In his memoir, Travels with Herodotus, Ryszard Kapuscinski tells the story of a Persian potentate intent on making war with a neighboring tribe. The tribe’s queen predicts that the Persian will get his fill of blood if he persists. As it happens the Persians are defeated, and the Queen, overlooking the dead, brutally makes her threat real.
Rep. Tom Reed’s support for Donald Trump, hoping that he would “disrupt government,” reminded me of this story. Tom doubtless hoped disruption would boost his bill collecting business, cripple medicare, social security, and more generally disrupt the social safety net which he abhors. Tom was right in that Trump’s election did bring disruption, did reduce his taxes, promises to further cripple the social safety net, and much more–responsible government, civil peace, international relations, compassionate immigration law, our military, and efforts to combat climate change are examples. Will Tom someday get his fill of disruption and discord? There is no sign of it yet.
New NY 23rd 
Let’s start with an issue.
Please describe “compassionate immigration law” for me. Thank you
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“Rather than talking about putting up a fence, why don’t we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, And then while they’re working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back they can go back.”–Ronald Reagan, Houston, 1980
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Observations on a proposed border wall:
https://josephurban.wordpress.com/2019/01/06/no-left-turn/
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history shows us we need a fence, barrier, or “ome sort of physical structure “wall” which is what many many Democrats have been saying and voting for for the past 20 years.
I think 99% of Americans are OK with legal immigration for non-crimials and healthy people. Until we can stop people in America from using the many illegal drugs that come across the border (and under) and the human trafficking that goes on and the expense of the huge welfare state that many illegal immigrants (aka undocumented workers and undocumented immigrants) come here for we will need a strict border fence.
Eliminate all social and welfare programs for illegal immigrants and eliminate all drug use by people in America and all human trafficking and a fence might not be needed.
The three things that define a country are it language, culture and borders.
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Um, just what “soclal and welfare programs for illegal immigrants” are you talking about? They’re already ineligible for SNAP, WIC, disability payments, unemployment pay, Section 8 housing, or any other of a host of federal and state benefits. But, I guess you bought the myth. Eliminate drug use by people in America? That’s not going to be solved by a wall. That’s also ignoring that most drugs brought into the country come in through legal ports of entry, not through unguarded parts of the border.
I’d also point out that most of our ancestors – including yours – were not welcome here in the first place. They were also the unhealthy, criminal scum of the world. According to the people who were already here, of course.
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Norbrook,
https://cis.org/Report/63-NonCitizen-Households-Access-Welfare-Programs
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