I can’t count the time’s I have told you this was coming: You see, we’re on an escalation path with regards to U.S. relations with multiple countries in South and Central America. And – it’s all about money.
First, we are continuing to recalibrate our views of how things will go. As of early this morning, the stock market futures were pointing to another small pop up. To the top of the “blue band” in the particular oscillator that we think may give us some hints of “news to come…”
As you can see, the markets might be in a powerful “sell the news” position having been busy since Christmas trying to “buy the rumors.” This is not financial advice; just how the interplay of large events of great financial importance have seemingly worked out in the past.
Product Escalation Path
Unlike most (normal) people, I tend to look at everything is a product. Although my use of the term is easily misconstrued, so let’s clarify.
Just as in physics f=ma (force equals the product of mass times acceleration) all human activity produces an economic product.
That is, humans do (work) and there is money (reward) involved so that gives you product. P=wr.
That’s how we blithely view the world in our odd, logical (Spock-like at times) semi-detached view. We look at an issue like Climate and we see that as a p=wr conflict at many levels. The product is economic activity and the work is (studies, data, and unproven “conclusions”) while the “reward” is money, grants, academic standing and oh yes, saving the planet. So goes that “Product brochure, anyway.
Behind that Product, we see second-derivatives in play. Oil and Natural Gas producers have a vested interest in the outcome. but, then so do governments which have a near-monopoly skimming (as taxes are) a vig or skim from the basic p=wr equation.
Rinse and repeat for ALL news items, save Acts of God and Crazies (AoGC). The (unfunded, non-government, independently insane) mass shooters and the lighting-stricken airplane that falls from the sky.
Everything else that makes “news” is a Product Monetization.
Every Hollywood star, starlet, bimbo, and hunk? ‘Fraid so.
Sexual minorities? Why, of course!
Rebuilding American infrastructure? Why sure!
And what of the political parties and the “new socialists” and the RINOs like Mitt? Why, hell yes! Everyone’s in it for the money and or rewards. Remember, “rewards” may include sexual favors, power, and dominance and it doesn’t take but a second of open-minded news scanning to provide ample evidence that this is an honest worldview.
War is as Product
Here, our first stop is Smedley Butler. Who Wikipedia introduces like this:
“War Is a Racket is a speech and a 1935 short book, by Smedley D. Butler, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General and two-time Medal of Honor recipient. Based on his career military experience, Butler frankly discusses how business interests commercially benefit, such as war profiteering from warfare. He had been appointed commanding officer of the Gendarmerie during the United States occupation of Haiti, which lasted from 1915 to 1934. “
Butler gets high marks from us on several points, including:
“Anaconda, for instance. Average yearly earnings during the pre-war years 1910-1914 of $10,000,000. During the war years 1914-1918 profits leaped to $34,000,000 per year.
Or Utah Copper. Average of $5,000,000 per year during the 1910-1914 period. Jumped to an average of $21,000,000 yearly profits for the war period.:
His whole book – a blissfully short read – is powerful and almost convincing. Online free here.
HOWEVER! Our one bitch with Butler is that he views war as “bad.” While that is a common view, especially by loved ones of bullet recipients and the like (politicians monetize the hell out of this ), wars do serve sociological (and economic functions) that deserve mention.
For one, they reduce populations. As Adolph Hitler’s Second Book reveal, it builds a “warrior class” and that’s mighty powerful stuff.
For another, by preparing for an Enemy, they give government and police and all other manner of domestic authority a reason to exist. Without war – and other threats to your local tribe, where would the justification for levying taxes be? See “Report from Iron Mountain” for more.
Consequently, we think Butler should have been a little more oriented toward modern marketing and strategic balance in his assessments.
Enemies are “products” too, as all propagandists know. And, sad to report, but while war may be a racket, it’s a massive society-wide monetization.
Especially in a go-growth world at the end of its resource base. Without “killing people and breaking things” as my .mil buds note, where’s growth going to come from?
China know this sad fact which is why they’re monetizing up to take Taiwan. Sorry…reunify. Need to make sure we use the same lingo as the sales brochures!
So About the Next War with Mexico
First, let’s consider the past, since war with Mexico is not a “new product category.” We’ve been there, done that. What we’re facing in a Product ReLaunch.
The Mexican–American War, or the Invasion of Mexico or U.S.–Mexican War (1846–1848).
That’s what socialist-indoctrinated history teaches. Little attention is paid to the Long Expedition (1819). In that one, James Long led a group (the Filibusters) trying to seize Spanish Texas.
Some historical revisionistas believe Mexico “won” that (product category) but Spain was involved as well, since this was concurrent with the Mexican War of Independence (cinco de mayo, remember?) from Spain which didn’t complete until 1821.
Scattered across the history category we see items like the Texas-Indian Wars. Then the Spanish, failing to learn history, tried to reclaim Mexico. That bad “product relaunch” branded as the Spanish Reconquest Attempts of Mexico (1821–1829) didn’t work out for Spain. I’ve often considered this Spain’s New Coke of their foreign. Gotta roll with the Basques on their assessments.
We can skip over a lot of wars and crises, but in “modern” times we find the Border War (1910–1919) is particularly instructive since the New Product Launch tonight will be the 100th Anniversary Edition of the Border War – now available in digital formats… Key Wikipedia details of the yester-launch
“From the beginning of the Mexican Revolution in 1910, the United States Army was stationed in force along the border and on several occasions fought with Mexican rebels or federals. The height of the conflict came in 1916 when revolutionary Pancho Villa attacked the American border town of Columbus, New Mexico. In response, the United States Army, under the direction of General John J. Pershing, launched an expedition into northern Mexico, to find and capture Villa. Though the operation was successful in finding and engaging the Villista rebels, and in killing Villa’s two top lieutenants, the revolutionary himself escaped and the American army returned to the United States in January 1917. Conflict at the border continued, however, and the United States launched several additional, though smaller operations into Mexican territory until after the American victory in the Battle of Ambos Nogales, leading to the establishment of a permanent border wall.”
Which brings us to tonight’s likely Product ReLaunch by Donald Trump who wants to “fix the broken Product battle” and get on with his agenda.
We have gone from semi-open borders of the 1950’s to a gradual hardening. This has escalated in recent years to a Low Intensity Conflict and, with the use of tear gas at the border last week, we are seeing a hardening of the line.
Because of drug cartels monetizing the low-level conflict, we see how Border Patrol’s “Product” has evolved from basic “Law Enforcement” to “Para-Military” and now we anticipate an upsell to full-on “Military” is the next logical step on this Product Migration Path.
Now Let’s Line Up the Money
Price points matter. How much – and who – will pay for the new Product? Money! Always the big deal in marketing analysis. We will keep this simple in the interest of time.
On the positive side of the ledger (for open (or uselessly digitized and droned) borders)
- Illegals provide cheap labor for exploiting by unethical companies. Good for business.
- Unethical biz drops big cash on border openers. Good for sell-out liberal politicians.
- Illegals give reason to hire more Border Patrol and other government bureaucracies. Let’s open that journal next:
- Illegals are a boon to government at many levels:
- Social Services – hiring and empire building
- Welfare – need I repeat?
- Child protective services – gotta keep the “victims rolling in” which leads to empire building and….
- And particularly Education where we find
- Special administrators
- Special curriculum
- And ESL language which is Huge. Why, give me one percent of the textbook revenue and I’ll retire to a yacht. ISYN. (Illegals to get more benefits in California)
On the negative side of the ledger
- Border protection expense is a recurring expense line item. A wall (or war, for that matter) may reduce short-term recurring expense.
- Border walls are widely and successfully used by other countries along their borders. Israel, for one, doesn’t rely on drones. They use walls. Oh, and they shoot people. It’s what borders are about.
- Unethical employers who hire illegals should pay a living wage. Anti-American, anti-Constitutional behaving politicians should be hounded out of office.
- Illegals bring in the majority of imported drugs into the country. We lost a relative to Mexican sourced black tar heroin in Las Vegas.
- Illegals not only bring in sex traffic inbound, but there is some evidence of kidnapped American children being taken south of the border.
- Will illegal immigrants bring their home politics with them? Fair question since Someone is kidnapped in Mexico every two hours.
- Illegals and open borders have increased gang-related activity (MS-13 et alia) in the US. Even liberals like Chicago’s Rahm Emanuel have to cede this one, though I don’t know if he has..
- Fixing the border is something NORTHCOM can handle and it would be a work product for them with not too much budget increase..
- And we don’t need to recount the high profile killings and other crime and mayhem committed by the illegals who’ve been apprehended.
I wanted to lay all this out from a Product Marketing perspective. The piece in the NY Times this morning, “As Government Shutdown Persists, Americans Feel the Bite” is not as even in its balance-sheet attempt.
My personal management style tries to focus on the totality of the balance-sheet, not just the hand-wringing parts.
The useless political hacks in Washington – who didn’t even bother showing up to work yesterday (the lazy pricks!) are finally coming to work today but that won’t solve anything. Everyone is talking-past one-another and that’s not how this gets resolved.
What we do expect? At some level? We think Trump will declare a National Emergency.
The markets are in a dandy position to “buy the rumors and sell the news” which is why in December I told you to circle January 10th for things to begin to move.
One way, ot the other. Let the show begin! My nickel side bet is on a National Emergency – which has been used in the past for many “successful product launches.”
Look for it soon in a country near you.
Either that, or he both declares a National Emergency AND fires Robert Mueller – which would even more interesting than a simple Product ReLaunch we brand The 100th Anniversary War.
A Couple of Data Points:
From the NFIB: Small Business Optimism Virtually Unchanged as Demand for Workers Remains a Constraint.”
New International Trade data should be out from Census. But, remember when you look at this that a lot of the action was predicated on new tariffs going in and that’s been rolled back 90-days, to give time for negotiations…so January may be done when that report gets here in February. Problems of driving an economy through a rear-view mirror, huh?
Wait! No report due to shutdown? Well, the concensus range was $54.8 B to $51.8 billion if that helps…
Watch closely when the Federal Reserves Consumer Debt Report comes out this afternoon. (It’s called “Consumer Credit” because they are the creditors, right? Like being up to your ass in “credit” is good, lol…well, it is…for them…)
But hell, what do I know? We’re just a couple fo spendthrift minimalists in the woods…We’ll take eccentric and whatever’s behind Curtain #3…
The Useful and the Useless
Home edition.
Useful___Useless___: CoreLogic Loan Performance Insights Find Delinquency Rates in October Dropped to the Lowest Level in at Least 18 Years
Useful___Useless___: John Travolta shocks fans with fresh new look.
Useful___Useless___: Navigant Research Report Finds Global Revenue from Advanced Thermostats Is Expected to Reach $5.4 Billion in 2027.
Useful___Useless___: Pizza Hut UK apologizes to ‘heartbroken’ vegan that was accidentally served dairy
Useful___Useless___: More U.S. regions see job openings outnumbering jobless.
Useful___Useless___: Beijing Says 20 Children Have Been Injured in an Attack on a Chinese Primary School.
Useful___Useless___: ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ Documentary on Lifetime Details Sex Abuse Accusations.
Sorry for the long column. Been studying the NY Times piece “Does It Pay to Be a Writer?.” Maybe if we charged by the word…
Dow futures up 200, so no shortage of BTFD Greater Fools, is there? Moron the ‘morrow…
I hope there is consideration for the environment in Ure’s totality.
http://theriverandthewall.com/
Without a border, there is neither environment to protect, nor means to do so. I suggest you choose your causes célèbre, carefully, after a judicial application of truly unprejudiced thought and analysis…
Hi George,
Considering the lasting low in the sunspot cycle. I found a totally different view. If you click further down you will find my article on ResearchGate. Similar articles have a few to a dozen reads. Mine is out since 4 weeks and has hundreds. Why? Because I found something that all the “smart” guys overlooked:
https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/en/news/view/367/20190102-solar-cycle-25-and-the-107-cm-radio-solar-flux
The article is in peer review, so you can’t use parts of it. I hope it will make headlines in a few months when everybody realises it was right….
Cheers,
Patrick
Kudos to Patrick. He has indeed found a ‘new’ indicator of the solar minimum. But after reading his paper, I do not see where the data curve has yet turned down. It seems still on the rise, and if you look at the previous cycle data it was a HUGE spike. We could still have a long way to go in the bottoming process.
I will rerun the NOAA data as they project the radio emissions, but to the best of my recall, the latest data started to wash out the Nov. aberation.
Hey, Patrick — ‘Been waiting for you to show back up, so I could ask: Have you noticed the declining PEAK of activity (see the graph George posted a couple weeks ago), and is there any significance to this decline? Looking at that graph and drawing the trend line in me head, it appeared there would be a maximum of two solar cycles before sunspot count would flatline, proffering a replay of the Maunder Minimum. While I can find graphs similar to George’s, elsewhere, nowhere does anyone make this inference.
Am I incorrect, or is this a data point no one else noticed…?
Professor G – have U considered the “view” that 2016 was the beginning of the blow off top in the market, and that we are now in the roll over phase?
I think I can argue this case, and am putting some “coinage” behind it so to speak. If this is the case, then all of the up and down action is just noise – 2% market moves = loud noise, tradeable nonetheless.
Have a sinking feeling there are R several “shoes” yet to drop on this here Republic.
Watching king dollar closely, as Currency markets are the largest by far(trillions exchanged everyday), most liquid in the world.
As with all Irredeemable Currencies, the dollars’ days as king currency are fading fast me thinks.
Sorry but US Military not backing the Dollar, hell US Military has only won 1 single war in my entire 56 years of life..1 if U count Saddams Iraqi forces.
Hell, the “Perfumed Princes” that have been and still are running the Pentagon, wouldn’t know a hot round snapping by their head from a mozzie looking for a blood meal. All those untold TRILLIONS of dollars, and we run from Russian Tech Superiority on todays battlefields.
Say it aint so Professor…say it so.
A very long answer in Peoplenomics tomorrow… lol
I am truly disappointed in what I read above. To me, it reads that you place the monetary value of war above the brutality and horrors that happen. I hope my reading of this is not accurate. If it is, then your moral high is gone and you stand shoulder to shoulder with the war profiteers who value enrichment above all other considerations.
Do you care to explain?
Please try to distinguish between ANALYSIS and MORALITY.
In this morning’s article, I had on my ANALYSIS hat.
People have paid me lots of money because I can put aside feelings and do some very solid analysis.
On the other hand, I do not endorse when I do analysis. It is more a reportorial function than a judgement.
My job is to analyze, at times. I think this is one of those times.
Either side can pick pieces of the whole to justify their positions – which is what partisans do.
The analyst’s role is to speak as many facts as possible in a cogent way so there’s a clearer view of what’s in play.
Some – and perhaps you – would view me as “dangerous.”
I prefer the term rigorous.
PS I don’t think you have read David Goggins’ book yet. If you had, you’d maybe more clearly see it is possible to BE a killing machine and yet (paradoxically) not ENJOY it. This is an attitude found among many SF, SEAL, and even CG Special Service and Marine Force Recon people.
To paraphrase Goggins, in any battle: out of 100 in a fight, 20 of them simply shouldn’t be there. Leaves 80 in the battle. Of these, 70 aren’t committed, or trained. They are targets and victims and that’s about it. But now we get down to the 10. Of these, 9 are fighters and they will fight in a highly skilled manner. But the one? A WARRIOR and they write the outcomes.
There is no “nice” about conflict. There are only a) people who can’t handle it (the 20) and people who will be victims (the 70).
The rest decide the outcomes.
In this case, it is not you and it is not me.
Toward this end, stone cold analysis alone will give insight into the future.
And that’s something I am compelled to do.
FYI, that quote on victim-fighter-warrior…that dates back to classical Greece. I forget the original source, but I’ve seen it quoted in various places for simply ages now.
In civilian life, just guys picked at random with no training and no experience of personal violence, about 7 out of 10 are not mentally able to initate violence. They’ll hesitate and lose, submit or break contact if they can.
The purpose of both basic and advanced military training is to program the individual to do the right thing (militarily speaking) under extreme pressure.
Armies have been using boxing to condition recruits to take damage, keep calm & fight for about 4,000 years now. We did as late as WW2.
My comment is based on your evaluation of Smedley’s use of the term “bad” in reference to war. His experiences of war lead him to that conclusion. He obviously had compassion and was not just a highly skilled killing machine.
I have no problem with analysis of facts and absolutely wish that good analysis of facts were more commonplace in our current society. My problem is with the practice of leaving morality out of the equation. Morality is not sentiment, but the application of Natural Law to human behavior.
I refer to political ponerology as a worthy form of analysis. It has been shown that psychopaths brains function differently than the ‘normal’ human brain. The behaviors of psychopaths demonstrates that they are bereft of conscience and function in a more machine like way. IMO a great deal of the world’s problems are due to the overbearing influence of psychopaths in society globally.
Stephen Covey wrote several good books back in the 90’s about success and how to achieve it. My understanding of his basic concept on decision making was to use the rational mind to analyze the data, reach a conclusion, and then check with the heart for approval because cold analysis is based on knowledge and does not include wisdom. The ‘better’ quality decision is based on morality too.
That is a great analysis…and apply’s to the business, sports, social world as well. 80/20 rule type of stuff…or in this case of Warrior analytics…the 1%. Billionaires fall into this category.
Also consider
https://www.amazon.com/Worth-War-Benjamin-Ginsberg/dp/1616149507
which is a book that suggests that there are many benefits from war may seem abhorrent to most people This volume, gives a detailed discussion of technological advances, economic developments, and changes in government that have occurred in the past as a result of war.
Another hard analysis as opposed to a morality viewpoint.
In one sense, the anti-wall people are right: Unless we’re prepared to use lethal force, including electrifying the wall/fence/whatever, we are only slowing down the invasion force. We can secure the border in a week by simply setting up autonomous guns, lethal microwaves, strafing drones, etc., along with secured walls or fences where most useful. I have no idea why I keep seeing pictures of aliens sitting on top of steel fences that have no concertina wire at the top. If it was electrified, that would be a double deterrent. If we shot a few(not polite, but quite effective), then they’d change their attitude immediately. It only took four dead students to stop the entire antiwar movement in it’s tracks with the Kent State event.
I don’t particularly like this approach, but if we must make a statement, it’s best done with a single warning, and then lethal force with no apologies. Anything less than that invites escalation.
Amen, Brother.
Mike
I am now working in my third installation processing and destroying obsolete military nerve and blister agents. Since this is the last stockpile location it will probably be my last, unless the crank up digging up and destroying all the Really old stuff buried around Huntsville AL where a lot of this were researched, manufactured, and when no longer needed, buried in trenches all over the firing ranges of the rocket test center.
Anyway the Agent containing areas are surrounded by fencing with signs.
The signs tell us that approaching the fences at other than the authorized entry point is forbidden and “lethal force is authorized.”
That sign is the warning, and the only one you get.
Better be able to read English.
With a declaration of an Emergency (Several still exist, one is the reason we have tax withholding) that kind of thing will be allowed, and the Military is certainly familiar with emplying that kind of deterrent.
Last year, I was talking to someone at the gym (in the steam room). He sounded to be an illegal by the conversation and things he said – family… I should have researched having never liked history that much…
He told me that Mexico really was Texas, New Mexico, (etc, the states in the map). America was just Maine, New York….
Is that what some people really think now? This just triggered that memory.
George,
A Wall is not the answer. The default by Trump aka..Hannity and Limbaugh is that a wall works for Israel…Sol it will work for us. Well, the two don’t compare. Israel’s new wall is 150 miles long. Very manageable. Cost efficient to staff…but it’s the drones and electronic surveillance that is the real work horse here. BTW, that cost $1.6 billion.
Ours is 2000 miles long. Trump’s analogy couldn’t be flimsier. Israel’s security barriers are vastly different than any wall that Trump would potentially build on the Mexico border. None of Israel’s border fences and walls cover anywhere near the distance of the U.S.-Mexico border and for the most part traverse far less difficult terrain, without a major river like the Rio Grande complicating the route.
But more importantly, and I stated this the past two days…most, if not all of our border crossings and drug smuggling contraband are at the U.S. borders check points and ports of entry. Very little is is in the rural outback of our borders.
Go on Google earth and look at the terrain in northern Mexico that don’t have roads. It’s rough, with gully’s, canyons and more. No vehicle can traverse it. In the areas where it is traversable…guess what…there are walls. It’s not cost effective for humans on foot to take the trek. They can’t carry enough contraband to justify the risk. Our satellite’s and recon drones can detect most of the activity in the rural areas. A Wall is a complete waste of money.
Everyone needs to listen to the more attune politicians for a change. Money is not the issue. It’s the rhetoric and the wall that is the issue. The entire Congress will easily give up ro $10 billion if we ramp up security with technology similar to our drones in the Middle East, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and others. We would then allocate most of the money where it is a real problem…our ports of entry.
Trump is outright lying when he says 4,000 terrorists are infiltrating our southern borders. According to US Customs and Border protection…there were only 6 “suspected” terrorists at the southern border. By contrast, the CBP encountered 91 people at the U.S.-Canada border whose names were on the federal list, with 41 of them non-U.S. citizens or residents. A $5 billion Canadian border wall isn’t nearly as sexy is it?
About the Lyin Trump Israel comparison…First let’s compare Israel and the US…Geography and politics aside, the comparison between the Trump wall and Israel’s walls doesn’t take into account the differences between Israel and the United States in self-image and ideology.
Israelis look around their region and see a tidal wave of death and chaos washing over the enemy states that surround them. They look across the Mediterranean Sea at European cities targeted repeatedly by jihadis claiming allegiance to ISIS and pull further inside. That is hardly the case here…nor will it be.
In reality, Trump couldn’t care less about the Mexico border…This is an ego/ratings/poll numbers thing for him…This is a guy that employees hundreds of illegal aliens at his Golf courses and resorts. Just Talking out of his Keester as is his trademark.
Your remarks are good, but woefully incomplete.
The REAL reason Israel can use a smaller fence along its borders is the IDF ensures their integrity and they are authorized to use lethal force.
Which grates on liberals, Palestinians (which Egypt landlocked, not wanting them either).
See al Jazeera’s Israel’s use of lethal force ‘could amount to war crimes’ which hasn’t changed IDF policy.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/israel-lethal-force-amount-war-crime-180613163435893.html
Israel’s walls work because they will shoot offenders. America has no stomach and Hitler weould have won if he’d been patient and show up 40 years later. Appeasement is not victory. And libe4ralism is not peace.
It’s back to what I said earlier this week: Warriors can (voluntarily) share. For everyone else? there’s takers.
I get what you are saying, but our situation is no where near what Israel deals with. They are surrounded by countries that want to blow their country off the face of the earth. They must use force or they die.
Our borders do not have a life or death scenario unless you count the cocaine and heroin deaths that result from smuggling…The problem with those drug deaths is that they are part of a consensual drug usage by the victims…Again, the key to those that are smuggling happens at our crowded ports…not rural borders.
Most of those 4,000 include business and relatives of American citizens or those on H1B visa’s visiting from red flagged countries…and coming to our country via commercial airplanes and passing through customs like anyone who travels… Hardly a national emergency.
Is it not like the threats faced by Israel? Only a sim0pleton would pose a choice between the Sinaloa cartel or Hamas, my friend. Evil is evil and kills where it can.
I have a dog in this fight in the form of a dead relative from black tar via Mexico. Friends on Kibbutz in Israel all came back to the US. Need I draw the pictures?
I had to flip a coin on whether to comment on Global Warming post above or the Border wall! Since I peruse RAND Corporation publications frequently, I feel it’s best to share their website. BTW, the real issue here is ‘border security,’ which equates to doing whatever it takes in various areas to protect the citizens of the U.S.
https://www.rand.org/topics/border-and-port-security.html
Denying border security is denying the right of a nation to exist on its own merit. Do you see Putin or Xi or Kim opening the borders to unchecked immigration? Why do you think this might be so? The progressive liberal socialists call this the “evils of nationalism and if America would just open its borders and lead the way, Russia and China would eventually follow. Instead, America mimics Russia and China. American and European national patriotism is being sold as a bad word. But as George so eloquently puts it, where would the rest of the world be without a patriotic U.S. of A.? I’d add England and the Free French to that statement with regard to WWII. No America and England? Fascism wins. Cold War? We’d now be AmeriKan comrades and there’d be no Brexit debate since the EU would’ve never existed. Fascist Imperial Japan would’ve metastasized across the S. Pacific. Name the bad scenario and it would’ve happened without American might and pride. No, it is the U.S. immigration system that is broken. That is what needs to be fixed. Trump did not break it – years of congressional neglect and presidential arrogance on both sides did. Never mind that the media’s First Amendment rights were hijacked by anti-nationalist forces that spew slanted ‘news’ and filter ‘social media’ to promote an anti-nationalist manifesto. Like the famous flag of Vermont declares: “Live Free or Die!” That saying does not equate to freedom for border crashers and illegals, it refers to Americans, honoring our hard fought right to free the former colonies from tyranny. So now we should invite chaos and tyranny across our borders? And for what purpose? To feel good? To sleep better? I can assure anyone idealistic enough to believe open borders are the compassionate and honorable thing to do will rue that view in less than a decade. The America they knew, the America that gave them their freedoms and their divergent lifestyles will be gone.
So, you really ARE in favor of autonomous lethal force technology!
@ Mark
The Great Wall of China seems to me to have worked for them at the time it was built and used over 700 years…Pretty good track record ,I would say….
George,
It is interesting that people Like the Fat Cat and Scott seem to miss some of the basics of the conversation. Obviously the pure analytical part of the conversation is missed. When you throw in the emotional or the “moral” as has been said is missing, they miss the part of what is. Is War an unpleasant thing? Of course it’s terrible on multiple fronts. Is it something that seems to be inherent on the human experience? I have been here 61 years so far and the USA has been on a “War Footing” the majority of my life. We will be on a war footing for the foreseeable future. Are there benefits to war? Of course and you have out lined a few of them. It is especially beneficial to the victors. It appears to me that the Fat Cat would have been one that would have “morally” kept us out of WWII. Missing that the moral thing for us was to in fact to get involved. (We will leave all the theories of why it took so long and other things associated with that aside)
Then we get to those who again, for “Morality of Nature” want to put the wall on hold for the environment. They ignore what has been happen to the environment with the southern border and the farm land next to it, since it has become a “War Zone”. The ability of so many, me included, to miss the bigger picture of what is really happening and the need for action of a much bigger scale is profound. Thank you for your insight and analysis
Hey George, am following up on your goofy reply to me about Global Warming yesterday. I mean, think man:
George, like your blow off top, the first symptom of global warming might be a counter-intuitive cooling. Some say this, but who knows??? This is as probable as your crazy notion that it’s OK to take a 97% risk to cross a structurally suspect bridge now (i.e., today), because maybe, possibly, the data ten years AFTER you’ve already crossed the bridge might say it was probably OK.
I mean, is that stupid, or what??? (BTW, they are peer reviewed, not like your Heritage crowd that you Conservatives traffic in. Why do Conservatives always have to politicize facts??)
Frankly, it’s like Conservatives have no common sense. Best, Mike.
Line by line.
“Hey George, am following up on your goofy reply to me about Global Warming yesterday. I mean, think man:”
>>> Ad hominem attacks are a liberal hallmark! Don’t give it up so easily!
“George, like your blow off top, the first symptom of global warming might be a counter-intuitive cooling. Some say this, but who knows??? ”
>>>Create a False narrative. My blow off top work is separate and distinct from the weather. False narratives make false connections. You provide the astute reader with a liberal education.
When you put your hand on a hot stove, does it cool first??? In moderate households, it doesn’t. You must have a lot of burn scars from waiting for the cooling. The rest of us live in cause & effect land.
“This is as probable as your crazy notion that it’s OK to take a 97% risk to cross a structurally suspect bridge now (i.e., today), because maybe, possibly, the data ten years AFTER you’ve already crossed the bridge might say it was probably OK.”
>>> I have made no such assertion (send me a link to where I made it, please). Otherwise, you’re again hearing voices in your head that are not mine. Seek counseling!
“I mean, is that stupid, or what???”
>>>Which part, the attack on me, or the false narratives?
” (BTW, they are peer reviewed not like your Heritage crowd…”
>>>Sweeping generalizations. Peer reviews are done by the same people with their jobs on the line. It’s like hangmen reviewing each other’s ropes. The outcome isn’t a shocker.
“… that you Conservatives traffic in. Why do Conservatives always have to politicize facts??)”
>>> False Connections. Another partisan tell. You assume I am a conservative. Yet I vote based on values, constitutional values, and I’m as egalitarian as you’ll find. Is it because I can read a balance sheet and understand cash flow and tax scams when I see them that really bothers you?
“Frankly, it’s like Conservatives have no common sense.”
>>>Another assertion not supported by data.
With this, I have real work to do. I have to find a 3% working bridge I can cross, and return to watching my blow=off top evolve.
But, no worries. I’m sure you’ll have many things too talk about when you lead by example and invite lots of non-citizens to live with you and increase your tax load. Enjoy it…because even in what’s left of America, we can still make those choices.
Until 2020.
George, Am replying to your reply to me yesterday after hours.
You’re the master of name calling. And belittling. What a crybaby. Talk about trying to distract by trying to draw the foul.
And why call me liberal? In truth, am a strong hawk on the national debt. Something you went virtually MIA on. $2 trillion on the national debt. And you have the temerity to complain about the dollar getting watered down? Please.
And, my goodness, can’t you follow a simple analogy? Instead of deliberately going Rain Man on me? You know, to crossing a bridge today that 97% of reputable engineers say is unstable because, maybe, in the future, new data might prove them wrong.
But I still love you. Best, Mike.
Methinks you have a Troll.
I hear salt works on them and slugs.
I can understand someone wanting to refute or discuss pros and cons, but this guy just seems out to troll you, as I’ve noticed the language having gone from mild to insulting. don’t think it started that way, but it is now.
Perfect description of a failing society that eats it self.
The good is that the majority of Americans will dig in & rebuild after the liberal left destroys our country. Just as England & Europe rebuilt after WW2, so will we. Without America, the rest of the world is leaderless & will become war like with no one to stop them.
If we had a world war.. I think The rebuilding would be with sticks and stones
But property taxes would be lower and your home would glow in the dark. Silver linings about to a person of unreasonable optimism.
Sorry for not being clear, I meant an economic rebuilding. Not a rebuilding from war. More like a rebuilding after the great depression.
I was talking about the drone location technology you idiot…not killing with deadly chemicals. Please tell me you aren’t that dense.
Mark, what good can it possibly do to locate invaders, if there is no actionable response from the intel provided by the locating device? What specific action would you propose as a result of our “technology” locating invaders from the South, and how would you implement it?
It is good to see President Trump going on the offensive with a TV Fireside chat during prime time to bring the truth to the people. The best news would be initiating a national security emergency so he can build the wall & bypass Congress. Bye the bye, how many in Congress live in Walled Communites with private security? A wall is much more effective than Mark’s idea to use Drones that shoots a deadly chemical spray on the illegal immigrents.
I feel sorry for the government workers with children who are working & trying to pay their huge child care costs without a paycheck.
ECS, I never said those words. Deadly Chemical spray on Illegaks??? How dare you put words in my mouth. You are the perfect example if the shameless misinformation that is being fed by the Lying Trump Train. You have crossed the line.
Mark – Here is exactly what you posted:
“Let’s talk about technology. There was an article in today’s Chronicle about how drones are being used to attack an invasive and sometimes fatal Aisian Hornet on the Iberian Peninsula. The drones are programmed to pinpoint the swarms and nests, apply insecticide and kill the tiny and evasive Hornets.
Now, if that type of technology is available, don’t you think it could be used to locate people trying to cross the border between checkpoints?”
Sounds to me like you said it. Anyone else have an opinion on whether he said it or not??
Kinda strange how people can take a fact and get so many different interpretation based on their mind sets. Keep up the good work George.
I have a question for the group.
The ‘military’ can’t be everywhere. On the final day, the citizens must defend this great nation.
When the war goes hot with Mexico, at what point are we as American citizens obligated to defend the border and interior with lethal force?
Americans have the ‘citizen arrest’ tool. Is this a method to lawfully capture the undocumented?
At what point do we citizens consider the ‘illegals’ walking among as foreign military assets?
Belated Happy New Year to All,
Stopped in at GC to bankroll some sun for a rainy day. I didn’t take a selfie by the “Ure Here” sign. One should be quite impressed by the layers of security apparatus for transiting Fortress America.
It is so disappointing to read elsewhere in more distinguished comments of some alleged half dozen “terrorists” crossing into The Fortress along an unwalled northern frontier. To those dearly esteemed fellow readers of salient facts, the northward flow of refugees exiting The Fortress on foot numbered in the many thousands last year alone.
Walls are interesting constructs without resolving underlying conflicts as you point out above? They keep people in, nein? Ich bin ein Berliner!?
George,
One thing in your very good analysis that you did not mention, i.e. that U.S. (and others) banks launder cartel drug money. How does that fit in with the business model of more border security? I guess it would make it more efficient as CIA did in Afghanistan, but I’m curious on your take.
I grew up and lived in San Diego left in mid 80,s. To me this is so much hype I also feel sorry for the hundreds of families that are losing their land which some dates back to title from Spain. They are being paid a pittance and told to get out. Bankrupting and forever changing their lives
Nobody talks about them.