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American Politics

Please Think about how chasing a Russian Bogyman is hurting the country

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Russian Bogyman

While I do not know what, the outcome will be on the Presidents claim that his campaign was wire tapped, initial indications are that something was done. Per articles in the New York Times a FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) warrant was requested in June but denied and another with a more limited scope was requested and issued in October. There have been other reports about this activity by the HEAT.com and The Guardian as well as good analysis by National Review online, as well as a report by Bretbart. I mention Bretbart only because most of the media attention is on that one report being the impetuous for President Trumps twitter rants. The Russian boogeyman has been in play now since the Democrats began to use it to divert attention away from questions about Hilary Clintons use of an unsecured server in her home to store classified material. The problem is that this diversion has now taken on a life of its own and is overriding any attempt by either side to govern the nation.

What we know, not a lot. Director Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, had stated after revelations came out about hacking of the DNC computers, that it was not known who in fact had done the hacking at the time. The DNC, the Clinton Campaign and the White House all came out and said it was the Russians. This was not accepted by the Trump campaign and that led to the accusations that the Trump campaign was in collusion with the Russian government. Now the short line to today, the Intelligence Community came out with the conclusions after the elections that Russia had indeed hacked the DNC and its intent was to swing the election to Trump. Director Clapper also came out this weekend to say there was no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Whether Russia intended for the leaked DNC emails to have an impact on the elections it is generally accepted today that the emails released had little or nothing to do with the outcome. That should have been the end but as we know it is not.

Refusing to let go politicians and news outlets continue to search for a Russian connection to the Trump camp. What they have so far is, nothing. LTG Flynn’s contact was not unlawful he was forced to resign because he lied to the Vice-President. AG Sessions was a Senator when he met with the Russian Ambassador once in an open meeting and once in his senate office on official senate business. The President is known for making statements that are not always technically correct and the left and the news media is quick to point out any mistake. The latest is that he claimed President Obama ordered the wire taps and it was rightly pointed out that a president cannot directly do that. We all know however if the president suggests to the AG that maybe the Trump organization has illegal contact with the Russian government I think the AG would get the point and see what could be done. Let’s stop parsing words and PLEASE THINK what is being said and meant.

Now to the heart of the matter, WOULD YOU ALL CUT IT OUT AND GET BACK TO DOING YOUR JOBS. There is not one shred of evidence that the Trump campaign had any improper contact with the Russian government so there is no reason for a special prosecutor to be named. There is nothing for a special prosecutor to investigate. Let us get off this Russian thing and work on the problems of the country. Let’s reestablish our foreign policy so that we are once again respected in the world. Let us look to help the victims of aggression like the Syrians in Aleppo and the citizens in Ukraine. Let us work to turn our economy to what it can be. Let’s work to fix real problems, there are a lot of them. Yes, racism still exists and we need to continue to march forward. Progressive policies are not in trouble just under review. If the people want them to stay they will stay.  PLEASE THINK about the real problems so we can all get back to the real world and our lives.

 

American Politics

PLEASE THINK: A Free Press is….?

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A quiz, who said – “Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle.”, the correct answer is 1) Donald Trump, 2) Richard Nixon, 3) Adolph Hitler, 4) Joe Stalin, or 4) Mao. The answer is, none of the above. Thomas Jefferson said it in 1807 following his election victory and after he and James Madison set up their own paper to slander John Adams. 

Recently President tweeted that:

donald

Once out, many people decided that this was an indicator, one of many since the election, that Trump was a dictator or dictator in waiting. I was not shocked by the statement since I read it and then dismissed it as rhetoric. He used the term fake news, which has been a standard and called out 5 media outlets as” The enemy of the American People!” While I believe, a better phase could have been found to make the point that much of the main stream media has become beyond adversarial, the news media set itself up for this.

I have always believed it necessary to read and understand both sides of any issues so I was very put off when I opened the Washington Post online Sunday to see a glaring photo of Trump imposed over pictures of Hitler, Stalin and Mao. The story that followed read like a college paper with the theme “Write about the term ‘Enemy of the People’ and compare and contrast with recent uses of the term.”  The report and others like it, instead of highlighting Trump as Hitler are highlighting the editors of these outlets as Joseph Goebbels.  

While the Nazis coined the term “Big Lie” in typical double speak they were the most effective practitioners of the form. Today most politicians practice some form of this while campaigning or in trying to convince us to support some program, However, it is the job of a free press to help the people understand what is being said and were the truth is found. Today however the press has become the more practiced and polished users of this form of propaganda. 

Since before the election the news media staked out a position and a candidate. In the beginning, Trump was left alone since the mass media did not consider him a viable candidate. On the other side, Bernie Sanders was treated like a comic side show. Both came under media attention when they began to be a serious challenge to the parties chosen candidates. Once it became apparent the two were serious and a threat to the established order the propaganda machines went to work. On the left Sanders was treated as an old man who was fun to watch but not a president. The DNC, we now know, even had plans to manipulate the primaries. Trump on the other hand was a different problem. Not of the political main stream and becoming very popular with the middle, which is where elections are won, something had to be done that was fast and spectacular. Along comes Russia. Almost immediately following the disclosure of the email hack Russia is identified as the perpetrator. This then became the big lie, a truth that could be used to deflect fact and attention away from Hillary Clinton exposing national security secrets by using an unclassified server. When asked about missing emails and her indiscretions the response was look at Russia they are interfering with the election.

All great lies begin with some truth. Russia probably did hack the DNC, as well as a lot of other hacks perpetrated by them. From there the news kept repeating that Russia was doing this to manipulate the election in favor of Trump. When Trump won, it was not by the choice of the American people it was Russia. Reports began to circulate about Trump’s campaign in contact with Russian intelligence agents. Russian elites where beside themselves with joy, etc. Even though there is no evidence of this the reports continue. I will grant most cover themselves by saying while this is believed to be true they admit there is no evidence. Trump said that most of the Mexican illegal immigrants are rapist and murderers, a big stretch and untrue, but it became Trump is a racist. In all this Trump became Hitler, Stalin or Mao. I will grant he is no Winston Churchill but to compare the elected head of a democratic country to mass murderers go beyond any form of journalistic integrity. It is the perpetuation of the Big Lie, said loud enough and long enough it becomes truth.

We are a free and democratic society and the press has the right to say what it wishes short of calling for lawlessness and armed rebellion. It cannot be proved that much of the violence of the anti-Trump demonstrations is instigated by the press they are not helping have a calm and rational discussion on the issues.

I call on the press to look at what they print or say and maybe to rehire some of the editors they let go in the past. The press is below Trump in the polls, once Walter Cronkite was the most trusted man in America. Before you say or print anything I ask the media to PLEASETHINK, What Would Walter Do.

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PLEASE THINK: Check All News Reports

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I recently read a story put out by the Associated Press (AP) whose headline screamed “Trump, DHS considered National Guard troops for immigration raids; White House disputes report.” At least they said the White House disputed the report. This and another article went on to report that up to 100,000 National Guard troops would be used to help enforce immigration laws and assist in the deportation of illegal aliens. What it said was:

D, Expansion of the 287(g) Program to Include State Guard Units in the Border Region

(Two paragraphs latter it says)

     “Pursuant to Title 32 of the United States Code, State National Guard components are employees of their respective states and are under the command to their Governors when not in federal service. Based on their training and experience, these men and women are particularly well-suited to assist in the enforcement of federal immigration law and augment border security operations by Department components.”

In other words within 14 paragraphs A through N with a lot of verbiage in between this two sentence paragraph is the only one that mentions the National Guard. If you wish to read the entire memo you can find it at http://apne.ws/2l1Dj0k

From these two sentences the AP deduced that up to 100, 000 Guardsmen would be used in immigration round-ups. Ignoring the rest of the draft memo the only part reported was on the National Guard.

No one knows who instigated the memo or at what level but it is reasonable to be assured it did not get too far.

In his last press conference the President castigated the news media, this is one of the reasons why.

I ask all journalist to PLEASE THINK about the stories they are reporting on and to check the facts. This story had no purpose other then to instigate fear in the immigrant community and once again try and bring down the executive branch of our government.

American Politics

PLEASE THINK: News or Rumor?

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While I am trying to be fair and dispassionate in my opinions the news is making it difficult. About the news conference the President held for almost 1 ½ hours, the media has blown it up into evidence the President is mentally unstable and trying to destroy free press by calling them out. The press has set itself up in an adversarial situation, which is fine they should, but are upset that their adversary is responding in the same manor.

The biggest story pushed recently is the communications between the Trump campaign and Russia. This is being fueled by both sides of the aisle with calls of bipartisan investigations into the alleged connection as reported by several news outlets. The problem with this is that once the stories are dissected it becomes apparent that is all they are, stories. Even the latest report by the New York Times stays, in the fourth or fifth paragraph, that following investigations and speaking with intelligence sources there is no evidence to back up the claims. Let me repeat that “There is no evidence…” The president however had to withstand several questions on this rumor.

Then we go to the ridiculous. Again the New York Times puts out a report about twitter erupting over a report the President said he wants the women around him to dress like a woman. Social media went nuts even in the comments of the report on Face Book Trump was attack by all sorts of replies. The problem, if you go to the body of the report its says they cannot find where Trump ever said it or where the report came from.

Today AP put out a report that the Trump administration is planning to mobilize up to 100,000 National Guard troops to assist in immigration enforcement in several states. On its face, it does not make sense and the White House as well as the states identified have denied or said they have never heard of it. After the denials and obvious mistakes in reporting the AP went on as if it was a fact, citing unnamed sources.

I believe strongly in a free and open press. I also understand for the press to do its job it must be adversarial with any government, a situation missing in the last eight years. It has an obligation however to work to confirm the facts before reporting. Does it take much to confirm fact vs. rumor? Last week the New York Times reported a tweet by LTG Flynn following his resignation that he had been scapegoated. This brought an press conference on the hill with Congressman Cummings and Leader Pelosi demanding that this be investigated and castigating Flynn for using such a term. As you likely know it was a fake tweet. How do we know it was fake, a quick click on the id showed up as “parody”

Next time you see reports that don’t seem to ring true, PLEASE THINK.       

 

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Please Think: The Difference Between Facts, Innuendo and Lies

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capitol

For many years now there has been a war raging between all sides of the political spectrum, that has made the reporting of facts and real news less and less relevant. As said, there is nothing new in this other than the degree and speed in which the reports are reaching the public. The right blames much of what is happening today on Saul Alinsky’s 1971 book “Rules for Radicals.” Much of what we see happening today can be cast as a direct link to some of what is in the book however the manipulation of public opinion goes father back. I will not go into the political campaigns of the past, suffice it to say Thomas Jefferson and John Adams may not always spoken the truth about each other.

The concept of diverting attention away from facts using a direct attack on something else is long standing. However, it does appear to have become more of an art form with some. The most talk about recently is the Kelly Anne Conway flub of alternative facts. But to be fair let’s just say the audience on the mall for President Obama’s inauguration was larger than for Trumps. Over all viewing including worldwide television audience was larger for Trump. The larger fact is no one really cares except the comics, including TV pundits, who will not let it go.

Most recently the driving force of innuendo as fact has become Russia and the narrative that Russia manipulated the election, and both side have jumped on that bandwagon. What are the facts that we know: the DNC was hacked and the most likely culprit was Russia, ok. Unflattering emails were released from the hack, correct. Russia was behind the release of the emails, likely. Russia released the emails to manipulate the election in favor of Trump, Maybe, but unlikely. On this last I say maybe because it would be difficult to make that determination without a deep cover operative and I doubt the Intelligence Community would expose that operative for political gain. I say unlikely because should the Russian have tried to pick a candidate it would probably have been Clinton. Russia knew they could beat her and that she was predictable. More likely the purpose of the Russian actions was to destabilize the political system and wreak havoc on America, if so, mission accomplished.

Since Trump took office the Russian bogyman has been trotted out on every occasion possible. The use of this bogyman has diverted our attention from actual news stories and analysis. LTG Michael Flynn was forced to resign as director of the National Security Council. The news would have us believe it was because he spoke to the Russian ambassador about sanction relief after Trump took office. In fact, he was forced to resign because he lied to the Vice-President and lost the trust of the President. Because a Russian was involved this then took a turn toward the Trump is under the influence of Russia and past claims about Trump operatives in cahoots with Russian intelligence before the election. The New York Times had a recent article about all the interactions between Trump people and Russian intelligence. The problem with the story is that there were almost no facts and mostly innuendo. Today however innuendo becomes fact for a lot of people.

A story that started as truth and ten took a left turn was the recent pictures of President Trump and Japans PM Abe receiving news about the North Koran missile launch into the Sea of Japan. Instead of the story being about the launch and the dangerous implications it became about the possibility that classified information was being discussed in a public place. This has overshadowed the production and deployment of medium range cruise missile in violation of a treaty and the movement of a Russian spy ship up the east coast of the US. While both are reported, they have become secondary and are quickly forgotten in favor of more sensational new/innuendo.

I could go on but would rather concentrate on what we can do to return the news organizations back to news. The most obvious is to call them out when they stray from facts. I am not sure what the House of Representatives are doing about the Russian provocations but the Republicans have called for an investigation on the unlikely intelligence breach with PM Abe. The News must keep opinions to the editorial pages and the front page should be for known facts.

Let’s ask the news media to Please Think about facts.

American Politics

Please Think About Consequences

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Gen Michael Flynn (ret) has resigned (or was forced to resign) from the office of Director of National Security. It can be said that either he was sacrificed on the altar of politics or had to go since he lied to, at least, the Vice-President of the United States. In full disclosure, I worked for Gen. Flynn when he was Director of Intelligence (J2) for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon and again when he was Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He is an intelligent and fair man, but difficult to work for. As J2 he left early to become CJ2 for Gen McChrystal in Afghanistan and was forced into early retirement from DIA. At least in the later it can be said he ran afoul of entranced bureaucrats. Michael Flynn has a mind of his own and is not afraid to speak out on what he sees as right. This trait serves well for an intelligence officer and a general, but not for a public official.

 

As I said yesterday, the fact that he spoke to the Russian Ambassador prior to Trump assuming office is a nothing. The fact that he lied to the VP and others is the real problem. Yet we will continue to hear about the Russian connection in the Trump administration ad nosism. It is being reported that the White House was informed that Flynn was potentially a subject to Russian blackmail, yet blackmail does not work when everyone knows the secret. He had to go because of his lie, not because of anything else. He lost a high-profile job because of a lie.

 

Yet there are additional consequences of this drama. The world is a dangerous place and getting more dangerous by the day. The loss of someone with Flynn’s talents and the subsequent turmoil at the National Security Council leaves the President partially blind as to what is happening in this dangerous world. With Iran and North Korea playing with nukes and missiles and Russian continuing to threaten eastern Europe this is no time to play politics as usual. With politicians posturing and citizens demonstrating and in some cases rioting, we are playing into Russia’s hand. This is what they wanted by the reports of them interfering into the election and the planting of fake news. This chaos is exactly what the Kremlin wants. This is the consequence of party politics replacing a national agenda.

 

It is time to stop the hysteria over everything the President does or tweets. There are still over 3000 girls and women being held as sex slaves by ISIS, everyday women are stoned to death and homosexuals are hung or thrown off the tops of buildings. North Korea and Iran continue to flaunt the rules of the international community, and the response to all this by America is: Yesterday a group gathered in Chicago and “mooned” a Trump building.

 

PLEASE THINK.

 

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Please Think in Time – Adapting History to Current Crisis’s

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Recently the Islamic Republic of Iran test fired some ballistic missiles in violation of the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions and in violation of the spirit of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran Nuclear Deal. While President Trump was entertaining Japanese PM Abe, North Korea launched a medium range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan. Both actions are very serious and an obvious test of the new administration. Iran will never stop its development of a Nuclear bomb with the obvious target of Israel, and North Korea is an out of control rouge nation run by a sociopath. Both incidents were reported in the news but did not dominate. What has dominated the headlines is the story of a presidential advisors off handed remark on a talk show that has become seen as an endorsement of the Presidents daughters clothing line. The more serious story is that the new Director of National Security may have spoken out of turn to the Russian Ambassador on handling of sanctions.

The Kelly Anne Conway debate is a side show, as anyone with an ounce of common sense knows, it was an offhanded remark in the spirit of the moment and not a serious endorsement. The problem with Gen Flynn may go deeper. Not because he may have violated the Logan Act, which has never been enforced in 200 years, but by his evasion. Even with that, the degree and severity of any punishment must be less then removal from his position.  

The Logan act was passed in the time of President John Adams because of tensions between the US and France. A Pennsylvania legislator, Dr. George Logan, took it upon himself to intervene, entering negotiations with France which in fact worked to ease the tension. Despite its success, the Federalists in the government where not happy and passed the act which says

“Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.”

 

This law, which has never been enforced, has been violated several times, most recently by the past administration of Barack Obama. Technically President Obama violated the law when while in Iraq he attempted to negotiate a delay in troop withdrawal while President Bush was still in office. In 2008 than, candidate Obama, sent retired Amb. William Miller to Iran to assure them they would be happy with his administration. Before this a little-known aspect of the Cuban Missile Crisis saw the Kennedy White House use ABC News reporter John Scali as a go between for the White House and the Soviet government. This was a violation, since the contact was initiated by the Soviet Ambassador Alexander S. Fomin, through the KGB station chief. The result was a peaceful solution but not before Scali told the Soviets in an unauthorized remark that the US was on the verge of invading Cuba.

 

The Logan act is therefore not relevant now, or ever, the problem is the evasion of the discussion. Not knowing the motives of Gen Flynn for evading the question I know that it is a serious violation of trust, unless he was in fact acting on behalf of the President-Elect. I also know that Flynn is an intelligent person with experiences that the new administration should not give up lightly. This of course would not be the case if Flynn had gone off the ranch and acted alone.

 

Two things I would like to say before the end. One, the amount of coverage this is getting vice the reporting on Iran and North Korea is a problem. Both nations are avowed enemies of the US and if not stopped soon will have the ability to attack us with nuclear weapons. This must be addressed before worrying about Conway or Flynn. Second I suggest if anyone is interested, to read a book by Richard E. Neustadt and Ernest R. May titled – Thinking in Time/The Uses of History for Decision Makers. This book will help you understand that today’s crisis’s have answers in history.  

American Politics

Please Think Why Trump Lost the Appellate Court Decision

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Listening to the reports on the recent 9th circuit court decision on the Immigration executive order, the reasons for the counts ruling are very clear. The courts are biased and the ruling is political with no base in law, or the executive order was a violation of the constitution and a reason to begin impeachment proceedings against the President.

 

The fact is, after having read the decision I can report that is a fairly typical court decision based on the narrowest principles they could find. The actual ruling is:

 

 “To rule on the Government’s motion, we must consider several factors, including whether the Government has shown that it is likely to succeed on the merits of its appeal, the degree of hardship caused by a stay or its denial, and the public interest in granting or denying a stay.  We assess those factors in light of the limited evidence put forward by both parties at this very preliminary stage and are mindful that our analysis of the hardships and public interest in this case involves particularly sensitive and weighty concerns on both sides.  Nevertheless, we hold that the Government has not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal, nor has it shown that failure to enter a stay would cause irreparable injury, and we therefore deny its emergency motion for a stay.”

 

 In other words, for the rest of us, there is not enough evidence to prove the government would be harmed or that they will ultimately win in court. Other points to understand is that the court did not rule on the merits of the executive order but on whether the lower court had the authority to put in a temporary hold until a full hearing could take place.  All of this has had the effect of stopping the order from being implemented, not on the legality of the order. Courts, to be honest, do not make these stays lightly and only when they believe the plaintiff, in this case the states of Washington and Minnesota, have a chance of winning. I would have to say that, in my opinion, the order exceeds the authority of the President and the government would lose in court. The reason for this is the order included valid Green Card holders, legal residents, and stopped entry to people with valid visas issued before the order. These last where in fact walked back but it was too late. Once something is said it cannot be unsaid. Had the order been simply that the US would not issue new visa’s in those cited countries and put a halt on refugees it would likely not have gotten this far in the court system.  The order then was too broad in scope and rolled out too quickly and without proper vetting.

 

At this point the Trump administration has two options. The first is to continue to proceed through the courts with a likely result of losing, or to vacate the order, which makes any further court actions moot, and issue a more limited order that fits the current law. I hope for the latter but fear the former will be the favored action of the current administration.

 

I now return you to your regularly scheduled extreme mass media reporting.

 

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Please Think about the Truth

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“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” Thomas Paine, 1776
Just over 240 years ago, Thomas Paine admonished the new country that they would lose all they were fighting for if they give up when times became tough. We need to revisit those words to understand how they are relevant today. We are faced with a dangerous world filled with anti-western hatred and violent rhetoric, the people must not shrink from service to their country. There is, and in fact has been, a strong movement in the United States to blame our country for all the ills that have befallen mankind. Since the mid 60’s in colleges and courtrooms across the country a growing rift has developed between a majority of the country’s population and academic elites which is driving the current frenzy of protests and counter-protests.
While the protest may indicate activism and dedication, for the most part it is crowd mentality and role playing, on both sides. It is my intention through this post to attempt to provide for anyone interested a return to independent thought. I was raised in a typical middle class family that were strong supporters of the Democratic party. My first exposure to politics was when I was barely 8 years old and found myself, through my family, as a sort of gofer for the local Kennedy campaign. Truth be told I was likely more of a pet or mascot. I have transitioned over the years through several ideologies, until I find myself today as a traditional conservative. Again, truth be told, I am likely a little (very little) to the left of what William F. Buckley would call a conservative. I would be much more left of today’s Neo-Conservative orthodoxy. I am also sure I would be considered a right-wing radical by the Progressive liberal wing of the Democratic party. To start, the two ideologies I found the most dangerous to America today are exemplified by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ted Cruz. So, let us start the discussion.
Warren and Cruz exemplify a no holds barred, take no prisoners form of politics that accepts no dissent. For this type of politics to be successful it requires a compliant audience and the use of selective and isolated data points or ideological jibber jabber.
All eyes stage left for the most recent example. Warren in, what had to be a blatant act of political opportunism , attempted to read a 30-year-old letter on the floor of the United States Senate that was an attack on another Senator, Jeff Session. As we know the letter was written by Coretta Scott King at the time Sessions had been nominated to the federal bench.
Now taking a trip to the right we have Cruz reminding the world that it was the Democrats who founded the KKK and without saying also enforces the historical fact that it was the Democrats who opposed civil rights legislation up until the mid-1960’s.
As I said above, selective and isolated data points. Both calms are true but do not hold up to any type of scrutiny. In the 30 years since the letter, Sessions became the Attorney General of Alabama, prosecuting Klansman and upholding integration. Then he became a U.S. Senator and has a legislative record that belies claims of racism. While it is true that up until his death Martin Luther King Jr. was a registered Republican there is no denying the Klan is closer to a Cruz ideology then the Democrats.
Most Americans do identify with one of the main political parties and this has made life easier on them. Today however most Americans are politically in the middle and are tired of the extremes and have gotten tired of being bombarded with the half-truths and outright lies of the politicians and one sided news reporting.
I will attempt in the coming weeks to look at the news and political posturing and report the weakness. I will not be a fact checker just a reviewer of commonsense.

American Politics, International Politics

The Trump Immigration Ban, Its Meaning and Impact

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Donald Trump has now been President of the United States for a little over a week. Unlike other Presidents he has implemented many of his campaign promises without delay. Of those the most controversial is the enactment of a 90 to 120 day ban on visas and immigration from several nations , and denial of entry to those holding valid Green Cards, until there is a satisfactory process in place to screen potential terrorist from the US. Many in the US and others around the world have protested this ban and legal action has brought a suspicion to parts the order. The problem with the Executive Order is that it goes against everything America has stood for, except self-preservation.
As I write this I must in all honesty tell the reader that this is not the first time something like this has occurred, nor is it the first in modern times. The most recent was a pause in visas for Iraqi refugees by President Obama in 2011. While it is argued that the Obama ban was more limited in scope, only refugees, it was within the same context to stop terrorist from entering the country. Trumps is more wide ranging in that it stopped ALL visa applications, canceled those that were already approved and denied those granted permanent resident status, Green Card. Prior to this however were bans on classes of people that were longer and more dire.
Exclusion of the Chinese:
President Chester A. Arthur, Signed on May 6, 1882. The Chinese Exclusion Act banned “skilled and unskilled laborer’s and Chinese employed in mining” from entering the US for 10 years, it was the first significant law restricting immigration to the country. When it expired it was extended for 10 more years.
Jewish refugees during World War II:
President Franklin D. Roosevelt argued that German Jewish refugees posed a serious threat to the country’s national security. Drawing on fears that Nazi spies could be hiding among the refugees he limited the number of German Jews who could be admitted to 26,000 annually.

Anarchists banned:
In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Anarchist Exclusion Act which banned anarchists and others deemed to be political extremists from entering the US.
Communists banned:
Passed by Congress on August 23, 1950, despite being vetoed by President Harry Truman.
The Internal Security Act of 1950 – also known as the Subversive Activities Control Act of 1950 or the McCarran Act – made it possible to deport any immigrants believed to be members of the Communist Party.

Iranians:
President Jimmy Carter cut diplomatic relations with and imposed sanctions on Iran in 1979. He also banned Iranians from entering the country.
Ban on HIV positive persons:
In 1987, under President Reagan, the US banned HIV positive persons from arriving in the US. The laws were influenced by homophobic and xenophobic sentiment towards Africans and minorities.

President Trump has issued a new ban to last from 90 to 120 days that is designed to give time to institute a new process for admitting persons from regions as designated. The problem with this new ban is that it is too broad and was poorly thought-out and executed. The agencies responsible for enforcing the ban were neither consulted nor informed as to the intent or implementation. I would offer the new president a word of advice, you are no longer a CEO of a company but the leader of a nation. While even most companies, preparing a new product roll out, look to get buy-in from stake-holders, it is more incumbent on the president to talk to congressional leadership and his cabinet. I understand from the experience of business this may have been considered a trial balloon or a Beta test but the division in the US today will not allow for this.

Now to the upside to the ban. For too many years the immigration system in the US has been broke, and I do not mean only on the Mexican border. I have friends from the Middle East, especially from Kurdistan, who wait far too long to get visas either for themselves or family, for no other reason than the draconian rules and regulations that make the process glacially slow. For far too many years the congress has bemoaned this fact and failed to do anything about it. The reaction to the ban may be the stimulus needed to “Reboot” the system. Are there legitimate concerns with a too weak or open border process, yes. My maternal grandparents immigrated from Italy when Italian immigrates where not welcomed. My mother-in-law was a refugee from Nazi Germany after the war and even though she was living in a refugee camp the vetting process took a long time and she had to have a relative in the US vouch for her and a job waiting. While she was going through the process many actual war criminals where let into the country. This last is important as we analyze further.

The cause of the ban put in place by President Obama was the discovery of two Iraqis who had made it through the process and were in the US planning to send support to Al-Qaida in Iraqi. The two were in the US as asylum seekers and had been bomb makers in Iraq and their fingerprints were discovered on a piece of an IED. In other words, they should never have been let in. With the individual attacks over the years such as Ft. Hood, San Bernardino, Boston and Florida as well as the problems seen in Europe coupled with a lack of any concrete actions by the Obama administration to act, Donald Trump acted.

The actions taken on the ban, in my opinion, were too harsh, too wide spread and implemented without thought as to impact and consequences. I give thumbs up to intent, protecting the country, but thumbs down on implementation. In business, there is always time to correct a mistake, not always in government actions. In this case, there is time to repair the damage and continue to move forward. Donald Trump is a far different person then was Barack Obama, or most other politicians. He will move too quickly and make mistakes so we need to get used to it. The makeup of the US government with its checks and balances will hold most of the executive actions in place.

As I have said before I was not a supporter of Trump during most of the primaries but did support him in the end as being the best of the chooses given us. No this is not a resounding endorsement but I am confident that his ability to learn far exceeds others and that given time he will find the middle ground that US policy so desperately needs. In the meantime, it’s going to be a wild ride