive federal tax cuts for most taxpayers.
  5.  The so-called “Trump Tariffs” have been very controversial. The question is are they currently and will they prospectively have a positive or negative effect on the economy? Recent studies indicate that generally the impact of tariffs is to raise prices and reduce available quantities of goods and services for US businesses and consumers in the short run. According to the Tax Foundation the Trump tariffs will equate to an average tax increase of $1,100 per US household in 2025. On the other hand, the Trump tariffs, both threatened and imposed, have forced other countries who had been taking advantage of us in international trade for many years to lower their own tariffs substantially. Furthermore, the tariffs have been raising tens of billions, some claim trillions, of dollars for the federal government. Perhaps, more significantly, many foreign companies have invested or pledged to invest trillions of dollars to build or expand their businesses and/or build new factories in the US in order to avoid these tariffs. This will translate into good, high-paying permanent jobs and reduce the unemployment rate, which is currently slightly up at 4.4%. In summary, are these tariffs good or bad? In my opinion, it is still too early to tell. It may take years to determine. At the of risk oversimplifying matters I believe the answer is probably predicated on whether one is pro-Trump or anti-Trump.

Conclusion

As I said above, Trump is cognizant of the voters’ concerns regarding the economy. Accordingly, he has and will continue to develop policies to improve it. Many, if not most, of the problems with respect to the economy are holdovers from the Biden Administration and his woke/green policies. Data shows the economy is improving. Inflation is down. Gas is down. The positive impact of the BBB should be effective starting in 2026. The question is will the voters give Trump’s policies time to work or not.

The cost of healthcare remains a thorny, complicated and highly politicized problem that Trump and the Congress will have to address together. One can only hope that they resolve it expeditiously.

White House: Trump




by Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

MURDEROUS ATTACK ON NATIONAL GUARD PERSONNEL

The following is based on a compendium of media reports and my own opinion where indicated.

It was inevitable. It was only a matter of time. It was just a question of who, where, when and how many. Of course, I’m referring to an unprovoked, premeditated, murderous terror attack by an improperly vetted alien on two US National Guard personnel while they were in legal performance of their assigned duties. One, Sarah Beckstrom, subsequently died from her injuries; as I write this, the other one, Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.

As most of you know, the National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of Trump’s federal takeover of the city and crime crackdown in August. All indications are that this initiative was working as crime has declined dramatically. Even Muriel Bowser, the Dem mayor of DC, had praised the program. According to the most recent update, there were 2,188 National Guard personnel assigned to D.C.

According to multiple media accounts the perpetrator, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, allegedly drove from Washington State to Washington, DC specifically to target Guard members. Film footage from the crime scene revealed that he “barreled around the corner” and just commenced firing on the victims with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. Washington DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro reported that he attacked “without provocation, ambush style,” struck one of the victims, leaned over and shot the individual again, before firing at the other National Guard member “several times.” The shooting took place around 2:15 p.m. last Wednesday near the Farragut West Metro station. As I write this there is no known motive. Due to the heinous nature of this crime Attorney General Pam Bondi and Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro have both vowed to seek the death penalty. I concur.

According to various law enforcement sources Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 under the Biden Administration’s “Operation Allies Welcome Program.” FBI Director Kash Patel noted that the FBI received confirmation from the Department of Defense and CIA “that the subject had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces,” which enabled him to enter the United States in 2021 under that program.

CIA Director John Radcliffe asserted that nevertheless Lavanthal “should never been allowed to come here.” Kristi Noem opined that at some point he became radicalized, and some media outlets have speculated he may have become afflicted with PTSD, which fueled his rage.

He applied for asylum and was granted it in April 2024 under the Trump Administration. According to multiple reports “he was vetted, and the vetting came back clean.” He has a wife, five children and a brother in the U.S. Apparently, he has been unable to find employment because he had an expired work permit. Moreover, he had become more isolated the past few months, could not pay rent or afford food, was relying on others for help and was growing desperate.

For years many of us have been warning that Biden’s lax open border policy had enabled millions of illegal and/or improperly vetted aliens into the country. We don’t know how many, but some people put the number as high as 18 million. In many cases we don’t know who they are, where they are, and their intent. As I have denoted in previous blogs this policy exhibited absolutely no regard for the safety and security of American citizens. It was part of a broader policy that favored illegal immigrants over American citizens. Furthermore, it has had and will continue to have far-reaching negative ramifications on Americans politically, militarily, economically and socially.

Beckstrom was a native of a small town in WVA. According to friends she enlisted in the NG because she wanted to serve her country, help people, and gain experience to enable her to attain her long-term goal of joining the FBI. By all accounts she was a good person who in the words of her ex-boyfriend would “do anything for anyone who needed it.” Her mother described her as having “a heart of gold.” Attorney General Pam Bondi, commented that she could have gone home for the TG holiday, but she volunteered to remain in DC “so others could be home with their families.”

In the wake of this heinous crime the US is re-examining the entire aliens’ vetting process. In my opinion this is long overdue. It is apparent that the vetting of aliens has been incomplete and unreliable. More on this later.

The NY Post reported that of the thousands of aliens who were allowed to enter into the US under the expedited processing required by the Program, DHS investigations have now discovered “potential derogatory information” relating to national security, “public safety,” “fraud” and inclusion on “watch lists” with respect to 6,800 or more of them. This is unacceptable and calls into question the veracity of the entire vetting process. According to the NY Post former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker asserted that “you have to have an analyst, or an agent look at every doggone one of them and do it critically and set some objective criteria for disqualification.” It should be noted that Trump opined it was “virtually impossible” to deport people who arrived under the aforementioned Program.

US Senator Chuck Grassley has long been a critic of this process and has denoted various “red flags.” He received no cooperation from Biden Administration officials, but Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been providing Grassley with the information requested.

Part of the problem is the difficulty of obtaining complete and accurate information. This is often exacerbated by the huge influx of applicants as happened with the sudden collapse of Afghanistan. You may recall that the US withdrawal was totally botched.

Additionally, asylum seekers have not been subjected to any periodic updates. Applicants who seem to be all right initially can become radicalized after they enter the US. That seems to have been the case with Lavanthal.

Conclusion

One should not ignore or downplay the effect that the irresponsible rhetoric emanating from the left (in particular the “Seditious Six”) and their allies in the media has had in fomenting violence. As we have seen with the assassination attempts on Trump, the murder of Charlie Kirk, and several other instances unstable persons like Lavanthal are particularly susceptible to being influenced.

Trump has initiated prompt and decisive action. (1) He has “stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols” any immigration requests “relating to Afghan nationals.” (2) He has ordered a review of all asylum vettings approved by the Biden Administration. (3) He has authorized a “sweeping review” of the millions of green card holders from 19 countries, which have been deemed security risks. US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow announced that his department “has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible. The safety of the American people always comes first.”

These actions will affect the lives of millions of asylum applicants and green card holders the majority of which are not problematic. It will likely engender complaints and even accusations of bias and racism, but I maintain they are long overdue. It is a shame that a good person had to die beforehand.

by Tags: , , Leave a comment

JFK ASSASSINATION

Few people in history are so recognizable that with the mere mention of their initials one instantly knows about whom you are talking. Such is the case with John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. He flashed across our lives like a comet, brilliant but brief. He was only president for 1,000 days before he was assassinated, yet, even today, people remember him and recognize his name.

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 22, will mark the 62nd anniversary of his assassination. Almost anyone over the age of 70 remembers vividly where they were and what they were doing when they first heard of it. For example, I, a freshman in college, was walking to a history class. (Yes, I did attend classes, even on a Friday afternoon.) I heard some other students talking about the President having been shot. I wasn’t sure I had heard correctly, but unfortunately, I had.

What was strange about the whole incident was the lack of reliable information. It wasn’t like today when news is known and disseminated instantaneously. It might be hard for you youngsters to believe, but there was no Facebook, no Twitter, no cell phones, no Tik-Tok, no internet. Even computers were in their relative infancy.

Communication between New York, where, at the time, all media communications were centered, and Dallas was sketchy. Even worse, Dealey Square, the site of the assassination, was not close to the addresses of the network news’ Dallas offices. Reporters on the scene had to communicate by public telephone, when they could find one. Often, competing reporters ended up sharing telephones. At first, information was incomplete and contradictory.

Eventually, however, we found out the horrible news. No one will ever forget the grim look on venerable CBS anchor Walter Cronkite’s face as he removed his glasses, stared into the camera, and told a shocked, confused and scared nation that the President was dead. At the time, Cronkite was generally considered to be “the most trusted man in America.” When we heard it from “Uncle Walter,” we knew it was true.

The purpose of this blog is not to relate the details of the day’s events, nor do I wish to get bogged down in the various conspiracy theories, some of which persist to this day. Many books have been written on the subject, and I can’t possibly cover these topics in a short blog. Suffice to say, it was a surreal experience. Many emotions swirled through my head – disbelief, denial, fear and uncertainty. Who did it? Why? Was it a single gunman or a conspiracy? Was it part of a larger plot? Would we go to war? These and other questions came to mind.

Most everyone was glued to their television sets for days while events played out – Lyndon Johnson sworn in as the 36th President of the US on Airforce 1, Jackie Kennedy standing beside him still in shock and wearing the blood and brain-stained pink suit she had been wearing in the limo (which, she had refused to remove, declaring “I want them to see what they have done”), Lee Harvey Oswald arrested, Oswald shot live on national tv while under police escort (How in the world did Jack Ruby get access to that corridor, anyway?), JKF’s funeral procession, the “riderless” horse, young John Jr’s salute. The assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy followed soon after. It was a time of chaos and uncertainty, the end of innocence.

JFK had won the Presidency by the narrowest of margins over Vice President Richard Nixon. He had received 49.7% of the popular vote to Nixon’s 49.5% and won several states by the slimmest of margins. In that relatively primitive era of communications the end result was not known until the next morning. In the wee hours, the networks “called” CA for JFK which finally made him the winner. (Ironically, Nixon ended up winning CA after all the absentee ballots were counted.) Many people, including a 15-year-old girl in Berwick, Pa., caught up in the drama, stayed up all night to await the results.

JFK was young, handsome, bright, vibrant, dynamic, scion of a famous and wealthy family, and a war hero. He and his beautiful, glamorous wife, Jackie, seemed like American royalty to many Americans. He gave us hope and optimism. In the eyes of his supporters, he was the one who would transform America. During his inaugural address he uttered the famous line that symbolized the great hope that he would lead us to “A New Frontier,” as his campaign had promised (“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”). Unfortunately, today, many people espouse the opposite philosophy.

JFK got off to a rocky start with the Bay of Pigs fiasco. But he seemed to make up for it when he faced down the Russians and Premier Nikita Khrushchev in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Most of us did not realize how close we had come to nuclear war, but in the end, Kennedy won that round and showed he was learning on the job. His administration was dubbed “Camelot” after the description of the mythical King Arthur’s court.

Unfortunately, Kennedy made a lot of powerful enemies. Many Republicans thought he had “stolen” the election (shades of 2020). Indeed, there had been whispers about voting irregularities, notably in Chicago, which had long been notorious for that sort of thing and where for many years it was said, only partly facetiously, that even dead people voted. However, in the end nothing came of that – no media exposes, no court challenges. Yes, times have certainly changed.

Many conservatives thought he was too soft on communism and too aggressive on civil rights issues. He had made powerful enemies among organized crime and at the FBI and CIA, among others. Fidel Castro hated him for the Bay of Pigs attack. On the other hand, many Cuban ex-Pats thought he had betrayed them by failing to intervene militarily to support the invasion when it fell apart. All in all, he had a plethora of powerful enemies with the motive, means, opportunity and funds to plan and execute a Presidential assassination and cover-up. In retrospect, one should not have been surprised.

CONCLUSION

A favorite speculation has been how American and world history would have been different had JFK not been assassinated. Would he have pulled us out of Viet Nam as has been speculated? If so, would there have been an antiwar movement in the 1960’s with the attendant protests, turmoil and violence? Would MLK and RFK still have been assassinated? Would the civil rights movement have progressed differently, more peacefully? We will never know. There have been many books written about this topic, including one by Stephen King called “11/22/63” about a fictional time traveler who journeys back to 1963 to try to prevent the assassination, which makes fascinating “what if” reading.

Virtually the entire country became immersed in the assassination and its aftermath for weeks, if not months. My recollection is that the news networks covered it continuously. A cloud of conspiracy still hangs over the assassination 62 years later. As I said, books have been written and movies produced dealing with the conspiracy theories. Did Oswald act alone? Was he tied to the KGB or the CIA? How did Ruby get close enough to kill Oswald from point-blank range? Was there an accomplice on the grassy knoll? Why was Ruby killed in prison? What of the roles, if any, of mobsters, like Sam Giancana, Head of the Chicago mob, and Carlos Marcello, Head of the New Orleans mob, as well as the CIA, the FBI, the Russians, and/or Castro? Were the Warren Commission’s findings accurate or part of a cover-up?

At this time, as we mark the passage of another anniversary of JFK’s assassination, we are reminded that these issues, and others, have still not been resolved to many Americans’ satisfaction. Conspiracy theorists maintain that there is much information that has remained classified all these years. If so, perhaps, President Donald Trump’s administration will make it available to the public. After all this time, why not?

For you readers of a certain age, what are your memories of the assassination and its aftermath? Where were you when you heard the awful news? I would like to know.

by Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

DEMS FOMENTING INSURRECTION

For ten years Dem politicians and their supporters in the media and elsewhere have employed a myriad of means, some illegal, to hamper Donald Trump’s presidency. For example, they spread false and malicious rumors that he was a puppet of the Russians; they impeached him twice on “trumped up” charges; they indicted him for fake crimes; they tried to imprison him; they tried to bankrupt him; and they tried to incite violence against him by continually call him “Hitler,”, “Nazi,” “evil,” and an “existential threat to democracy.”

As I have explained in previous blogs each of these tactics was ultimately exposed to be mendacious with evil intent. Now the Dems are so desperate they have outdone themselves. Recently, several lawmakers, including Sen. Elissa Slotkin of MI, Sen. Mark Kelly of AZ and Reps. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Jason Crow of Colorado all of whom have served in the military or the intelligence community and should know better, released a video containing a message that, in my view, advocates insurrection.

It advises national guardsmen and military personnel that they may and, in fact, should disobey any order that they deem to be illegal. Their message stated, in part, “our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders,” they said, taking turns delivering virtually identical lines as if from a prepared script. So, in their opinion, if an enlisted person were to disagree with a lawful order by a superior officer to enforce one of President Trump’s policies for instance to engage an enemy combatant or detain illegal immigrants who are wreaking havoc in a US city he can and should disobey it. To me, that is a clear attempt to incite insurrection.

Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the US Constitution states, in part, that “the President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States…” It defines insurrection as a violent uprising against an authority or government. For example, the IA empowers the president to deploy federal troops and/or to federalize the National Guard units of the individual states in specific circumstances, including, among other things, the suppression of “civil disorder.” Persons attacking ICE personnel who are enforcing federal law, such as we have been witnessing on tv is a classic instance of “civil disorder.” In my opinion, inciting insurrection by words or deeds is a clear violation of that law. There is no ambiguity. We cannot have privates debating the merit of lawful orders with lieutenants in the heat of battle. (We are not talking about orders, for example, to torture a non-combatant.)

I maintain that the Justice Department should prosecute those people in accordance with the Insurrection Act of 1807 and/or other applicable laws. Otherwise, we risk anarchy or an attempted coup, (which is probably what these insurrectionists want). Certain Dems have made it clear that they oppose Trump’s military deployment in various cities. The Trump administration sharply criticized their communique.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said those Dem lawmakers are “openly calling for insurrection.” Many people, including me, agree. Attorney General Pam Bondi averred on Fox News that the DOJ would be investigating. I hope it follows through and metes out appropriate punishment to the inciters.

The deployment of federal troops to deal with local criminal matters is not unique. “Well, it’s been invoked before,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He’s correct. It has been many times, for example, in southern states in the 1950s to enforce civil rights and in various cities in the 1960s to suppress anti-war violence. Trump has asserted that troops are needed now to protect federal property and personnel in carrying out their lawful duties, as well as assisting in an overall drive to round up and deport illegal aliens and suppress crime.

In other related news:

  1. Reuters has reported that a federal judge has temporarily barred Guard troops from heading to Portland, Oregon. I expect that this outlier ruling will be overturned on appeal as others have in the past.
  2. In a separate, but similar ruling another judge has allowed for now a deployment to proceed in Chicago, where federal agents have embarked on a sweeping crackdown regarding illegal immigration. Illinois Governor Pritzker has been a constant critic of the deployment of federal troops in Chicago. This is ironic as Chicago has one of the highest crime rates and murder rates in the country. It’s obvious that federal assistance is needed there desperately, and Pritzker cares more about opposing Trump than the safety of his own citizens. Meanwhile, people are dying. President Trump has characterized Chicago as “a great city where there’s a lot of crime, and if the governor can’t do the job, we’ll do the job. It’s all very simple,”

CONCLUSION

Many liberal/progressive/socialist/communist commentators have tried to poo-poo this incident, but you know if a Republican had said the same thing about a Dem Administration multiple law enforcement agencies would have raided his house en masse at 3:00 AM with tv cameras at the ready to record it. This cannot be swept under the rug. An example must be made to forestall similar incitements prospectively.

by Tags: , , Leave a comment

SOCIALISM IN AMERICA

In the wake of Comrade Zoh’s election as mayor of NYC socialists around the country are optimistic that an inexorable trend to the left is developing. They cite the 2025 election of socialist Katie Wilson as mayor of Seattle (whose policies and beliefs are closely aligned with those of Mamdani), Mikie Sherrill as governor of NJ, Abigail Spanberger as governor of VA, and the approval of CA’s redistricting plan, which is expected to yield several additional Dem seats in the House of Representatives. They are anticipating that this trend will carry forward to the 2026 off-year elections and beyond.

I say, “slow your roll.” While there is no denying the significance of Zoh’s election I would suggest that Dems should be cognizant of the fact that NJ and VA are traditionally blue states, so in essence they have merely “held serve” in those two elections. Additionally, the CA redistricting was expected, and it merely balances out the Rep gains from the redistricting in TX.

That said, in my view the socialist wing of the Dem Party, though a minority in terms of numbers, has taken control of the Party. With few exceptions, such as PA Senator John Fetterman, moderate Dems have become reluctant to speak out lest they face a primary challenge the next time they are up for re-election. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has become a “dead man walking.” As a result, the de facto leaders of the Dem Party are left wingers, such as Bernie Sanders, AOC and Jasmine Crockett. They and their supporters are dragging the Party so far to the left of the mainstream that it will be difficult for it to win the 2028 Presidential Election, but that is the subject of another blog on another day.

Although no one would characterize the US as a “socialist country” in fairness I would be remiss if I failed to denote that the US economy does contain certain elements of socialism, such as social security, Medicare, Medicaid and unemployment insurance. These programs are not perfect, but they are well-established and have served us well. Regardless the US is overwhelmingly a capitalist, free enterprise country.

There has been much speculation of the impact of Zoh’s program prospectively. As I have discussed in recent blogs the conventional wisdom is that, though alluring, most of them are impractical, illegal, and exaggerated, and they won’t work. Already his ill-conceived, ill-advised scheme to have social workers respond to 911 calls has been exposed.

Many people have denoted various examples of socialism’s failure in other countries. Of course, advocates of the program dispute this. However, we have empirical evidence of its failure right here in the US.

Portland, Oregon has a strong socialist history dating back to the early 20th century. Currently, according to articles published in the NY Times and elsewhere the city is run by officials affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, which have majority control of the city council. Their current mantra is that the city has been “run by the rich” for too long, and their aim is to “rectify” that. I assert that their programs mirror those proposed by Mamdani, and their failures present a precursor for NYC under Mamdani.

As we know, the keystones of Mamdani’s campaign is free stuff, such as free buses, frozen rents, defunding the police, and levying higher taxes on businesses and wealthy individuals to pay for it all. The masses drank the Kool-Aide and elected him. So, what will happen next? How will his socialist “utopia” be enacted? What will the results be?

Well, we don’t have to speculate. All we have to do is look at the city of Portland, which as I said has been operating under socialism for many years. According to the NY Post Portland has devolved into the “poster child of urban decay, a smoldering mess of crime, with businesses fleeing and [rampant] homeliness.” It has “defunded and defanged” the police considerably. Large corporations such as Intel have drastically reduced their number of employees. Unemployment is up to 5%. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the US Bancorp Tower, which was formerly one of the most prestigious addresses in the city is now characterized by a 60% rate of vacancies and is infested with vagrants living in the hallways and abandoned offices who “start fires in the stairwells,” take drugs and defecate whenever and wherever they want.

Those people remaining are fed up. In lieu of “equity” and “social justice” they are just interested in providing for their families. According to a recent survey by Public Opinion Strategies 67% of respondents described Portland’s economy as “pretty seriously on the wrong track.” The term “buyers’ remorse” comes to mind.

Conclusion

The horrendous situation in Portland is yet another reminder that socialism does not work. It never has and never will. It may sound good and look good, but eventually the blemishes appear. We don’t have to speculate. Portland is providing empirical evidence. Eventually a socialist government runs out of other people’s money. This is what the people of NYC voted for, and this is what they can expect.

Mamdani has not even been sworn into office, yet policemen, businesses and wealthy taxpayers are leaving. According to Police Pension Fund data 245 police left the force in October, a 35% increase from October 2024. Thanks to the internet one can conduct business remotely. There are a plethora of business-friendly and tax-friendly states to which they can relocate such as Florida, Tennessee, and Texas. Financial firms such as Goldman Sachs have been relocating to South Florida to such an extent that Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Broward counties have been dubbed “Wall Street South.” This trend will only accelerate as time goes on.

The socialist Dems and their supporters should take heed, but they won’t. In the short term they may win some local elections, but eventually the “chickens will come home to roost.”

by Tags: , , , , Leave a comment