I agree with you on this, Thom. There have been two things reliably driving Republicans to the polls in the past 40 years: abortion and immigration. Since SCOTUS gave them control of abortion, they now have only one major reason to pull the lever for trump et al. Should the southern border be closed through 2024, and strong efforts to actually fix border policies be undertaken, Republicans would have to start searching for new voter incentives. I’m sure they’d find something to get that base riled up and ready for a fight. But in the meantime, they might just be happy that things are going their way, and maybe the Democrats aren’t quite as evil as they were led to believe.
The Libertarian party platform of 1980 included Open Borders, and the Kochs and Libertarian party are synonymous. Open Borders because immigrant labor is cheap, and easy to exploit. So much for the Libertarian Rand Paul, and his Libertarian father Ron Paul.
The Venezuelans, and others like even the Sikh’s I ve seen huddled around campfires at the border, haven’t trked a thousand miles,much less transited the danger Darien Gap in Panama. The arrive at the border, fresh, clean, wearing designer clothers, and kids carrying soccer balls and dolls.
They fly into Mexico and bus north.
Thom is correct, there is only so much immigration a country can take, before it’s culture is permanently changed, sometimes for the better, as in America, but in Europe not so much.
The immigration problem facing Europe has little to do with race. Americans are race obsessed because of slavery and the effects of that. Remember we welcomed millions of, even the Irish weren’t welcome, until they lost the Irish brogue.
There is racism behind the American Right’s militancy about migrants, no doubt, but culturally those gathering at the border are cultural allies of the theocratic right. They are patriarchal, hence misogynistic and homophobic and once settled in, tend to vote conservative
There is a world wide culture war. India is an example. People of the same skin color, are constantly at each others throats. The massacre of Gujarat in India, was not over race, it was about culture, Hindu v Muslim, and there is a deep seated hostility twixt the two, which was and is used by the Government of PM Modi, and his BJP (fascist) party, to attain and maintain power.
Even China with it’s persecution of Muslim Uyhers, who will not be assimilated into the Chinese culture.
It isn’t the skin color of European migrants that alarm Europeans, but the culture, European nations are majority Christian, though most tend towards the secular when it comes to laws.
not secular, and it’s laws are incompatible with Democracy or Christianity (And I am an atheist)
There comes a tipping point, said to be 17% when a culture reaches that proportion in a nation or population, that minority culture overwhelms the majority culture.
Those who wish to destroy democracy are using democracy to destroy it. Evident here in the form of the Republican Party, not so evident to Americans who are inoculated, by American exceptionalism, to what is happening in the world
The HAMAS-Israel war, is an example.. it is a culture war, With one culture religiously mandated to destroy the other culture per their sacred text. The Quran and haddiths
Venezuelans. Cubans. Republicans tell them to fight their governments, and later they do and have to "vote" with their feet. When they come here, they are scapegoated for political purposes -- sometimes by their own "people".
Where do I start? I heard DOL visa cases for 20 years. At one time I was on the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals. I was also in the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association and worked on policy. I did not hear deportation cases per se but if an applicant loses an visa appeal they must leave the country.
We have had temporary work visa programs for many years. American employers bring in workers from other countries. When they stay beyond their contract date, they become illegal aliens. Many people from Venezuela and other countries, for that matter come here on a tourist or an educational visa and stay.
I heard debarment penalty cases under several statutes. I have war stories, when I debarred a company for one purpose but it affected all government contracts. Some of the same companies in the "labor pool" business also have contracts with other agencies, i. e. defense or state.
The poster boy for application of employer sanctions against employers for using illegals was Donald J. Trump. Once upon a time, DOJ had 8 judges dedicated to hearing sanction cases. During the Trump administration there was one -- and that judge was assigned other duties.
Trump and similar employers use the temporary program to bring foreign workers to displace US workers. I am not current but a lot of them were Slovenian.
US employers who were displaced to the benefit of illegals can bring a discrimination action. To my knowledge, few, if any of these cases are brought, although there is a shifting fee provision.
This issue has been on the forefront where I live, Miami, for as long as I can remember. Cubans were not wanted, although after 1966 any Cuban who made it to the US could get compensation for a year, a work visa, and other governmental benefits. Other immigrants did not have that status and were jealous.
In the 1980s, one faction would repeat the refrain, "when the last American leaves Miami, please bring the flag."
Thom you have caught onto something much bigger here. Republicans are very good at inventing or expanding problems and then saying they have solutions for them. (The border and immigration issues are problems, so here I am just agreeing with you on how they are being approached.) "Woke" is a ridiculous non-issue, but pushing it as a big threat gets the credulous get stirred up. The same with LGBTQ+ rights, and as was mentioned here abortion and quite a few other issues.
All this is just smart, cynical advertising, a bit like convincing people to spend a lot of money for bottled water when what comes out of their tap is just as safe and healthy--create a need and then fill it.
If we can stop those excited about these issues long enough to define the problems and solutions maybe a few will actually stand back and think rather than react emotionally. And incidentally I didn't see things quite like this until after reading the graphic novel "Berlin." In a scene occurring in 1930 Goebbels tells Hitler, "We create chaos and then offer solutions. The press eats it up." Enough said.
It resonates with a lot of Democrats, also. Maquiladoras manufacturing plants allow companies to capitalize on the less expensive labor force in Mexico and also receive the benefits of doing business in the United States.
Some industries are manned by H1B visa employees, who are legal, albeit temporary foreign workers. I had cases involving physicians, nurses (especially from the Philippines) and other specialties that were subsidized.
I can see how if nothing gets done, the republicans can blame the democrats for not trying to "secure the border" while losing standing in the world for not being able to help allies...and continued dysfunction leading to the need for a "strongman" ruler.
I would be surprised if they could come to any sort of agreement which would seem to be a win for democrats, as it would take away one of the republicans main talking points.
I knew that "open border" propaganda helped create a narrative for some voters, but I had never considered that...hmmm...hmmm...that it was a ploy to actually draw more immigrants to the border to exacerbate the problem. My mind is blown.
I think they are SENDING immigrants to the border. Currently there are more Cubans there than came during the Mariel boatlift. I always ask how an impoverished African, Ukrainian, Cuban get the dinero to get to the Mexican border?
And the clean, fresh, well scrubbed Venezuelans showing up with a whole family of kids, wearing designer clothes and carrying soccer balls and dollies.
No way they traversed the jungles of Colombia, the dangers Darien Gap in Panama, made the 40 mile trip to Panama City and the 1,000 mile trip to the US Border, and show up like that. I have driven the Pan American Hiway, from Texas to Panama, lived there three years, and no way, absolutely no way, would I travel to the Darien Gap, Bandits, extremely poisonous vipers like the fer de lance, peccaries and jaquars. Not to mention hostile natives, and then there is the perpetual rain, mosquito's, humidity, mud and heat.
And then they show up at the border in designer clothes with soccer balls.
What suckers Americans are. And these so called refugees, represent the middle class, who has found that their luxurious living has vanished and now they have to live like the peons they despise/
Clean, fresh, well scrubbed Venezuelans with a whole family of kids, wearing designer clothes and carrying soccer balls and dollies, can avoid the border by being "tourists" or "students." Same with Chinese, Russians, many other groups.
It's a joke, but there's free land in Kansas. Probably in other parts of the country. Populations have shifted from rural to urban areas and there are ghost towns in places like the Dakotas. My idea was to rebuild those areas. Repopulate with middle class Venezuelans, Ukrainians, Cubans, who have work skills, as well as those economic campasino refugees from Central America. etc. The Kochs control most of this territory.... make it Kochland.
You might have missed my comment, Daniel, but in 1980 when David Koch ran for president as head of the Libertarian Party, a major plank in the Libertarian Party was Open Borders, and yep cheap labor.
Populating Montana and the Dakotas with Cubans, Venezuelans and campasino refugees would solve some political problems, but I don't think that they would stay long, too damn cold, and the food they eat doesn't grow or grow well in the climate. Cruciforms yes, tomatoes, peppers and corn no.
Sounds like a plan. Maybe the Governors of Massachusetts and New York, should replane the migrants that DeSantis and Abbott dropped on them and send them to North Dakota, Fargo would be my choice, that or Helena Montana.
In the 1980s White Nationalists as documented in Prof Kathleen Belew's book Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America, decided after the Oklahoma City bombing that they were getting too much attention.
They decided to stop being so overt in their racist rhetoric and instead of saying get rid of Blacks, Mexicans and Jews, they would say that they wanted to protect their country from immigrants. They met with other White Power groups from around the world in the Pacific Northwest and decided that instead of fighting against the government they would enter mainstream politics and once they had their people in they would take over with not an American agenda, but a White Nationalist. They also decided to appear less violent to the many Evangelical Christian Nationalists who did not have militias and co-opt them too. We are seeing the effectiveness of this plan, because they are all lying and trying to hide their real intent, until they get leaders into power that approve their agenda, such as Trump. Every non-White who is going along with this, does not know their history and does not see the big picture. They are just tools for an end that does not make room for them. I have also thought that it might be expedient to go along with Republican rhetoric to get the bill passed, but I am bothered by the people who will be effected by this and by the fact that we will be violating international laws. Just because the EU is doing that does not mean it is the way to go. I think that every country should be taking the bull by the horns and sizing up their manpower shortages (the EU is way worse off than we are), when I am in Germany I live in a city where the population is 50% over the age of 60, and they do not have enough workers. The USA also has a work shortage and there should be programs run by the government to recruit people from countries around the world to fill our employment gaps in all kinds of sectors with a path to citizenship. Let the people at the border who want to fill work vacancies come in, and let us get their paperwork processed fast to fill in jobs. We should not be supporting the Republican plan to put children into dangerous jobs in place of allowing in immigrants. We need new, youthful people to come and make a better life here, by doing things that we have a need for from high skilled work, to low skilled work. I have been of the mind that Democrats could go another route and just start telling the truth some more. Let people know the numbers of vacancies and the numbers of people out of work. Which industries are effected the most. I know we have a shortage of doctors. We also have a shortage of child care workers. Both of these could be filled by people from abroad. Get the message out Democrats. Do not play into the White Nationalists Agenda.
Linda. I live in the Pacific NW, very Pacific NW, it doesn't get more Pacific NW, I also lived in King and Pierce county, and have never seen these white nationalists, do you have any more info on them. I know that Aryan Nations had an en clave outside Cour D'Alene, but they were sued and lost their enclave. However they have bounced back and Idaho is a hot bed of Christian Nationalism, racism, homophobia, misogyny, and bigotry in general
I highly recommend reading Prof Belew's book. She discusses the details. I do not live in the Pacific Northwest. These "White Nationalists" are the people you list. According to this article they are most prevalent in cities.
The link talks about Oregon. I wouldn't consider Oregon to be the Pacific NW. Oregon, outside of Portland, where Thom lives, is Alabama. They even had a law, repealed in the 20th Century, that blacks couldn't buy land.
You should have been more specific. I don't even include eastern Washington as the Northwest, that which lies on the east of the cascades is as right wing as Mississippi, drive over Stephen's pass and you enter another dimension.
Western Washington, perhaps with the exception of Pierce County (home of Joint Base Lewis Mcchord) and Thurston County (timber and lumberjacks) is Democratic, if it weren't for King Co., Snohomish County, San Juan County, and the I-5 corridor, Washington would be red.
Same for Oregon, Portland is blue, the rest of the state, deep, deep red.
The current system is broken, being overrun and is inhumane to migrants. Stopping the overwhelming flow is the humane thing to do. Fox constantly saying that we have open borders has brought massive numbers to our border most of which don't qualify for asylum. The first step to help migration is to stop the flow and make it clear we don't have an open border policy. This is not a compromise it's the right thing to do. Making a deal to fund Ukraine is imperative and should be done as soon as possible. Thank you, Thom, great suggestion and great article!
I think this *could* be a good temporary solution BUT, I would expect the GOP to refuse to pass their own poison-pill bill if Dems supported it. At this point, sadly, the Dems need to play dirty. ‘Everything, everywhere, all at once.’
A man urgently calls his wife and tells her that he needs to take the car and rush his mother to the hospital due to sudden chest pains and shortness of breath.
The wife says, “No, we're not taking the car ANYWHERE until you and I sit down and discuss why the car keeps breaking down.”
Democrats want to assist Ukraine and Israel, and the GOP wants to sit down and discuss their “border crisis.”
I don't know if I can agree with this. I really do not know all that much about politics and these sorts of large-scale issues. But I would expect capitulation to work against our interests and that better immigration policies would not ever materialize. I would rather see us call their bluff and try to work around their obstruction. The American people support aid to Ukraine and Israel and one can hope that there would be many who see the use of the border question as unrelated and an illicit ploy. I do not like giving them anything when they are not acting in good faith. On the other hand, giving Russia any advantage, even briefly, is extremely risky and if Europeans do not take up our slack, Ukraine will be set back significantly. Flip a coin?
That is an accurate assessment if that is what we would be doing. I'm a little reluctant to be absolutist on this, however. Is it capitulation or appeasement if we are recognizing a strategic necessity for what it is and keeping our powder dry for a time when we are better able to take action and clean their clocks? Everything depends on the outcome of the 2024 election, presumably. If Thom doesn't know with any certainty which way we should go, I doubt if anyone can say. My problem is that in the Republican camp, any compromise is seen as appeasement and an opportunity to double down on their obstruction.
I wholeheartedly agree with you Tom, however I am not sure I agree with you for the same reasons. I live in the San Antonio area and the immigration issue is front and center every day whether we want it to be or not. San Antonio is a very blue sanctuary city in a very gerrymandered red state. I live in a small, VERY RED town just north of San Antonio and I am here to tell everyone that "open borders" is the main topic of conversation and is blamed for everything from someone's car being vandalized to someone being the victim of a scam. It doesn't matter the gender or ethnicity of the person blaming "open borders"...people of Hispanic origin complain about "illegals" just as often as white people (very few other ethnicities exist in this area). The Nextdoor app puts all the crazies on display and is my window into what the people at the opposite end of the political spectrum are thinking. It's soul crushing to read, but I think it is a valuable tool to gauge the town and, by comparison, what is going on in numerous other towns just like it across this country. I personally think it wouldn't change a lot of those voters' minds about who to vote for because they are devoted to their cause in a cult-like way, and it has become part of their identity to "own the libs". However, what I think closing the borders would do is stop the flood of people coming illegally across the border and give the Democrats a visible action to address an on-going problem.
I know most people would wonder how a progressive, liberal person can think that the border should be closed. First, let me say that we, as citizens of this country, deserve protected borders. Do I believe, like my governor, that river buoys and razor wire are the answer? Absolutely not, but we need to get the border situation under control. Our governor has politicized this issue instead of seeing it as a humanitarian crisis that affects actual people on both sides of the border. In September 2023 alone, over 20,000 migrants were processed through San Antonio. This year, $48 million was granted to the city of San Antonio from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program National Board to assist migrants. This is not sustainable, nor should it have to be.
We need to have comprehensive immigration reform that also addresses asylum seekers and those fleeing persecution. Congress needs to act immediately and Democrats, especially, need to understand that they are losing voters with the immigration issue in Texas. When there are little old Hispanic ladies and men saying in Spanish that they don't like "open borders", you know something has to be done.
As a side note, I know quite a few Mexicans living here in the US illegally that would love for there to be a program like Bracero (but without crushing employer controls) so that they could travel freely for work and still be able to go home. One family I know hasn't been home to Mexico in over 15 years because they can't risk having to get back into the US if they leave. Their extended family hasn't even met their two youngest children who were born here. They came here for a better life, own a home here, and pay taxes (federal and state) to a country from which they will never be able to get benefits. They are productive members of society and contribute to our economy. Maybe a second round of amnesty might be good way to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch with a comprehensive immigration policy? Reagan, the god of Republicans, liked it enough...
I live in a small town in rural Arizona and I get the same kind of vibes off of these so-called humans. They will give Trump the entire national Treasury and all the military and let him nuke the world if he wants to. Just as long as it affects the more evolved who they in their minds are skating through life with ease. The right wing GOP and their deplorables have no idea how much stress they have caused us. I have reached the point to where, if they want a dictatorship, they deserve a dictatorship! Let them watching horror as Trump sends their children off to war with not enough weapons to defend themselves with like Putin is doing!
I completely understand how you feel, but I also think that the Trump loving crazies are the loudest people in the room. I think there are a lot more reasonable people that aren't screaming from the rooftops, and this is what gives me hope. Even my mother, who is in her 80s, has become more liberal and progressive in her old age and is now what she proudly calls "an independent". I take the small wins where I can find them and try to be hopeful.
Von... You think wrong, or maybe it is hoping and wishful thinking. You seem not to be attuned to the young folk, self indulgent, peer approval seeking, Tik Tokers, They are pissed at Biden for supporting Israel, and threatening to vote for Trump, but sitting out the election or voting third person.
The same for young black males and Hispanics, Each with their own myopic agenda, young blacks are pissed because they didn't get a "play station X" Hispanics are intrinsically conservative, many came from a leftist country, but more importantly are the enemy of Progressives, as the progressive agenda is pro choice, and LGBT friendly.
I am not sure what kind of "young people" you encounter on a daily basis, but based on the fact that you call them "young people" makes me think you are several generations removed from them and might even be wagging your finger at them and telling them to stay off your lawn. The kids I encounter HERE IN TEXAS are either the product of their parents and choose to parrot what they hear (mostly uneducated with no self-awareness), or they are thoughtful, liberal, educated kids that realize what is at stake when they are voting. They are definitely not their parents, which is a very good thing for this state and the country as a whole. They have compassion for others and are openly accepting of differences with little tolerance for bigotry or injustice of any kind. No one in South Texas is talking about Israel unless they are evangelicals who believe that the war is evidence of the beginning of the "end times". The kids I talk to are more pissed about Congress not easing the burden of student loans, with some of the blame misplaced on Biden. Texas is not the east coast and the area I live in is a majority minority city, so you can tell me how wrong I am all you want but it doesn't change what I see and hear every day IN TEXAS (what my comments centered on). Most people of Hispanic decent vote Democrat and those that don't are usually middle to upper class males who are voting like their white male counterparts. Ever heard of La Raza Unida? Its legacy still lives on in San Antonio and South Texas.
Then there is the crowd of "Free Palestine from the River to the Sea" crowd, who won't vote for Biden because of Israel. And there are the young blackmales who are pissed at Democrats because they haven't got everything they demand, and the Hispanics that are voting for Trump
And the conservative right wing Hispanics are legion. I can mention Joe Arpaio, Nick Fuentes
Enrigue Tarrio, and almost the entire Hispanic population of Florida.
And of course those with student loans placing the blame on Biden.
From what you say, I assume you live in Houston, the bright light in a dark state.
So things are different there, a haven of liberalism in a bigoted state.
El padre de mi bisnieto es hijo de inmigrantes mexicanos, también tiene un doctorado en programación, tiene la suerte de que su familia vive en Arizona.
Latin Americans, are Catholics, Evangelicals, Pentecostalists, and as such natural allies of the right wing. Letting them in would be a boon to the right wing, they would bolster their numbers, they do jobs that lazy Americans feel won't do, and the only reason they object to immigrants is that they have brown skins and speak a language that lazy ass Americans won't learn, but they sure love their food or at least Tex Mex food, not real Mexican food
Mexican and Italian food is to Americans what Indian cuisine is to the Brtis and Scots.
The Republicans have created a no win situation. IMO they would like Putin to win, Ukraine to lose, and a giant wall on the border. Why not give them their stupid wall (call it a preliminary step) that will be prove to be a total failure, in exchange for their vote to save Ukraine? Walls can always be removed later.
Biden's handling of the migrant situation is almost identical to that of Trump's. In fact, Biden expanded Trump's Title 42 twice and has deported more Haitians and Venezualans in three years than Trump did his entire term. Here in Chicago Biden's administration is sending zero funds to help the city cope with thousands of migrants bussed up here by sickos like Abbott, but by not having adequate resources it fulfills the Republican narrative of Democrats only saying they care about immigrants. And not to worry Biden will always cave for war as he has sold more weapons around the world than any prior president and upholds the imperialist mantra of more weapons and more war as a conduit to peace. His complicity in another genocide should tell us all we need to know about Genocide Joe. And please don't tell me he is trying to stop it. He is merely straddling the line politically while going behind the back of Congress to supply Netanyahu with more munitions. What a sick country we are and how you have fallen from progressive grace.
There yo go again Boris. Clever Putinist thou are.
You start out with immigration then transition to Biden, "genocide" and Putin, obtusely via Netanyahu and Israel.
If there is any genocide here it is Putin's genocidal war on Ukraine,and HAMAS genocidal war on Israel
Proof, from the HAMAS Covenant. The Preamble:
Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it" (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory).
Article 7, para 7. Word from word from the sacred literature of Islam, sahih 1295 and 1296, Book 56 , hadith 139 al Bukhari
"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem).
Take your Putinist obfuscation and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.
Religion has been the greatest motivator of killing on the planet. Genocide is somehow acceptable if a government or religious faction decides it is superior to another government or religious faction. Religious beliefs are the root of much evil and have been for many centuries.
Not just genocide, but wholesale repression, torture and murder. Be it Muslim or Christian or Hindu. I have yet to see in evidence of Judaism, torturing people, slaughtering them because they weren't Jewish or even secular Jews. Same with Buddhists.
I can't say that for Christianity, Islam or Hindu's
Hello Barry. Yes I see the same things as you if the Dems had made money available and work permits for those immigrants which were shipped to City's all would be OK But it didn't happen.
Massive amounts of money for war...the hypocrisy is disgusting.
Hi Jenny thanks for your comment. It is reassuring there are still some who see through the hypocrisy of both parties. Why hasn't Biden taken action to allow these migrants to work? We have families sitting outside everywhere in Chicago in a Democratic Party run city and state. Always money for the war, never money for the poor.
Reassuring to me too Barry but I feel the 'immigrantdisinformation' campaign has got through especially to white people. I too am white but frankly I have never ever had a problem with skin colour. I was born in Sri Lanka in 1949 loved the people and I can honestly say most of them were better than most of the white colonialists.
I feel so helpless. Have been working very hard here in France against our right wing (Le Pen) Mayor. Have lots of friends doing what we can to stop his repressive tactics. Managed to get school meals reinstated for the Muslim and Jewish people with Kosher foods etc. Small victory and it feels good.
Same here, working at the local level to pair up migrants with shelters and families who are willing to offer temporary housing. Also encouraging to see there are many at the grassroots level willing to help, but as you are seeing in France as in the US repression of those who speak against imperialism and war is growing on the right and here in the US on the left.
Not sure what you are saying Barry......the left here in Europe is not really being suppressed it was at the beginning but things are changing fast. I think too many people have been watching this genocide in Israel play out and are horrified. Macron started out banning anti-Israeli marches but since then there have been zillions of protests. The power is with the people like you who work to change things. I believe there is a HUGE change coming, hopefully we the people can keep fighting.
Barry by the way you have no 'left' in the US
You have 2 party's one is right wing and the other is Facist.
you are correct, that's sort of where I'm coming from. As you might notice from certain responses I get here, the left is McCarthyist, Zionist and imperialist, so if I discuss Ukraine in any historical context, I'm working for Putin (Thom Hartmann himself shouted me off his show for being a "Putin apologist"). If you call Biden Genocide Joe, you are anti-Semitic. And so on. Not so in France at this point I hope!
How do you say Hail Putin? The dude is wasting lives, Russian and Ukrainian and spending billions on a war of genocide, and yet you and Boris have nothing to day, except to dig on Biden and America, when the worst actor in the world is Putin.
Jan if your question is directed at Barry and Jenny, the solution is simple. Withdraw support from Ukraine and let Putin finish the job of genocide, when he rests and recovers then he can attack the Baltic countries, Poland, Rumania, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and finish Stalin's job, by using social media and propaganda to demoralize the west.
I remember the years when Bill Clinton agreed with every Republican campaign issue. He was a very eloquent speaker which made it appear that he was the policy originator. He dissolved every a Republican issue. Clinton reformed the welfare system. Clinton abolished banking regulations. Clinton made it possible for industries to move jobs to foreign countries and cut their labor costs. Clinton was a neoliberal on foreign policies. Of course this left little or no difference between the parties and Clinton was easily re-elected. As a liberal Democratic I never liked Clinton. He was good at getting elected. Going along with a tough immigration policy smacks me as Clinton like, but I support if it if prevents Trump from winning a second term.
Clinton the "Triangulator." I still wonder why Ross Perot doesn't get more credit for "...the giant sucking sound!" My husband and I, flooded with progressive media, were still shocked at how fast NAFTA and GATT were suddenly the main thing on the menu. But wait: here comes Obama with Larry Summers and Tim Geithner; Goldman Sachs Tweedle-Dum and Dee. I am not an optimist.
I agree. I live in the Andy Biggs state and that's the only thing he talks about. We can publicize the good things that Biden does on every corner of the world but the people that watch Faux entertainment won't care. They will listen to Andy and others. It's time to do this, for the sake of Ukraine.
How many commuters cross that border for work daily?
The crossing at Lukeville has been closed since December 5. Businesses are failing.
"Bernadette Nez, the general manager of the Why Not Travel Store in Why, Arizona, 20 miles north of the crossing, said she used to see over 100 customers a day. Now she’s lucky if 15 people come to the store or buy gas.
“"Our sales had dropped down dramatically. Last week we made $5,000, which is what we usually would make in an eight-hour shift,” Nez said. “We had to cut hours for some of the employees as well. If this continues, we’ll have to cut down the days that we are open. That impacts your staff right around the holidays.”
"A server in a nearby taco shop spoke with tears in her eyes as she talked about her fears that the store may have to close and she won’t be able to see her mother in Mexico for Christmas. Getting to her mother’s house, normally a 25-minute drive, could take seven hours if she has to use a different crossing, she said, and she’s worried about affording gas and presents.
"Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, wrote President Joe Biden on Dec. 8, saying that “the federal government must act immediately to solve the unmitigated crisis caused by the Lukeville Port of Entry closure.” She suggested that National Guard members who are currently on federal active duty could be reassigned to help CBP so it would have the manpower to reopen the crossing."
I agree with you on this, Thom. There have been two things reliably driving Republicans to the polls in the past 40 years: abortion and immigration. Since SCOTUS gave them control of abortion, they now have only one major reason to pull the lever for trump et al. Should the southern border be closed through 2024, and strong efforts to actually fix border policies be undertaken, Republicans would have to start searching for new voter incentives. I’m sure they’d find something to get that base riled up and ready for a fight. But in the meantime, they might just be happy that things are going their way, and maybe the Democrats aren’t quite as evil as they were led to believe.
I second the motion. The motion is on the floor. All in favor say "Aye".
The Libertarian party platform of 1980 included Open Borders, and the Kochs and Libertarian party are synonymous. Open Borders because immigrant labor is cheap, and easy to exploit. So much for the Libertarian Rand Paul, and his Libertarian father Ron Paul.
The Venezuelans, and others like even the Sikh’s I ve seen huddled around campfires at the border, haven’t trked a thousand miles,much less transited the danger Darien Gap in Panama. The arrive at the border, fresh, clean, wearing designer clothers, and kids carrying soccer balls and dolls.
They fly into Mexico and bus north.
Thom is correct, there is only so much immigration a country can take, before it’s culture is permanently changed, sometimes for the better, as in America, but in Europe not so much.
The immigration problem facing Europe has little to do with race. Americans are race obsessed because of slavery and the effects of that. Remember we welcomed millions of, even the Irish weren’t welcome, until they lost the Irish brogue.
There is racism behind the American Right’s militancy about migrants, no doubt, but culturally those gathering at the border are cultural allies of the theocratic right. They are patriarchal, hence misogynistic and homophobic and once settled in, tend to vote conservative
There is a world wide culture war. India is an example. People of the same skin color, are constantly at each others throats. The massacre of Gujarat in India, was not over race, it was about culture, Hindu v Muslim, and there is a deep seated hostility twixt the two, which was and is used by the Government of PM Modi, and his BJP (fascist) party, to attain and maintain power.
Even China with it’s persecution of Muslim Uyhers, who will not be assimilated into the Chinese culture.
It isn’t the skin color of European migrants that alarm Europeans, but the culture, European nations are majority Christian, though most tend towards the secular when it comes to laws.
not secular, and it’s laws are incompatible with Democracy or Christianity (And I am an atheist)
Christianity in Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Europe
There comes a tipping point, said to be 17% when a culture reaches that proportion in a nation or population, that minority culture overwhelms the majority culture.
Those who wish to destroy democracy are using democracy to destroy it. Evident here in the form of the Republican Party, not so evident to Americans who are inoculated, by American exceptionalism, to what is happening in the world
The HAMAS-Israel war, is an example.. it is a culture war, With one culture religiously mandated to destroy the other culture per their sacred text. The Quran and haddiths
Venezuelans. Cubans. Republicans tell them to fight their governments, and later they do and have to "vote" with their feet. When they come here, they are scapegoated for political purposes -- sometimes by their own "people".
Where do I start? I heard DOL visa cases for 20 years. At one time I was on the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals. I was also in the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association and worked on policy. I did not hear deportation cases per se but if an applicant loses an visa appeal they must leave the country.
We have had temporary work visa programs for many years. American employers bring in workers from other countries. When they stay beyond their contract date, they become illegal aliens. Many people from Venezuela and other countries, for that matter come here on a tourist or an educational visa and stay.
IMHO the antidote for illegal immigration is employer sanctions. https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/legal-requirements-and-enforcement/penalties
There is concurrent jurisdiction and employers can be exposed to both criminal and civil sanctions. https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-1908-unlawful-employment-aliens-criminal-penalties#:~:text=Subsection%201324a(f)%20provides%20that,for%20the%20entire%20pattern%20or
I heard debarment penalty cases under several statutes. I have war stories, when I debarred a company for one purpose but it affected all government contracts. Some of the same companies in the "labor pool" business also have contracts with other agencies, i. e. defense or state.
The poster boy for application of employer sanctions against employers for using illegals was Donald J. Trump. Once upon a time, DOJ had 8 judges dedicated to hearing sanction cases. During the Trump administration there was one -- and that judge was assigned other duties.
Trump and similar employers use the temporary program to bring foreign workers to displace US workers. I am not current but a lot of them were Slovenian.
US employers who were displaced to the benefit of illegals can bring a discrimination action. To my knowledge, few, if any of these cases are brought, although there is a shifting fee provision.
This issue has been on the forefront where I live, Miami, for as long as I can remember. Cubans were not wanted, although after 1966 any Cuban who made it to the US could get compensation for a year, a work visa, and other governmental benefits. Other immigrants did not have that status and were jealous.
In the 1980s, one faction would repeat the refrain, "when the last American leaves Miami, please bring the flag."
Thom you have caught onto something much bigger here. Republicans are very good at inventing or expanding problems and then saying they have solutions for them. (The border and immigration issues are problems, so here I am just agreeing with you on how they are being approached.) "Woke" is a ridiculous non-issue, but pushing it as a big threat gets the credulous get stirred up. The same with LGBTQ+ rights, and as was mentioned here abortion and quite a few other issues.
All this is just smart, cynical advertising, a bit like convincing people to spend a lot of money for bottled water when what comes out of their tap is just as safe and healthy--create a need and then fill it.
If we can stop those excited about these issues long enough to define the problems and solutions maybe a few will actually stand back and think rather than react emotionally. And incidentally I didn't see things quite like this until after reading the graphic novel "Berlin." In a scene occurring in 1930 Goebbels tells Hitler, "We create chaos and then offer solutions. The press eats it up." Enough said.
It resonates with a lot of Democrats, also. Maquiladoras manufacturing plants allow companies to capitalize on the less expensive labor force in Mexico and also receive the benefits of doing business in the United States.
Some industries are manned by H1B visa employees, who are legal, albeit temporary foreign workers. I had cases involving physicians, nurses (especially from the Philippines) and other specialties that were subsidized.
I can see how if nothing gets done, the republicans can blame the democrats for not trying to "secure the border" while losing standing in the world for not being able to help allies...and continued dysfunction leading to the need for a "strongman" ruler.
I would be surprised if they could come to any sort of agreement which would seem to be a win for democrats, as it would take away one of the republicans main talking points.
I knew that "open border" propaganda helped create a narrative for some voters, but I had never considered that...hmmm...hmmm...that it was a ploy to actually draw more immigrants to the border to exacerbate the problem. My mind is blown.
I think they are SENDING immigrants to the border. Currently there are more Cubans there than came during the Mariel boatlift. I always ask how an impoverished African, Ukrainian, Cuban get the dinero to get to the Mexican border?
And the clean, fresh, well scrubbed Venezuelans showing up with a whole family of kids, wearing designer clothes and carrying soccer balls and dollies.
No way they traversed the jungles of Colombia, the dangers Darien Gap in Panama, made the 40 mile trip to Panama City and the 1,000 mile trip to the US Border, and show up like that. I have driven the Pan American Hiway, from Texas to Panama, lived there three years, and no way, absolutely no way, would I travel to the Darien Gap, Bandits, extremely poisonous vipers like the fer de lance, peccaries and jaquars. Not to mention hostile natives, and then there is the perpetual rain, mosquito's, humidity, mud and heat.
And then they show up at the border in designer clothes with soccer balls.
What suckers Americans are. And these so called refugees, represent the middle class, who has found that their luxurious living has vanished and now they have to live like the peons they despise/
Clean, fresh, well scrubbed Venezuelans with a whole family of kids, wearing designer clothes and carrying soccer balls and dollies, can avoid the border by being "tourists" or "students." Same with Chinese, Russians, many other groups.
The irony, at least for me, is that the Kochs and other "libertarians" have benefitted from illegals. We had many cases where big companies were charged with using illegal labor.... The most famous was when Trump used Polish workers on his job sites. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/donald-says-controversy-over-his-tower-was-trumped-n397821
It's a joke, but there's free land in Kansas. Probably in other parts of the country. Populations have shifted from rural to urban areas and there are ghost towns in places like the Dakotas. My idea was to rebuild those areas. Repopulate with middle class Venezuelans, Ukrainians, Cubans, who have work skills, as well as those economic campasino refugees from Central America. etc. The Kochs control most of this territory.... make it Kochland.
You might have missed my comment, Daniel, but in 1980 when David Koch ran for president as head of the Libertarian Party, a major plank in the Libertarian Party was Open Borders, and yep cheap labor.
Populating Montana and the Dakotas with Cubans, Venezuelans and campasino refugees would solve some political problems, but I don't think that they would stay long, too damn cold, and the food they eat doesn't grow or grow well in the climate. Cruciforms yes, tomatoes, peppers and corn no.
Choose. North Dakota or deportation?
Sounds like a plan. Maybe the Governors of Massachusetts and New York, should replane the migrants that DeSantis and Abbott dropped on them and send them to North Dakota, Fargo would be my choice, that or Helena Montana.
In the 1980s White Nationalists as documented in Prof Kathleen Belew's book Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America, decided after the Oklahoma City bombing that they were getting too much attention.
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674286078
Their goal was to create a White Nation and White Global Government, as followers of the White Supremacist treatise The Turner Diaries.
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2004/turner-diaries-other-racist-novels-inspire-extremist-violence
They decided to stop being so overt in their racist rhetoric and instead of saying get rid of Blacks, Mexicans and Jews, they would say that they wanted to protect their country from immigrants. They met with other White Power groups from around the world in the Pacific Northwest and decided that instead of fighting against the government they would enter mainstream politics and once they had their people in they would take over with not an American agenda, but a White Nationalist. They also decided to appear less violent to the many Evangelical Christian Nationalists who did not have militias and co-opt them too. We are seeing the effectiveness of this plan, because they are all lying and trying to hide their real intent, until they get leaders into power that approve their agenda, such as Trump. Every non-White who is going along with this, does not know their history and does not see the big picture. They are just tools for an end that does not make room for them. I have also thought that it might be expedient to go along with Republican rhetoric to get the bill passed, but I am bothered by the people who will be effected by this and by the fact that we will be violating international laws. Just because the EU is doing that does not mean it is the way to go. I think that every country should be taking the bull by the horns and sizing up their manpower shortages (the EU is way worse off than we are), when I am in Germany I live in a city where the population is 50% over the age of 60, and they do not have enough workers. The USA also has a work shortage and there should be programs run by the government to recruit people from countries around the world to fill our employment gaps in all kinds of sectors with a path to citizenship. Let the people at the border who want to fill work vacancies come in, and let us get their paperwork processed fast to fill in jobs. We should not be supporting the Republican plan to put children into dangerous jobs in place of allowing in immigrants. We need new, youthful people to come and make a better life here, by doing things that we have a need for from high skilled work, to low skilled work. I have been of the mind that Democrats could go another route and just start telling the truth some more. Let people know the numbers of vacancies and the numbers of people out of work. Which industries are effected the most. I know we have a shortage of doctors. We also have a shortage of child care workers. Both of these could be filled by people from abroad. Get the message out Democrats. Do not play into the White Nationalists Agenda.
Linda. I live in the Pacific NW, very Pacific NW, it doesn't get more Pacific NW, I also lived in King and Pierce county, and have never seen these white nationalists, do you have any more info on them. I know that Aryan Nations had an en clave outside Cour D'Alene, but they were sued and lost their enclave. However they have bounced back and Idaho is a hot bed of Christian Nationalism, racism, homophobia, misogyny, and bigotry in general
I highly recommend reading Prof Belew's book. She discusses the details. I do not live in the Pacific Northwest. These "White Nationalists" are the people you list. According to this article they are most prevalent in cities.
https://www.kuow.org/stories/why-there-are-so-many-white-supremacists-in-the-northwest
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/08/07/new-network-pacific-northwest-hate-groups-targets-smaller-pride-festivals/
There are white supremacist towns in places like Pennsylvania, Arkansas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses,_Pennsylvania
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=great-day-works
The link talks about Oregon. I wouldn't consider Oregon to be the Pacific NW. Oregon, outside of Portland, where Thom lives, is Alabama. They even had a law, repealed in the 20th Century, that blacks couldn't buy land.
Oregon is the second most north of the most west contiguous states. Or do you only consider Washington the Northwest?
You should have been more specific. I don't even include eastern Washington as the Northwest, that which lies on the east of the cascades is as right wing as Mississippi, drive over Stephen's pass and you enter another dimension.
Western Washington, perhaps with the exception of Pierce County (home of Joint Base Lewis Mcchord) and Thurston County (timber and lumberjacks) is Democratic, if it weren't for King Co., Snohomish County, San Juan County, and the I-5 corridor, Washington would be red.
Same for Oregon, Portland is blue, the rest of the state, deep, deep red.
Great article Thom!
The current system is broken, being overrun and is inhumane to migrants. Stopping the overwhelming flow is the humane thing to do. Fox constantly saying that we have open borders has brought massive numbers to our border most of which don't qualify for asylum. The first step to help migration is to stop the flow and make it clear we don't have an open border policy. This is not a compromise it's the right thing to do. Making a deal to fund Ukraine is imperative and should be done as soon as possible. Thank you, Thom, great suggestion and great article!
I think this *could* be a good temporary solution BUT, I would expect the GOP to refuse to pass their own poison-pill bill if Dems supported it. At this point, sadly, the Dems need to play dirty. ‘Everything, everywhere, all at once.’
A man urgently calls his wife and tells her that he needs to take the car and rush his mother to the hospital due to sudden chest pains and shortness of breath.
The wife says, “No, we're not taking the car ANYWHERE until you and I sit down and discuss why the car keeps breaking down.”
Democrats want to assist Ukraine and Israel, and the GOP wants to sit down and discuss their “border crisis.”
I don't know if I can agree with this. I really do not know all that much about politics and these sorts of large-scale issues. But I would expect capitulation to work against our interests and that better immigration policies would not ever materialize. I would rather see us call their bluff and try to work around their obstruction. The American people support aid to Ukraine and Israel and one can hope that there would be many who see the use of the border question as unrelated and an illicit ploy. I do not like giving them anything when they are not acting in good faith. On the other hand, giving Russia any advantage, even briefly, is extremely risky and if Europeans do not take up our slack, Ukraine will be set back significantly. Flip a coin?
"Capitulation" is a good word! I posted "appeasement." We are in harmony that no good ever comes of it!
That is an accurate assessment if that is what we would be doing. I'm a little reluctant to be absolutist on this, however. Is it capitulation or appeasement if we are recognizing a strategic necessity for what it is and keeping our powder dry for a time when we are better able to take action and clean their clocks? Everything depends on the outcome of the 2024 election, presumably. If Thom doesn't know with any certainty which way we should go, I doubt if anyone can say. My problem is that in the Republican camp, any compromise is seen as appeasement and an opportunity to double down on their obstruction.
I wholeheartedly agree with you Tom, however I am not sure I agree with you for the same reasons. I live in the San Antonio area and the immigration issue is front and center every day whether we want it to be or not. San Antonio is a very blue sanctuary city in a very gerrymandered red state. I live in a small, VERY RED town just north of San Antonio and I am here to tell everyone that "open borders" is the main topic of conversation and is blamed for everything from someone's car being vandalized to someone being the victim of a scam. It doesn't matter the gender or ethnicity of the person blaming "open borders"...people of Hispanic origin complain about "illegals" just as often as white people (very few other ethnicities exist in this area). The Nextdoor app puts all the crazies on display and is my window into what the people at the opposite end of the political spectrum are thinking. It's soul crushing to read, but I think it is a valuable tool to gauge the town and, by comparison, what is going on in numerous other towns just like it across this country. I personally think it wouldn't change a lot of those voters' minds about who to vote for because they are devoted to their cause in a cult-like way, and it has become part of their identity to "own the libs". However, what I think closing the borders would do is stop the flood of people coming illegally across the border and give the Democrats a visible action to address an on-going problem.
I know most people would wonder how a progressive, liberal person can think that the border should be closed. First, let me say that we, as citizens of this country, deserve protected borders. Do I believe, like my governor, that river buoys and razor wire are the answer? Absolutely not, but we need to get the border situation under control. Our governor has politicized this issue instead of seeing it as a humanitarian crisis that affects actual people on both sides of the border. In September 2023 alone, over 20,000 migrants were processed through San Antonio. This year, $48 million was granted to the city of San Antonio from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program National Board to assist migrants. This is not sustainable, nor should it have to be.
We need to have comprehensive immigration reform that also addresses asylum seekers and those fleeing persecution. Congress needs to act immediately and Democrats, especially, need to understand that they are losing voters with the immigration issue in Texas. When there are little old Hispanic ladies and men saying in Spanish that they don't like "open borders", you know something has to be done.
As a side note, I know quite a few Mexicans living here in the US illegally that would love for there to be a program like Bracero (but without crushing employer controls) so that they could travel freely for work and still be able to go home. One family I know hasn't been home to Mexico in over 15 years because they can't risk having to get back into the US if they leave. Their extended family hasn't even met their two youngest children who were born here. They came here for a better life, own a home here, and pay taxes (federal and state) to a country from which they will never be able to get benefits. They are productive members of society and contribute to our economy. Maybe a second round of amnesty might be good way to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch with a comprehensive immigration policy? Reagan, the god of Republicans, liked it enough...
I live in a small town in rural Arizona and I get the same kind of vibes off of these so-called humans. They will give Trump the entire national Treasury and all the military and let him nuke the world if he wants to. Just as long as it affects the more evolved who they in their minds are skating through life with ease. The right wing GOP and their deplorables have no idea how much stress they have caused us. I have reached the point to where, if they want a dictatorship, they deserve a dictatorship! Let them watching horror as Trump sends their children off to war with not enough weapons to defend themselves with like Putin is doing!
I completely understand how you feel, but I also think that the Trump loving crazies are the loudest people in the room. I think there are a lot more reasonable people that aren't screaming from the rooftops, and this is what gives me hope. Even my mother, who is in her 80s, has become more liberal and progressive in her old age and is now what she proudly calls "an independent". I take the small wins where I can find them and try to be hopeful.
Von... You think wrong, or maybe it is hoping and wishful thinking. You seem not to be attuned to the young folk, self indulgent, peer approval seeking, Tik Tokers, They are pissed at Biden for supporting Israel, and threatening to vote for Trump, but sitting out the election or voting third person.
The same for young black males and Hispanics, Each with their own myopic agenda, young blacks are pissed because they didn't get a "play station X" Hispanics are intrinsically conservative, many came from a leftist country, but more importantly are the enemy of Progressives, as the progressive agenda is pro choice, and LGBT friendly.
I am not sure what kind of "young people" you encounter on a daily basis, but based on the fact that you call them "young people" makes me think you are several generations removed from them and might even be wagging your finger at them and telling them to stay off your lawn. The kids I encounter HERE IN TEXAS are either the product of their parents and choose to parrot what they hear (mostly uneducated with no self-awareness), or they are thoughtful, liberal, educated kids that realize what is at stake when they are voting. They are definitely not their parents, which is a very good thing for this state and the country as a whole. They have compassion for others and are openly accepting of differences with little tolerance for bigotry or injustice of any kind. No one in South Texas is talking about Israel unless they are evangelicals who believe that the war is evidence of the beginning of the "end times". The kids I talk to are more pissed about Congress not easing the burden of student loans, with some of the blame misplaced on Biden. Texas is not the east coast and the area I live in is a majority minority city, so you can tell me how wrong I am all you want but it doesn't change what I see and hear every day IN TEXAS (what my comments centered on). Most people of Hispanic decent vote Democrat and those that don't are usually middle to upper class males who are voting like their white male counterparts. Ever heard of La Raza Unida? Its legacy still lives on in San Antonio and South Texas.
Then there is the crowd of "Free Palestine from the River to the Sea" crowd, who won't vote for Biden because of Israel. And there are the young blackmales who are pissed at Democrats because they haven't got everything they demand, and the Hispanics that are voting for Trump
And the conservative right wing Hispanics are legion. I can mention Joe Arpaio, Nick Fuentes
Enrigue Tarrio, and almost the entire Hispanic population of Florida.
And of course those with student loans placing the blame on Biden.
From what you say, I assume you live in Houston, the bright light in a dark state.
So things are different there, a haven of liberalism in a bigoted state.
El padre de mi bisnieto es hijo de inmigrantes mexicanos, también tiene un doctorado en programación, tiene la suerte de que su familia vive en Arizona.
Latin Americans, are Catholics, Evangelicals, Pentecostalists, and as such natural allies of the right wing. Letting them in would be a boon to the right wing, they would bolster their numbers, they do jobs that lazy Americans feel won't do, and the only reason they object to immigrants is that they have brown skins and speak a language that lazy ass Americans won't learn, but they sure love their food or at least Tex Mex food, not real Mexican food
Mexican and Italian food is to Americans what Indian cuisine is to the Brtis and Scots.
We really have to do this. I believe this will be a win-win for democracy.
USA is NOT a democracy!
What is it then? An authoritarian fascist nation? A theocracy?
Why do you hate America so much, and why don't you answer my question about France and it's ongoing colonialism and imperialism of Africa.
How about the fascism and imperialism of Russia, and the fascism of Hungary which is a lot closer to you than America?
The Republicans have created a no win situation. IMO they would like Putin to win, Ukraine to lose, and a giant wall on the border. Why not give them their stupid wall (call it a preliminary step) that will be prove to be a total failure, in exchange for their vote to save Ukraine? Walls can always be removed later.
Biden's handling of the migrant situation is almost identical to that of Trump's. In fact, Biden expanded Trump's Title 42 twice and has deported more Haitians and Venezualans in three years than Trump did his entire term. Here in Chicago Biden's administration is sending zero funds to help the city cope with thousands of migrants bussed up here by sickos like Abbott, but by not having adequate resources it fulfills the Republican narrative of Democrats only saying they care about immigrants. And not to worry Biden will always cave for war as he has sold more weapons around the world than any prior president and upholds the imperialist mantra of more weapons and more war as a conduit to peace. His complicity in another genocide should tell us all we need to know about Genocide Joe. And please don't tell me he is trying to stop it. He is merely straddling the line politically while going behind the back of Congress to supply Netanyahu with more munitions. What a sick country we are and how you have fallen from progressive grace.
There yo go again Boris. Clever Putinist thou are.
You start out with immigration then transition to Biden, "genocide" and Putin, obtusely via Netanyahu and Israel.
If there is any genocide here it is Putin's genocidal war on Ukraine,and HAMAS genocidal war on Israel
Proof, from the HAMAS Covenant. The Preamble:
Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it" (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory).
Article 7, para 7. Word from word from the sacred literature of Islam, sahih 1295 and 1296, Book 56 , hadith 139 al Bukhari
"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem).
Take your Putinist obfuscation and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.
Religion has been the greatest motivator of killing on the planet. Genocide is somehow acceptable if a government or religious faction decides it is superior to another government or religious faction. Religious beliefs are the root of much evil and have been for many centuries.
Yes Kathleen Correct you are.
Not just genocide, but wholesale repression, torture and murder. Be it Muslim or Christian or Hindu. I have yet to see in evidence of Judaism, torturing people, slaughtering them because they weren't Jewish or even secular Jews. Same with Buddhists.
I can't say that for Christianity, Islam or Hindu's
Hello Barry. Yes I see the same things as you if the Dems had made money available and work permits for those immigrants which were shipped to City's all would be OK But it didn't happen.
Massive amounts of money for war...the hypocrisy is disgusting.
Hi Jenny thanks for your comment. It is reassuring there are still some who see through the hypocrisy of both parties. Why hasn't Biden taken action to allow these migrants to work? We have families sitting outside everywhere in Chicago in a Democratic Party run city and state. Always money for the war, never money for the poor.
Reassuring to me too Barry but I feel the 'immigrantdisinformation' campaign has got through especially to white people. I too am white but frankly I have never ever had a problem with skin colour. I was born in Sri Lanka in 1949 loved the people and I can honestly say most of them were better than most of the white colonialists.
I feel so helpless. Have been working very hard here in France against our right wing (Le Pen) Mayor. Have lots of friends doing what we can to stop his repressive tactics. Managed to get school meals reinstated for the Muslim and Jewish people with Kosher foods etc. Small victory and it feels good.
Same here, working at the local level to pair up migrants with shelters and families who are willing to offer temporary housing. Also encouraging to see there are many at the grassroots level willing to help, but as you are seeing in France as in the US repression of those who speak against imperialism and war is growing on the right and here in the US on the left.
Not sure what you are saying Barry......the left here in Europe is not really being suppressed it was at the beginning but things are changing fast. I think too many people have been watching this genocide in Israel play out and are horrified. Macron started out banning anti-Israeli marches but since then there have been zillions of protests. The power is with the people like you who work to change things. I believe there is a HUGE change coming, hopefully we the people can keep fighting.
Barry by the way you have no 'left' in the US
You have 2 party's one is right wing and the other is Facist.
you are correct, that's sort of where I'm coming from. As you might notice from certain responses I get here, the left is McCarthyist, Zionist and imperialist, so if I discuss Ukraine in any historical context, I'm working for Putin (Thom Hartmann himself shouted me off his show for being a "Putin apologist"). If you call Biden Genocide Joe, you are anti-Semitic. And so on. Not so in France at this point I hope!
Boris, why don't you spend as much time exposing the war mongering, genocide of Putin as you do Biden and America?
Putin's Puppet, along with your tag team partner Jenny?
How do you say Hail Putin? The dude is wasting lives, Russian and Ukrainian and spending billions on a war of genocide, and yet you and Boris have nothing to day, except to dig on Biden and America, when the worst actor in the world is Putin.
So what’s your solution?
Jan if your question is directed at Barry and Jenny, the solution is simple. Withdraw support from Ukraine and let Putin finish the job of genocide, when he rests and recovers then he can attack the Baltic countries, Poland, Rumania, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and finish Stalin's job, by using social media and propaganda to demoralize the west.
Only problem is they wouldn't play it straight to fix anything and more would suffer
I remember the years when Bill Clinton agreed with every Republican campaign issue. He was a very eloquent speaker which made it appear that he was the policy originator. He dissolved every a Republican issue. Clinton reformed the welfare system. Clinton abolished banking regulations. Clinton made it possible for industries to move jobs to foreign countries and cut their labor costs. Clinton was a neoliberal on foreign policies. Of course this left little or no difference between the parties and Clinton was easily re-elected. As a liberal Democratic I never liked Clinton. He was good at getting elected. Going along with a tough immigration policy smacks me as Clinton like, but I support if it if prevents Trump from winning a second term.
Clinton the "Triangulator." I still wonder why Ross Perot doesn't get more credit for "...the giant sucking sound!" My husband and I, flooded with progressive media, were still shocked at how fast NAFTA and GATT were suddenly the main thing on the menu. But wait: here comes Obama with Larry Summers and Tim Geithner; Goldman Sachs Tweedle-Dum and Dee. I am not an optimist.
I agree. I live in the Andy Biggs state and that's the only thing he talks about. We can publicize the good things that Biden does on every corner of the world but the people that watch Faux entertainment won't care. They will listen to Andy and others. It's time to do this, for the sake of Ukraine.
Nine Arizona Mexico border crossings. https://www.mexpro.com/blog/cross-u-s-mexican-border-arizona/
How many commuters cross that border for work daily?
The crossing at Lukeville has been closed since December 5. Businesses are failing.
"Bernadette Nez, the general manager of the Why Not Travel Store in Why, Arizona, 20 miles north of the crossing, said she used to see over 100 customers a day. Now she’s lucky if 15 people come to the store or buy gas.
“"Our sales had dropped down dramatically. Last week we made $5,000, which is what we usually would make in an eight-hour shift,” Nez said. “We had to cut hours for some of the employees as well. If this continues, we’ll have to cut down the days that we are open. That impacts your staff right around the holidays.”
"A server in a nearby taco shop spoke with tears in her eyes as she talked about her fears that the store may have to close and she won’t be able to see her mother in Mexico for Christmas. Getting to her mother’s house, normally a 25-minute drive, could take seven hours if she has to use a different crossing, she said, and she’s worried about affording gas and presents.
"Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, wrote President Joe Biden on Dec. 8, saying that “the federal government must act immediately to solve the unmitigated crisis caused by the Lukeville Port of Entry closure.” She suggested that National Guard members who are currently on federal active duty could be reassigned to help CBP so it would have the manpower to reopen the crossing."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/border-crossing-lukeville-arizona-closed-too-many-migrants-rcna130003
America. Time for questions.
How do you see yourselves?
Do you believe in right and wrong?
Who is right or wrong?
You have had many instances where you could have supported the left with: decent healthcare/education and well paying jobs?
YOU did not do this. why?
Were you scared of "socialism?"
Were you scared of "communism?"
Did you recognise greed?
Did you recognise that there was hunger and people who just could not make it in the US because of .............mental problems or whatever."
Did you really think that you as a race of people were better than others?
Did you really believe you were a Democracy since the time of Ronald Reagan?
Did you put the people first?
YOU produce weapons of "mass destruction." Why?
Do you understand that America can NEVER stop your Military Industrial Complex?
Do you understand that many people in a huge number of States will be out of work if the MIC stopped working?
Do you believe that you are a nation of warmongers?
Do you believe that every American citizen agrees with all your wars?
I could go on and on...............................
Is Woody Guthrie a 'patriot' or a lefty/communist?
What does the word 'patriotism' mean to YOU?