Pardon Me! President Joe Biden's January 19th Presidential Pardons

I can understand the need to grant a pardon. Sometimes the Justice system makes mistakes. Perhaps the sentence doesn't fit the crime or there was really no crime committed at all. Maybe the individual convicted have sufficiently reformed to earn special consideration to reenter society ahead of completing  their sentence. What I don't understand are certain politically motivated pardons. 

However, some pardons have nothing to do with clemency. Instead of empathy, they are based on purely political motives. Maybe someone is calling in a favor or the right palms were greased. Pardons are sometimes issued for purely personal reasons like bailing out a friend of family member. 

Regardless of the reason, I think most of us would agree that before a pardon is issued, especially a Executive Grant of Clemency by the President of the United States, there has to be some form of guilt involved. In most cases, the individual has already been arrested, convicted, and sentenced. But, in the absence of a conviction and sentencing, is there any reason for a pre-emptive pardon? Should someone be given a de facto "Get Out of Jail Free" card? 

To me, this seems to imply some measure of guilt of a crime. Maybe it's fraud, theft, or or some other possible criminal act which has yet to be discovered. President Gerald Ford (the only president never to have been elected) granted outgoing President Richard Nixon, a full and unconditional pardon following his resignation. Why? 

Some will argue that it all politics. After all, after Vice President Spiro Agnew was forced to resigned after facing charges of financial fraud while he was Governor of Maryland, Nixon reached over the heads of numerous senior members of Congress to select the junior Congressman from Michigan, Gerald "Jerry" Ford to replace Agnew. Ford had already voiced his support of Nixon and faith in the integrity in the office of the presidency. But, maybe it had nothing to do with ideological reasons and everything to do with personal ambition.  Others said it was Ford's deep belief on the American system and that he was just trying to protect the presidency from a imperial Congress and pettiness.

Richard Nixon was long known for being a very astute of political chess. He was nothing if not Machiavellian. There's no doubt that as the Watergate hearing wore on, Nixon was weighing all his options in light of some serious circumstantial evidence of criminal behavior. Many in his own party, trying to save their own political skin, were increasing turning against him, and then along comes Jerry. For Ford, here's an opportunity of a lifetime, to become President of the United States without paying decades of political dues. It was a Machiavellian match made in political heaven. 

So now comes along President Joe Biden. As his term came to an end, Biden embarked on a record breaking pardon spree. Where these justified, righting some judicial wrong, or were they an attempt at using the presidential prerogative to cover up some undiscovered crime like some crime boss?  Let's look at who Joe Biden pardoned on his final day as President and as he ended 54 years in politics. 

On January 19th, 2025, President Joe Biden granted a full and unconditional pardon to members of Congress who served on the Select Committee to investigate the January 6th protest, which included the former and now incoming president, Donald Trump.  The unconditional pardon included their staff and all those who had testified or provided evidence as to the events of January 6th. Did Biden inadvertently establish as precedent to exempt all elected officials and appointed staff, witnesses, and so forth from personal attacks ("character assassination") made under the guise of official business?   

That same day, Biden issued a full and unconditional pardon to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Chief medical Advisor to the President. Fauci, as you will remember, was the central character behind the COVID-19 pandemic scare and for promoting "the jab" campaign, which involved using a series of mostly minimally tested vaccinations aimed at stopping the virus and bringing the so-called pandemic to an end

President Biden also issued another full and unconditional pardon to General Mark Miley for any and all supposed "offences" committed from January 1, 2014 under January 19, including any violations committed under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) in his role as Chief of Staff of the Army and his role as Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff.. What the heck did this guy do?  

Apparently, Miley and Trump simply didn't hit it off. They had several very loud and vocal disagreements on a wide number of issues, including his refusal in 2020 to deploy troops to protect against violent protestors. He went over President trump's head by telling Chinese officials that Trump would be prevented from taking any actions against China. Miley often called Trump "fascist to the core" and a "wannabe dictator". 

Next to be pardoned was the whole Biden family clan! Listed are James B. Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valeria Biden Owens John T. Owens, and Francis W. Biden. Is Joe Biden expecting some sort of political St. Valentine's Day Massacre? It sounds like something some Mafia don might do. 

Of course, we shouldn't forget that on December 1, 2024, President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, for any and all crimes he may have committed. No conflict of interest there! Hunter has been accused of all sorts of crimes from possession and use of cocaine, to money laundering, his involvement in Ukrainian politics which may have been a trigger point for the war between Ukraine and Russia, among other allegations.  

Varying from the theme slightly, Biden pardons former Kentucky Democratic party boss, Gerald "Jerry" Lundergan, whose daughter, Kentucky Secretary of State, Alison Lundergan Grimes, attempted to unseat Senator Mitch McConnell's in 2014 and got clobbered. Lundergan was also Kentucky State Chairman of the 2008 Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign.  The former head of the Kentucky Democratic Party, Jerry had been charged and convicted on several counts of fraud. 

Specifically, Lundergan was found guilty of making more than $200,000 in secret contributions to his daughter's 2014 campaign, and then committed fraud by trying cover up the evidence, including falsification of documentation and intent to obstruct. As a result, he was required to pay a $150,000 fine and serve 21 months behind bars in a federal prison. He was released in 2023 without completing his full sentence.

The next beneficiary of Biden's Executive Grant of Clemency was Ernest William  ("E.W") Cromartie for "offenses against the United States". What were those "offenses"? Cromartie was a  powerful black councilman from Columbia, South Carolina who had been found guilty of several counts of income tax fraud. 

The Columbia powerbroker had plead guilty in April 2010 of tax evasion and structuring bank deposits in such as way as to avoid federal income tax reporting. He admitted to intentionally avoiding paying more than $25,000 in federal income tax. As a result, he was required to pay $58,000 in fines as well as serve a 366 day prison sentence. He also had to surrender his law license. 

Finally, President Biden signed a pardon for Daryll Chambers, Leonard Scott, Jr., Ravidath Ragbir, Kembia Smith Pradia, and the late Civil Rights leaders, Marcus Mosiah Garvey.  In 1998, Daryll "Wolfie" Chambers of Wilmington Delaware was sentenced to 17 years in prison on non-violent drug related charges. After getting out, Chambers became a activist against gun violence. He is now the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Structural Equity, which is a foundation for the promotion of youth development and creating positive change in "Brown and Black Communities" according to their website. 

The Trinidad born Ravidath "Ravi" Ragbir is a advocate for immigration reform and immigrant rights. Ragbir, who had lives in New York City since immigrating in 1991, was convicted of a "nonviolent offense" (mortgage fraud) in 2001 and sentenced to 30 months imprisonment. Despite becoming a permanent resident of U.S. in 1994, his felony conviction placed him on the list for possible deportation since his release.  In 2006, a federal immigration judge issued a deportation order without a hearing, which many immigration rights advocates called unduly harsh.  In 2016, Ragbir first filed his request for clemency. 

Since 2007, Ragbir has been the executive director of the New Sanctuary Coalition ("NSC") which, in partnership with the Greenwich Village based Judson Memorial Church, provides assistance to new arrivals, most of whom are here illegally, and accompanies them to their appointments to Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") offices as needed.  NSC also strives to educate immigrants on their rights  and helps to navigate them through the Justice system and provides a bond fund to help with bail in the event of arrest. 

Don Scott is the current Virginia Speaker of the House who, in 1994, had been convicted on nonviolent drug related charges and served seven years. Scott, a Texas native,  graduated from Texas A&M, graduating in 1987 with  BA in Agriculture. After gradating, he joined the U.S. Navy and served as an officer on the USS John Hancock (DD 981) until his honorable discharge in 1991.

After leaving military service, Scott attended Louisiana State University's law school where he obtained his law degree in 1994. That same year, Scott was busted for drug possession and sentenced to seven years in federal prison  In 2019, Scott was elected to the Virginia House of Representatives, representing the 80th District. The following year, Scott endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden at the 2020 Democratic Party Primary. By 2023, after Democrats  took control of the state legislature, Don Scott was elected as the first black Speaker of the House. 

The next to be pardoned was Kemba Smith-Pradia. In 1994, Kemba was convicted on nonviolent drug related charges and sentenced to 24 years in federal prison, of which she only served 6.5 years. According to court records, Ms. Smith-Pradia had been involved in a volatile relationship with a reputed drug dealer by the name of Peter Hall while she was attending college. 

Although she claimed to have never used or been directly involved with drugs, in 1994 she was caught up in a police sting operation and charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine after she was allegedly present during some of Hall's drug dealings. Despite this being her first conviction, federal drug laws at the time mandated her lengthy prison sentence without parole (she was also seven months pregnant at the time of her conviction).  

Given the circumstances of her case, President Bill Clinton granted her a pardon in 2000 after serving 6 1/2 years of her sentence. After being released, Ms. Smith-Pradia became a criminal justice reform advocate. She has written a book ("Poster Child") about her experiences and founded a non-profit foundation, the Kemba Smith Foundation, which deals with domestic violence, racial equality, and justice reform. Her book was also turned into a BET produced movie, "Kemba". 

So, if President Clinton granted her clemency, why did outgoing President Joe Biden need to grant her a second presidential pardon? Well, apparently her first pardon didn't totally erased her convection charges. It just got her a early release. According to Ms. Smith-Pradia, she has been unable to go back to school and earn a law degree because the federal charges were still on her record. Biden's pardon is "full and unconditionally", meaning that it's as if it never happened as far as the courts are concerned. As a result, Ms. Smith-Pradia is how free to pursue her law degree if she still desires to do so. 

Our last recipient of President Biden's January 19th Executive Clemency Declarations is Marcus Mosiah Garvey. Of the five pardons, Garvey's is perhaps the most intriguing. In 1923 the Jamaican born Marcus Garvey was convicted of mail fraud (attempting to illegal sell company stock), a felony, and sentenced to five years in a federal prison. So, why did it take over a hundred years since his convection for Garvey to receive a presidential pardon? Who was Marcus Garvey? 

Born in 1887 in St. Ann's Bay Jamacia, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, better known as the "Black Moses", was a black nationalist leader and credited of organizing and leading the largest race based economic and social movement is U.S. history. Led by his son, Dr. Julius Garvey, a retired surgeon and executive director of The Marcus Garvey Institute for Human Development, has worked tirelessly for decades to rehabilitate his father legacy which included the founding of the Black Star Line, a black owned shipping company, and the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL). 

His ideology, known as Garveyism, has influenced such diverse civil rights leaders as Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Supporting him in his efforts has been the Congressional Black Caucus, led by Congresswoman Yvette Clark (NY-D), members of the Jamaican community, and various African-centric organizations and educational programs as well as by Ms. Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados and current chairwoman of the 15 member association of Caribbean nations known as "CARICOM". The pardon was additionally supported by former President Barack Obama. 

Garvey has been called a revolutionary and proponent a Pan-Africanism and a "back to Africa" movement, as well as known for being the first person "of color" to lead a mass movement in the United States and one of the few in the Western Hemisphere at that time. Even after 85 years since his death, the teachings of Marcus Garvey, which embraces racial separatism, continues to find a willing ear in the African centric Rastafari movement to the Nation of Islam and the Black Power Movement. 

In reviewing all of President Biden's pardons, I found it interesting that Biden issued 19 pardons related to the use, possession, and distribution of cocaine related charges from April 25, 2022 until the time he left office in addition to ten other pardons for individuals serving time on meth, marijuana, or other drug related charges. There were three pardons related to attempts to provide a foreign power (including Iran) with U.S. government secret technology. Additionally, Biden set a record of sorts by reducing the sentences of roughly 2500 individuals. 

Why is that?  Why were nearly all of Joe Biden's drug related pardons related to individuals who had been convicted on cocaine charges? Cocaine and its derivatives like crack, is pretty serious. Could it be because of  Hunter's use and abuse of the drug and there was some sympathy for its users? 

In wrapping this up, it should come as no surprise to anyone that those involved with politics who were granted clemency were all Democrats. No Republicans, Independents, or third party individuals were granted a pardon. Biden excused three individuals convicted of providing state secrets to a foreign power, including Iran. We used to call that treason, and those found guilty were rarely ever released, yet here's three. 

Then there's Dr. Fauci, who, as far as I know, has never been charged or convicted of anything except of being unpopular, which isn't a crime. Then you have a former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who was guilty of not getting along with his boss. If that was a crime, I think most of us would be serving life sentences. 

Then we come to the members of the Select Committee who investigated the January 6th protests, their staffs, and all those who gave evidence. Why do they warrant a "full and unconditional" presidential pardon?  There's nothing unusual about a Select (or "special") Committee unless it could be proven that the committee was convened solely as a political weapon to be used to intimidate or manufacture evidence. If so, then the actions of the committee becomes possibly subject to censure or contempt of Congress charges (a misdemeanor). Regardless, that would ultimately be a matter for the Department of Justice to determine.  So, why issue a pre-emptive pardon when there's been no hint of impropriety? 

Most curiously, why would President Biden feel the need to pardon his immediate family? What possible federal crime could they be guilty of? Does it in some way related to the attempted political or character assassination of Donald Trump, members of his family or friends? If that's the case, then Biden needed to pardon just about everyone in the mainstream media! 

Of course, I think most of us can understand why he pardoned Hunter. There's no telling what federal crimes he may have committed. It's like how some families try to cover for that alcoholic uncle or crazy aunt. In this case, a father trying to protect a troubled son.  Nevertheless, the blanket pardon of Hunter Biden goes to show that there are some who are above the law as well as the fact that we have a two tier justice system in this country. One for the rich and connected, and another for the rest us! 

I think President's Biden's mass pardons, especially those done for obvious political reasons or to coverup unethical behavior, helps to demonstrate why the president's unlimited ability to issue pardons for virtually any reason, whether there's been a conviction or not,  needs to be limited in scope and subject to review and approval.

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Office of the Pardon Attorney (DOJ: Pardons Granted by President Joseph Biden (2021 - Present)

The Center For Structural Equity

New Sanctuary Coalition

Faith-based immigration rights advocate faces threat of deportation

Don Scott (Virginia politician) 

President Biden Pardons Criminal Justice Advocate 24 Years After Her Release From Prison

More than a century after mail fraud convection Marcus Garvey gets presidential pardon

Marcus Garvey

Why Biden pardoned  Mark Miley ahead of Trump taking office

Jerry Lundergan

Here Illegally? Want to Avoid Deportation? Just Get Married!

The White House is giving bridal gifts to almost 500,000 couples! NBC News and other news services have recently reported that President Biden  plans on issuing a executive order which will "shield" illegal immigrants from being deported, that is if they're lawfully married to a U.S. citizen. In fact, the order will instantly provide legal status to nearly 500,000 illegal residents right off the bat!

The key requirement of this executive order is that the immigrant in question must have been in the U.S. for a minimum of 10 years. The legislation will automatically give the individual access to a three year green card, or work permit, allowing them to openly work in the U.S. and draw benefits. Can you think of a better way to flaunt your immigration status to ICE and the Border Patrol than uttering two simple little words---"I do"?

Interestingly, the executive order comes just two weeks after Biden issued a executive order to allow immigration officials full authority to deport immigrants illegally here without processing their asylum requests. Sounds an awful lot like a President who is either not sure of what he's doing or is trying to pander to both sides of the issue. Thus, there's a few points which I think needs to be addressed here.

Well, first off, they aren't "undocumented". I'm sure they have ample documentation. It's just that they don't have a green card, meaning they are in the U.S. illegally, making them a criminal. and there's roughly 11.4 million illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S..

So, in order to remove the deportation "Sword of Damocles" from over their heads, all they need to do is find a willing partner (which doesn't have to be consummated in any form or fashion), stay married (at least on paper) for about a year, and then get divorced

Secondly, this legislation should prove to everyone on both sides of the border that without a shadow of doubt that the U.S. Government isn't serious about stopping illegal immigration at the border nor has it ever been serious about stopping it. If it was the national security risk they've claimed in the past, it would have been stopped by now.

The fact of the matter is that businesses want and need cheap labor who are more concerned with having a job than about benefits or even job safety. It true that many of these individuals who take jobs most of us won't. That's mainly because the job doesn't pay very well, there's rarely any benefits, and many times the job is unsafe or unhealthy. Also, since they're here illegally, they are unlikely to rock the boat.

It's also a fact that with this new found abundance of labor increases demand for available jobs. Higher demand drives down wages as competition increases. But it's not just wages, it's benefits too. With rising inflation, people will be to frightened about losing their job to rock the boat either. A win-win for businesses and a lose-lose for workers.

Of course, businesses aren't the only ones to benefit. Unions stand to benefit too. For decades unions have been hemorrhaging  money due to declining membership. They hope that many of these "undocumented" individuals will take some of the low paying union jobs. since their union dues will go a long way in filling their depleted coffers.

In addition, a number of religious groups and their service organizations have quietly and not so quietly been urging individuals and families to cross the border anyway they can. They believe their status as a "church" will keep ICE agents out long enough for them to find  appropriate transportation, housing and work. Besides, they're a "church" which makes them exempt from following the law, or so they think. 

These organizations also assist them in finding ways to take advantage of legal loopholes to secure taxpayer based services such as medical and entry of their children into public schools. Of course, ultimately they hope they'll become active members of their "flock" and make regular deposits to the collection plate. Not only will this build membership and improve the church financially, it also give them greater political clout.

Lastly, with a change in immigration status, I'm sure some entrepreneuring individuals will set up a "marriage broker"service. These modern day "shadchens" (a Yiddish  term for a "matchmaker") could specifically cater to each illegal immigrants particular situation  to help find a willing ---no-strings-attached---pseudo-spouse who's looking for cash---oops, I mean "love"---and  future short term mate quickly. I bet you'll see all sorts of these quickie wedding joints suddenly start springing up along the southern border. Who knows, perhaps a few "working girls" would be willing expand their professional services!

The bottom line here is really simple. President Biden is openly showing the American People that Washington isn't serious about stopping or reversing  illegal immigration anymore than they are willing to deport those already here. It's just too profitable. We've been pandered too and given lip service for decades.  Most, if not all, of what we've been told has been lies. Can it be any more obvious of the contempt the ruling class has for ordinary Americans?

Therefore, we can either continue to accept lies as business as usual and keep our mouths shut or demand transparency and elect people willing to defy corporate lobbyists and party bosses and have the backbone to do something about the border crisis.  And for those who are willing to do so on our behalf, we must given them our unwavering support.

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NBC News:  Undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens will be shielded from deportation under new Biden plan

Biden to give legal status to 500,000 undocumented spouses

Matthews: Illegal immigrants double under Biden---and that's just the start

MPI: Profile of Unauthorized Population: United States

FAIR: How Many Illegal Aliens Are In The United States? 2023Update

Churches get more involved in immigration issue

How to End Student Debt in a Sensible Way

Well, old  "Doddering Joe" Biden has been out on the campaign trail again peddling one of his few big issues---paying off everybody's school debt. It seems a shame that after nearly four years in office, and he has virtually nothing to show for except a disaster with Afghanistan and a rocky economy. Even the school debt matter is little more than pie in the sky, but at least it sounds good to college students and hopefully, at least for Biden, that will translate into votes this November.

I guess you can't blame the students. Most of these young adults have racked up thousands of dollars in debt without thinking much about the long term consequences. The average tuition cost for 2021-2022 academic year was $10,740 for resident students at four year colleges. For out of state students it's double that at $27,560 dollars. Room and board for the academic years runs an additional $11,950.

Is any wonder that the average college student carries a debt of $38,290 according to Experian (this is usually in the form of federal student loans). Private student loan debts amount to $54,921. The total academic debt exceeds $1.74 trillion dollars, and that's the amount Biden is wanting us to pick up the tab for, which begs the question, just where does Biden think that money will come from?

Maybe he thinks we can just take it out of our savings account, but oh wait, nearly a quarter of Americans don't have a savings account. 23% of Americans can't come up with $1000 for an emergency. Of those who do have a savings account, 49% have less than $500 while 36% have $100 or less available!

In fact, according to a 2023 survey by Payroll.org, 78% or over 3/4 of all Americans live paycheck to paycheck, which is a 6% increase over 2022. The average American's  household debt runs about $104,250. In 2023, the total mortgage debt of all Americans was $12,252 trillion dollars! 

So how do most Americans live? They borrow it! The average credit card for household in 2023 was $6,501. Nationally credit card debt amounted to $1,129 trillion dollars. In married households, it common that both adults work. Some often hold down two or sometimes three jobs to make ends meet. 

Is it any wonder that 11.6% of Americans live at or below the national poverty line? That's roughly 37.9 million of us. Again, I ask where President Biden thinks we're going to find the money to take on someone else's debt when we can't pay our own? Obviously the student debt---all $1.74 trillion dollars of it---isn't simply going to vanish into the blue.

One way would be for Biden to ask the Federal Reserve to print money to pay the student debt. The problem with that is printing off more money isn't magic. "Someone" still has to pick up the tab, that "someone" is usually the U.S. taxpayer in the form of inflation.

 With inflation, the costs of pretty much everything goes up, from food, medical care, and mortgage to the costs of utilities and interests rates on damn near everything, but usually not wages. Thus you have to pay more with the same amount of money.   

The U.S. sells its debt in the form of Treasury bonds. This, however, is nothing more than kicking the "honey pot" down the road a short piece while paying interest on top of it. Bear in mind too that countries like China, a potential nemesis, owns about 10.17% of our debt (Japan owns the most at 14.52%. The UK is third with 9.16% of our debt). U.S. investors (mostly corporate) owns the most at 32.5% followed by foreign corporate investors which own 29.3%.

When looking at college debt, 53% of federal student loan debt is $20,000 or less. 47% of college debt is actually owed by just 10% of college students who have debt in access of $80,000. 51% of those with a bachelor's degree owe under $30,000. 10% of students have private student loans (which also tend to have higher interest rates ) also had almost double the student debt.

So, with all that debt, how many graduates found work in their chosen field? Most studies show that just 47% are using the their degree in the field  of their choice (the majority of those are in fields like computer science, accounting, actuary science, medicine, or law).

What's of note is that 52% of college graduates are underemployed a year after graduation or not working in their academic field.  33% are unemployed one year after graduating. Meanwhile, 47% have jobs which don't require a four year college degree! To put it another way, it means a substantial number of college graduates have degrees in which there is little or no demand for regardless of their GPA and they're stuck with a big ole debt.

Unfortunately, the majority of those going to college are doing so because they've been conditioned to think a college education is the only way to get a decent job. In fact, there's almost an entire industry that's trying to convince high school students to go to college!

They hear it from their teachers, from guidance counselors to college enrollment professionals (many of whom earn a commission for every student enrolled) and companies peddling loans. Many HR people have changed their job requirements to require a four year degree when in the past a simply high school diploma was all that was needed (if that!) without changing the salary or benefit levels very much. 

In Europe (and most notably Germany which ranks first in the world with a 99% literacy rate and a academic performance ranking of .94%  out of 1.00%), they have a much more advanced approach when it comes to education. Children, beginning in pre-school, are evaluated at regular intervals to measure their interests, aptitudes, and academic performance to determine whether a child should be steered toward the trades or higher education.

It needs pointing that in Europe, unlike America, there is no stigma among children going one track or the other, and no child is locked into a given path. They may opt to change direction at their discretion (along with the parent's approval). In addition, as in America, the trades often pay well, they're in high demand, and often offer good benefits. Finding a unemployed plumber, carpenter, or electrician in Europe (or anywhere else) is damn near impossible!

America needed to revamp its academic system and adopt something similar. Not every individual needs to go to college and not every job requires a four year degree...or its crippling debt. Secondly, the requirements to graduate from high school has been repeatedly "dumbed down" since the late 1960's (at the same time schools started throwing out the need for discipline in classrooms). Want proof? Compare a math, English, or science book from the 1950's with one from now. How many students today could successfully get through one? Not many.

We've developed the bad habit of "flunking" students forward out of fear of upsetting their fragile little egos or angering their parents and getting sued. Teachers spend more time babysitting or worrying about getting jumped than teaching. The result is an academic system which has failed everyone.

It's time to return to stronger academic requirements...and performance in order to graduate.  For students who don't want to learn or disrupt others, get them out of the classroom since it's doubtful the "board of education" will ever be reintroduced. Nevertheless, there's no reason these individuals should be allowed to interfere with the education of those there to learn.

As an aside, during the 2021/22 school year, Homeland Defense reported 327 school related shootings resulting in 188 deaths or injuries. During the same period, 43% of  educators know of a teacher, principal, or someone affiliated with the public school system who've been assaulted by at least one student (often they're jumped by groups). Of this, 20% have been principals. Attacks on school bus drivers have risen 121% between 2001 and 2022. This is completely unacceptable. 

Suspending them does no good. That's what they want---to be out of school. Put them to work doing something they don't want to do like janitorial work at the local jail or prison. Maybe assign them to picking up trash along the roads. Send them to a "juvi" bootcamp. Let them find out what life without a solid education is really like.

As an aside, high school teachers and academic advisors need to change their mindset. Not every student needs to be guided toward college or the military.  The military is a good option for some people, but not all. Not everyone has the right temperament or physical ability for the military. For those who do, they can get good job training if they pick the right rating or MOS (always think about whether your selected MOS or rating is easily transferable to the civilian world after you get out). The military also offers decent benefits, and you'll sure grow up fast!

For those not going to college or lack the urge to "be all they can be", there's the trades. Often overlooked or ignored, the trades are a great way to make a living and provide for a family. First, the pay can be great. So can the benefits. You can work for yourself or someone else (a terrific option to gain experience). You can go union or not. Basic training is generally short and often there is little or no debt. Lastly, there's a huge and growing demand for most all trades. It is a seriously great way to go.

America has a failing  (or failed) school system. Academically, the United States ranks 36th in world for mathematics and 24th in science. By comparison, the top five highest scores in math all go to Asian countries. The Scandinavian countries rank in the top tier across the board.

Overall, the U.S. in 33rd out of 44 advanced industrial countries academically, placing us in the middle of the bottom tier. It's common in the U.S. nowadays for employers (including the military) to provide remedial classes in reading comprehension and basic math for so .   How do we expect to compete globally with results like that?

Next, employers need to reevaluate their job requirements. Does every position actually require a four year degree? If so, then you need to also reevaluate your pay scale and be prepared to pay out a lot more for your potential new employees. Otherwise, employers need to bring their job requirements more in line with what the job actually calls for.

The world doesn't need another art major any more than it needs another gender or race centered major. If we're to reduce college debt, either colleges are going to need to cut their tuition rates (which won't ever happen) or a new approach is going to have to happen to help graduates quickly gain employment to they can start paying off their debt.

That means they need to reassess their choice of majors. All new admissions or undecided majors, along with school councilors, need to review each student's proposed major/minor. Part of the review needs to include a look as the job demand for that particular degree. If there is little or no demand for that job, the applicant must either choose a new major or include a second major (or expanded minor) in a field where there is a demand that's complementary to their major.

For instance, if an applicant choose history as a major, then they need to back that up with courses in something like law, biology, or financial analysis; something where there's an actual demand in the job market. If they choose an art major, then they need to support it with a expanded advertising or marketing minor. The same goes with gender or African-American studies, anthropology, humanities, and so forth. If they combine their desired degree with something employable to fall back on then maybe they can stay out of their parent's basement!

Another opinion is to offer lower interest rates to students pursuing degrees that are in demand, thus making them less of a risk to the lender.  The average interest rate among all student borrowers is 6.87% for federal loans (just over 94% of all student loans. For undergraduate loans, it's a little less at 5.50%.  For those seeking graduate or professional degrees, the interest rates on loans range from around 7.05% to 8.5%. Interest rates from private lenders varies wildly, typically from 3.99% to 13.99 for fixed rates and 5.24% to 13.99% on variable rates.

Much of this is determined by the borrower's credit history and employment status. Other factors include their current debt load or whether they have a co-signer or not and their credit worthiness.  If someone is majoring in a degree where there is a demand, and thus the likelihood of  them getting hired quicker, they would obviously be a better credit risk and thus should be rewarded with better credit terms.

But none of this is what President Biden is peddling. His solution is to wave his magic ink pen and make all student debt suddenly disappear---poof! Just like they never promised to pay it back. Maybe this would be their final lesson --- you don't have to take responsibly for the decisions you make. "Someone" (meaning the government) will bail you out, which means everyone else will have to pay for your bad choices and broken promises.

If you think about it, it kinda makes sense in a twisted sort of way. The United States is the worse debtor nation in the world. The federal debt tops $34 trillion dollars and yet it routinely spends money it doesn't have. Washington can barely make payment on just the interest, which was $725 billion dollars as of July 2023. That's 14% of entire federal budget. But no worries. They can always raise the debt ceiling and go on their merry way!

At the same time, unlike nearly household in America, Washington has consistently refused to adopt a balanced budget amendment which would prohibit them from spending more than they take in.  Is it any wonder then that college graduates and others should expect someone else to pay their bills?

 

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With the 2024 Presidential Election Approaching, Is Biden Trying To Pick A Fight With Iran?

Americans like a strong leader. Something no one has ever accused Biden of being. It's not surprising then that as we go into the 2024 Presidential Election, Joe Biden is  perhaps the weakest incumbent in recent U.S. history. His approval ratings are the lowest of any president over the past 15 years. Even former president, Donald Trump, has an approval rating of 75% among Republicans, despite the bipartisan Establishment's best (or worst) efforts to destroy his character.  So, what's Biden to do?

Traditionally, America has never liked  to "switch horses mid-stream"  during a war or other national crisis, and that's what Mr. Biden is hoping for. In fact, he's counting on it. Biden has intentionally put U.S. military forces directly in harm's way in order to virtually guarantee to provoke a crisis with the radical Houthi in Yemen. The Houthi, along with other terrorist groups including ISIS/ISIL, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Taliban, Boko Harem, and others are believed to be actively supported by America's arch-nemesis, Iran

It's worth mentioning that there are approximately 100,000 members of the Houthi. They control roughly two thirds of  the most populated areas in Yemen. Hezbollah, which is most active in southern Lebanon, numbers to about 100,000 as well with roughly 60,000 full time and part time  fighters.  Boko Harem, which operates mainly in Nigeria, Chad, northern Cameroon, and Mali, is much smaller with roughly 15,000  followers.

No one knows for sure how many members of Al Qaeda are left. During the 20 year war in Afghanistan, thousands of so-called "freedom fighters" came from surrounding areas to take part in fight against the "Great Satan" (aka the U.S.). Best estimates indicate that as many as 20,000 of these "freedom fighters" were killed or seriously wounded. Currently it's believed that Al Qaeda/Al Nusra have about 3000 members.  

ISIS/ISIL came into being as a spinoff of Al Qaeda which they saw as too moderate. The United Nations has previously reported that volunteers from as many as 80 countries have ventured from their homeland to join ISIS (many were self recruited via the internet. ISIS has been unique among the terrorist organizations in its technological sophistication).

According to UN and U.S. intelligence reports, ISIS/ISIL may have had as many as 200,000 followers at one point. While many have killed, wounded, or simply drifted away, ISIS/ISIL still remains a potent force, especially in Afghanistan and parts of Syria which it has declared to be part of the "Islamic State". Nevertheless, best estimates put the number of active fighters at around 15,000 - 20,000.   

Behind all these organizations stands Iran, the archenemy of the United States since the Hostage Crisis of 1979 and the overthrow of the Shah. America, via the CIA, had previously overthrown the center-left government of Mohammad Mosaddegh, in 1953 and replaced it with Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, a secular, pro-Western and very conservative autocratic.  

However, in 1979, the Shah, as he was known, was overthrown by the followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Out went the Shah and a secular Iran and in its place Iran became an extreme theocratic country. All traces of equality and secular democracy went out the door. During the takeover, the radical Revolutionary Guard seized 52 U.S. embassy workers. They were constantly threatened with being murdered.

President Jimmy Carter authorized a rescue attempt which was poorly planned, poorly executed, and ultimately failed.  After 444 days, the hostages were finally freed as soon as Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president. Ever since, the United States has been trying to pick a fight with Iran.  Iran, on the other hand, has been attempting to exert its influence throughout the region, and has made repeated threats to destroy Israel (aka "the little Satan). To help accomplish this, Iran has sponsored  terrorists groups throughout the Middle East and beyond.       

All of these various terrorist groups have tend to subscribe to a intense hatred of the United States, Israel, and the West. This includes our democratic ideals such as religious and gender equality, free speech, free choice, and so forth. Some of these groups would love to prohibit music of all genres, dancing, singing, alcohol and drugs all types, smoking, or swimming just as an example.

Women may not be uncovered, nor can they vote, speak out, go anywhere without a male escort, drive, or even be educated. Gays in all their varieties are considered an "abomination". As such, they are to be killed without hesitation.  

President Biden previously sent two U.S. naval carrier strike forces, led by the USS Gerald Ford and USS Dwight Eisenhower, to the eastern Mediterranean and parked them off the coast of Gaza (the British dispatched a carrier strike force as well as part of the united show of force).  Officially, our presence was to "monitor" the situation between the Israelis and its ongoing operations in Gaza against the terrorist group Hamas.   

However, that role almost immediately changed from one of neutral monitoring to active participation as the U.S. has repeatedly intercepted missiles and attack drones sent by the Houthi in Yemen. Thus far about a dozen missiles and around 21 armed drones have been intercepted.

On Biden's orders, planes from the U.S. carriers made several strikes on Houthi compounds in Yemen,  resulting in several Houthi rebels and Yemeni civilians being killed and six wounded. That action has provoked a series of massive protests throughout Yemen as a violation of Yemeni territorial sovereignty.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced in early January that the USS Gerald Ford strike group would be returning home. It will be replaced by the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship and centerpiece of a Marine centered Amphibious Assault Group capable of delivering 1,687 Marines anywhere they're needed. In this case, Israel.  It also has a impressive complement of attack helicopters and short-hop attack aircraft such as the F35B Lightning II and the AV-8B Harrier II.

The USS Mesa Verda, a amphibious transport ship with a complement of 700 officers and enlisted personnel (of which 550 are Marines) , and USS Carter Hall, a amphibious dock landing ship with a crew of 24 officers, 397 enlisted sailors and about 500 Marines, make up the remaining complement of replacement ships. 

As an aside, the USS Bataan was used in the 2020 targeted killing of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and commander of the Quds Force, which I'm sure hasn't go unnoticed by Tehran's military leadership. In addition, in 2008/9, the Bataan and Peleliu  were secretly used as prison ships to hold suspected terrorists.

As if intentionally trying to makes matters worse, Biden sent a private message to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi advising that the U.S. was "prepared" for any actions the Iranian government cared to undertake, in what can only be characterized as a clear and unambiguous threat designed to provoke the Iranians. But what of Biden's assertion that the U.S. was prepared? It turned out, he lied.

According to a Department of Defense "Fact Sheet", our military faces shortages on practically every front.  Equipment, spare parts, and resources from secondary or even non-military sources are having to be diverted to meet demand by the military. U.S. naval ships are in serious need of a general overhaul while aircraft in the Air Force and Navy need a complete update amid critical spare part shortages.

The U.S. Department of Defense also raised the question as to whether our armed forces would be able to adequately engage in a multi-front conflict on a sustained level. The report went on to provide an analysis of the readiness of each of the military branches.

First was the U.S. Army which was characterized as "marginal" by the DoD with having only 62% of the total manpower needed to meet its minimum operational goals. The Army lacks adequately trained personnel to deal with the modern high tech battlefield. The Army is aging at a rapid rate, making it less combat effective. That's because fewer young people are enlisting and/or staying in.

The Navy's capabilities are rated as "weak to very weak". To be effective, the Navy needs a battle ready fleet of at least 400 ships. It currently has 298, and the majority of those need overhauling. The fleet is expected to shrink further to 280 ships by 2037. Meanwhile, China has been aggressively increasing its regional fleet which could mean defending Taiwan from a Chinese invasion may be problematic at best.

The fighting capability of the Air Force is listed by the DOD as "very weak" which is dangerous since control of the air is the single key deciding factor in most every battle. The USAF is currently at 86% of its minimum strength and facing a shortage of around 650 pilots.  Most planes are at least 32 years old and because of a lack of spare parts, pilots are barely getting in adequate flight time to meet minimum standards to retain peak performance.

The Space Force is seen as a "weak" with its role still not clearly defined. However, like all the other military branches, it has to cope with aging equipment, a lack of properly trained personnel, and few spare parts.

Finally, the Marine Corp. Out of all the military branches, only the Marines were viewed by the DOD as being "combat ready" despite facing the same issues when it came to having ample aircraft and military equipment, spare parts, and adequately trained individuals.

As an aside, the Department of Defense report also mentioned our nuclear capabilities. There's no question that we are living in a far more dangerous world as rouge nations such as North Korea and Iran press ahead with their nuclear weapons programs and delivery capabilities. North Korea has been acting like a spoilt kid the way it's been lobbing missiles in the direction of South Korea, Japan, and even Hawaii just to see what kind of reaction they can provoke.

Iran has been actively developing its nuclear capabilities amid its incessant threats that once developed, they intend to use them against Israel even if it means their own destruction. What kind of country dedicates itself to its own national genocide?  Of course, we face the ever present possibility of a "dirty bomb" being used by some fanatic against a ill-defined "infidel" country. Of course, top on that list would be the United States (aka "the Big Satan"), particularly given our porous southern border.

Biden's recent taunt of Iran or stirring the hornet's nest in Yemen aren't the smartest moves a president could make, but that's what he's done. There's no question that Biden's moves are politically motivated. He's trying desperately to boost his ratings and project the image of a strong leader.

Sadly for Biden is that he has never been seen as a strong leader. Of what can be said about it him historically, much of it isn't complementary.  Worse still is that what the world sees is a tired old partisan politician who is quickly losing his grip on reality.

The worse thing that can happen right now is for Biden to get us embroiled in a war, either directly or indirectly with Iran. Despite his empty bravado, we are not prepared and our enemies know it. It really just a matter of whether they want war or peace. Meanwhile, we need to avoid stoking a fire in the Middle East which could spill over into a invasion of Taiwan by China and a move by North Korea against the Seoul in the south.  

In Europe, the situation in Ukraine shows no signs of ending anytime soon and the EU is facing a mounting crisis over the unchecked mass influx of migrants from Africa and the Middle East. At home we're seeing our nation balkanize over political correctness, "wokeness", rekindled racism, rising crime, a fundamentally unstable economy as the invasion along our southern border goes unchecked.

While we do need a strong leader, Biden has clearly demonstrated for all to see that he is no longer competent enough for the job of President and Commander in Chief.  However, the Right needs to accept the fact that Trump's credibility may have been irreparably damaged by this point as to be no longer effective, which leaves us with a serious national dilemma.  With both parties potentially having a lame duck candidate, is there anyone capable of unifying and leading the nation at this critical juncture in our history? 

   If you enjoyed the article, please consider passing it along to others and don't forget to subscribe. It's free! Lastly please be sure to "like" us on whatever platform you use to read anotheropinionblog.com. It helps beat the algorithms and keeps our articles in circulation. Thank you!

 

DOD Fact Sheet: Sequestration's Impact to Regain Readiness

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The Migrant As Pawn

For decades city mayors and state governors, mostly Democrat, have chosen to ignore federal immigration laws by defiantly declaring themselves  a"sanctuary" in the name of compassion. However, all isn't so well in the liberal world of "Bolshevia'. The problem is that they're running out of taxpayer money. 

I suppose all is well so long as the "gravy train" continues to run.  But for that to happen, ordinary working men and women must work longer and harder to stoke the economic engine with more of their hard earned money while leaving ever less money to pay their own bills, put food on the table and put a roof over their heads. Data shows a virtually non-existent middle class compared to just as few generations ago while poverty and homelessness (especially among veterans) grows to unsustainable levels.

To make matters worse for these mayors and governors of Utopia is that other elected representatives and their constituents in other states and towns don't want to play the "kick-the-can-down-the-road" game any longer. Someone, after all, has to be the grown up.

As a result, they've started sending these migrants to all those sanctuary locations with one way bus tickets and a meal card. It's certainly cheaper than forcing their citizens to pay millions just to support the grand ideals of others. If sanctuary cities and states want them, then they can have them along with the responsibility that comes with their words.

But now sanctuary cities and states are rapidly  running out of money. They've already had to cut back on public programs which were available for and paid by their citizens. They've started allowing the homeless to live in public parks, doorways, or wherever else they want. They can use public sidewalks as their personal toilets. Local businesses can't keep them out of their stores or from using their restrooms to clean up in. Businesses are even prohibited from detaining shoplifters, thus crime and everything associated with it becomes rampant.

The result is that tax generating businesses are leaving and taking revenue generating jobs with them. So, local mayors and state governors are demanding that the federal government in Washington turn up the money faucet in order to help them continue to defy federal immigration laws and reinstate public programs. How's that for having chutzpah? 

No one is quite sure about how many illegal immigrants have been shipped around the country, but it's  at least around 100,000 if not more. Of course, you have to feel sorry for these individuals---the men, women, and children---for being moved here and there like some pawn on a chess board, to be used and discarded. After all, most are simply coming here for work and hopefully a better life.

But nevertheless, it's fair to assume that they are aware of the risk and what they were attempting to do was illegal. Breaking U.S. immigration laws was little different from breaking immigration law in their native homeland, except that the repercussions were almost always far more severe.

We can only assume that these individuals have been convinced themselves that they were different. That they could evade authorities and slip across the border undetected. Perhaps long the way one of those church organizations who help individuals break the law could help them. Maybe too they could help shield from the border patrol, ICE, and others. All they need to do was make their way undetected to one of those sanctuary states or cities.  

Hopefully someday, down the road, they can stop looking over their shoulder, stop running and hiding, and just settle down. Perhaps, if they're lucky, some U.S. President, while trying to curry support from certain voters, will grant them amnesty like President Reagan or President Obama did.  Until then, they remain political pawns and will continue to live their life like anyone else on the run. But until then, that's a lot of hoping, wishing, and stress to go along with those "maybes" and "perhaps".

We've all seen those signs which read "No Human is illegal". It seems they're always at every pro-amnesty or pro-migration protest. While it's true that "no person is illegal", on occasion their actions are. That's why we have laws and a judicial system to enforce those laws.

The countries from where many of these migrants embark from, be they in Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe, or the Middle East, all have similar immigration laws. just like the United States does. The main difference is that the punishment for breaking their migration laws often far more severe than ours, and yet why does no one complains or speaks out against those?

Nations have defined borders and the right to regulate who crosses those borders. It's one of the cornerstones to national sovereignty which have existed for over five millennia, but today there are those who would deny us that right.  Why should we not have that same right of national sovereignty as any other country? Why should other nations be allow to have borders and laws to enforce those borders but America's be porous?

Europe is prime example of what happens when countries fail to secure their border. The EU has a "open border" policy which allows anyone from anywhere in enter their country regardless of any other factor. As a result, they are being overwhelmed by migrants from the Middle East and Africa. Most are young, male, poorly educated, and Muslim. The result has been a serious clash of cultures.

Many of these individuals are under the false impression that they are "entitled" to practically everything; that the state has to provide them with whatever they want. As a result many have become a serious drain on the nation's safety net. There have been numerous clashes over culture traditions, and values which has its basis in Christianity and the Enlightenment. Crime has also become as serious matter with assaults, rapes, and robberies leading the way.

Meanwhile, oil rich nations like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, or Kuwait  have seen virtually none of these migrants despite sharing similar traditions, values, culture, and language as many of these migrants. They even share the same faith--- Islam.

Saudi Arabia alone has enough tents with air condition to house and support three million migrants, and yet they remain empty. So, why aren't these millions of migrants from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, or Africa not going there?

For one, these Arab nations have strong border security. Anyone illegally crossing their borders are dealt with severely. They also have very restrictive immigration laws. While they do allow individuals to apply to come and work there, long term settlement is very rare.

In addition, these countries are highly selective in who they award temporary work permits to, preferring individuals with good educations and no criminal records, and while they have a very liberal social safety net, they actually expect people to follow the law and work. Imagine that!  As a result, Europe is getting the dregs I suppose.

The U.S. may be facing a similar situation. Very few of those seeking to come illegally aren't well education. The overwhelming majority have a minimum education. Many have little about a basic level. In addition, most of these individuals are low skilled or unskilled. They're coming for any low level job they can find, which is unfortunate since it perpetuates the poverty they're trying to get away from.

In today's high tech world where companies (and employees) compete on a global basis, what the United States desperately needs are doctors and nurses, engineers, data scientists, software developers, and AI specialists. There is, however, a demand for skilled and licensed electricians, plumbers, welders, HVAC specialists, data systems service technicians, and carpenters thanks to the closure of trade and technical schools several years ago.  

So, what does that mean for us? While most of the illegal immigration is coming from Latin America, there are strong indications that we're beginning to see more coming from Asia (especially China and North Korea), India and Ski Lanka, the poorest of the African nations such as Somalia, the Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone, as well as the Middle East, particularly Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

Among this latter group, there has been several arrest by Mexican authorities of individuals with connections to terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, and ISIS. These individuals were caught while trying to blend in with the migrant caravans. While there's no doubt that there are likely terrorist cells already here, what we don't need are more.

Presidents, Congress, and others of both parties have been promising the American taxpayer for decades that they will "do something" to secure our borders, especially our southern border which is a porous as Swiss cheese.  Thus far, whether you like him or not, only one--- Donald Trump----actually made a serious effort, and he meet with unbridled resistance from both political parties, the media, and financed special interest groups with a vested interest in keeping the border open.

We cannot continue to allow our borders to remain open. Not only are these serious national security issues, they represent a serious threat in the form of diseases we're no longer vaccinated again and viruses like COVID, while the influx also puts as serious strain on our national safety net just as in Europe. And while we need to fill low level jobs, what we seriously need are engineers, doctors, and high tech specialists. Anything less, will only continue hasten America's decline as a world leader.  

Finally, no more "anchor babies". To many women have used their pregnancies and the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment as a way to circumvent immigration laws to remain in the United States. The 14th Amendment, which was adopted in 1868, was never intended to be use in that way. It was intended to confer citizenship on all former slaves. Currently, any child born on U.S. soil automatically gains birthright citizenship. That right extends to the child's parents as well.  

In the interim, the United States needs to accept responsibility for its part in creating the situation in the first place.  We need to stop trying to remake other nations over in our own image. Not everybody wants to be America when it grows up. Hell, given our broken political system, even we don't even want to be America anymore!

 We need to stop throwing our political, economic, and military weight around and intervening in other countries elections. That also includes imposing sanctions and embargoes. If they want to freely elect a socialist, republican, or whatever form of government, that's their business not ours (as an aside, let's stop installing Far Right wing military juntas too okay?). Why don't we act like a world leader and come to a civil solution?

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