Opuscula Leftists, Indians, And the PLO

WHY IS IT LEFTISTS IN THE U.S. tell Israel to let the PLO terrorists return to Israel yet they say nothing about American Indians.

*   The United States stole land from the American Indians.

*   The United States repeatedly lied to the American Indians.

*   The United States forced the American Indians into ghettos.

*   The United States forced the American Indians to give up their languages.

By contrast, MOST of the so-called “Palestinians” left Israel on instruction from their religious leadership and Muslim politicians. (True, some were forced out in fear they would be a “fifth column” within Israel.)

With the exception of Manhattan New York, allegedly “sold” to the Europeans for a bunch of trinkets, all the land on which the American Indians lived was taken from them by force.

One of the worst cases was the forced relocation of Cherokee Indians from their ancestral home in Georgia and force marched to the west.

The Cherokee had an established government, a written language – yet, because some European though there was gold under the land, the U.S. Army marched men, women, and children across the country.^{1, 2}

 


Partial Trail of Tears Map Source: Britannica.com http://tinyurl.com/y638ppdy

 

This was in preparation for Democrat Franklin Roosevelt’s forced internment of Japanese-Americans and a few Germans and Italians during World War 2.

American Indians in the western states were promised land where they could live and hunt in exchange for being pushed off their ancestral lands so Europeans could build cities and fence off land for their own use.

Not only were the Indians driven off their lands, but the settlers hated the people from whom they stole the land. Because they were not Europeans, the native Americans were considered savages and sub-human to be killed as animals.

Unfortunately for the Indians, wealth was discovered on the land the U.S. promised them and they were forced to move again, this time to smaller reservations. Good Christians forced the Indians to abandon their religion and language in favor of the invaders’ religion and language. The government also forced the Indians to go on the dole, and then often cheated them of what little the government had promised.

The American Indians did not provoke war with the Europeans until the Europeans attempted to deprive them of their land.

 

BY COMPARISON

 

In Israel, Jews, and non-Jews, i.e. Muslims, Christians, and sundry others, have equal freedom. While there ARE communities based on religion or ethnicity, these primarily are voluntarily populated by like-minded people. That is human nature.

The Muslims living under PLO rule are taught to hate Israelis specifically and Jews generally, and to a lesser extant, anyone who is not Muslim. PLO Muslims face the death penalaty for selling land to a Jew; not so in Israel. Jews in Israel are not taught hatred, at least not by the government.

I briefly taught school in Zefat in northern Israel.
Some Muslims who fled Israel, due to fear or by encouragement from Muslim religious or political leaders, ended up in UN-sponsored welfare camps. Muslims who wanted to leave a camp, could leave a camp, unlike the American Indians who were hunted down if they escaped from the reservation.

PLO Muslims can travel wherever they are welcome, via Israel air and sea ports or via Jordan or Egypt — when Egypt allows Muslims in Gaza to cross its border, closed more often to them that Israel’s border.

Most American Indians, contrary to tv westerns, did not attack European settlers, unlike the Muslims of the PLO and Gaza who believe dying while killing a Jew will gain for them 70 virgins. (I never figured out what a female martyr can expect.)

 

TIME FOR LEFTIST TO LOOK INWARD

 

It’s time for America’s leftists to look at their own country.

Is everything so perfect here that they have to demonize Israel?

And why only Israel? The rest of the world if fine? What about Somalia (and Boko Haram). What about ISIS (by any name) and the Islamic Brotherhood that attack indiscriminately around the world? What about the lack of freedoms in Saudi Arabia, China, and North Korea, to name just three countries notorious for their abuse of American-style civil rights?

America’s liberals can’t see because of the mote in one eye and myopia in the other.

Leftists — work to make America a better country for ALL Americans.

Take time out from bashing Israel and Donald Trump.

If you want to live in America, work to improve life for all Americans; once America is perfected, THEN go on to other countries.

On the other hand, if you don’t CARE about America, leave.

Move to a country where the PLO is in charge. Move to Saudi Arabia or China or even North Korea. You can emigrate to Europe for socialized medicine (and take Bernie Sanders with you, he is, after all, a socialist).

The border is open for all leftists who loudly bawled “If Trump is elected, I’ll leave the country.” No one is stopping you.

The Democrat darling with feet of clay, John Kennedy, admonished Americans to ask what they could do for their country.

His call for action is valid even today.

What I fail to comprehend is why the leftists prefer to attack Israel and, with the likes of Ilhan Omar in Congress, American Jews.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. Martin Niemöller (http://tinyurl.com/yaj53q57)

 


Trail of Tears Map Source: Britannica.com http://tinyurl.com/y638ppdy

 

---

Sources

1. A Brief History of the Trail of Tears
http://tinyurl.com/y2qt8o7y

2. Trail of Tears http://tinyurl.com/yasfag62

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Comments on Leftists

Opuscula UN = UNreal UNworthy UNbelievable

THE UN Women’s Rights Committee is a farce.
Perhaps it is populated by misogynists or other mental defectives.

Who else would appoint Iran to an organization that is supposed to be dedicated to promoting “gender equality and the advancement of women !”

The UN’s WRC’ raison d'être is to judge:

• Stereotypical attitudes towards role of women • Violation of women's rights defenders' freedom of expression & assembly • Deaths & torture of women in custody • Impunity for violations of human rights of women

 


An officer canes a woman who violated strict Sariah laws. Source: AP

 

Nigeria, apparently, is not much better than Iran. Its current membership expires in 2020.According to the Human Rights Watch (http://tinyurl.com/y2a6zxve),

Nigeria: Officials Abusing Displaced Women, Girls: Displaced by Boko Haram and Victims Twice Over, released on October 31, 2016. In July 2016, Human Rights Watch documented sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation, of 43 women and girls living in seven internally displaced persons camps in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital perpetrated by government officials and other authorities.

In May 2017 after negotiations brokered by Switzerland and the International Committee for the Red Cross, 82 Chibok schoolgirls were released. Boko Haram fighters had abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno state, in April 2014. More than 100 of the girls and hundreds other captives, including over 500 children from Damasak, Borno, remained in Boko Haram captivity at time of writing.

Boko Haram, a Muslim terrorist organization, is largely responsible for mistreatment of females in Nigeria.

 

The UN and its various committees is infamous for setting the fox in the chicken coop.

While it pontificates, the member states continue to make a mockery of the very councils on which they sit.

 

ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH

According to the CSW (http://tinyurl.com/yyc8sfmr), there are 45 member states elected by the Economic and Social Council on the basis of equitable geographical distribution. Member states serve 4-year terms.

In Iran’s case, its term was to end this year, 2019. Obviously, its exemplary record on women’s rights in Iran bought it another four-year term. Interestingly, while China is a member state, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), another civil rights stand-out, is absent. Saudi Arabia, yet another country known for its (lack) of civil rights for women is on the committee until 2020.

The expression “The fox guarding the chicken coop” comes to mind.

 

UNbelievable

UN organizations are notorious for doing everything their name suggests they don’t do.

UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East , spends a goodly part of its budget on promoting hatred in its schools.

The Jerusalem Post claims “the Center for Near East Policy Research, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Middle East Forum, found that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency books showed there was no hope for peace in the region.

The research, authored by Arab-textbooks expert Aaron Groiss, in collaboration with leaders of each of the involved organizations, examined 150 textbooks of various school subjects, taught in grades one to 12. Seventy-five of the books checked were published in 2016 and 2017 as part of a project initiated by the Palestinian Authority, which provides its curriculum to UNRWA schools.”

UNRWA schools also were used by Hamas as missile-launching sites; presumably UNRWA agreed to the use of its facilities.

UNRWA is unique in that no other group, e.g. Kurds, have similar UN support.

UN resolutions against the nations of the world are absurdly anti-Israel. Rarely is another chastised, even mildly, for the most egregious violations, but Israel is condemned for defending itself against attacks on its civilian population.

If the UN, like its predecessor, met its goals, the world would have avoided two world wars, and numerous lesser wars.

The UN needs to go the way of the League of Nations and disappear into the sunset. It has proven on multiple occasions that it cannot perform as it was intended.

---

Interesting video to watch at https://youtu.be/WwSWCg9OoiU — the UN in "action."

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

BCPLANNER: Comments on UNbelieveable

Goose and Gander Can a Catholic Be loyal to Pope And America?

DEMOCRATS HAVE SHORT MEMORIES.

For many years, many Americans said a Catholic should never, could never be president.

The concern was that a Catholic president’s loyalties were to Rome and the Pope rather than the United States.

For the most part, the concerns proved unfounded.

IN 1928, DEMOCRATS NOMINATED the first Catholic candidate for president, Al Smith.

According to David Mislin, Assistant Professor, Intellectual Heritage Program at Temple University (http://tinyurl.com/yxkj56gf ), A wave of bigotry followed. As in the late 19th century, critics argued that the Catholic Church was too political. The Vatican would use a Catholic president as a way to meddle in U.S. politics.

Russell Conwell was pastor of Grace Baptist Church when Temple College was chartered in 1888. There is no connection to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem nor the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City UT.

John Kennedy was repeatedly challenged about where his loyalties lay: with America or with Rome. His alleged dual-loyalty never seemed to interfere with his politics.

 

Image above - Catholic Candidates: Al Smith (left) and John Kennedy

 

SO WHY THE JEWS?

Ilhan Omar and her like-minded friends insist that non-leftist Democrats’ loyalties lie not with America, but with Israel.

Interestingly, she does NOT say Catholics have dual-loyalties to Rome, nor Episcopalians to Canterbury. Nor does she suggest that Muslims in America are loyal to Islam’s shira law rather than American law.

No, for Omar and her ilk, only the Jews have dual loyalties.

I’m not certain that she even makes a distinction between observant Jews and self-hating Jews, of which there are many under the banner of “progressive Democrat.”

Is Bernie Sanders, a Jew by birth, loyal to Israel? No, even though Israel is a semi-socialist state.

 

Omar & Company whine that people are playing the anti-Muslim card. She is, she claims, being persecuted by Conservatives and even a few Democrats, for being a Muslim.

There may be anti-Muslim prejudice in America, and there may be some justification for this feeling: ISIS, beheadings and stonings, bombings, misogyny, sharia law — and then there is Iran.

But to the best of my knowledge, there has been no anti-Muslim rhetoric emanating from from her fellow politicos; indeed, most rush to her defense whenever she puts her foot in her mouth — something that seems to happen with amazing frequency. But that’s OK; she apologizes and all is forgiven until the recidivist does it again.

 

The main problem Omar and her fellow bigots have is

i g n o r a n c e

I don’t know who “educates” these people, but they are only making fools of their political tools — the politicians serve their handlers who lead them astray with untruths.

A big lie The expression was coined by Adolf Hitler, when he dictated his 1925 book Mein Kampf, about the use of a lie so "colossal" that no one would believe that someone "could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously." This and repeating a lie often enough — the Jews are loyal to Israel, not the U.S. — will soon have ignorant or lazy people believing the lie.

Omar would do well to study the history of Somalia, the country of her birth.

Smartraveller.gov.au cautions “Do not travel (to Somalia). Terror attacks occur frequently in Somalia. Further terror attacks could take place anywhere at any time. Somali militants have publicly threatened, and have the capability, to carry out attacks in all areas of Somalia, including Mogadishu, Puntland and Somaliland.

The U.S. State Department (http://tinyurl.com/y3l5plmg ) warns “Do not travel to Somalia due to crime, terrorism, and piracy. Terrorists continue to plot kidnappings, bombings, and other attacks in Somalia. They may conduct attacks with little or no warning, targeting airports and seaports, government buildings, hotels, restaurants, shopping areas, and other areas where large crowds gather and Westerners frequent, as well as government, military, and Western convoys.

I can understand why her parents wanted her distant from her homeland. Most residents of Somalia are Muslims, the majority belonging to the Sunni branch of Islam and the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence, although some are adherents of the Shia Muslim denomination. Perhaps someone should question HER loyalty to the United States.

 

Jews in America are loyal to America. They may have a love of Israel, although I know some Jews who neither want, nor have, a connection to Israel, but there is no question that their first loyalty is the United States, no matter what Omar’s handlers think.

---

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Comments on Loyalty

Opuscula College scam Illegal today, But not always

THERE IS A BIG BRUHAHA today about some rich parents buying their kids way into “name” colleges and universities.

What’s the big deal.

Rich parents have been doing that since the first college cornerstone was laid.

DOES ANYONE REALLY think that many endowments are anything but an entry pass for a less than outstanding student to a “good” school?

All those buildings with impressive family names, and those chairs with [perhaps) less impressive family names. (Chairs are cheaper than buildings, after all.)

Colleges and universities are, surprise, businesses. The boards have bills to pay: salaries for academics, salaries for workers, building maintenance, athletic gear for all sexes (Title 9, don’t forget). And recruiting, both for students and, supposedly, student athletes.

So what, pray, is the difference between getting a scholastically weak child into a university with an endowment or getting a scholastically weak child into a university by paying off middlemen (and women).

What about “Affirmative Action” programs that effectively bar some qualified applicants so lesser qualified — if qualified at all — candidates are admitted.

What about the “jocks” who need remedial (read “third grade”) language classes, or remedial math? Admittedly, a winning sports team does generate donations to the school and, again, the colleges and universities ARE businesses.

The entire umbrage from the lawyers is because some parents failed to follow the established practice of giving a check directly to the school.

The end result is the same: A scholastically weak child gets a seat in an auditorium/lecture hall where a Teaching Assistance (TA) will lecture on the subject.

Truth in blogging: When I went to college, I went to night school with small classes taught primarily by professionals working in the field. While I went to good schools, I did not go to a “name” school. I do not regret my choices.

It is unfortunate that a scholastically STRONG student is prevented from getting into a “name” school because a scholastically weak student’s parents bought the good student’s place.

ON THE OTHER HAND, if things work out, the scholastically weak student will drop out — most parents object to blackmail to keep their child in a class where the child has no aptitude — and the strong student, now with impressive college grades, might transfer to the name school, perhaps even with a stipend.

College jocks often switch schools for a better team or more playing time. Why not scholars, too?

Start off at No Name U and transfer to Big Name U. The diploma will have Big Name U emblazoned on it so who cares that the graduate started off small.

Assuredly, having a Big Name U diploma DOES bring bigger initial compensation than a No Name U, but after getting a foot in the employment door, it is more who you know and what you know that will generate raises to help pay down the loans.

My bottom line: I really don’t see what the fuss is all about. Smart kids have been pushed aside by less smart kids with rich parents since higher education was recognized as a money-making endeavor.

The only reason lawyers are focused on the rich parents who bought their kids a seat at a “name” school is because they failed to make the purchase in an “approved” way.

Bottom lines:

* A qualified scholar was blocked from entering the school
* The school is as much at fault as the rich parents since in may cases someone at the school knew what was being bought
* If you want to buy your scholastically weak child a place at a Big Name U, go the endowment route with a little — dare it be said, “blackmail” or is it just “strings” — to assure favored treatment
* Solomon was right: There is nothing new under the sun; money talks.

---

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Comments on College Scam

Opuscula Ilhan Omar Lightning rod Or tip of iceberg?

EVERYONE WHO CAN READ OR HEAR now knows bigotry spews from the mouth of Rep. Ilhan Omar and her “progressive” friends.

She can’t seem to help herself.

But her colleagues in the House seem to think that a bigoted remark, followed by an “I’m sorry” should be white washed, overlooked, forgiven; obviously she’s not a bigot, they say, since she apologized for her remarks.

NONSENSE.

Her colleagues in the House rejected a resolution calling for a ban on anti-Semitism and settled for a watered down version of “talk nice about everyone.”

I agree that a resolution against only anti-Semitism would play into anti-Semites hands. I also believe that bigotry, espoused in any manner, should be condemned and the person repeatedly violating the resolution should be censured — punished.

Some of Ms. Ilhan’s sycophants, both Democrats and a handful of leftist Republicans, feel that no matter who she offends or how often she offends — and then apologizes — her remarks must be overlooked.

Never mind that she is a recidivist in her bigotry.

But it’s “OK” since she’s only attacking Jews and Israel.

Somali pirates? No comment. Boko Haram in Nigeria? Silence.

Why even Jews in Congress support her. Leftist Jews who hate Israel and Judaism and who, by their support of Ms. Omar and her ilk are inviting a 21st Century holocaust.

Do I think she will succeed in provoking attacks on Jews.

Yes and no.

Yes, some Jews who refuse to defend themselves will suffer, just as the Jews of Europe suffered. Will the “progressive” Jews suffer? They will be the first.

No, because more and more Jews are prepared to defend themselves; Jews who know history — of the holocaust and before.

One of my most quoted philosophers, Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás, allegedly wrote that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." The “progressive” Jews of the Democrat left, those who find Ms. Ilhan’s and others bigotry acceptable, apparently “cannot remember the past.”

Ms. Ilhan is a Somali Muslim.

Nothing wrong with that. (At least, unless the law requiring birth in the U.S.,is ignored as it was for a previous president, she won’t occupy the White House.)

But has she forgotten the behavior of her Muslim countrymen toward almost everyone? Has she forgotten how a woman is treated in a traditional Muslim home?

She condemns Israel and Jews (even her leftist supporters??) but, to the best of my knowledge, has no first hand knowledge of life in Israel, the PLO’s areas, Gaza, or, for that matter, Syria, Lebanon, or relatively progressive Egypt and Jordan. Can she compare a Muslim's life in Israel with that of a non-observant Muslim in Iran?

She cannot.

Ms. Ilhan is ignorant, and there is very little lower than an ignorant bigot.

For all that, Ms. Omar is simply the canary in the mine; when things get too hot for the bigotry she and her fellow misanthropic sycophants practice, she will be the first to suffer while her “friends,” such as Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory, abandon her to her fate.

We know Ms. Omar’s allegiance is to Louis X and his “Nation of Islam.” Since Farrakhan (Louis X) preaches hatred of America, allegiance to this demigod is far worse than any Jew’s support of Israel. Unfortunately for Ms. Omar, her remarks about dual loyalties open a can of worms that will embarrass her — assuming anything can embarrass her.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Comments on Bigots in Government

Opuscula Dems quandary: Condemn bigotry Or protect bigots

THERE IS AN AMAZING ARTICLE on the NBC “News” site (http://tinyurl.com/y5cllelj) that includes a video of MSNBC’s Meet The Press host Chuck Todd talking about ”us Democrats” in the first 5 seconds of the clip. (I had to listen to it twice to believe my ears; not that Todd is a Democrat but that he admits it; so much for impartiality.)

The article is about the Democrats quandary: Do they

* Condemn anti-Semitism, without, of course, mentioning any Democrat by name or
* Do they opt for an all inclusive condemnation of ALL derogatory remarks about everyone, or
* Do they manage to let the whole issue die sans any useless words on paper?

Interestingly, the Black Caucus is against a resolution and, if MSNBC is to be believed, progressive members and the Congressional Black Caucus have come to Omar’s defense. “We also stand united against Islamophobia and I think we want to make sure that we express all the pieces of bigotry and racism that are happening,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said.

Who mentioned "Islamophobia"? The issue is anti-Semetic remarks by House members.

Interesting because blacks were long discriminated against in the U.S. and, also interesting, because liberal Jews were some of the black empowerment movements’ strongest, most vocal, and most visible supporters.

While many suggest the Democrat party is in disarray, “I don’t accept the premise that we’re divided,” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the Democratic Caucus Chair. “We are untied around the fact that we’re going to continue to fight for the people. That’s what we’re united around.”

Apparently “the people” is a select group that omits Jews since the Democrats seem focused on “Islamophobia” based, it seems, because of anti-Semitic remarks coming from Muslim members of the House.

Have any observant Jews in Congress said anything “anti-Muslim?”

MSNBC reports that the anti-Semitism resolution was supposed to be voted on this week but it's still unclear when it will be brought to the floor as members are still trying to reach consensus. Some Jewish members are demanding a vote on a resolution denouncing anti-Semitism similar to the one previously offered by Republicans and passed after Rep. Omar made other controversial remarks about Jewish influence in politics.

To this scrivener, a resolution against anti-Semtisim is

* A waste of time; it means nothing to anti-Semites, and
* It encourages anti-Semitism by ignoring all other “anti-” and “phobias” (e.g., anti-black, anti-Latino, Islamophobia, homophobia).

Our modified Constitution is replete with amendments protecting this group or that from discrimination when, in my opinion, only one amendment was necessary: Discrimination of any type against anyone is prohibited and violators will be prosecuted.

 

Civility is apparently is not a common factor with the Democrats.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who was admonished in January for saying at a private gathering that the House was going to “impeach the mother f---er,” held a rally on Capitol Hill with activists on Wednesday pushing for immediate impeachment proceedings. "We saw record turnout in an election year where people wanted to elect the jury that would begin the impeachment proceedings to Donald Trump," she said.

Unless her constituents are one-issue voters, Ms. Tlaib is doing them a disservice by focusing all her energy on an impeachment effort that is bound to fail.

 

I’ve always wondered why Jews are loyal to the Democrat party; many hailed Franklin Delano Roosevelt as a minor god, although he did nothing for the Jews. The same applies to John F. Kennedy held in the same high esteem by blacks, for whom he did nothing. (Harry S Truman integrated the armed forces; Dwight D. Eisenhower integrated the schools, and Lyndon B. Johnson created Head Start.)

---

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Comments on Democrats quandary

Opuscula Trashing Trump — Revisited

THE NEW YORK TIMES (NYT) under the headline Companies Falsely Labeled Products ‘Made in U.S.A.’ Their Financial Penalty? $0 (see http://tinyurl.com/y6ha7sol) rightly rails against U.S. companies that buy from China (where else?) and label the products “Made in America” or “Made in USA.”

How could this be when President Trump has made such a “big deal” of making American manufacturers great again?

 

Made in the USA logos

 

TO BE FAIR, the NYT article DID admit that

The FTC has a long history of weak enforcement in “Made in America” cases that preceded Mr. Trump’s tenure. The commission lists on its website 26 “Made in America” cases it has reviewed since 1999. In some of those cases, companies have agreed to a monetary settlement. In 2016, for instance, Chemence, a specialty chemical company, agreed to pay $220,000 to resolve an agency lawsuit. But in many other cases, the settlements required only record-keeping and reporting requirements to make sure companies did not violate the law again.

The NYT continues

Democrats are questioning why the agency is not being more aggressive in going after American companies that manufacture their goods in China.

“Many companies that manufacture at home are already treading water,” Rohit Chopra, a Democrat FTC commissioner who disagreed with the decision, said in an interview. “American companies shouldn’t lose out to corporate cheaters who lie on their labels.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) a Democrat presidential hopeful, complained that “If companies that break our laws do not face financial penalties, then our American manufacturers are severely undermined, We need stronger enforcement by the FTC and greater transparency when it comes to the commission’s actions to crack down on these violators.”

Why no penalties? According to “agency officials,” the threat of future penalties was a strong deterrent..

The Democrat “bottom line” seems to be that the president should micro-manage every Federal function.

There is no indication in the NYT article that the complaining Democrats, Sen Chris Murphy (D-CT), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), complained to the White House before heading to the NYT.

Granted, something seems amiss at the FTC and, granted, President Trump should use whatever power he has to rectify the situation, but micro-manage?

Can he fire the commissioners?

Can he nominate replacement commissioners, and does the Congress need to approve his nominees?

Or, would it be sufficient to remove Trump appointee Jos. Simons, currently chairman of the FTC. That might delight Democrats since Simons is a Republican confirmed by a Republican Congress. (See http://tinyurl.com/yxggj6z6 )

As a consumer I make every effort to first buy products made in the USA; then products assembled in the USA; then products made almost anyplace but China.

I have nothing against Chinese people but I do have a problem with Chinese practices, e.g., feeding feces to fish to be exported to U.S. tables and using lead-based paint on children’s toys, and the almost total lack of quality control.

Admittedly, there is very little on the market that is “100% American.” We live in a global economy after all.

I’m left wondering if the Democrats are really concerned about false “Made in America” labeling or if their only point is to “trash Trump.”

In an earlier time, when the distance across the aisle was a crack that has become a chasm, I would give the senators a gold star for their awareness. Today? Sadly, I now always first suspect the only purpose is political gain at the president’s expense.

 

AN ASIDE

After WW 2 American’s were buying products stamped Made in USA.

The problem was, the products were made in a town named “USA” . . . in Japan!

---

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Comments on Made in USA

Opuscula Searched once Won’t suffice For screeners

I DON’T TRAVEL A LOT BY AIR anymore, but when I do, I usually have an intermediate stop.

Most often Spain, Italy, or the UK. (I try very hard to avoid France.)

Each time,

* I undergo a security check at the originating airport
* Stay in the “sanitized” zone until boarding my flight
* Stay on the plane to my flight’s intermediate destination
* Get off the plane in a “sanitized” zone and hustle to the gate for my connecting flight — which always seems to be at the opposite end of the airport.

Just before getting to the departure area for the second leg of my journey I must, once again submit to a security check.

Why?

 

Joe Heller cartoon of naked travelers going through airport security check

 

Everyone and everything in the “sanitized” area should have been cleared and all threats identified and neutralized.

I certainly had no opportunity to become a threat — remember, I was thoroughly screened before I boarded my first flight.

It seems that each time I get to the second screening it is something else.

Here I need to remove shoes.

There I need to take off my belt.

Always I have to empty my pockets.

Some places I can keep a jacket on; others the jacket goes into a bin.

Of all the airport screenings I have suffered, I like Lod (TLV or Ben Gurion) the best.

Why?

The Israelis do what the Supremes made illegal in the U.S.; the Israeli’s profile. On my first trip to Israel in May 1975, I had two tall duffle bags (right). Before boarding an El Al plane at JFK the screener asked what was in the duffles and did I pack them myself. (This was pre-Xray screening.) I answered truthfully and the duffles and I were on the way.

Before anyone tells me profiling is discrimination, I will relate two instances to belie that opinion.

At JFK, before boarding another flight to Israel, I was called to a secondary baggage check. While waiting my turn, I watched as the security guy went through an elderly couples luggage item-by-item. Me? I answered a few questions and was on my way.

I have seen Muslim families whiz through checks at Lod, and Jews get stopped. It happened to me — I had two bottles of arak and the xray machine “saw” them; I had to unpack everything to get to the bottles and show them to the security guy. (I have not been stopped since.)

In Italy, going from my US-Rome flight to my next flight, the inspector saw a small metal box in my carry on.

What’s that, he asked.

It’s a key safe (see image to right) I’m taking to my daughter, I replied.

And I was on my way.

Mind, the carry on was checked when I boarded my first flight and raised no interest.

I don’t know if the security people outside the U.S. are allowed to profile. I think it is a very good option. It does require special training, but — at least in Israel — it works.

But my initial question remains unanswered: Why does a once-screened passenger who never left the sanitized area of the airport have to be screened again.

My stowed luggage, supposedly checked at the originating airport, is not rechecked even though it is handled by numerous people between the originating airport and the final destination.

Is it a make-work effort?

It might be a better idea to screen all the vendors, baggage handlers, and crew that go on board.

Beside being disgruntled about a second security screening — again, with belt, without belt; with shoes, without shoes — as a former Enterprise Risk Management practitioner, I am a little paranoid about things out of my sight; they are not out of mind.

So why DO I have to go through yet another screening when I have remained in a sanitized part of the airport?

---

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

Comments on Airport scans