Dr. Fauci: The Man, Myth, Legend...and Schemer?

 

As we near the third year of the Covid pandemic, there is no doubt that when the history of this epoch is written, the name of Dr. Fauci will be front and center. But, having said that, what do we know about this man who has had more influence on Americans, and perhaps the world, than any individual in decades?

For many, Dr. Fauci is the "white knight" coming to save civilization from some pestilence, be it natural or manmade. For others, he's closer to one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.  Either way, Dr. Fauci has played a key role in shaping domestic policy while further dividing Americans. Maybe it's time we pull back the curtains and take a look at Dr. Anthony Stephen Fauci.

Anthony Stephen Fauci was born on Christmas Eve 1940 in Brooklyn, New York, making him 81 years old. His grandparents emigrated from Italy in the late 1800's; his paternal grandparents from Sciacca and his maternal grandparents from Naples.

He was (naturally) raised Catholic, but has since become a Humanist (he was named "Humanist of the Year" in 2021 by the American Humanist Association). His father, Stephen, was a Columbia University educated pharmacist. His mother and sister worked at the family's pharmacy directly below their apartment.

Fauci attended the private Jesuit Regis High School before going on to attend the College of the Holy Cross where he majored in classical studies with a pre-med emphasis. After graduating in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, he went on to Cornell Medical College (now known as Weill Cornell Medicine) and graduated top in his class in 1966 with a Doctor of Medicine.  He then interned in internal medicine at New York Medical Hospital---Cornell Medical Center (Weill Cornell Medical Center).

From there he went to work at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he was a clinical associate at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Laboratory of Clinical Investigations.  By 1974 he was head of their Clinical Physiology Section. In 1980 he was named chief of NIAID's Laboratory of Immunoregulation.

In January of 2020, he was appointed to President Trump's task force in dealing with the Covid-19 virus and served as the de facto spokesman. At the time he said the virus wasn't a "major threat" to the public, and the overall risk to the average American was "low". In March he predicted that the infection rate would be around 1%, which was still around ten times that of the annual flu.

In that role he routinely testified before numerous Congressional committees and subcommittees on the effectiveness of various strategies to contain the spreading Covid-19 virus. In December 2021, Dr. Fauci was appointed to President-elect Joe Biden's administration as the Chief Medical Advisor to the President, where he currently remains and oversees efforts to deal with the virus.

According to his biography, Dr. Fauci has been a leader in the study and treatment of numerous infectious diseases such as Ebola, AIDs/HIV, SARS, Swine Flu, and, of course, COVID-19, among many others. In the process, he's received several awards, including the Ernst Jung Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Robert Koch Prize. I have no doubt that at some point he'll receive the devalued Nobel Peace Prize in Medicine (the Nobel Peace Prize lost much of its esteem when it was given to President Obama in 2015 for doing absolutely nothing).  

As if it couldn't get any better, Dr. Fauci holds 12 patents dealing with immunology (mainly HIV related), which is his specialty.  But doesn't he also own or have an interest in the vaccines pertaining to the COVID virus, particularly Moderna? That's what Robert Kennedy Jr. has alleged, but is it true?

Kennedy had claimed the Fauci invested $500 million dollars into the Moderna vaccine, and thus owns half of the patent. He went to say that Fauci and "the five guys who work for him" were therefore entitled to receive royalties.  Later, Kennedy amended his statement and claimed that the National Institutes of Health, which is the parent of NIAID where Fauci worked, owned half the Moderna patent.

However, according the NIH's  director, Dr. Francis Collins, it's possible that the NIH may own some intellectual property rights which was used in the development of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine, no percentage or financial amount has been put forward.

The NIH did acknowledge that there is a pending scientific paper by four NIH immunologist who have filed a patent application for a 2019-nCoV vaccine which is currently pending. However, Dr. Fauci's name is not among the four applicants. Furthermore, if the patent is granted, these four scientists are prohibited by federal law from receiving more than $150,000 in royalties each per year.

So, hopefully that clears up the misnomer of Fauci owning stake in any of the Covid-19 vaccines. But that leaves the question, what does he have an financial interests in and how must does he make a year? Let's take his salary first.

Dr. Fauci, as director of the NIAID, and his wife, Christine Grady, who is the chief bioethicist at the National Institutes of Health, earn a combined salary of $668,312.00 annually, which ain't exactly chump change.  They have investment gains of around $794,369.00 which includes stocks, bonds, and money market portfolios for 2020.

Their investments are broadly held, meaning no specific investments in pharmaceutical companies, including those directly involved with the Covid-19 vaccine.  Dr. Fauci's total investment account for the same year was about $8.4 million. His wife's was  $2.1 million. With some couponing, I think they'll get by.

Fauci does have a stake in a San Francisco restaurant by the name of "Jackson Fillmore" of somewhere between $1000 and $15,000. However, according to their financial disclosure statements, they've not earned any income from this investment in 2019 or 2020.

Dr. Fauci has earned about $100,000 in royalties and professional reimbursements, most from editing medical textbooks.  Included in that $100,000 was travel reimbursements of $6328.00 for attending a board meeting of McGraw Hill Publishing Company.

Lastly are the various perks and pension benefits.  Fauci's disclosure statement estimate the value to be somewhere around $200,500.00. According to a Forbes report, when Dr. Fauci retires, he will receive a retirement pension of $350,000. Thus, in conclusion of his finances, it appears that Dr. Fauci and his wife made only $1.7 million in 2020, which by Washington standards is pretty much chump change.

When I decided to investigate Dr. Fauci, I wasn't sure what to expect. From everything I've read and seen online, he was a typical duplicitous Washington schemer of the kind we've come to expect and accept of professional politicians and their ilk.

According to the various articles, Dr. Fauci owned the patents to the Covid-19 vaccines, or stock in the companies which made the vaccines, or was directed involved with providing research pertaining to the virus to the Chinese, and so forth. However, no such verifiable information was discovered. Of course, that still doesn't mean he couldn't exert some more subtle forms of influence.

Dr. Fauci does own mutual funds and other forms of investments, but none are directly connected to any of manufactures of the Covid-19 vaccines. There's nothing to indicate that Dr. Fauci has or had direct personal contact with the Chinese regarding the Covid virus, but that doesn't exclude the possibility of the National Institutes of Health or personnel within one of its 27 different subsidiaries or indirect contact via emails or reviews  with individuals who do.

Having said that, there's no question that companies like Pfizer, Moderna, and BioNTech aren't making money off the vaccines. You can bet they're raking it in as are those who provide medical mask, gloves, hoses, ventilation equipment, and other medical supplies.

As an aside, Pfizer, Moderna and BioNTech make around $65,000 (combined) per minute off the Covid-9 vaccines (or a combined $93.5 million per day every day).  They've received over $8 billion dollars from taxpayers and expect to make pre-tax profits of $34 billion dollars while producing five new billionaires with a combined net worth of $35.1 billion dollars.

There's also the strong likelihood that Dr. Fauci either knows or is familiar with individuals within these companies. I would be shocked if he wasn't. It's a relatively small and close knit industry, especially at the level he operates in, but I don't see any no guilt by association. Before I retired, I was the senior legal manager for a receivables company and I knew or knew of hundreds of attorneys, credit managers, law lists, and people in the legal field around the world. The thing about specialization is that it makes for a generally small professional world.  

There's no doubt, at least in my mind, that the Covid-19 virus is a intentionally weaponized version of the flu or that it was intentionally "leaked" on the general population by or with the implicit consent of the Chinese government with the full knowledge that tens of thousands or even millions of Chinese would die as a byproduct. "Collateral damage" I believe is the sanitized term for it. There is no doubt that Covid-19 is in any way a naturally occurring virus.

To date over 5.5 million worldwide have died, but to a determined foe, that's a small price to pay to destabilize the world's economies (particularly the United States), while making a huge profit selling the cure to disease it created. Better yet, the virus will continue to morph and spin off variants like Omicron. Thus providing a unending source of revenue while continuing to weaken ideological opponents and killing off the weakest among us. It sounds cold, and it is. But remember that Chairman Mao was responsible for murdering over 48 million people as part of his "Great Leap Forward".

It also doesn't surprise me that the more insidious elements here at home have used the occasion to further encroach on our individual freedoms. America is, after all, a "soft fascist" Corporatocracy managed by a small but obscenely wealthy clique of oligarchs. We've become a de facto surveillance state overseen by this corporate-government partnership.

We're just one crisis, real or manufactured, from a police state. What better than a unending health crisis, especially one which results in promoting hostilities between divergent ideological, religious, ethnic, and racial groups for and against "mandates for our own good"?

I seriously doubt Dr. Fauci is part of any such cabal. While immensely talented and well educated, he's merely a bit player playing out his role with honorable intentions I believe. Besides, his relatively low wealth would preclude his membership among the ruling class. To use a Star Wars analogy, Dr. Fauci may serve the Empire, but he's not of the Empire.

If you want to know more, please take a look at the links below. If you enjoyed the article, please consider passing along to others and don't forget to subscribe. It's free! Lastly please be sure to "like" us on Facebook or whatever platform you use to read A/O. It helps with the algorithms and keeps our articles in circulation.

 

Patents by  Inventor Anthony S. Fauci

Fact Check: SARS-CoV2 was not created using genes from HIV, Fauci does not hold patents for 'HIV component' to SARs-CoV2

8-170 submitted by Dr. Moehanid Talia

Conspiracy theorist spreads false claim about Fauci,patents, and COVID-19

Does Anthony Fauci Own "Half the Patent' for Moderna COVID Vaccine?

 

Disclosures Show Dr. Fauci's Household Made $1.7 Million in 2020, Including Income, Royalties, Travel Perks, and Investment Gains

Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna making $1000 profit every second while world's poorest countries remain largely unvaccinated

 

 

 

 

America's Dangerous Game: Russia, China, and the Economy

America is playing a dangerous game with Russia. At stake is America's hegemony. President Biden recently warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that any provocative actions with regard to the Ukraine could result in serious political, economic, and even military action by the United States and possibly NATO.

President Biden's warning came as a result of intelligence reports from American and foreign intelligence agencies  indicating that Russia may be planning to invade the Ukraine. The reason is the Ukraine's application and possible acceptance into NATO, which Putin finds as unacceptable.

Since the fall of the USSR, several of the former Warsaw Pact nations (which had provided Russia with a defensive buffer between Germany and the rest of Europe) has joined NATO, including Poland, the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Romania, Hungary, and states comprising the former Yugoslavia. With Greece and Turkey already members, Russia is almost entirely encircled.

Many in the West has been encouraging closer connections with Ukraine, especially given its large agricultural basin as well as oil and gas reserves. It was those oil and gas reserves which some claim was the reason for the covert invasion of the Crimea by Russian troops in early March 2014 amid intelligence leaks of secret deals between the Ukrainian government and oil companies in the West.

Russia, on the other hand, denied that there had been an invasion and referred to their occupation as an "annexation" based on historical claims, which has historical merit. The Crimea has been part of the Russian Empire since 1783. It's main port, Sevastopol, on the Black Sea, has often been called "Russia's Norfolk" after the U.S. Naval installation in Norfolk Virginia, which is the world's largest naval facility. 

Sevastopol is home of Russia's Black Fleet Navy, various air wings, submarines, support ships, long range radar and communications facilities, and troops. The port provides the Black Fleet with all weather access to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic through the Bosporus Straits. Of course, with Greece and Turkey as members of NATO, it also affords NATO with perfect advantage points to monitor all traffic going into and out of the Black Sea.

Russia's main concern, however, is the Ukraine and its pending application to join NATO. The U.S. and Western leaders have argued that as an independent country, the Ukraine has a legal right to join or leave any international association its chooses. While Russia doesn't argue the Ukraine's sovereign rights, it does view the installation of NATO troops, tanks, and especially missiles as being almost literally in its backyard, which they find to be totally unacceptable and a direct threat to Russia's security.

As some may remember, the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 resulted from a similar situation. At that time, the USSR had shipped and was installing intermediate range ballistic nuclear missiles in Castro's Cuba along with stationing medium range bombers in Cuba, provoking a serious crisis between Moscow and Washington. 

President John Kennedy, after confirming from air reconnaissance photos, demanded that Premier Khrushchev remove the missiles. Meanwhile, the U.S. deployed a military air and sea blockade (which Kennedy called a "quarantine") of Cuba and placing U.S. military forces at DEFON 2, which means war was imminent.  

The confrontation reached a peak as inbound Soviets ships carrying additional missiles, and escorted by a Soviet "Foxtrot" or fast attack submarine carrying nuclear torpedoes. On Khrushchev's orders, the ships turned around and returned to the USSR.  However, that was only the public side of the story.

Behind the scenes, both leaders (and the world) were concerned that the confrontation, if not quickly resolved, would result in a all out nuclear exchange between the two superpowers. The U.S. had previously helped stage the failed "Bay of Pigs" invasion of Cuba in conjunction with CIA trained Cuban exiles and Mafia money in order to oust Castro and his revolutionary government.

Castro had overthrown the corrupt dictator and U.S. puppet, Fulgencio Batista. Castro also nationalized 166 American own companies in retaliation of the abuse of local workers and land owners. Castro, who wasn't yet a Communist, had feared a possible American led invasion and had started warming up with the Soviet Union. Following the invasion's failure, Castro announced that he would become a Communist and sought an alliance with the USSR. If you're a tiny nation taking on a superpower, it's good to a have another superpower in your corner.

Khrushchev saw this as an opportunity to extend Soviet influence in the West just as the U.S. had done in the East. Meanwhile, the U.S. had stationed medium range Minuteman ballistic missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, in Turkey along with listening installations. Khrushchev saw his placing of missiles in Cuba as a "tit-for-tat" move.

As a result, Kennedy secretly agreed to remove the missiles from Turkey in exchange for Khrushchev removing the missiles and bombers from Cuba, which outraged Castro, who was left out of the secret negotiations. Nevertheless, the listening installations in Turkey remained while the Soviets installed their own in Cuba, which were jointly operated by Soviet and Cuban troops. The situation with the Ukraine is similar.  If NATO deploys offenses weapons, we could have a similar showdown. However, it's unlikely Putin will blink.

Russia and the Ukraine have a long "history" between them dating back to the 10th century. Following the fall of the Czar in 1917 and Russia's subsequent revolution, a civil war erupted and spilled over into the Ukraine. By 1922, the Ukraine was the first of the Soviet Republics.

During WWII, the German military invaded the Soviet Union under "Operation Barbarossa".  Much of the Ukrainian population welcomed the invading Germans as liberators due to the harsh treatment received under Stalin. While the bemused Germans accepted their role as "liberators" from Stalin, the Ukrainians soon felt the full weight of the German boot.

Nevertheless, about 82,000  Ukrainians volunteered to join the German Wehrmacht as the 14th Waffen SS Grenadier Division. Meanwhile, many young Ukrainian women and children were brought back into the German Reich and integrated into the German society due to their "Aryan" appearance.

Following the end of the war, as many of these individuals as possible, including whoever could be rounded up from the Ukrainian SS Division, were returned to the USSR per Stalin's "request". Not surprisingly, most were shot outright while the others were sent to the Siberian gulags where they were worked to death in a penal system reminiscent of the Nazi concentration camps.  The Ukraine remained a uneasy part of the USSR until it's collapse in 1990. Obviously there's little love between the two.

America's haphazard withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and failure to destroy the Taliban or ISIS, has done little to inspire confidence by her allies. Additionally, the 20 year war left America's military depleted and in serious need of retooling and replenishing. It also left the American military in short supply of personnel as many left the service as quickly as possible, not to mention turning some against the military and political establishment the way it had following Vietnam.

In the East, there is another dangerous situation with an increasingly aggressive China, where its leader, Xi Jinping, has been doing more than just saber rattling.  Chinese fishing fleets, accompanied by warships, have been challenging its neighbors over access to major fishing areas, including invading territorial waters. In addition, it has been having a cold stare down with India not just over territorial water rights, but also along India's northwestern border which has sometimes become hot.

China has felt confident enough to warned the U.S. and other nations to stay out of the South China Sea, which it now regards as its own (it's gone as far as to threaten military action against any ships entering South China Strait, including the U.S.). China has also stepped up its rhetoric against Taiwan and hinted that it may invade the island nation at any time.

Given America's dependence on Chinese imports, particularly technological, the U.S. might not fair to well. China, which has a previously secret unit (PLA 61398) dedicated to hacking and cyber attacks, has already made periodic cyber attacks on America's electrical and electronic grid with some success.

Lastly, China has formed closer alliances with some of America's enemies and "frenemies" like Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq. It has also been on a buying spree of natural resources all over the planet, with huge Chinese run facilities popping up in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

As a result, some of China's neighbors, fearful that they might not be able to depend on a fully capable America, have sought out alliances to protect territorial fishing rights as well as Taiwan's sovereignty. Those nations include Japan, South Korea (which may be attacked by the North if China invades Taiwan, using the latter's invasion as strategic cover), the Philippines, India, Australia, and Indonesia.

Then there's the Middle East. With the U.S. all but out of the picture and the "defeated" Taliban back in charge, ISIS, Al Qaeda, and other terrorists are back in business, and appear to be spreading outside the region into parts of Africa and even Latin America.

There has already been reports of suspected terrorists arrested trying to cross into the U.S.. Perhaps the scariest part of that is that they were doing so with the support of some of the drug cartels! Ruthless terrorist and ruthless drug dealers. A partnership made in Hell.

Finally, the dangerous situation at home. While Biden haphazardly tries to deal with the Covid Pandemic and the latest virus incarnation, Omicron, the economy continues to struggle. Employers are desperate for employees, who, for the most part, have stayed away due to government and employers mandates to get vaccinated. 

America's supply chain system is crippled, leaving ships by the hundreds unable to offload cargo or transportation hubs able to move badly need products to the stores. That, in turn, has left shelves sparse or bare just as inflation has slowly taken hold.

As if this wasn't bad enough, the Democrats and Republicans in Congress are still engaged in childish playground games stemming from the Trump Era instead of getting their heads out of their collective butts and dealing with the situation.

Meanwhile, states and cities are dealing with the aftermath of increasingly volatile weather, out of control crime, illegal immigration, a crumbling infrastructure, and growing social divisions egged on by the corporate media's 24/7 acidic news cycle.

This is what partisan politics has brought us. This is why Americans must put aside these manufactured differences created on behalf of the ruling Oligarchy. The only solution to these problems domestically are going to be those created by us, with or without Washington's cooperation. We need to solve our problems as much as possible locally without any regards to petty partisanship.

While the Ukraine has a right to join NATO, having a "right" doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. NATO can guarantee the Ukraine's sovereignty without putting missiles or hardware on its soil. In fact, with the range and destructive potential of missiles already deployed, there's really no practical reason. However, that doesn't eliminate the possibly of a covert third party sparking a conflict which must be prevented by all parties concerned.

I would even go as far as to say the same thing about the Baltic countries. However, if NATO does accept the Ukraine, then shouldn't Russia have every right to deploy troops and equivalent amount missiles in the Western Hemisphere as matter of self defense? How would we feel I wonder with tanks, troops, artillery, and missiles on our borders? Tit-for-tat. 

In the East, we need to match China with the same assertiveness, and encourage the creation of a NATO-like collection of nations to counter China. We must also accept that we are not the world's policeman or it's uncle with deep pockets, and whether we like it not, every country has a right to pick the government it wants, so we need to start butting out.

Domestically, we need to get our house in order. We need to get people back to work, repair our failing infrastructure and supply chain. We must stop depending on China and other countries for key technological components and develop them ourselves. Inflation has to be brought under control and quickly. Despite decades of broken promises, we desperately need energy independence.

Our election system is in critical need of overhaul. It's way beyond reforming. We need a firm "partisan proof" plan to end illegal immigration. We can't do any of these things while Washington and others play petty partisan games. Those days are long past.

If you want to know more, please take a look at the links below. If you enjoyed the article, please consider subscribing. It's free! Lastly please be sure to ""like" us on Facebook or whatever platform you use to read A/O. It helps with the algorithms and keeps our articles in circulation.

The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962

The Cuban Nationalization of US property in 1960: TheHistorical and Global Context

To Understand China's Aggressive Foreign Policy, Look At Its Domestic Policy

China's aggressive behavior on the global stage is an 'immense danger', says analyst

The Return of the Taliban

Biden's Grasp on Illegal Immigration

 

As America and the rest of the world continue to deal with Covid and its latest variant, along with the aftermath of our less than valiant departure from Afghanistan, rising inflation, a potential crisis in Asia between an increasingly aggressive China and its neighbors (especially Taiwan), and growing tensions between the U.S. and Russia over whether the Russians will or will not invade the Ukraine (the Russians say no and U.S. intelligence agencies say yes), we've nearly forgotten our ongoing border crisis and influx of illegal immigrants.

Since Joe Biden took office in January 2021, there have been record levels of migrants attempting to cross illegally into the United States, especially after Biden announced cutting back or eliminating many of former President Trump's initiatives to bring the situation under control. Many of the migrants had hoped that Biden would adopt former President Barack Obama's policies which essentially left the border with Mexico virtually open. 

According to Biden's Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, by the end of 2021, the Border Patrol will have had some two million "encounters" with migrants trying to enter the U.S. illegally (that's an increase of 33% over the Trump Era high of 144,000). Bear in mind too that very few of these individuals have been immunized against rudimentary viruses and diseases such as the measles, TB, whooping cough, typhoid, chickenpox, let along Covid, which makes them a extreme health risk.   

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in August that the spread of Covid by "non-citizens" was a "serious danger", which came just as 4000 Haitians were caught in Del Rio Texas, making them yet another unvaccinated group attempting to illegally enter the U.S..

Speaking of Afghanistan, some of our intelligence agencies have projected that cells from ISIS or Al-Qaida may attempt to cross our southern border in retaliation, likely with the help of the major drug cartels who have been stepping up their own operations, including the smuggling of individuals across the border frontier using "coyotes" or guides at $10,000 a head, who are often passed off to one of the associated gangs on this side of border such as MS 13 or Latin Kings, who are known for their violence.

What's Biden to do? Mayorkas has informed the President as well as U.S. senators that the immigration system is "broken", which comes as no surprised given the decades it's been kicked around like a political football with no real direction.  Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands continue to march their way north. Why?

The situation in several of the countries in South and Central America, such as Venezuela, is desperate. However, in that particular case, it's economic implosion has been more the result of U.S. sanctions and embargoes than anything else, especially given its near singular dependence on oil exportation.

As a result, many Venezuelans had fled to neighboring countries, creating a greater strain on their economies. As an aside, several of these countries offer little to no public safety nets even for their own citizens, let alone migrants. The result is the continual shift northward (in some cases with the tacit encouragement of local and national governments).

Some migrants report being told by the police or military that the U.S. was encouraging immigrants to come. They're are told there are ample jobs and public support waiting for anyone crossing into the U.S. (all lies of course). Many of these same immigrants also report extreme abuse by some of these same police officers and military personnel including assault, rape, extortion, theft, arrest, and even murder.

As heinous as this may be, it's not surprising. Government authorities are often under orders to keeping the immigrants moving. However, that's no excuse for their behavior. It does, however, explain why a large number of migrants are scared of police or other "authority" figures. This is typically exploited by sweat shops and "boiler room operations" who employment illegals; paying them next to nothing, working them long hours in often unsafe conditions knowing they're unable run to the police.

 

So, what's being done? Well, after campaigning against many of Trump's policies on illegal immigration, the Biden Administration has quietly reinstated a few of Trump's programs such as encouraging immigrants to remain in Mexico or return home; returning "asylum seekers" to Mexico while their application is reviewed and processed. Meanwhile, asylum seekers are vaccinated against Covid and given a six month time limit to comply with any requests supporting their status.

It should be pointed out that neither the United States, the United Nations, or organizations such as Amnesty International recognize "economic asylum seekers". That's individuals leaving their home country looking for jobs. Additionally, those seeking asylum for political, racial, ethnic, cultural, or religious reasons (such as persecution) are required by international law to seek asylum in the next closest country.

So that means if their coming from Venezuela for instance, the next closest countries would be Columbia or Guyana. Perhaps, maybe, Ecuador or Panama.  But certainly not Mexico or the United States.  Thus, if they are coming for economic betterment they would be classified as a "migrant", and would have no have legal status to enter and remain in the country.

It should noted that the U.S. Border Patrol has reported that for the first time there are a significant number of  individuals coming from countries such as Ecuador, Brazil, Nicaragua, as well as Haiti and Cuba. The reasons again appear to be mainly economic, especially given the recent downturn in certain key commodity industries such as coffee, papaya, or banana exports, not to mention climatic disasters.

On his first official day in office, Present Biden ordered a stoppage to the border wall and cut all funding for the project. Biden also ended the national emergency declaration President Trump had previously issued regarding the border crisis. Biden has also transferred the care of unaccompanied children and minors to the Department of Health and Human Services for temporary settlement while they await a decision on the permanent status.

As for the separation of families, which Trump was accused of instituting by the media (although originally implemented under the Obama Administration), in which, in some cases, resulted in parents being deported without their children, has been stopped...mostly. Under Biden, most, but not all families, have been reunited while remaining in custody.

Previously, migrants or coyotes would send children ahead of their parents in the hopes they would granted at least temporary sanctuary in the United States. Meanwhile, the parents (or those claiming to be their parents or a close relative) who demand entry to be reunited with their children. Once they were allowed entry into the country, many of the children were simply abandoned by the faux parent or relative.

Another old "trick" was to smuggle pregnant women across the border (while others would come pretending to be a "tourist" or visiting family). Once they had their child on American soil, the child would be granted American citizenship in a deliberate misuse of the 14th Amendment.  

Obviously the mother would remain. She would then demand that her spouse be allowed in. Later, other family members such as brothers, sisters, grandparents (and in some cases even uncles and aunts) would be granted entry under the pretext of keeping their family unit intact. This was termed "anchor baby" (in Canada it's called "passport baby").  This same ploy has been used in other countries by those seeking to skirt existing immigration laws.

Lastly, the Biden Administration, in another reversal of  Trump policy, has decided to raise the ceiling on the number of refugees allowed in the U.S. from 15,000 under Trump to 125,000 for this fiscal year beginning in October (he had allowed 62,000 refugees from April through September 31).  Under President Obama, that number was 110,000.

The primary location of settlement for most of America's estimate 10.7 million illegal immigrants has been the southwest running from California to Texas. Most tend to live in one of 20 major metropolitan areas, especially San Diego, Las Angeles, San Jose, Ft. Worth, Dallas, and San Francisco.

However, other large metropolitan cities with growing Hispanic populations include Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Miami (mainly Cubans), Atlanta, Las Vegas/Reno, Phoenix, and along the northeast seaboard which takes in Washington D.C., New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia.  There are also small pockets in rural states such as Kentucky, Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Nebraska which depend on seasonal farm help.

An interesting aside is that while Hispanics are now the largest minority block in America, surpassing blacks over a decade ago, and on track to be on par with whites in about two decades (or less), Asian presence in America is also growing dramatically.

While Asian immigrants tend to live in other Asian countries, about 15% of the 114.9 million Asian immigrants live in the U.S..  Almost half live in California, New York, or Texas. It's notable that while the largest group are Chinese, it's those from Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia) as well as Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines whose percentages have increased the most. Meanwhile, immigrants from India, Mongolia, and the former Soviet Union Republics of countries like Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, which are predominately Muslim, has risen sharply as well.

It's also worth nothing that, unlike many of the Hispanic immigrants,  Asian immigrants typically have a strong working knowledge of English. Some are not only proficient in English, but speak a third, fourth, or even fifth language with some degree of proficiency.  They also tend to be well educated, with many holding college degrees, especially those from India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Japan. 

America is changing. We are becoming with no clear cut majority. There is no stopping it. While we would, as a country, prefer the better educated Asians, we must accept that we also need the lesser educated field worker too. However, we cannot continue to allow illegal immigration to continue.

It creates a health concern with those entering the U.S. unvaccinated. It places a tremendous strain on our already deeply frayed social safety net with many paying little or nothing in taxes, leaving American Taxpayers to pick up the tab. However, Big Business likes the inflow of immigration since it increases competition for jobs and drives down wages and boost profits. It also allows the unscrupulous an opportunity to exploit workers for an even fatter profit.  

Uncontrolled immigration also creates a security crisis since we don't know who might be entering this country as friend or foe. We've already caught terrorists trying to sneak in. But for every one caught, how many made it in? The failure to speak English or conform to our laws and values destroys the fabric of the nation.  That reminds me of an old Irish saying which says that a land without a common language is a land without a soul.

Every country has the right and legal, as well as moral obligation to secure and protect its borders and its citizens. The U.S. is no different.  We need to stop playing political football with immigration. If we're going to end this partisan nonsense, stopping illegal immigration would be a good place to start.

 

What are President Biden's challenges at the border?

Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants: A Critical Difference

 

20 metro areas are home to one in ten unauthorizedimmigrants in the U.S.

 

What's happening at the U.S. - Mexico border in 7 charts

Immigrants from Asia in the United States

 

Is America Facing an Economic Collapse or New Beginning?

America seems to have entered (or better yet, stumbled) into a crisis mostly of its own making.  We've endured a pandemic which, though the government denies it, appears to have originated in China, from a Chinese lab known to be used by the Chinese military for some dubious (to say the least) research. Some will add (perhaps correctly) that the ultimate origins of the virus, may have, in fact, been created or modified here in the U.S.

On the surface, COVID-19 appears to be a flu virus which has been genetically modified to produce a slightly more potent form of the flu virus which appears to affect mainly those with weakened immune systems. In addition, the virus has the nasty little habit of continually morphing, which makes it difficult for immunologists to get ahead of the virus and produce a long term effective vaccine.

The Government's response to the virus was haphazard to put it mildly. Nevertheless, vaccines were developed and approved in record time (almost "as if" they were waiting...hum). But they're seen as suspect according to a growing number of doctors and pseudo-experts.

The result is another manufactured divide between those willing to be vaccinated and those who question the validity of the vaccines for various reasons, and have decided not to get vaccinated, at least for the time being. Frankly, if one follows common sense thinking, who's to really blame them? There are ample enough inconsistencies in the research, development, and approval process by the CDC and various labs to warrant holding off, and that's where things have gone off the rails.

The result has been governments attempting to "mandate" or, defacto "order" people to "get the jab" as the expression goes. Employers have jumped on the bandwagon (especially those with government contracts) and demanded that their current and potential employees must either get vaccinated or show proof of vaccination.

This has resulted in many believing that a "vaccine passport" is in the works, similar to the Nazi Era "KennKarte" or identification cards, which, by the way, the Soviets also required along with practically every modern era totalitarian regime. Perhaps implants are in the future?

Some go as far to claim that the vaccine itself is a ruse, and that it actually contains a magnetic tracking devise needed to bring about a diabolical one world government. Others insist that it's in reality a slow poison design to "thin out the herd", which allegedly has long been a secret goal of various elitist secret societies like the Bilderbergers or Trilateral Commission. 

Nevertheless, the whole issue of "to vaxx or not to vaxx" has further divided an already deeply divided America, and it has affected others elsewhere in the world.  Worse yet, it's causing a ripple effect that I don't think many economists (and certainly not the majority of politicians) expected.

Key to this has been the vast numbers of "help wanted" signs everywhere. It seems that nearly everyone with a business is in desperate need of employees. Some are offering unheard of starting salaries, sign on bonuses, and all sorts of other perks and gimmicks to win over new employees.

For smaller businesses, they are unable to match what the megastores can offer. The result is hardly unexpected. Closure. Bankruptcy. Meanwhile, for the rest of us, prices will go up to offset the higher costs to attract employees. Of course, their employment is contingent on them providing proof of vaccination. No proof. No job.  

Meanwhile, companies are operating understaffed, forcing those who show up to work, to work more and longer; often doing the job that previously two or even three people did. Some businesses are doing the opposite by cutting back on hours or days they're open.

How many of us have gone into a store to either find empty shelves or having to sidestep pallets of boxes parked in the middle of floor? The reason is that those few willing (and able) to work, are able to chose their hours. That means stockers, who used to work mostly at night, are now working days, meaning that something we're looking for may not be there now, but could be an 30 minutes later!

In addition, we're seeing a number of production facilities slow down, reduce hours, or periodically shut down. This reduces availability, which in turn drives up prices.  Oil and gas companies are doing this, which is forcing up gas prices, as well as heating oil with winter fast approaching.

Simultaneously, there are hundreds of ships waiting offshore to be unloaded. Each full of twenty foot containers filled with merchandise, including food in some instances; food with very specific expiration dates. The result is, again, less product available which leads to higher prices.

As for the other merchandise, including orders from overseas, consumers are unable to get what they want and producers are unable to sell product and get paid. The result is that orders get cancelled and consumers find substitutes to spend their money on, and so the vicious cycles goes round and round. But that's not the entirety of the problem.

As with other employers, they are requiring proof of vaccination. The longshoreman and dockworkers are severely shorthanded, not because solely of the virus, but because there was already a shortage. The equipment is both outdated and in short supply. Manufactures are demanding that outbound product get priority while inbound products are put in hold; often regulated to skeleton crews or no crews at all some days.

Once product is finally off loaded, sorted, palletized, and made ready for shipment, we face a shortage of truckers, pilots, and railroad personnel for the same reasons cited above. In addition, these jobs, while usually paying well and offering great benefits, are hard on the individual and their family.

 The owner/operator truck driver has been all but put out of business by government regulation and big companies, not mention incidentals like the cost of gas and insurance.  Pilots are making more flights, flying older model planes, and having less time for detailed maintenance (which brings up another point---few maintenance personnel for all the reasons previously mentioned).

The third leg of our tripod transportation system is the availability of freight trains and experienced engineers to drive them. Our rail system is, frankly, horribly outdated. The rail system itself is in need of updating. Even the rail yards are overcrowded.

There are shortages of cars and engines, not to mention maintenance staff, who, like everybody else, has to show proof of vaccination, and like everyone else, some will and will report to work while others won't and will stay home.  

Despite their power, locomotives are, on average, about 30 years old, while the freight cars are about twenty years old.  As an aside, the average age of a locomotive engineer is 46. The upside is that train routing systems are highly automated, but the human element is still needed for them to function properly.  

As for truckers, they face increase demands for quick turnarounds; dropping off one load and picking up another. Long haul or "over the road" truckers are often gone for a week at a time. They have to deal with not only imposed time management issues, but traffic delays and road work (most use a traffic routing system which helps them avoid delays which they own or is provided for by their employer))

Roads in the United States are decades past due for improvement, especially bridges. Unfortunately, most local governments can't afford the necessary repairs which can run in the millions, and opt for cheap "fixes" due to their limited budgets. While they work in the short term. they ultimately just put off what will be a more serious and expensive problem down the not-too-distant road.

The same goes for states. They're typically in a financial bind of some sort and put off resolving the problem in exchange for quick fix "solutions", despite federal money for state as well as local road use. Naturally, none of this free. It's all paid for with our taxes, and the worse it gets, the more of our money they'll take.

The COVID virus, of course, didn't cause any of this, but it did exacerbate existing problems across the board, not to mention creating more than few new ones. You could call COVID the straw that finally broke the camel's back. So, what does this mean for the rest of us? What can we expect in the future?

Employers are essentially mandating their employees be vaccinated. Can they do this legally? Well, it would appear so. Employers are using existing federal guidelines calling for safe workplaces as the basis for their demands as cover. There are exceptions of course, such as for sincere religious reasons or if there is a potential health concern triggered by the vaccine (such as complications with a pregnancy, or adverse effect to an existing condition or current medication).

The result to all this is an artificial shortage of available employees. There are more than enough skilled and willing individuals to work, they just have serious doubts about the vaccination's safety, which is a legitimate concern.

Some employers have worked around this by requiring unvaccinated employees to be tested weekly. Other employers have shifted unvaccinated workers away from customer contact as much as possible, while requiring as mask when in contact with customers.

In the interim, it's a employee's market. Employers are desperate. However, unless some accommodation acceptable to both sides of the vaccination question is reached, we'll continue to see "help wanted" signs and shortages in stores and warehouses. Meanwhile, don't be surprised to see prices across the board go up to offset higher wages and products shortages.

However, an accommodation will be reached. It has too. Unemployment last only so long; few Americans have ample savings stashed away, and there's only so much debt you can carry.  The tide will turn, and it will become a employer job market again, and when it does, watch out!

Because of the shortages, many smaller businesses will fold. That will reduce a lot of variety in the marketplace. People will be forced to buy from the Amazons of the world for that unique or hard to find item. A large number of companies will become automated, reducing the need for human "drones".

Markets will also expand to more potential customers overseas.  That, along with the continuing influx of illegal and legal immigrants, will drive wages---but not prices---down, and along with it, benefits. When possible, employers will export jobs overseas to countries like China, India, and Indonesia. 

The end result could potentially be inflation, which results where prices exceed wages. If that can't be brought under control quickly, it could be devastating to any country's economy, be it the U.S., France, Mexico, or China, just as it is currently in Venezuela or was in 1920's Germany.

There could be riots over food shortages and prices, lack of jobs, gas and heating oil, quality of life, and so forth as one group turns on the other (something the Oligarchy has been fostering for years). Just the perfect scenario for martial law. The result could be a neo-fascist police state like we've been warned about for years (including from yours truly).

We can, however, stop this from happening. Force employers and the government alike to allow us to make our own health choices. If that means multiple weekly testing and/or wearing masks and gloves, so be it. That will get ships unloaded, trucks back on the road and products on the shelves again. None of this is permanent. It too will pass.

That will get people back to work. Some may choose jobs different than they had pre-COVID. That's good to. But for some, that old job will likely be automated, so brush up on your skills, or better yet, your education by seeking out a trade school or maybe picking up a language like Spanish, Hindi, or Mandarin Chinese.  

Most Americans are in debt; some very serious debt. Those who've been playing economic chicken will be hurt the most. Don't look for relief from the government in the form of debt forgiveness or low/no interest debt consolidation loans. Don't expect prices to go back down. They won't. Same with taxes. The only thing we can do here is get laws passed requiring voter approval for all tax, fee, rate, or salary increases for public employees.

With respect to infrastructure, expect to see more joint government/corporate financing of specific roads, ports, rail lines, etc which involves corporate use in exchange for increased tax breaks and public access. There could even be more corporate influence in public education curriculum as corporations take over the role of creating a "classroom to job" graduate.

I don't know if the COVID virus was an act of Nature or Man. But from what I've seen, my money is on the latter. It hit just as things were winding down in Afghanistan and we were involved in yet another divisive election. It has provided another (manufactured) division. It has rid the economy of much of the remaining small businesses. It has created an artificial worker shortage, along with possible inflation thanks to rising prices and stagnant or falling wages. That will eventually mean fewer jobs. We can stop it. But we have to act now, and we have to act together.

Want to know more? Check out our reference sites below.

 

The impact of COVID-19 on employment and jobs

The future of work after COVID-19

 

What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, theRehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws

 

Can Employers Force Pregnant Women to Get Vaccinated?

 

 

A 'Shot' in the Dark: To Vaccinate or Not

Anyone who knows me understands that I am a independent thinker. I have absolutely zero tolerance for dogma of any sort. So, it's not surprising that the cockles of my heart were downright giddy when I read about the number of teachers, doctors, nurses, truck drivers, air traffic controllers, pilots, and all the rest who chose to go home than submit to a defacto mandate from government and business to get a COVID vaccination. 

Now, some of you must be stunned or even flabbergasted to hear that. After all, look at the burden its placing on those who decided to comply and return to work. Would it surprise you to know that I can agree?  There is an inordinate burden being placed on those who opted for the shot and went back to work. For many, not only are they doing their own job, they're also being forced to pick up the slack for those who decided to opt out.

The result has been unstocked shelves, unfilled prescriptions, an absence of replacement parts, longer waits in lines, fewer people to answer the phone at businesses, unavailable or prolonged appointments, not to mention longer work hours for some, drive through only, and even the consolidation of stores, leaving many people having to travel a little further to find an open location (made worse by the higher gas prices, which have recently increased for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which includes fewer people available to unload the tankers sitting outside of  harbors or truckers willing to transport it).

On top of the that, we seem to have fewer people willing to work. It seems that there are "help wanted" signs practically everywhere. I almost feel sorry for those individuals standing on corners with their little cardboard signs begging for money. Who wants to handout "spare change" when now is the best time ever for them to get a job and get their lives back together?

Interestingly, there are about 9.2 million job openings at present, and yet unemployment is at record highs with some 8 million unemployed Americans, and that doesn't include the millions who are underemployed, working outside of the industry they want, or those who either are working part-time and want a full time job or visa versa. What's going on here?

The downturn in employed individuals appeared to have begun with the onset of COVID-19 when the government all but shut down the economy, urging only "essential" workers to report to their jobs and asking the rest of us to stay home. Schools and universities were closed, as were daycare facilities, and most stores in general. Only a small handful of services were open, including many doctor's offices. Dentist office were closed, as were courts (trials were postponed) while hospitals, gas stations, grocery stores, and pharmacies remained open.

To offset the sudden loss of income, unemployment benefits were extended and ordinary households were issued supplemental income checks by the government to help get them through. Meanwhile, insanity seemed to run amuck as people started hoarding paper towels, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, milk, butter, and other food staples which created panic and artificial shortage.

At the same time, we were encouraged to wear nose and mouth coverings, which many thought of as some sort of shroud akin to the ones used during the Black Plague. Nevertheless, this "shroud" became our admission pass should we want to go anywhere, be it to the store, doctor's office, or just about anywhere else that was open. For a few enterprising Americans, making and selling masks became a cottage industry. It wasn't long before other more established businesses got in on the act with "extra layers", filters, while some were even copper enhanced!

Simultaneously, with all the "peaceful protests", resulting in looting, arson, destruction of property, and vandalism, people went on a buying spree of ammo and guns of all types (not to mention the government's quiet buying spree of ammo). It seemed like chaos was everywhere, and then, just like magic, came Big Pharma and Washington to rescue with their hastily produced (and even hastier approved) vaccines.

Americans, in droves, lined up to get an injection of the magic elixir. Meanwhile, the government and corporate owned media went on a full court media press to encourage everyone to step up and get the shot. It seems like we were being told from every corner and from nearly every expert and pseudo-expert (not to mention a few quacks) to get vaccinated. 

Gradually, the lines for the vaccines got smaller, more stores opened, and most of the artificial shortages started to become a thing of the past. At the same time, fewer and fewer people wore their "shrouds". However, in its place, a new "passport" came into being---your proof of vaccine card.

Many businesses and government agencies (including courts) now required proof of your compliance, which reminded many Americans of the "Kennkarte" (personal ID card) demanded of German citizens and those in occupied countries by the nefarious Gestapo of Nazi Germany (Soviet citizens, as well as those in Warsaw Pact nations carried a similar ID card post WWII). 

For the majority of Americans, having to show proof of their compliance hit them wrong, particularly since at the same time, federal and state governments were considering mandates to force individuals to comply. There was never anything from the government or health officials which dictated the mandatory vaccination of all citizens. It was left up to each of us to be vaccinated or not, although the government and others (including employers) were strongly encouraging it, which brings us full circle.

A large percentage of Americans---about 45%--- have elected not to get the anti-COVID shot for various reasons as of July 2021. They believe that COVID is nothing more than variant of the flu; perhaps artificially enhanced to be more virulent, but nothing more than our own immunity couldn't handle (assuming we didn't have any illnesses which suppressed our immune system). 

These individuals believed that collectively, a "herd immunity" would be formed which would all but eliminate COVID and change it into little more than a nuisance, albeit a potentially serious one. They also encouraged those with impaired immune systems to get the vaccination(s) as a way to protect themselves. This notion of "herd immunity", originally encouraged at the initial outbreak of COVID, was now being downplayed by the government and some health officials.

The result has been a unintentional standoff between those who support free choice (to vaccinate or not) and validity of individual and herd immunity versus the government's (and other's) insistence that the only true protection is immunization by vaccine.  Businesses which had required proof of vaccination of their employees (or face sanctions up to and including termination) has seen the majority of their employees not blink at this COVID standoff and take the latter option, whatever that happens to be.

The same has applied in several other occupations including air traffic controllers, pilots and crew, firefighters, nurses, doctors, and hospital employees, truck drivers, warehouse workers, store employees, and even restaurants to name just a few.

Police officers and others in law enforcement also drew a line in the proverbial stand. Already facing massive shortages as a result of early retirements, resignations, and lack of available recruits thanks to last year's anti-law enforcement protests and demands to defund police departments, now officers are rejecting demands by the state to get vaccinated (this also applied to other first responders).

Even the military is seeing a downturn in retention and recruitment, amid the growing threat of China and possible terrorists attacks now that the Taliban is back in charge of Afghanistan and ISIS has returned (to paraphrase Mark Twain's famous quote, "talk of their demise has been greatly over exaggerated"), as military personal, who are inoculated against practically everything you can imagine, are refusing the COVID shots.

So, what does this mean to you and me? In short, we are facing what will surely be the first of a standoff between the Status Quo and its supporters over what constitutes "public health" and those that are ardent defenders of free choice; individuals who believe they have the right to decide whether to get vaccinated or not (the irony of "my body my choice" isn't lost on anyone).

As a result, these individuals have elected to risk financial ruin and who knows what else by refusing to get vaccinated. Unemployment, if covered, is only a short term fix. At some point, they will have to go back to work. Their only hope at this point is that given the millions of job openings, they can find a job that pays as well or better and doesn't require vaccination.

Meanwhile, employers who do require vaccinated employees will have to decide to stand by their guns and suffer it through while encouraging their employees to endure the extra hours. Most likely this will prove to be a boon to the employees. With a labor shortage of this scale, now is the time to seek higher pay, better benefits, promotions, and so forth. Employers can do little but go along, though some may go belly up. Many are already offering sign on bonuses, higher hourly wages, and special bonuses. 

COVID has already morphed once since the introduction of the vaccines (the "Delta" variant), and there's the possibility that it will continue to morph before it can finally be controlled. Given the uncertainty of the COVID's origin (despite strong suspensions), there is the likelihood other viruses will pop up. If so, then what? Will we go through this all over again? What about the concerns of the vaccines themselves?

Numerous doctors, nurses, immunologists, and others in the healthcare have come out against the vaccines, equating them to the snake oil sold by hucksters of past generations. They can be found all over social media pontificating their opinions. There are even claims that the vaccines contain chemicals which can destroy or at the very least, impair our own immune systems or having magnetic ingredients which enable the government (or corporations) to track our every movement. Some claim that the vaccines will help depopulate an overcrowded earth.

Personally, I can understand the need for the vaccinations, especially when it comes to protecting those with impaired immune systems. At the same time, each individual has a natural right to decide for themselves what to do with or to their own body. If I chose to vaccinate, that's my choice and not anyone else's, especially not the government's and certainly not any business.

Others will argue that a employer has a legal duty to provide a safe working environment, and they are right. Employers do have a legal right to protect their workers. That's the purpose of OSHEA. Schools have an obligation to keep students safe as well. But, do they have a right (or legal obligation) to demand that everyone shows proof of vaccination?

 When I was growing up in Florida back in the 1960's, everyone had to be vaccinated. I assume that's still the case. This is just one more vaccination to add to the list isn't it? But, if the majority are vaccinated, they are presumed "protected". So, what if I opt out? What if I was already exposed? My body will create its own natural antibodies to protect me. If I am willing to accept that risk, what's the problem?

As to the vaccines being used as a tracking device, why? We are already a surveillance state. Our movements, purchases, phone calls, computer and Smartphone use, and so forth are already monitored and recorded. They've got satellites which can literally peer over our shoulders and see what we're reading. They don't need a vaccine. As for the vaccine's contents, I have no idea. Biology was never my strong suit. I specialized in economics and the social sciences. Nevertheless, while I trust science, I trust my body's natural immune system more. It's time society did likewise and got people back to work. 

 

Help Wanted: Why the U.S. Has Millions of Unfilled Jobs

 

Unvaccinated and misunderstood? Let's Talk

Why COVID-19 Vaccines Should Not Be Required For AllAmericans

By The Numbers: Who's Refusing COVID Vaccinations---And Why

45% of Unvaccinated Americans Say they Will Definitely Not Get the Vaccine

 

 

 

 

Reaping the Whirlwind: Ending Illegal Immigration

Once again, we're being force to turn our attention to our southern border. At present, there's over 200,000 immigrants gathered along the Mexican border looking to cross into America. Reports indicate that there another 60,000 or more working their way up from South and Central America in hopes of crossing too. 

Meanwhile, 1.1 million illegal immigrants have been caught this fiscal year. Many (perhaps a majority) are unvaccinated, be it Covid, TB, measles, mumps, chickenpox or whatever. What motivates these individuals to make a thousand mile (or more) trek to come to the United States?

The majority of these individuals are coming to seek a better life, which is pretty much the motive millions of others have made to come this once "Land of Plenty".  Many of the countries they are fleeing are rife with  governmental corruption, from the local cop on the street on up the line to the president. Nevertheless, "economic asylum" is not consider a bonafide reason for acceptance according to the United Nations and U.S. immigration law (even Amnesty International agrees).

Their economic opportunities are limited, primarily due to a poor social infrastructure, poorer education, and history of suppression dating back centuries in which wealthy and powerful land owners, in conjunction with the Catholic Church, conspired to keep the much poorer "peon" class of workers just that---poor and largely uneducated.  As a result, a large viable middle class never firmly took root.

Attempts to form unions or adopt a more "liberal" interpretation of the Christianity through doctrines like Liberation Theology which promoted breaking up large estates, better pay, and improved education, were crushed, often violently. In the case of Liberation Theology, everyone from bishops and priests down to parishioners were threatened with excommunication from the Vatican itself.  Union organizers, community activists, doctors, and teachers, were often beaten, jailed, and on numerous occasions, found to have "gone missing".

Meanwhile,  governments elected by popular vote (often democratic socialists) typically found themselves overthrown in violent coups (under the ubiquitous term of "regime changes"), such in as in Argentina, Paraguay, Columbia, Bolivia, and elsewhere, thanks to backing by the CIA and other agencies.  Key officials were assassinated, especially if these governments or their policies ran afoul of certain special interests in the U.S.. 

For instance, under CIA backed Chilean General Augusto Pinochet's government, an estimated 40,000 individuals suffered human rights violations (some were formally arrested. Many weren't). Some 10,000 were tortured. 1,312 were exiled, and at least 2,279 simply "disappeared", while dozens of opposition leaders and members of unions, political associations, and opposition media were assassinated.

With these ousters, right wing military juntas typically stepped in, with the blessing of the U.S State Department and the virtual guarantee of American economic and military aide (in exchange, of course, for strategic concessions of natural resources, support of U.S. regional policies, or perhaps the use of local facilities for military or intelligence purposes ("enhanced interrogation" anyone?).   

The end result, was the creation of a society which had a underlining theme of distrust of the government (including the police and military), which were often corrupt, an economy with a small and powerless middle class with limited opportunities; both of which being highly dependent on the U.S. corporations for jobs and foreign aid to keep their government afloat---$314 million just for fiscal year 2021 went to Latin America alone. 

What happens without American corporate investment or foreign aid? Take a look at Cuba or Venezuela. The U.S. imposed its embargo in 1963 (which was loosened in 2002 for Humanitarian purposes). Nevertheless, Cuba's economic development is decades behind most countries, despite past assistance from the former USSR and other countries which ignored the embargo, such as Venezuela, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Brazil, and the Netherlands.

It's worth nothing that in the 1950's, almost two-thirds of Cuba's imports came from the United States, not to mention billions in U.S. tourism which viewed Cuba as another Las Vegas or Reno but cheaper and with better weather and beaches! 

Beginning around 2004, Venezuela's President, Hugo Chavez, created the "ALBA", or the Bolivarian Alliance of the Peoples of Our America, which was designed to circumvent U.S. political and economic dominance of the region and the America led Free Trade Area of the Americas. 

 Thanks to Venezuela's booming oil soaked economy, ALBA also created a central bank of its own---the Unified System of Regional Compensation, which sought to provide financial support of regional countries, as well as help develop infrastructure, create a unified military for ALBA members similar to NATO, a trade arbitration court, collectively  improve education and medical care independent of the World Bank and IMF (International Monetary Fund) while simultaneously reducing the use of the U.S. Dollar as the default currency.  Needless to say, the U.S. was not pleased with ALBA or Hugo Chavez.

The collapse of the Venezuelan economy is viewed by many economists, political scientists, sociologists, and historians as one of the worse since the end of World War II, outstripping the fall of the USSR and the Eastern Bloc, Zimbabwe under dictator Robert Mugabe, post-war Europe and Japan, Cuba post-embargo, much of Africa, and perhaps even Haiti which has face numerous natural disasters amid an corrupt and incompetent government. 

The causes of Venezuela's collapse are as disputed as they are varied. Some claim that the collapse was over extension of Hugo Chavez's "socialist" or "populist" economic policies which focused on social welfare. Others point out that the economy was doing well until Chavez's death in 2013 of a massive heart attack and ongoing complications from stomach cancer. It should be noted that his supporters claimed and still maintain that because of his "independent" and "democratic socialist" polices, he was assassinated by the CIA; a charge the U.S. has steadfastly denied.

Before going further, we need to briefly examine Chavez's policies and political ideology. Chavez regarded himself as a populist first and foremost. He was an avid supporter of economic communes and co-ops, land reform, extending public education, ending income inequality (which took Venezuela from near the top of the worse in 1998 to one of the best, just behind Canada by 2011), improved healthcare ( particularly improved infant mortality rates), and greatly reduced poverty levels.

Chavez was never "anti-American". He considered himself a supporter of the American People. It was, however, the American government that he both disliked and distrusted. He was a strong opponent of what he regarded as "colonial imperialism", especially when it came to foreign corporate dominance of local economies, as well as "welfare economies" which were dependent on U.S. foreign aid.

In terms of ideology, Chavez was hesitant in referring to himself as a "Communist". He did acknowledge being a "Trotskyite" in that he believed in a "permanent revolution" for social justice. He was a "democratic socialist" which blended the best of capitalism with the best of socialism and democracy. Overall, he saw himself as a Marxist (which differs from the Stalinist version of Communism we're all so familiar with).

Chavez's chief failure was his economy's near total dependence on oil and gas to run the economy. He failed to develop an adequate supporting economic infrastructure such as manufacturing which could pick up the slack should oil and gas prices take a sustained drop in price (which it did). With this, his second major failure was his direct challenge to the IMF, World Bank, along with United States and its potential corporate investments which could have brought in jobs and tax revenues.

After Chavez's death in 2013, Nicolas Maduro was elected president based on his promises to continue with Chavez's policies. However, amid claims of corruption, incompetence, increased authoritarianism, inadequate trade partners, and economic sanctions by the U.S., the European Union, the Lima Group, and others, plus the lack of economic investments, the economy began to falter.

 Once U.S. sanctions were extended to include oil and gas, along with the suppression of oil and gas prices globally, the Venezuelan economy went into a freefall. Venezuela suffered mass unemployment, widespread power outages, massive shortages of food, fresh water and other necessities, plus a huge uptick in crime, especially gang violence backed by narco-crime cartels. The IMF has predicted that Venezuela's inflation rate by the end of 2021 will be 5,500%.  As an aside, in October 1923, the inflation rate in Germany's Weimar Republic was 29,500%. Prices doubled ever three and a half days.

Meanwhile, supporters of President Maduro blamed the U.S. for instigating a de facto economic coup to overthrow Chavez's polices to build a viable democratic socialist country by merging aspects of capitalism, democracy and socialism, bypassing the "predatory capitalism" of U.S. regional policies, the World Bank and the IMF. Maduro's supporters call it a undeclared "economic war" on Venezuela.

Nevertheless, the implosion of Venezuela's economy affected the entire region, including Honduras, Panama, and Columbia. Even larger economies such as Brazil and Mexico have been affected. The result is the mass exodus to "el Norte" and ultimately to what they hope will be a new start. Most don't want to become citizens. They have no interest in learning our laws, traditions, or values. They don't want to learn anymore English than necessary to get and hold a job. 

Many have been told by the drug cartel "coyotes" who led them on their thousand mile journey that America and "Tio Sam" will welcome them, along with their fellow Latinos in America (many "coyotes" make up to $10,000 per head illegally smuggling people into the U.S.). The "anti-illegal immigration" rhetoric they've heard is just that---rhetoric. It's "BS" by the corporate media to discourage the rest of the world from coming to America. If they can just reach and cross the border, all their problems will be over. They will receive free housing and healthcare, good paying jobs, and catered education for their children in Spanish...if they can just reach and cross the border.

Unfortunately, America's off again/on again immigration policy has created just enough doubt to make the stories of the coyotes believable. Build a wall. Tear down a wall. More border patrol. Less border patrol with reduced ability to apprehend. Meanwhile, we have defacto criminals in the U.S. willing to defy immigration laws to help people illegally cross the border. Most are churches and religious organizations who believe the Church is above any laws. They've built complex networks to help whisk individuals away from the border and on to a new life forever on the run. 

These naive "do-gooders" will pass them on to individuals who will teach them how to circumvent law enforcement and play the system to get free (and unquestioned) healthcare, housing, jobs, and how to get their children into schools (and often taught in their native language) as well as "free" legal assistance should they need it... all on the taxpayer's dollar of course.

Of course, all are subject to deportation the instant they're caught. But even that's not so bad. Anyone caught, either at the border or someplace else, is subject to a taxpayer paid medical checkup for one and all (along with any needed medication), three meals until they're put on a taxpayer paid bus or airplane and returned home where they're free to try it again.

We are seeing the thousands upon thousands trying to illegally cross our borders on a regular basis. Most are doing so as a result of our foreign policy, which is directed by powerful corporate players. Until we stop meddling in the affairs of other countries, we will continue to face the specter of illegal immigration which will increasingly stain our near broken social safety net and overwhelm us.

This doesn't mean withdrawing into ourselves and cocooning away from the world as we tried in the first half of the 20th Century. It does, however, mean that we stop interfering with other nation's elections regardless of whether we like who they chose or not. It also means that we should work within their economic and social policies to create a fair and just outcome. Until we do, we will continue to reap the whirlwind we've sown. Want to know more? Check out the sites below.

 

CRS: U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and theCaribbean: FY2021 Appropriations

Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America

Venezuela's Collapse Is the Worse Outside of War on Decades, Economists Say

 

How one migrant family got caught between smugglers, the cartel, and Trump's zero-tolerance policy

Migrant encounters at Us-Mexico border are at a 21 year high

U.S.-Mexico border apprehensions for the fiscal year surpass1 million this June

The Lima Group