Fraud, Waste and Abuse in the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program

/in , , , , /by

This is a press release from FAIR/IRLI in response to a request for public comment on the FY2017 Refugee Admissions Program. Comments closed at 5:00 p.m. on May 19th. (Hat tip: Joanne)

FAIR logo 2

(Washington, D.C.) – This week, the Immigration Reform Law Institute (“IRLI”) and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (“FAIR”) filed a public comment (attached here) with the Department of State (“DOS”) regarding its proposed 2017 Refugee Admission’s Program. In their comment, IRLI and FAIR raised three broad concerns regarding the Obama Administration’s current policies and practices:

  1. The DOS and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) are not complying with statutory requirements.Under U.S. law, only a person who has been persecuted or has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of “race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion” can be admitted to the U.S. as a refugee. This Administration appears to have unlawfully adopted the United Nation’s definition of refugee, which includes those fleeing from natural or economic disaster, civil strife, war, crime or other societal afflictions.
  2. DOS has not addressed the extensive fraud and abuse in the refugee application process. The problems with vetting applicants do not end at ensuring each applicant properly complies with the statutory requirements. Extensive fraud and abuse of the application process has been found, yet the Government does not properly address these findings. Such fraud and abuse will only become more prevalent as the President seeks to fulfill his 10,000-Syrian refugee quota by the end of the fiscal year.
  3. The American public is still not adequately protected under the current refugee screening process. The President’s refugee goals are not properly considering the severe national security concerns that face the country in light of the attacks in Paris and in San Bernardino, where the female terrorist passed the Government’s security screening. While the President, Jeh Johnson, and DOS officials say that the security checks for refugees are rigorous, the screenings are not sufficient to protect American citizens. Other government officials who are deeply involved in screening refugees state that the current background investigation produces little, if any, information on those being screened.

Dale L. Wilcox, IRLI’s Executive Director commented, “The Obama Administration’s unilateral expansion of our democratically-enacted refugee laws will lead to increased fraud and greater chances for terrorist-activity as well as pressure on our state and federal welfare budgets, and on the social-cohesion of our communities.” Wilcox continued, “Not only is this Administration ignoring the laws which define who can come into our country as a refugee, it’s ignoring the immigration catastrophe in Europe that’s resulted from those governments being too open to manipulation from foreign migrants. The American people are tired of both the lawlessness and the extreme naiveté on the part of the political class when it comes to immigration policy.”

Go here to see all of our information (including copies of testimony) submitted for the FY2017 Presidential determination on the “size and scope” of the UN/US State Department Refugee Admissions Program. (LOL! They are pretending to care what you think even as Obama has already said he is going for 100,000 refugees for his last shot at changing America as he exits the White House!).

RELATED ARTICLES:

Lutheran refugee contractor in Lehigh Valley area of PA to close, running out of money

Is Tuberculosis a ticking time bomb in refugee/migrant flow to America?

VIDEO: Muslim Brotherhood Infiltration at Jewish Temple in Boca Raton, FL

/in , , , /by

Score another Stealth Jihad victory for the Muslim Brotherhood over a significant Synagogue in a highly Jewish populated area of Boca Raton, Florida.

This story reads like a psychological thriller with a touch of “James Bond” and a highly respected Rabbi, Dan Levin, who has become a “useful idiot” in the hands of the master, Muslim Brotherhood manipulator and Florida Atlantic University professor, Bassem Al Halabi. At the center of this real-life drama is a very prominent Jewish leader, Dr. Jeffery Zipper.

Do not miss Dr. Zipper’s extended expose’ of the Muslim Brotherhood influence operation at Dr. Zipper’s Synagogue, Temple Beth El. Dr. Zipper is joined in The United West’s TV studio.

Clinton hits Trump on Muslim ban, Trump responds, ‘Ask Hillary who blew up the plane last night’

/in , , , , , /by

Says Clinton: “When you run for president of the United States, the entire world is listening and watching. So when you say you’re going to bar all Muslims, you’re sending evidence to the Muslim world, and you’re also sending a message to terrorists. … Donald Trump is essentially being used as a recruiter for more people to join the cause of terrorism.”

It’s common sense to people like Hillary Clinton: only a tiny minority of extremists, not all Muslims, are the source of the problem, so to say that all Muslims should be banned from entering the country, even temporarily, is to tar all Muslims with responsibility for the sins of a few, thereby angering Muslims and making more of them turn to jihad terror groups than would have done so otherwise. She doesn’t explain how they could authentically have been counted as moderates, much less as allies, if a candidate’s proposal could drive them to turn to jihad terror; nor does she offer any way to distinguish jihadis among the vast majority of peaceful Muslims. She would rather subject Americans to greater risk of jihad terror attacks than take tough steps to prevent those attacks.

USA-ELECTION/TRUMP

“Trump fires back at Clinton over Muslim ban: ‘Ask Hillary who blew up the plane last night,’” by Caitlin Yilek, The Hill, May 19, 2016:

Donald Trump is firing back at Hillary Clinton for saying his proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the U.S. promotes terrorism.

“The fact that Hillary thinks the temporary Muslim ban, which she calls the ‘Muslim ban’, promotes terrorism, proves Bernie Sanders was correct when he said she is not qualified to be President,” the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s campaign said in a statement on Thursday.

Clinton was critical of Trump’s call to ban Muslims from entering the country in an interview with CNN.

“When you run for president of the United States, the entire world is listening and watching,” she told CNN’s Chris Cuomo. “So when you say you’re going to bar all Muslims, you’re sending evidence to the Muslim world, and you’re also sending a message to terrorists. … Donald Trump is essentially being used as a recruiter for more people to join the cause of terrorism.”

Trump seized on the moment to fire off an attack that Sanders used against the Democratic front-runner in early April, saying she is unqualified to be president and linked the critique to the disappearance of a jet headed from Paris to Cairo.

“And by the way, ask Hillary who blew up the plane last night — another terrible, but preventable tragedy. She has bad judgement and is unfit to serve as President at this delicate and difficult time in our country’s history,” the statement said….

RELATED ARTICLES:

Trump: Clinton ‘ill-equipped’ for presidency, calls her criticism of Muslim ban ‘dumb’

India: Doctor repeatedly advised patients that practicing Islam would cure them

Uganda: Muslim murders Christian pastor for saying Christ conquered the Islamic jinn

VIDEO: Is Opposition to Islam’s Holy War [jihad] ‘Bigotry’?

/in , , , /by

This morning I was interviewed by Dr. Gad Saad on his The Saad Truth program.

It was a wide-ranging conversation, in which we answered numerous Leftist objections to resisting jihad terror.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Pope to welcome Muslim leader who has justified anti-Semitism and crucifixion of “enemies of Allah” to Vatican

India: Doctor repeatedly advised patients that practicing Islam would cure them

VIDEO: National Don’t Target Our Daughters Day — June 4, 2016

/in , , , , /by

dont-target-daughters-203x157Just four days before Target’s shareholder’s meeting the nation wide public protest, “Don’t Target Our Daughters Day” will take place on Saturday, June 4th.

According to Faith2Action.org:

THIS is the moment to stand together–outside a Target near you with signs warning shoppers about Target’s open door policy to men (including predators and sex offenders) into the ladies restrooms and fitting rooms.”

Gen. Boykin Reinstated, “When you stand, freedom prevails.”

Those words from decorated war hero General Jerry Boykin, one of the founding members of the elite Delta Force.

 Boykin was initially fired from his teaching position at Hampden-Sydney College for speaking out against men in the ladies restroom.  But, less than six hours later, the college reversed its decision and offered the retired general a one-year contract.

“There is strength in unified numbers,” Boykin said. “The radical left and LGBT activists completely underestimate the impact of freedom-loving Americans banding together to protect our First Amendment freedoms.”

That’s exactly what we must do now concerning Target.  Sign up at Faith2Action.org you can sign up to lead “Don’t Target Our Daughters Day” protest on June 4th – just four days before their shareholders meeting.

Sign up at www.F2A.org.

RELATED ARTICLES:

5 Times ‘Transgender’ Men Abused Women And Children In Bathrooms

Vatican cardinal: U.S. bathroom battle is part of ‘insidious war’ against human nature

Mediocre B-ball player identifies as woman, applies to play on UConn women’s team

In Loo of Common Sense…

Tennessee to become first state to sue over U.S. Muslim Refugee Resettlement program

/in , , , , , /by

Michael Patrick Leahy has a much more understandable story on what the governor has done (or not done), and what it means.  Click here for more.

The Tennessean titles this breaking news today a lot more optimistically (from our point of view) than the article actually indicates:

Haslam will allow Tennessee to become first to sue feds over refugee resettlement

Stephanie Teatro

Regular readers know that the Tennessee legislature overwhelmingly resolved to sue the federal government on 10th Amendment grounds and rather than sign the measure, the governor is going to let it go forward by not vetoing it either.

No matter! The reaction of the refugee industry activists tells me it must be good news for us!

Tennessee Immigrant Rights spokeswoman [Stephanie Teatro]: “… the governor has helped secure Tennessee’s reputation as the most unwelcoming state in the country.”

Here is just a bit of the story, read it all:

Despite having concerns, Gov. Bill Haslam will allow Tennessee to become the first state in the nation to sue the federal government over refugee resettlement on the grounds of the 10th Amendment.

On Friday, Haslam announced his decision to allow the measure, which directs Attorney General Herbert Slatery to sue the federal government for noncompliance of the Refugee Act of 1980, to become law without his signature.

[….]

Explaining his decision, Haslam noted the provisions in the bill that allows the General Assembly to hire outside counsel if Slatery refuses to pursue the case.

“I trust the Attorney General to determine whether the state has a claim in this case or in any other, and I have constitutional concerns about one branch of government telling another what to do,” Haslam said. “I am returning SJR 467 without my signature and am requesting that the Attorney General clarify whether the legislative branch actually has the authority to hire outside counsel to represent the state.”

Slatery’s office has not indicated whether he would follow the legislature’s directive.

Haslam also questioned whether it was the “proper course” for the state to attempt to dismantle the refugee act. [Shouldn’t it be a Republican governor’s job to stand up for states’ rights?—besides, the state isn’t dismantling the act, it is only asking the courts for a ruling—ed]

Read on here to get the full flavor of the waffling going on!

Regarding Ms. Teatro’s comments about “unwelcoming” states, it would be so much fun to have a competition for the most unwelcoming state in the Nation!  You could all send in your nominations!

They think that just by uttering the word “unwelcoming” you will be shaking in your boots and begging for forgiveness.

Come on Kansas, come on New Jersey!

Florida: Congressional Candidates Sukhia and Thomas Sign Term Limits Pledge

/in , , , /by

We took Congressional candidate Ken Sukhia to task in a recent post for apparent waffling on the issue of Congressional term limits. Since then Sukhia has clarified his position, making a bold commitment in favor of the popular reform by signing the U.S. Term Limits Congressional pledge.

The former federal prosecutor and GOP primary candidate for Florida’s 2nd Congressional District put pen to paper and pledged to “cosponsor and vote for” the Congressional term limits amendment if elected to the Congress this year.

Sukhia is the 13th Congressional candidate in Florida to sign the pledge in 2016, a list which includes a prominent primary opponent Mary Thomas. Thomas was first to sign and has been using the pledge to differentiate herself from the rest of the primary field. She presented the pledge for Sukhia’s signature during a recent debate.

Other primary opponents running for this open Panhandle seat include Jeff Moran and Neal Dunn, neither of whom have pledged support for Congressional term limits. To see the full list of signers in Florida, go here.

With support from large majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents, most politicians claim to support term limits in some vague way and then take no action once elected.  However, pledge signers are genuine supporters of term limits who have specified exactly what action they will take on behalf of voters.

Activists are urged to present the USTL pledge to Congressional candidates.

If they sign, we’ll do our best to let the voters in their districts know it. If they don’t, well, we’ll let them know that too.

ABOUT US TERM LIMITS

US Term Limits is known as the largest grassroots movement in American history, and US Term Limits (USTL) was, and still is, the leader of that movement.

US Term Limits stands up against government malpractice. We are the voice of the American citizen. We want a government of the people, by the people, and for the people- not a ruling class who care more about deals to benefit themselves, than their constituents.

We have worked tirelessly with citizens all across the nation, helping them better understand why term limits are a necessary government reform, and how to implement that vision from your town council to Congress.

Did Terrorism Take Down EgyptAir Flight 804?

/in , , , /by

EgyptAir Flight 804 took off from Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris at 11:09 PM Wednesday, May 18, 2016 with 56 passengers and 10 crew members, including 3 security personnel aboard on the final leg of a journey scheduled to arrive in Cairo at 3:15 am local time. During May 18th Flight 804 flew from Asmara, Eritrea to Cairo and then onto to Tunis before arriving in Paris.  The aircraft may have been cleaned, catered and refueled at stops in Asmara and Tunis.  At Charles de Gaulle it went through a security sweep.

After takeoff, Flight 804 reached a cruising altitude of 37,000 feet. It checked in with Athens air traffic control (ATC) at 1:24 AM, Thursday, May 19th.  At 2:27 AM it failed to check in with Athens ATC as it was transiting into Cairo air traffic control.  It catastrophically dropped from its cruising altitude of 37,000 feet plunging into the Mediterranean with all 66 passengers and crew aboard approximately 173 miles from Egypt.

The Airbus A320-200 is a workhorse for major international airlines. The EgyptAir version used on Flight 804 was fairly well maintained. Most importantly it uses a computerized fly by wire system, not susceptible to manipulation from the flight deck. Moreover, both the flight captain and co pilot had 6,000 and 4,000 hours of flight experience, respectively; 2000 of which were on the A-320.  Hence the violent swerving motions alleged caught by Athens ATC on radar were either due to mechanical failure or a bomb exploding on board.  Flight accident experts contend that only a small amount of explosives at that altitude could lead to breakup of the aircraft.

The hunt is on with U.S. Navy P-3 Orion air craft, Egyptian C-130’s and naval vessels, Greek Air Force and Navy frigates, and UK Royal Navy vessels combing the vicinity of the target area of the Flight 804 crash in the Eastern Mediterranean.  They are searching for wreckage, passenger effects and most importantly the audio signals of the pinging locator identifying the flight recorder black boxes.  The latter may be a daunting task as the Mediterranean is more than a mile deep in the crash area.   Egyptair is in the midst of receiving the relatives of French, Egyptian and other nationalities among the passengers on board. They were flown to Cairo for briefings on Friday before an official press conference.

Early on both the U.S. and later Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority officials speculated that information they have received suggest that it may not have been mechanical failure, but likely terrorism.

In the meantime, neither suspected terrorist groups ISIS or Al Qaeda have claimed responsibility.  You may recall just after the downing of the Russian MetroJet A321 with 224 passengers  and crew aboard  in the Sinai Peninsula on October 31, 2015, ISIS claimed responsibility for what allegedly was a soda can bomb placed in a baggage hold.  Terrorism experts speculate that  master bomb maker Saudi Ibrahim al-Asiri of Al Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula has been heavily involved in development of unique explosives barely detectable.   As one example the laptop that exploded aboard a flight in Somalia last summer that blew a hole in the aircraft skin killing the terrorist using the device.

U.S. intelligence has shared watch list information with the French and Egyptian services.  Passenger manifests on each segment of Flight 804 will be reviewed to check out the relatives of passengers aboard.  Perhaps there are also data transmissions from the INMARSAT systems might be reviewed. Data from the INMARSAT tracking system, you may recall were retrieved following the downing of Malaysian Air MH-370.   Mary Schiavo, aviation safety expert nd former Inspector General of the US Department of Transportation,  indicated in a CNN interview that in 2014 the US implemented so-called enhanced safety inspection system on international flights to the US. These entailed checking aircraft baggage holds, washroom and catering waste disposal bins.  A spokesperson for Egyptair queried by CNN on the sweep conducted at Charles de Gaulle airport indicated that cockpit, air service and security teams were screened as well as inspection of the aircraft baggage hold, disposal and storage bins.

Knowledgeable counterterrorism sources have suggested that it might have been an inside job, meaning aircraft cleaners, caterers and fuelers who  had access to the aircraft during intermediate landings.  The issue at Charles de Gaulle is acute.  French authorities have been  airport workers at Charles de Gaulle after revelations about Paris ISIS massacre perpetrators.  The authorities  withdrew credentials from more than 70 airport workers engaged in radical Islamic activities.  The other possibility is that there may not have been security sweeps conducted at intermediate flight destinations in Asmara, Eritrea and Tunis.

This is a concern that was discussed  on  Lisa Benson Radio programs  last fall with Ambassador R. James Woolsey alerting listeners and social media about domestic and international airport insecurity.

Listen to the PODCAST: Is it Safe to Fly?:

Investigations by the National Security Task Force of America at more than 13 U.S. airports revealed non competitive contracts for maintenance, baggage handling and aircraft cleaning and refueling. Many of the contractors employed refugee émigrés. A major international maintenance contractor with contracts in 70 municipalities and airports has hired over 500,000 refugee émigrés, globally.  An ISIS fighter killed in Syria was a Somali émigré employed with a cleaning and fueling contractor at the Twin Cities airport in Minneapolis.  He had complete access to the airport tarmac with his SIDE badge. The Atlanta Hartsfield airport reported the theft of dozens of these SIDE badges.  Further, the US Department of Homeland Security revealed that 73 TSA screeners were found on no fly lists. Investigations by the French Interior Ministry revealed that one of the Paris massacre perpetrators in November 2015 was employed as an airport maintenance worker at Charles de Gaulle airport. Then there was the evidence from the March 2016 Brussels airport bombing, that one of the ISIS perpetrators was  a returning fighter. He had been employed at both the airport and the European Parliament building adjacent to the subway bombing site in Brussels.

Thus, while we wait for further developments on the mysterious downing of EgyptAir 804, we might express concerns to Congress requesting them to hold hearings on airport security including the clearance of maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage handling and fueling contractors.

RELATED ARTICLES:

The Captain Of Flight MS804 Is A Muslim Linked To Major Muslim Terrorist Involved In Killing Americans In Benghazi

Why was smoke detected on EgyptAir Flight 804 before it went down?

Why Airport Security Will Always Be a Fiasco with TSA

EDITORS NOTE: This column originally appeared in the Nat Sec Daily Brief. The featured image is of an EgyptAir Airbus A320 taking off from Vienna International Airport. Photo: Thomas Ranner/Associated Press

Refugee Program Dangerous to Women

/in , , , , /by

Brenda Walker sent testimony to the U.S. State Department by the deadline yesterday and then posted it here at her excellent blog, Limits to Growth.

She says, “Washington’s refugee rescue project has gone from an expensive do-gooder welfare program to a dangerous national security threat,” and goes on to urge readers to look at Europe to understand what is coming our way.

“Europe shows the horror Washington is rushing willy-nilly to imitate. For those of us who value women’s rights and safety, the mass sexual attacks that occurred on New Years in Cologne and other cities were a reminder of how bad Muslim diversity can be. On February 15, the AP reported that of the 73 suspects arrested thus far out of more than a thousand criminal complaints, the “overwhelming majority” were refugees, according to Cologne prosecutor Ulrich Bremer.”

Go to Limits to Growth for her detailed testimony to the State Department which includes extensive linked information to back up what she says.

RELATED ARTICLES: 

Migrants burn down refugee center on Lampedusa (thank you Pope Francis)

The Slow Progress of Obama Administration Program to Stem Illegal Immigration From Central America

Canada: Muslim Imam admits refugee resettlement is caliphate-building!

Amarillo, TX being destroyed by refugee overload

Nevada: Ready or not refugees on the way to Reno

Blame Hillary for the Muslim Migrants headed to Libya via Turkey to invade Europe

/in , , , , , /by

You probably know that the European Union has clamped down finally on the arrivals of migrants in Greece (from Turkey) with their latest scheme to return those who have no legitimate claim to asylum back to Turkey.
boat_people from Libya

So it is no surprise that smugglers are finding a new (old!) route.  It is not really new because ever since the Obama Administration launched its foolish attack on Libya (with its equally foolish European partners), Libya has been a launch pad for invasion, albeit the flow from there slowed during the winter months as the invasion of Europe by mostly Muslim migrants was directed at the Turkey/Greece route.

Blame Hillary!

And, in this hot US Election 2016 season why is there no mention of the fact that Hillary (and her girls) are to blame for the hellhole Libya has become?  

At least strongman Libyan leader Col.Muammar Gaddafi was able to keep the invasion of Europe from launching from Libya! Now it is a crime-ridden hellhole where smugglers ply their trade with impunity.

Here is what UKIP’s Nigel Farage said last year:

Libya was actively working with Italy to prevent illegal aliens from trying to cross the Mediterranean on boats.Then the US and Britain armed and provided air support to Sunni Jihadists to topple Gaddafi. Now, people from all over Africa are packing into small boats and trying to illegally enter Europe.

USA Today tells us how the Turkey to Greece smugglers are turning their attention again to Libya.  “Refugees” will not sit idle in Turkey they say:

Abu Hassan, the administrator of a Facebook page dedicated to smuggling, said that’s already happening. “People are now traveling from Turkey to Libya by air and then to Italy by sea in a more expensive and more dangerous journey,” he said.

Of course the government of Turkey is complicit too, surely they must know that “refugees” are hopping planes to Libya in increasing numbers!

Every photo of invaders of Europe from Libya should be juxtaposed with this video of Hillary cackling after her plans killed Gadaffi!  (Watch Huma hand her a phone in front of the cameras).

Think about it! History could easily blame Hillary as the chief architect of the death of Gadaffi, the demise of Libya and ultimately the destruction of Europe.  Now that would give her a huge historical footprint!

For our extensive archive on the ‘Invasion of Europe,’ click here.

RELATED ARTICLES: 

Trump Earthquake Causes Democrat Tsunami

New York Times Shamelessly Whitewashes Hillary’s Intervention in Libya

Lutheran Social Services of Michigan, rebrands, no longer wants to be tagged as Lutheran

EDITORS NOTE: The featured image is of former Secretary of State Clinton with Libyan terrorists. Months before the murders of U.S. personnel in Benghazi, during her triumphant tour of Libya, Clinton was guarded by a known terrorist, according to a new book,  Jihadi John: The Making of a Terrorist, by Robert Verkaik.

Analysis: ‘Palin has a much more solid grasp of ‘global warming’ than an overrated kid’s show actor’

/in , , , /by

Here’s what Palin said at the Climate Hustle premiere.

“There is a predetermined agenda definitely of those who I think are controlling the narrative right now on changes in the weather. There is definitely a political agenda behind all of this and as you suggested people who are involved in this issue they are not stupid. They have studied this stuff. They have studied the data that they are erroneously delivering to the public to make us think that we can somehow change the weather and how they do that is to grow government and allow the government to have more control over us, our homes, our businesses, our families, our lives, and it’s quite unfortunate because these people must be purposely doing this, right? Because they are smart enough to know better.”

There’s more sense in that one paragraph than Bill Nye has spoken in the last twenty years.

According to his liberal media apologists we should take Nye seriously because “he has been a visiting professor at Cornell, and is an executive at the Planetary Society” and because he has a degree in mechanical engineering. But the former just goes to show how much the Green Blob rewards its own; and the latter hardly reflects too well on his integrity: of all the STEM majors I’ve encountered in climate debates, the ones with engineering degrees tend to be the most hard-headedly skeptical about the climate science religion because you don’t build bridges by fudging data.

Milo got him about right in this exquisite takedown.

One of Nye’s favourite pastimes is climate change fearmongering. “This isn’t something you should be debating or denying,” he said last year. Because as we all know, shutting down debate and scepticism is how real science works. Nye also signed a letter calling on media companies not to give airtime or column inches to climate sceptics.

Like most climate alarmists, Nye is a hypocrite. He spent earth day 2015 spewing tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere as he tooled around in Air Force One with Obama. How typical — lecturing Americans about their Sport Utility Vehicles from the comfort of a private plane.

Nye’s only serious claim to be the “Science Guy”, as Milo rightly noted, is having a name that rhymes with it.

“I like to imagine some brilliant scientist named Phil Frye drunkenly ranting in a bar: “It should have been me!”

As far as the liberal media is concerned, Palin is so obviously wrong about anything to do with climate science it doesn’t even need to demonstrate why she is wrong. Hence this sneering piece by the Guardian’s Suzanne Goldenberg.

Read more

RELATED ARTICLE: 16 Democrat AGs Begin Inquisition Against ‘Climate Change Disbelievers’

EDITORS NOTE: The featured image is of Bill Nye and Sarah Palin. AP file photos.

VIDEO: Obama, Trump and Clinton — The Disappointment, the Antagonist and the Unknown

/in , , , , , /by

WASHINGTON, D.C. /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Chuck Conconi hosted Pierre Ghanem, an Arab journalist covering Washington political affairs, on this week’s episode of Focus Washington. Ghanem offered cultural and geopolitical insights on the 2016 presidential election as seen from the Middle East.

Ghanem anchored his analysis in Arab voices to illustrate dominant viewpoints in Muslim-majority states. As political stability has intensified in various Arab nations, many have turned to the U.S. for an international figure to address critical Arab interests. Uncertainty remains, however, over which candidate will strengthen relations between the U.S. and the Arab world. According to Ghanem, Arab and Muslim government officials must first pacify fears over a US president who may mistreat Muslims and undermine regional policies.

Recent rhetoric has revealed increasing hostility towards non-Americans and individuals of diverse faiths. Though Arab statesmen “can deal with any president of the United States,” peoples of the Arab world have pressured leaders to respond to intolerant language. Ghanem expressed his peers’ skepticism that Trump, if elected, would allow Muslim individuals to live in prosperity. For this reason, Ghanem asserted that the GOP is a primary source of concern.

Doubts remain over American priorities in the Middle East. When asked to clarify Arab disillusionment in American politics, Ghanem noted that the Obama administration was heavily criticized for its “pivot to Iran.” To date, candidates have not maintained a positive record of engagement with the Arab world. Though Hillary Clinton “gave more promises than Trump” on American commitments in the region, she “did not leave a lot of traces behind her” as Secretary of State, which can work both for and against her. Despite the challenges of harmonizing domestic and international interests, Ghanem affirmed hopes that the American people will elect a negotiator with a sharp eye on the Middle East.

About MSLGROUP

MSLGROUP is Publicis Groupe’s strategic communications and engagement group, advisors in all aspects of communication strategy: from consumer PR to financial communications, from public affairs to reputation management and from crisis communications to experiential marketing and events. With more than 3,000 people across close to 100 offices worldwide, MSLGROUP is also the largest PR network in Europe, fast-growing China and India. The group offers strategic planning and counsel, insight-guided thinking and big, compelling ideas – followed by thorough execution.

About Publicis Groupe

Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] is a global leader in marketing, communication, and business transformation. In a world marked by increased convergence and consumer empowerment, Publicis Groupe offers a full range of services and skills: digital, technology & consulting with Publicis.Sapient (SapientNitro, Sapient Global Markets, Sapient Government Services, Razorfish Global, DigitasLBi, Rosetta) – the world’s largest most forward-thinking digitally centered platform focused exclusively on digital transformation in an always-on world – as well as creative networks such as BBH, Leo Burnett, Publicis Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, public affairs, corporate communications and events with MSLGROUP, ad tech solutions with VivaKi, media strategy, planning and buying through Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia, healthcare communications, with Publicis Healthcare Communications Group (PHCG), and finally, brand asset production with Prodigious. Present in 108 countries, the Groupe employs more than 76,000 professionals.

RELATED ARTICLE: Trump Earthquake Causes Democrat Tsunami

EDITORS NOTE: The featured image of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and President Obama by Breitbart / Daily Mail

Faith For Good or Evil

/in , , , , /by

For decades, the Little Sisters Of The Poor have been doing the honorable work of taking care of the elderly poor in America. Recently the Obama administration once again exhibited the willingness to persecute groups in the name of contraceptives. This time it was the Little Sisters of the Poor in the bigoted crosshairs of the Obama regime that tried to force them to violate their Catholic faith.  Not once, but twice did Obama and company go after the helpful Catholic organization to try and force them to provide contraceptives for their employees.

The Little Sisters of the Poor have been petitioning the republic’s highest court to ensure they do not have to comply with Obamacare draconian abortion mandate.  The unconstitutional mandate compels religious groups to pay for the birth control and drugs that may cause the killing of unborn babies.  Without relief from such madness, the Little Sisters of the Poor and other worthy groups that hope to overcome such brutal government edicts would face massive fines.

The Little Sisters of the Poor can breathe a sigh of relief, now that the Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling, by essentially telling the lower courts to find a way to accommodate the Little Sisters so that their conscience rights will not be violated.  The Supreme Court sent the case back to the lower courts to examine an alternative accommodation to the Obama mandate.

The justices instructed the lower court to find tweeks in the HHS mandate to eliminate any faith-based concerns “while still ensuring that the affected women receive contraceptive coverage seamlessly.”  Personally, I have faith that the courts at all levels will come to a logical conclusion of allowing women the right to freely purchase their own contraceptives as they need them.

Neither Christians, Catholics, or any religious practitioners should be forced to pay for personal items related directly or indirectly to the sexual activities of their employees.  But the positive side to the reality of this case is how through faith, the Little Sisters stood their ground.  They secured a favorable ruling that will force a common sense and just mandate to eventually be brought forth.

Hopefully the Little Sisters of the Poor will not be put in the poor house via $70 million dollars in big government fines for refusing to abandon and violate their faith.  I also solute the Little Sisters of the Poor, who exhibited and continue to set an example of maintaining their faith in the midst of anti- Catholic progressive Obama led bigotry.

When it comes to faith and the results of utilizing it there are few examples more apparent than what you will encounter in the Middle East.  Throughout that part of the world and wherever Muslims are populated, children are taught from birth to hate Jews.  Before school age, Muslim children are well versed in how to hate Christians and black people as well.  Muslim children are taught to have faith in a God they believe tells them it is ok to kill Jews, beat their wives and enslave black people, Today.  Their great faith in Allah is exhibited all the time via ISIS, hatred of America, etc.

A much more pleasant example of faith is on full display in the dynamic little nation that can, Israel.  Where through faith in God and in the ability to accomplish good for mankind, here are new breakthroughs in both science and math.

roni_g

Roni Oron

For example, 13 year old Roni Oron who hails from Ramat Hasharon, Israel.  She is the latest winner of the Israel Space agency’s “Satellite is Born” award.  The young lady won the award for developing something she calls BioSat.  She designed BioSat “to solve a problem for astronauts trying to prove that life on Mars is possible.  According to Ma’ariv L’Noar, a Hebrew youth paper.  Miss Oron developed the system to produce oxygen in outer space.  That is a monumental achievement at any age.  But for a 13 year old, it is simply out of this world.

A bigger point is that hardly anyone, no matter their age would have the faith or mental fortitude to embark upon such a worthy mission if they had the misfortune of being born in a Muslim nation or giant Muslim enclave like Dearbornistan, MI.  In fact, they would not have the time inclination or desire to develop new inventions for the enhancement of science, math or simply the quality of life for all mankind.

13 year old Roni Oron is blessed with parents, both of whom encouraged her not to sit idly by and let life pass her by.  But rather seek to achieve and be the best she can be.  All without forcing or pushing her in a negative way to succeed.  She described her oxygen producing satellite as being like a large bubble on one side of which there is a mirror and the other side is transparent, enabling the penetration of sunlight.  Inside there will be water and algae.  Also there is an outer ring of carbon dioxide.

Through the process of photosynthesis, the satellite will produce oxygen.  Inside there are more mirrors that will enabe sunlight to reach the capsule, but not by direct radiation, which would harm the algae.  I for one want to congratulation Miss Oron and her parents for raising her to use her faith in the greater possibilities.  In addition, one cannot overlook Israel that is a nation where intelligence and positive faith are both exhibited and encouraged.

VIDEO: Venezuela’s Slow Motion Apocalypse by Mark J. Perry

/in , , , , , /by

Food, Medicine, Toilet Paper, and Electricity Are Vanishing…

Despite having more oil reserves than Saudi Arabia, and in fact more proven oil reserves than any country in the world (8 times more than the US), oil-rich Venezuela’s economy is imploding and collapsing under the burden of socialism, and economic conditions there have deteriorated so dramatically that they probably now qualify as the “economic apocalypse” that some left-leaning economists were predicting just a few years ago would never happen in Venezuela. Some links and updates about Venezuela’s economic apocalypse appear below:

1. Here’s an overview from Investor’s Business Daily back in February, when Venezuela was still “on the brink” of economic collapse:

Like a skyscraper crane about to topple in high winds, Venezuela is teetering on the brink of a horrific economic collapse. It was brought on by one thing: socialism, taken to the hilt. Yet incredibly, neither Bernie Sanders nor his voters make this connection.

Today Venezuela, with the world’s largest oil reserves is, believe it or not, importing oil. It’s a perfect illustration of Nobel-winning economist Milton Friedman’s well known saying that if the Sahara took up socialism, there would soon be a shortage of sand.

Socialism has also led to massive shortages of food, toilet paper, diapers and medicine, among many other things, all the result of state planning and currency controls and rampant inflation (see photo above of Venezuelans lining up for food).

After 18 years of socialist spending, inflation has hit 720%, the IMF says. And don’t forget that Venezuela also has the world’s highest crime rate, with Caracas rated the world’s most dangerous city by the Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice.

2. According to a news report from PanAm News: “Hungry Venezuelans Hunt Dogs, Cats, Pigeons as Food Runs Out: Economic Crisis and Food Shortages Lead to Looting and Hunting Stray Animals.”

3. BBC reports that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has threatened to seize factories that have stopped production and jail their owners. Atlas Shrugged playing out in real life. (HT: Hit Squad.)

4. From a Sunday New York Times article, “Dying Infants and No Medicine: Inside Venezuela’s Failing Hospitals“:

The economic crisis in Venezuela has exploded into a public health emergency, claiming the lives of untold numbers of Venezuelans. It is just part of a larger unraveling here that has become so severe it has prompted President Nicolás Maduro to impose a state of emergency and has raised fears of a government collapse.

Hospital wards have become crucibles where the forces tearing Venezuela apart have converged. Gloves and soap have vanished from some hospitals. Often, cancer medicines are found only on the black market. There is so little electricity that the government works only two days a week to save what energy is left.

5. Bret Stephens describes socialism in his WSJ column today (emphasis mine):

Socialism is a mental poison that leads to human misery of the sort you see in the wrenching pictures [that appeared in the SundayNew York Times article above] of filthy operating rooms, broken incubators and desperate patients lying in pools of blood, dying for lack of such basics as antibiotics.

Democratic socialism — whether Chavez’s or Sanders’s — is legalized theft in the name of the people against the vilified few. It is a battle against income inequality by means of collective immiseration. It is the subjugation of private enterprise and personal autonomy to government power.

6. Here’s another part of the health care apocalypse in Venezuela, from an April article in Reason:

Over the past decade, an estimated 13,000 physicians fled the country in search of greener pastures. Cuba dispatched some of its own physicians to fill the gap, only to see them defect in turn. That’s no shock, considering that the physician father of a Venezuelan friend of mine has been reduced to accepting payment in cooking oil and other groceries.

7. As Bloomberg reported recently, Venezuela doesn’t even have enough money now to pay for the paper to print more money to keep up with its hyperinflation(which will reach 720% this year according to the IMF).

8. Looting of grocery stores has become increasingly common in Venezuela, as a result of the food shortages (watch video here).

9. In the CNN video below “Food, medicine scarce as Venezuela crisis deepens,” we learn that even though Venezuela is sitting on the world’s largest oil reserves, it can’t stock the nation’s refrigerators and can’t provide the life-saving medicine that many Venezuelans need to survive.

10. Even the New York Times editorial board today blames socialism for Venezuela’s downward spiral and economic apocalypse:

This crisis has exposed the hollow promise of the socialist policies Mr. Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, have peddled since the late 1990s. While many Venezuelans got a taste of prosperity in better housing, subsidized food and higher wages when oil prices were high — oil accounts for roughly 96 percent of Venezuela’s exports — the government failed to build anything resembling a sustainable economy. It also failed to save when money was flowing in, which would have softened the impact of the recession that began in 2014.

The New York Times also points out that Venezuela’s apocalyptic murder rate is now about 52.2 Venezuelans per day, or one murder about every 28 minutes.

Despite what maybe should have been an obvious outcome and end-game of the socialist policies of Chavez and Maduro, it’s interesting to look back at the cheer-leading being peddled by some on the left as recently as 2013 for Chavez and Venezuela’s socialism, here are two examples:

11. Writing in Salon in March 2013, David Sirota extolled “Hugo Chavez’s economic miracle.”

12. In November 2013, left-leaning economist Mark Weisbrot scolded “Venezuela haters” by claiming that “this economy is not the Greece of Latin America,” and warning the haters (aka sensible adults) that “predicting a Venezuelan apocalypse won’t make it happen.”

Reprinted with permission from the American Enterprise Institute.

Mark J. PerryMark J. Perry

Mark J. Perry is a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a professor of economics and finance at the University of Michigan’s Flint campus.

How many more Lies are we Really Willing to Accept from our Politicians?

/in , , , /by

By Wallace Bruschweiler and William Palumbo –

The lies from this administration are well-known and numerous.  Among only some of the most infamous: If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.  ISIS is a non-threat, the “JV team.”  The economy is in great shape after years of sustained recovery, and unemployment is at a de minimis 5%.  Daily life over the past seven and a half years and the six o’clock news will relieve you of these fictions.

The Barack Hussein Obama administration’s deceit is deployed deliberately to assuage our deepest fears concerning the state of our country and the world.  The administration’s disinformation campaign will continue at least until the election, meaning that the citizens have seven more months of utter falsehoods whose origin is their own White House.

In recent days, another three lies have made the headlines on television and other media outlets:

  • Obama has insisted on multiple occasions that he would not put boots on the ground in Syria. Yet now we learn that an additional 250 advisors are being sent to Syria, on top of the 50 advisors who are already there.  Are 300 “advisors” not boots on the ground?  S. involvement in Vietnam started with advisors.
    • Speaking of “Syria,” does the administration realize that Syria is no longer a country? – it imploded some time ago. Since the conflict began in 2011, after almost five years, the country’s southern border with Iraq has dissolved.  The government does not control large parts of the country, which are dominated variously by terrorists in some areas, Kurdish groups in others, and the primarily foreign-composed ISIS.  The media should have realize that “Syria” as a single country is a thing of the past.
  • This week, Obama went to Hanover to visit with German Prime Minister Angel Merkel. While there, the two destructive leaders perpetuated the lie regarding so-called “refugees.”  Obama praised Merkel’s open invitation to these “refugees” to escape the conditions in various Middle Eastern and North African countries.  But let’s examine for a second: what is a refugee?  The real definition and decades of experience show these invaders are definitely not refugees, but could be considered a fifth column.
    • Legally, refugees must remain in the “first safe country” that can offer them asylum. “Refugees” from Syria must pass through Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, several Balkan and/or Eastern European countries before they reach Germany.  Alternatively, they could seek refuge in neighboring Arab states, where the predominant culture is closer to their own than that of Europe’s or Germany’s.
    • Historically, refugees are mostly women and children. The men traditionally remain in the country in conflict to fight.  However, according to a UN report the wave entering Germany (and more broadly, Europe, thanks to the Schengen Agreement) is 72% male.  Once again, why is the media taking the three monkeys approach with refugees – see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil?
  • Finally, we come to the American presidential primary process. The culpability for this lie is on both sides of the political aisle.  Regardless of the technical rules of the nomination process, the American people were led by the media (and the parties) to believe that by voting in primaries and caucuses they chose their parties’ presidential nominees.  In this election season, we are all getting a rude awakening, as both parties are nakedly using their petty rules to nullify votes.
    • Of the 71 delegates up for grabs in the Pennsylvania Republican primary this Tuesday, 54 of them are completely unbound. This means that regardless of how the people of Pennsylvania vote, more than 75% of the delegates can vote for whomever they choose during the convention, or even before it with bribes or other considerations.
    • On the Democratic side, superdelegates were used to deny Hillary Clinton the nomination in 2008. This time around, they were touted to present Clinton as a fait accompli, the candidate who would be the nominee regardless of Senator Sanders’ popularity.

The approach used by our politicians is sometimes called the “salami technique,” reminiscent of the way a butcher slices a sausage meat – one thin slice at a time, until the entire salami is consumed by the slicer.  Such is the way these lies have accumulated to the point where truth is scant to be found.

We recognize that constant abuse of public trust has a jading effect, and the people today rarely challenge blatant lies from their politicians (and media).  We credit that to the salami technique.

Still, 2016 should be a time when we thoroughly reject the lies and demand transparency, truth, and accountability.  Period.