What price for?

$4 billion dollars, that's how much the current government shutdown has cost us. $1 billion dollars every week that passes with the issue unresolved. How very ironic that the amount in dispute is $5.7 billion, that amount will be met one week and three days from now.

What we've been deluded with in regard to illegal immigration isn't supported by any significant factual data, it's a deception. It's the most effective type of deception, one that takes just a pinch of truth and surrounds it with misdirection. These are the most dangerous of them, because they're so easily believed by many.

So are we to believe that for the will of a few, there are hundreds of thousands who are suffering, and potentially millions more in the coming weeks, who will be the ones who truly pay the price for the current child like behavior of our leaders. I said in a prior post that they truly have no regard for us and the truth to that is becoming ever increasingly clear.

What's even more outrageous is the thought that for the interests of the few, the very economy itself was placed at risk. Several economists anticipated a weaker first quarter for the 2019 year, which would be somewhat offset by the tax return season.

$140 billion dollars is injected into the economy each year at tax season, enough to keep the economy stable in a period of weaker activity, but it you take that cushion out from under it...well it doesn't exactly take an economic guru to see how foolish that decision is.

What's more, the presented solution to this hijacking of the people's business is forcing 60% of the employees of the IRS to report to work unpaid to process tax returns. The blatant contempt for the workers is on full display and couldn't be any clearer.

Perhaps those potential consequences hadn't been considered by those making the decisions, but just the willingness of those in power to be so readily willing to flirt with the notion of potentially destroying an entire nation's economy for the sake of interests that could be truly questioned is abhorrent in my opinion.

Where is the display of leadership in that?

-Richard Trotsky

Execution by a lack of compassion

I read that a 7 year old child died Wednesday while in custody of Border Patrol.....a 7 year old. The girl and her father had apparently been detained by Border Patrol 8 hours prior for "illegally" crossing the border. She and a group of 163 refugees from Guatemala had arrived at the border Dec. 6. They approached agents and simply turned themselves in, there was no violence, they didn't angrily demand entry, they just turned themselves in with the hopes that they would be given the opportunity to become citizens here. These people flee the desperate conditions they live in in their home countries, countries that ironically enough had events transpire in them that was spurred by our country, and several decades later the result has been economic and social conditions so horrid that millions every year flee their countries to escape the suffering.

This poor child died from a combination of shock and dehydration, and had been in custody for at least 6 hours prior to her death. It was learned the she had not eaten or had water to drink for several days, which begs the question were these people even offered anything? Are they simply being rounded up like cattle and locked away? How desperate are these people that they willingly travel thousands of miles, at times without food or water for potentially days? They're willing to sacrifice their lives for a better life for themselves and their children here. Just as any one of us who is a parent desires better than what we had for our children, they desire the exact same. The striking difference is that they've become so desperate from suffering in their home countries that they're willing to risk everything they love and hold dear.

A child...just a year younger than my older daughter, a year older than my younger. I can't imagine the pain felt by her father let alone imagine his pain if that's his only child. The main reason he risked everything is now gone, it's heartbreaking to me, and I don't know of any person who has the slightest inkling of compassion that wouldn't feel the same. Has the light that was a beacon of hope for the tired, poor, and huddled masses faded?

Richard Trotsky

Caravan Concerns

Trump made it an issue and so the media covers it: the caravan of immigrants heading for the US southern border.
He's stoking up all the fear he can and the media is not telling us the full story of why these people are fleeing their countries.

To understand why they are fleeing,  we must look at US policy towards these countries.

We must look at how the US intervenes in their internal politics and over throws democratically elected governments and puts in puppets that do what the US & and its corporate masters want them to do.

We have to look at the US trained, armed, &  backed death squads that act with impunity throughout their countries. We need to look at the countless number of murderered innocent people that haunt the memories of their families. 

We need to look at the US firms that throw farmers off their lands. Where are these people to go and what are they to do?

They all try to come here because we bill ourselves as the land of opportunity. The land of the free and the  home of the brave. And you know all the propaganda.

The media fail us that they look at the caravan as a cause. Just like trump wants them to.

They need to see it as an effect of US foreign policy.
But that would be biting the hands of the corporations that buy advertising in their organizations.
You know the rule: Money talks. Too loudly.

Dig into Democracy Now, the Real News Network, and other indie news meida to find out the truth.
Read Open Veins of Lati  America and many  other books on the topic.
Learn about Operation Condor.

Educate yourself on the truth because the media won't.

And then you will see the caravan as what it really is: a group of victims of US foreign policy  demanding justice.

Trump's Game

By Richard Trotsky

In recent weeks we have seen heart wrenching images of children in tears, after being stripped from their parents arms. We have heard the audio recordings of the terrified and confused children wondering where their mothers or fathers are. We have witnessed the callous disregard that elected officials have expressed for these unfortunate individuals, and we have even seen some attempt to justify these atrocious actions using religion as a means of justification. I myself have been brought to tears imagining what I would do if I were in that situation, and my two beautiful daughters were taken from me in those circumstances. What heinous crime are these people guilty of that could warrant such a cruel and inhumane course of action? That of desiring a better life for themselves, and for their families. The desire to be able to provide a sense of safety and security for the ones they love and cherish.

Both sides of my family, my mother’s and father’s, both emigrated there from their respective home countries. I’m only a third generation American, my great grandparents on my mother’s side came to this country with the hopes of having a better life for themselves and their children. As far as my father’s side, well, that’s more of a bit of a mystery that my siblings have been unable to unravel, so not much is known about it. Never the less, they left all they had behind and came to this country longing for the embrace of Lady Liberty as they were part of the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.  America has long been a beacon of hope for oppressed millions throughout the decades and even to this very day, millions more still see it as that beacon.

I find it particularly appalling that the current administration has acted in such an inhuman manner. Immigrants have been continually painted in a broad stroke as criminals, thugs, and terminology has been used that essentially compares them to some kind of infectious disease that is a danger to average Americans and should be eradicated. That seems like a significantly far cry from the words Emma Lazarus wrote which are enshrined on the base of The Statue of Liberty. Have we strayed so far from those ideals which led to America becoming the great beacon of hope of which so many long to be a part of? In short, the vast majority of us haven’t, yet it seems there is a very thin layer of those who have. This layer, has somehow entrenched itself in American politics, it has infected the fibers of the moral fabric of our nation. Yes, I used the very term that has been used incorrectly to demonize immigrants, as it’s much more appropriate when used in this context.

This blatant xenophobia is based on inaccurate statements made by the president himself. Continuously making references to specific gangs in South America in an attempt to mislead the masses into believing there are thousands of these individuals coming across the border in droves. The fact of the matter is quite the contrary, and actual statistics show that there are not in fact thousands coming across the border, but more along the lines of several hundred. Hardly the quantity that the president would have us believe. That comes as no surprise, as he repeatedly makes baseless accusations in his statements, only to be forced to back peddle once factual evidence to the contrary is presented. Even more ridiculous, on several occasions he actually denied making such statements, fortunately for us, he seems to lack the general knowledge that social media sites keep records of posts on their servers. This kind of behavior could very well be an indicator of some form of mental illness.

Lets analyze some of the accusations that he’s made thus far. He alleges that there are hundreds, if not thousands of violent gang members crossing the border illegally. Since the Trump administration took office, the Border Patrol has detected fewer gang members crossing irregularly than during the Obama administration. In FY2017, these amounted to 0.075 percent of the total number of migrants (228 MS-13 members out of 303,916 total migrants). When combined with MS-13’s rival, the Barrio 18 gang, the number rises only slightly to 0.095 percent. So as far as his accusation that there are thousands coming across the border, try again Mr. President.

Next, let’s take a closer look at his statement that undocumented immigrants take American jobs. Well, it seems according to the Brookings Institute’s Senior Fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown, many of the jobs undocumented immigrants take are often physically demanding positions that most Americans don’t want, such as gutting fish or farm hands. What’s more, in a 2016 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine which assembled research of 14 leading economists, demographers, and other scholars (including several of Ivy league accreditation) states the following:

• “We found little to no negative effects on overall wages and employment of native-born workers in the longer term,” said Francine D. Blau, an economics professor at Cornell University who led the group that produced the 550-page report.

• Some immigrants who arrived in earlier generations, but were still in the same low-wage labor markets as foreigners just coming to the country, earned less and had more trouble finding jobs because of the competition with newer arrivals.

• Teenagers who did not finish high school also saw their hours of work reduced by immigrants, although not their ability to find jobs. Professor Blau said economists had found many reasons that young people who drop out of high school struggle to find work. “There is no indication immigration is the major factor,” she said.

• High-skilled immigrants, especially in technology and science, who have come in larger numbers in recent years, had a significant “positive impact” on Americans with skills, and also on working-class Americans. They spurred innovation, helping to create jobs.

Hmmmm, that sounds like significantly different assessment to me than the “sky is falling” approach to immigration that the president presents. What’s even more delusional, is the assertion that this “law” he cited on several occasions as being enacted by Democrats cannot be recalled by any Republican member of government. To directly quote California Republican Representative Jeff Denham “I don't think we're sure what bill he is actually commenting on, so we're waiting for him to clarify”. Yet again, simply another clearly deceptive statement given by the president to attempt to justify his blatantly fascist policy. The alarming truth is that it was simply his decision granting the institution of a zero-tolerance policy towards immigration, which was enacted by his fascist cohort, Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  

There is a significantly disturbing event in history that closely parallels the actions undertaken by the administration, and I won’t even mention the issue of a senior member of government citing scripture as validation to undertake such an injustice (must I point out Jefferson’s open letter to the Danbury Baptists, in which he directed attention to the dangers of the interfusing of church and state?). That event occurred in the early 1940’s, where approximately 400,000 children were taken from their parents and placed in “assimilation” camps to be properly “Germanized”. These poor children never saw their birth families again, and were essentially stripped of their identities and given ones more pleasing to the Nazi regime. There is actually one individual who is currently bringing suit against the German government for these actions committed, and this poor soul has no idea of whom he was before he was sent to the camps.  My heart truly breaks for this man.

There seemed to be a glimmer of hope, when the president signed an executive order granting the reunification of the children with their parents, yet this was a half-hearted half-measure, as it contained no definitive course of action to reunite them. It was nothing more than an attempt to appease the massive outcry from the American people in response to this cruel injustice. According to this new order, it kept children of undocumented immigrants detained together with their families, however allowed for modification of a condition that could potentially allow these families to be detained indefinitely. Fortunately, to my knowledge that condition was never modified

   

Most recently was the announcement of the federal court judge issuing a ruling ordering the children reunited with their families. This order has one significantly inherent flaw, that separations could still occur provided the parent is deemed unfit. Fortunately it would seem that Customs and Border Protection found a slight degree of humanity and stated it would freeze criminal referrals for crossing the border illegally, as this could very well be grounds to question the fitness of parents. However Justice Department officials displayed no such sign of humanity nor mercy, stating that U.S. attorneys would continue to prosecute the cases. In an even greater farce of the immigration system legality, these children have actually started appearing in court without any council to represent them, and often have to complete the complex immigration forms alone. Sadly, in immigration proceedings, unlike criminal and family law proceedings, the court is not obligated to assign council to the defendants if they have no ability to retain such. There are literally toddlers representing themselves in immigration court! How does this amount in any way, shape, or form any semblance of a fair hearing?

This ruling allowed the administration 14 days to reunite children under the age of 5 with their parents, and 30 days to reunite children the age of 5 or older with their parents. This would appear on the surface as a significant step in the right direction, however the ugly face of the half-hearted measure enacted by the president struck again. There have been deportations of individuals who had been detained already undertaken, with their children still remaining in detention facilities. These children are now alone in detention centers faced with the potential life devastating affect of never seeing their parents again. There has been talk of resorting to DNA testing to reunite the children with their parents since there has been such chaos on account of the clearly vague, and simplistic executive order. Which was issued by an individual who has no concept of the political arena, clearly cannot fathom the interconnectedness of the contemporary global capitalist economy, and has incited vicious attacks against Muslims, people of color, and anyone who doesn’t adhere to his nationalistic aspirations, including the media. All his mind can comprehend is how to deregulate so the elite can amass even more multitudes of wealth.

The administration has requested an extension of the deadline stipulated in the court order, and I truly hope it gets denied. It is my steadfast hope that this administration will be found in absolute contempt. It would in no way be a befitting punishment for the audacity that the administration has to enact such half-hearted measures, and display the callousness it has, yet it still would be a punishment. What is truly needed is a mass mobilization of individuals in response to these clearly xenophobic policies and racist rhetoric. What is needed is not in fact a strictly political revolution, as stated by some. That does nothing but replace those in power with more of the same institutional actors, but rather a genuine social revolution that forces the elite to surrender power and places it squarely and firmly in the hands of the masses. What’s needed is genuine and authentic change, and that begins with us. That begins with a political party that truly represents the best interests of the workers and the oppressed. That hope does not lie with those who remain embedded and in reverence of the current system. Such a contradiction can never, and will never be able to occupy the same space and time. Those who uphold the system will always consume those trying to break those bonds. The thought that one can enter a rigged game and come out the victor couldn’t be clearer in it’s absurdity. In this game there are only ever allowed two players, those being the two capitalist parties themselves. Thus, the only option is to smash the game itself.

The Real Crisis in Education

The Buffalo News on Thursday February 11, 2016 gave us every reason to throw out the receivership law, ruling, or whatever you want to call it. While the News is in favour of receivership (and I suspect that is so that its owner, Warren Buffet, can make more money of the stocks that private charter school companies sell), they provide strong arguments against the law.

Reason #1: These schools struggle with poverty issues outside the school. Students that live in high poverty areas are less likely to do well in schools and on tests. There is nothing that educators can do about that. They can make school a safe, consistent place, but if the only food, heat, and water that a student has access to is at school, then what? I have students that get free or reduced breakfast and lunch & that is it for their food. Mom and/or dad don't make enough money to buy dinner. Or dinner is very little. And food pantries aren't always open when people have the time to get to them, so…

Reason #2: This financial insecurity can lead to transiency. Students moving around from week to week, month to month, or at whatever interval housing becomes available. There are students that from September to June have a different address every month (or more). What are these students going to learn?

Reason #3: This leads to poor attendance. Let's face it – If a student is struggling to get by and is falling behind their peers, it doesn't take long for the student to give up entirely. Especially with all the testing that goes on in Grades 3 – 8. Then the Regents Exams that start in 9^th Grade and carry on through 12^th. For a student that is struggling to learn because of reasons #1 & #2, dropping out of school is seen as a viable choice, Especially if it means money to put food on the table (as part of a short term solution). No, they don't see education as a way out of the cycle of poverty that they are in. And trying to argue that with them is not always a lost cause, but after so much failure in their lives, they see the world differently than those that are “getting it.”

Reason #4: This one is one that the rule makers have a hard time trying to justify, and if challenged, they would have to back down quickly. The non-English speaking immigrant population. One school in Buffalo is said to have somewhere in the realm of 40 different languages from around the world spoken in it. And not enough translators to support those students. (Translators cost money you see, and that's money that the privatizers want.) If a person does not speak English, and the tests do not come in all the languages that they speak, then how are they going to do on the tests?

As a rider to #4, these immigrants are coming to us from all over the world and some of them have very little education to start with. And I know this is hearsay ish, but I heard of a student that was (age wise) supposed to be in 10^th grade and was tested (in their own language) at 4^th grade or lower in all subject areas. Tell me that that student is going to perform well on a test written for 10^th graders.

All of these issues are symptoms of a problem.

And that problem is capitalism.

Issues #1-#3 could be solved with jobs that paid real salaries and benefits. If people can afford housing, food, water, etc, then these issues are gone.

Issue #4: Let's look at the countries that the immigrants came from. I'll bet that those countries are under some sort of capitalist crisis. Russia, choose any Eastern European country, Africa is a mess – if not a basket case in some places – along with the Middle East. South & Central America have been America's stomping grounds since Monroe's time and US Policy towards those countries has been nothing short of disastrous. Asia has its problem with capitalism as well.

And all those people are looking for some place to come to.

And that happens to be America,

So we now have a crisis in education because of the capitalist crisis across the world.

You can't solve one without solving the other.

And the only way to solve education's crisis is to solve the crisis of capitalism.

And that solution is socialism.

But the Buffalo News won't write about that.

Look at it's owner.