Surging Scourge on the Covid Border

Troubles along the southern border of the United States have been increasing month after month, conceivably breaking a quarter of a million per month. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has announced repeatedly that the southern border is closed and secure. This forces one to choose between Mayorkas lying or his simply being completely out of touch. The reality is that there is no plus side to the open border policies by President Biden. These policies will lower wages, largely at the low end of the scale; stretch assistance programs, such as food stamps, breaking state budgets; and most dangerous are the diseases including COVID, influenza, tuberculous among all too many others. What makes this situation even more problematic is President Biden and his administration are enacting this open border as official policy. Equally dangerous is that virtually none of these so-called incoming undocumented residents of any non-gated community could soon be residing in any inner-city or suburban residential neighborhood, possibly yours. This will go hand-in-hand with plans to force zoning changes for these same neighborhoods to begin placing high-rise apartments which will include “affordable housing (section 8 housing)” as well as housing for undocumented residents relocating from the border regions.

President Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas

President Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas should be very proud of the fantastic efficiency with which they destroyed all restrictions at the southern border with Mexico. But the southern border with Mexico is not the only nation where refugees; real, true, honest, desperate political refugees and the contrast is as appalling as it is inexcusable. That border is a wet border and the nation is Cuba. Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has made it clear that any Cubans attempting to reach the shores of the United States will be intercepted before they even catch a glimpse of the land of the free. One can only expect that the old wet-dry differentiation where should a Cuban reach the shores of the United States they may remain while those who are caught at sea are returned to Cuba. We are as disgusted with this Cuba policy where we fear all will be returned even should they reach Iowa, near the center of the lower forty-eight.

We have a suggestion for any Cuban wishing to make their way to the United States. Take whatever floatation device or system upon which you are about to bet your life and head west-southwest, not north. The Yucatan Peninsula is approximately the same distance as mainland Florida excluding the Florida Keys. From the Yucatan Peninsula one can follow the stream of humanity heading north through Mexico and cross over the open border of the United States. Cubans can feel assured that there will be no questions or other hassles Cubans would face under the Biden administration and can expect the Border Police to be accommodating offering cold water and a free bus, train or jet to the location of your choice. Perhaps this route can serve the oppressed Cubans very nicely and they actually deserve this treatment from the land of the free and the home of the brave, and any Cuban making to America by this means deserves no less.

Beyond the Cusp

Border Threats in the United States and Israel

 

Let us talk about the less threatening border. This is not to lessen the magnitude of the walking threat approaching the southern border of the United States. The caravan of over a thousand “undocumented marchers” who intend to mostly cross into the United States will officially become criminal entrants crossing the southern border within the month if their pace continues as it has since entering Mexico from Guatemala. Commentary over a BuzzFeed article written for Townhall by Timothy Meads was our source for this article and can be read here. Obviously, these soon to be “undocumented immigrants,” alias illegal aliens, as they cross the Mexico-American border whether they attempt to cross at an monitored border requesting asylum, as some have expressed their intentions, or if they attempt to cross clandestinely avoiding detection and making it to one of the many sanctuary cities or if a large group attempts to overwhelm a crossing point by rushing the border, any case will pose some form of challenge for the Trump administration. As the latest spending omnibus bill which again spent far more money than any responsible budget would have permitted, still did not decide to budget for the completion or even building a fair portion of President Trump’s Secure Border Wall, the border wall will not be erected by the time this caravan of people reaches the American border. One wonders if perhaps they will take a page from the Hamas Gaza confrontation manual and all rush the border at a single point in an attempt to overwhelm any Border Guards stationed at that point. How will the United States Border Guards react if they face a thousand people rushing their post on the border? Would they shoot the leading few in hopes to have the rest stop out of fear? Would they act as the Mexican Border Agent described in the article?

Taking a drag from her cigarette, a Mexican immigration agent looked out toward a caravan of migrants that grew larger with each step they took on the two-lane highway.
When the agent, who’d covered her uniform with an orange and white shawl, learned that the Central American migrants heading her way numbered more than 1,000, she took off for the restaurant across the street.
“I’m going to have a relaxing Coke,” she told BuzzFeed News.

We have to grant her that in her case as a Mexican border agent knowing that these migrants are headed for the United States, she figured it was none of her or Mexico’s business. The reality is that the United States neighbors to the south reaching far beyond Mexico to include numerous other nations, they all gladly have members of families to leave and make the long trek to the United States knowing full well that they will send back money to their family which works as another form of unfettered United States foreign aid which is free of any government controls such as financial pressures applied by the State Department. Some nations find the relatives sending back money to families back home often these funds accumulate to be in excess of direct American foreign aid. Still, President Trump had campaigned taking a strong position for ending the free and open border policies of the previous administration. President Trump campaigned on building an impassable wall and placing thousands more Border Agents securing the border. Well, President Trump, your first border challenge approaches.

 

Huge Caravan Of Central Americans Heading for American Border

 

Fortunately, President Trump’s Border Police will not be facing armed enemy approaching the border with intents of infiltration. The immigrant caravan will not be hurling large stones, Molotov cocktails, pipe bombs and other explosives at the Border Police as the Hamas “peaceful” demonstrators have from Gaza. The caravan of immigrants will not be hiding numerous members with AK-47s who will hide and attempt to shoot the United States Border Agents like Hamas terrorists did with the IDF soldiers (Israeli Defense Force) during the recent border clashes. From what we read, the majority of those in the immigrant caravan are planning on peaceably crossing the border, turning themselves over to Border Patrol and the American authorities hoping to take advantage of what they believe is American hospitality and liberal refugee qualifications allowing them to receive some form of amnesty as seekers of political or other asylum. Still, the whole confrontation, and that is what this is by any definition you choose, the whole thing could turn horribly wrong with the simplest of misunderstandings or if some of the immigrants in the convoy decide they prefer a confrontation. A single firearm discharge could cause a hail of bullets in response no matter who fired the first bullet. We can hope, and more than likely the Border Agents are well enough trained, that even a firearm discharge would not become a hail of bullets, but it would make everything very tense until the source of the discharge was found and addressed with appropriate actions. The problem an event such as a firearm discharge creates a situation where what happens in the immediate moments afterward can be very confusing and thus complicated. We can only hope the crossing of those in the immigrant caravan goes without incident.

 

In Israel along the Gaza border, the situation is very different. Here we based our commentary on a number of articles about the events from last Friday, March 30, 2018, and on this Arutz Sheva article. We have already seen from the continuation of the violent Hamas sponsored protests duped as March of Return that Hamas is intent on building the pressure. Where the continuing protests have been comparatively less violent than last Friday, but come this Friday, April 6, 2018, will be ramped up to at least if not a higher pitch with more violence. The reason we know that this is coming is because the Friday sermons are usually attended by more people as many shops close on Friday afternoons. This provides the Imams with a higher than usual emotional level for their sermons and these often are used by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian authority, the PLO and many other groups including across much of the Arab world and Iran, to inflame their sermons with calls for violence against their enemies. In Iran, these sermons result in the great numbers of crowds gathering to chant “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” as well as sometimes “Death to the Jews.” In Gaza and the areas under the Palestinian Authority, these sermons result in rioting, attacks and increased terrorism. This added to the already continuing violence on the border is why we expect the rioting along the Gaza border to be more violent and threatening than the initial violence from last Friday. The media will be advised where to stand when reporting from Gaza as to where to stand to get the best shots of the peaceful protests and then their photos and stories will be edited and checked by Hamas moderators before they are filed. Any media not following Hamas protocols will have their permissions to report from Gaza revoked, if they are fortunate, and possibly worse. But what is the final goal of Hamas and Islamic Jihad with these protests and the ramping of violence as time progresses? That is a good question which requires an answer.

 

This is where the information in the Arutz Sheva article was helpful as it validated something we feared. Hamas reacted just as horrifically, if not more so, to President Trump announcing the moving of the American Embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel. We agree with the Arutz Sheva security source that Hamas could easily intend to continue to ramp the violence forcing a new war upon Israel. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been rearmed to a level well above their levels of armaments they had at the start of the war in 2014 or 2012. Iran has also promised to keep Hamas armed to a level necessary for a full confrontation with Israel should they use any munitions in actions against Israel or other opponents. Apparently, the thinking is Hamas might initiate border violations with armed terrorists using tunnels and by crashing the fence using masses of bodies largely civilians allowing the armed terrorists to be concealed within the mass. The impression is that Hamas will make the great push forcing a potential war on May 14, 2018, to coincide with and overshadow the news of the American Embassy officially being moved to Jerusalem. This is where we come to a slightly different conclusion than the experts and Arutz Sheva.

 

Our date which Hamas and Islamic Jihad will use to initiate another war with Israel, if this is their intent, will be Friday, May 11, 2018. This date being a Friday will coincide with a natural day of increased activity and thus provide the numbers of civilians which they can utilize to facilitate their invading southern Israel. The reason behind our reasoning goes beyond just it being a Friday, there is more to it than just that one fairly large reason. By starting a war the Friday before the announcing of the moving of the American embassy could possibly force President Trump, we guarantee under advisement of the State Department, to postpone the announcement until a more appropriate and peaceful time when there isn’t any war ongoing. We can also guarantee that there will be one gentleman who will fight against the State Department demanding that President Trump complete the transfer of the embassy as scheduled, and that will be his new Security Advisor, John Bolton. Should Hamas and allies make such a mistake, we can only hope that the IDF is permitted to perform a cleansing of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and all the other terror and criminal elements and remove the oppressive rulers from over the people of Gaza. Then, once they have been removed and sent into exile or prison, then the people of Gaza will be free to leave and restart their lives wherever they choose. As reported in the Jerusalem Post, “More than 90 percent of Gaza Strip residents want to leave because of Hamas, Fatah spokesman Osama Qawassmeh said on Wednesday.” We are somewhat less enthusiastic as we believe it would be merely three out of five, or sixty percent at a minimum. Should Hamas press the violence to a level where Israel has no other alternative but to completely decapitate the leadership and remove those who have been oppressing the people under their heel, we can only hope that President Trump sticks to his schedule and that Israel manages to complete their operations and liberate the Arabs from their oppressors within the weekend allowing for full media coverage of the American embassy move. Hopefully, Israeli forces can restrict any success that the terrorist entities attempt along the border to such an extent that any infiltration will be limited and caught ending any threats these border threats may bring. They recently prevented an attack with a Kornet missile planned by Hamas to sink an Israeli Naval vessel. Reports of this arrest and preventions were covered by Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel and, of course, Arutz Sheva. We like reporting good news and hope that the American embassy move goes smoothly and on schedule and that, any attempts Hamas intends will be thwarted and the people of Gaza will soon be freed from their oppressive governance.

 

We intend to end on an up note, so here below is a quote from another Arutz Sheva article, this time by the respected Dr. Mordechai Kedar who has contacts and resources we can only dream about. The title of his article is, “Are there Arabs who like Israel? The answer is a resounding yes.” The article is full of interesting facts and decently good news.

I am going to tell just one story. Every few weeks a group of 3-4 people phone me from somewhere in the Gaza Strip and beg me to tell Israel to re-conquer the region, because their lives are Hell since the day in 2007 when Hamas pushed out the PA to take control of Gaza. In the past they had worked in Israel, earned decent wages and provided for their families. Israel as a state and the Israeli people treated them well, showed them respect and usually paid them fair wages for their work.

 

Beyond the Cusp

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In a World Weaponizing for Conflict

 

The news is full of conflicts and growing threats. Iran has tested another ballistic missile which they claim would not be nuclear capable but almost all intelligence services see that differently. China just launched and tested a ten warhead MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles). These are independently guided warheads with a test area set as no fly zone one-hundred-twenty-five mile radius. This should not be interpreted as the limits of their independent travel especially when one adds the fact that China is working to master hyper-glide vehicle technologies. Add that the Communist Party propaganda newspaper Global Times stated their hopes for the Chinese Military Strategic Forces be improved such that they, “must be so strong that no country would dare launch a military showdown.” China has also been extending her reach southward into the South China Sea even building islands and then arming them as if to challenge anybody to remove them. The Party paper had something to say about such decrying, “We need to get better prepared militarily regarding the Taiwan question to ensure that those who advocate Taiwan’s independence will be punished, and take precautions in case of U.S. provocations in the South China Sea.” Additionally Russia has been extending their reach with their staging forces in Syria and making inroads with Egypt. Russia has been bristling and saber rattling making many nations near and far to feel uneasy.

 

Additionally there are the wars and mass conflagrations across much of MENA (Middle East and North Africa) including but not limited to Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Algeria, South Sudan and beyond. Egypt has problems in the Sinai Peninsula as well as a border with Gaza and the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror organizations amongst others. Israel faces in addition to the Gaza threats another from Hezballah out of Southern Lebanon and the PA (Palestinian Authority) as well as pressures from Europe, both the EU (European Union) and the individual governments, numerous NGOs, the BDS Movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanction) policies being adopted in numerous cities and even some counties including one of the largest in Spain. These new boycotts are different in that many have decided to simply boycott products from Israel, well, except software, medical breakthroughs, agricultural technologies, cell phone and communication software and systems, and just about anything they actually desire and they will boycott those things they normally do not use. May all the boycotts be equally successful and well structured. There are some in these areas who will actually change some buying habits but what is exceptionally interesting is usually there are more people who now buy Israel intentionally than people actually participating in the boycott to any serious extent. The two biggest threats Israel faces are fortunately not immediate or easily repairable. The future threat is Iran and what will be their actions once they have deliverable nuclear weapons and the missiles on which to place them. This will likely become more serious in three to seven years and hopefully Israel will have an overlapping, four stage, interception system with the Iron Dome for the shortest range projectiles, Arrow Systems and David’s Sling and perhaps have developed both a laser and a particle beam weapon systems which can knock any warhead or missile from the air or in space almost instantly. These will work even better when placed at the eastern edge of the cliffs overlooking the Jordan River Valley once Israel secures all her lands as ruled by the Third Chamber of the Court of Appeal of Versailles in a suit brought by the Palestinian Authority against French companies Alstom and Veolia for building Jerusalem’s light rail system. Their final decision was also a warning to the PA that Israel has the sole claim to all of Judea and Samaria and that they would do best not to take this into any court of law. The fact this came from the friendliest court system the PA was able to find makes this all the more impressively important. A copy of the court ruling can be viewed here.

 

The other threat which Israel faces is, unfortunately, Israel and the timidity of her political class and their inability to carry out the will of the majority of their population and take full advantage of her legal rights of which the first should be the declaration that the Oslo Accords, Roadmap and all other attempts or passages to forming a two state solution are dead as there now exists a two state solution in place which has proven the disaster such solutions pose. The two states currently are Israel and an Arab Palestinian state in Gaza which was initially ruled by the Palestinian Authority who in rather quick order managed to turn the entirety of Gaza over to Hamas who have since then initiated four conflicts and have placed virtually all of Israel within range of their rockets and there have been rumors that they have developed or acquired some rudimentary targeting systems which may allow for missiles aimed at particular targets granting better accuracy and increased potential damage. Additionally, the terror groups in Gaza have been receiving aid on and off from Iran and there is the possibility that the PA has also been approached by Iran. The possibility of Iran, and by inference, the IRGC, having forces that operate in the areas designated to be within the Jewish State under International Law due to agreements and treaties dating to post World War I, is a threat which Israel must avoid and fight with every weapon required to remove such a dire threat. What the immediate future holds is the still ongoing, dragged-out Arab-Israeli Conflict. Do not get tangled up with the PA and the claims that Palestine was stolen by the Jews and the rest of the lies designed to make the conflict between twenty or so Arab nations and Israel make Israel look like the larger force, a complete and utter lie even if one simply measures the funding received by the Arabs surrounding Israel and Israel herself. The terror leaders did not become multi-billionaires by stealing Girl Scout cookies, they receive funds from the UN, from UNRWA, from the EU, from the United States and from almost every government on the planet mounting to billion and billions every year and almost all of these funds are stolen and distributed for terror operations or enriching the elite. Mahmoud Abbas has planned a new house, or should we say villa, or more accurately a complete compound within a building which will hold up to two platoons of security forces stationed with billets, office rooms and conference rooms and private quarters, lavish and luxurious quarters, for Mahmoud Abbas. This Ramallah palatial complex covers 27,000 square meters and includes two helipads costing somewhere around thirteen-million-dollars (see picture below). All of this is while many Palestinians have limited opportunity for employment largely because the graft and other criminal influences of being ruled by a system of pay to play or you have to know the right people. Living in an area ruled by terrorists where people who are related to terrorists who have killed Israelis are paid more than the average government employee, and their governance is the largest employer by far.

 

All of this comes as a waiting present for new United States President Donald Trump. There is almost always a test for a new President where somewhere in the world a panic situation or threat grits its teeth and snarls at the new President. For President John F. Kennedy it became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis which many claim was about as close as the USSR and the United States came to launching their nuclear arsenals. For President Trump it comes in stereo with both Iran and China launching ballistic, nuclear warhead capable missiles. Iran is pressing President Trump as a challenge to his claim that he would tear up the Iran agreement and renegotiate the agreement (President Obama called it an agreement and refused to call it a treaty, so neither will we) and Iran is basically challenging to see what the reaction will be. China is showing off their newest technological abilities and forcing the United States numerous different Intelligence Services to reassess the totals of nuclear weapons possessed by the Chinese. The current estimates of under three-hundred and likely somewhere close to two-hundred-fifty to seventy-five to probably well in excess of five-hundred warheads with the majority being miniaturized for use in their new ten warhead MIRV systems. The current test was done on an older missile but the Chinese have a newer missile on the horizon with greater range and accuracy. China too has issues with President Trump over his bold claims to press China on the South China Sea if they continue their aggressive behavior and his taking the phone call where President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan congratulating him on winning the election though technically he was not yet the United States President but merely the president-elect, but apparently the Chinese decided not to see it that way and took great offence. Perhaps it will be refreshing for the protesting and madder than all get up anti-Trump American to know that there are people in other places in the world who are equally irked by President Trump.

 

The world is not quite spinning completely out of control, but it is shifting ever closer to the danger end of the scale. Some of it is simply there is a new United States President so let us all get in his face one way or another just to see how he reacts. Some of it is that President Trump truly does, and probably should, scare many people with his being pretty much an unknown, easily offended, irascible, seemingly short tempered, egotistical extremist in everything he has ever done. Still some who are close to the man claim he is a big and cuddly teddy bear. Well, even a teddy bear is a bear and bears can be dangerous when irked. Additionally, Islam is warring with itself and with Europe and potentially the rest of the developed Western world. There are more tinderboxes catching fire than usual and some would say just in the United States itself. The Mexican President just cancelled his scheduled meeting with President Trump over yet another ignorant call for Mexico to pay for the Wall and claiming that taxation (tariff) on imports from Mexico might be one means and cutting aid another. For reasons which probably escape President Trump, his Mexican counterpart did take offense. What will be next is anybody’s guess and it appears we will simply have to wait and see. We feel we will not need to wait that long, but we still pray that we are surprised and the next explosion is well past the immediate horizon. We will just have to wait and see what will come around the next corner and pray for the best.

 

Beyond the Cusp