The Caravan, HIAS, North Korea, Khashoggi, & the Mid-Terms

The Caravan "Invasion" -

Central American migrants are seeking refuge in the United States. The U.S. military assessment is that only 20% of the 7000, approximately 1400, will arrive at the border in a few weeks at the earliest. According to Pentagon figures, the cost of the deployment could reach $200 million by the end of 2018. Trump is characterizing this as an invasion. It's a political stunt, regardless of what James Mattis says, by a desperate president in fear of losing one or both of the houses of congress. Trump and the GOP are in a panic at the prospect of real oversight from people who take their oaths "to protect and defend the Constitution" seriously.

Politico: "To find a year with fewer border arrests than 2017, you'd have to go back all the way to 1971."

The New York Times: "The United States has clear laws governing refugees and well-funded agencies to enforce those laws, and it’s an embarrassing waste of money to send troops to the border."

Ref: 8 lessons from psychology that explain Trump’s caravan fearmongering

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) -

On Saturday, October 27, 2018  Robert Bowers murdered 11 members of a Pittsburgh synagogue after ranting on social media that "I just want to kill Jews," and against HIAS.  During the first week of the Trump administration, the president of HIAS, Mark Hetfield, sent Jared Kushner, Trump's Jewish son-in-law, a copy of a file that documented how HIAS helped Kushner's grandparents immigrate to the United States. Hatfield has never gotten a response from Kushner -- not after he sent it, and not after the murders in Pittsburgh.

North Korea Threatens to Resume Building Nuclear Weapons - 

After his photo-op publicity stunt on June 12, 2018 in Singapore with Kim Jong Un, the brutal dictator of North Korea, Trump said that North Korea was no longer a nuclear threat. Shortly after the meeting, there were indications that Kim was still developing his nuclear weapons. In early November 2018, Kim threatened to resume his nuclear program unless U.S sanctions are lifted. Trump, who thinks he is a master deal maker, was played by Kim. Kim got a world stage that he could use to further subjugate North Koreans, and promised nothing. Trump got squat.

Murder of Jamal Khashoggi - 

Washingtopn Post Op-Ed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan: "The murder of Jamal Khashoggi involves a lot more than a group of security officials, just as the Watergate scandal was bigger than a break-in and the 9/11 terror attacks went beyond the hijackers. As responsible members of the international community, we must reveal the identities of the puppetmasters behind Khashoggi’s killing and discover those in whom Saudi officials — still trying to cover up the murder — have placed their trust." 

Trump has too many personal investments with the Saudis to do what he should do as president, which is to condemn their actions and call for the removal of Mohammed bin Salman (or MBS) as the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Trump is looking out for Trump, Inc., not the U.S, and not even for the people who voted for him.

Mid-Term Elections - 

Paul Krugman wrote that when he started his column with the New Your Times, the word "lie" wasn't allowed. With Trump and the GOP, that ban has been lifted not only at the Times, but at almost every publication of note. Republican candidates are lying about how they want to protect preexisting conditions from being excluded with health insurance. As proof that they are lying, all of the GOP candidates have voted to end the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) 70 times when Obama was president, and 20 Republican-led states are suing to have the ACA voided. They claim to protect voters rights but are blatantly doing anything they can to prevent any group or population that typically votes Democratic from voting. The GOP and Trump are lying about everything - blatantly and overtly.

VOTE on November 6 to end GOP lies, hypocrisy, and racism.

Max Boot, Washington Post: "Vote for Democrats on Tuesday. For every office. Regardless of who they are. And I say that as a former Republican. Some Republicans in suburban districts may claim they aren’t for Trump. Don’t believe them. Whatever their private qualms, no Republicans have consistently held Trump to account. They are too scared that doing so will hurt their chances of reelection. If you’re as sick and tired as I am of being sick and tired about what’s going on, vote against all Republicans. Every single one. That’s the only message they will understand."




John L Ferri