Michael Jordan Supports Sweatshops with Child Labor

One of the ways professional athletes make big bucks is by lending their name and image to some company to sell products. These testimonials say, “I vouch for this product. It is good. If you use this product you can be like me.” In the advertising industry they call these endorsement contracts, “giving a face to the product.” Michael Jordan is the prime example. He has been so successful with Nike that Nike has split out the Jordan endorsement portion in a separate company called Jordan Productions.

We like Michael Jordan. We think he is a good guy. He made us feel good with his basketball prowess. He also seems to be a really nice individual. Any company Michael Jordan represents surely acts like Michael Jordan does. How could Michael Jordan endorse slave and child labor? The situation is so bad that the production facilities have been subjected to four strikes in the last 12 months. I thought Michael Jordan was a Christian guy. He has kids. Would he want his children working in sweatshops?

Nike, a true success story, makes profits by using sweatshops and child labor. Their human rights abuses have been well documented over the past four years. Currently Nike is in a major public relations campaign designed to clean its tainted image. They say they have made great progresses but have a strict policy of paying market wages instead of paying a living wage. They also admit that their facilities, in communist Vietnam, use child labor.

Michael Jordan therefore not only supports but, endorses the use of sweatshops and child labor.

What does Michael Jordan’s lack of moral fortitude have to do with American Politics?

Michael Jordan is the perfect example of why Reaganomics must be eliminated and government given back to the citizens of the United States of America. A person that we consider good, in the name of a corporation, does culturally unacceptable things for money. He convinces himself that he is separated from the actual wrongdoing and finds solace in “not knowing” or not having the capacity to change what is going on. If he does not accept the endorsement then someone else will and he will lose a lot of money.

Companies have only one purpose. That is: make money. They cannot be expected to do anything other than greedily chase the latest money making scheme. If they can find a way to game the system they will. They do not care about humanity or the long term viability of a country. They will just move somewhere else and continue exploiting the system. They will fight tooth and nail to keep their end user markets open to the new junk they produce in some undeveloped country where they can use child labor or employ dangerous materials without safeguards. They do not care if children receive an education. They do not care whether or not people die from starvation or lack of medical care. They do not take any responsibility when people die working, producing their products.

Companies cannot be expected to express a country’s values unless the country’s values are greed and world domination. If companies do not have the same values as the citizens of a country then companies have no role in government.

I want to believe that Michael Jordan has not consciously decided to sell out his image to a company that employs child and slave labor. Just as I want to think that Mr. Jordan just has not thought about the correlation of Nike’s actions and his image, I believe that most Americans do not realize that the actions of Coca Cola, Dow, GE, Exxon, and McDonalds represent America.

Extremist groups that hate America or plot against America are not really upset with Joe Worker. They are upset with the immorality and greed expressed by US corporations. Whether we like it or not, America defined by what these corporations do.

Our government talks about using the military to protect US interests across the world. Our soldiers die and the treasury is depleted to guarantee that Nike, Walmart or Exxon can exploit world poverty. I see no difference in the actions of companies moving production facilities to China than Sex tourists who travel the world to find places where they can indulge any desire that may be prohibited in the US.

Michael Jordan may offer his image to a sex tourist but I believe that a majority of Americans do not want to be associated with child prostitution, child labor, slavery, unsafe or deadly working environments.

Since companies, by their statute, cannot encompass these values it is our responsibility, as Americans, to conform corporations and their executives to the values of the nation. Companies must be regulated and controlled. They must be held responsible for their actions and their movements controlled and limited.

Perhaps the best response to a global unrest would be restricting US corporations instead of threatening military action.

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Illegal Immigration hurts Legal Immigrants!

Democrats want Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants. Republicans would prefer having Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants. They have different reasons to support Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants, none of which are the good of the nation or WE THE PEOPLE. Illegal Immigration hurts Legal Immigrants more than anyone else.

Most Americans would like to stop hearing about Illegal Immigrants. Most Americans know that Illegal Immigration drops wages across the economy. Some Americans believe Illegal Immigrants reduce the cost of goods. Some Americans believe that there are jobs Americans will not do. This last point I find absurd considering the 300 million population and 45% of adults not working (yes 45%). Billions of dollars are spent on Illegal Immigrants but many do not realize that Legal Immigrants pay a heavy price.

My wife Raffaella is a Legal Immigrant. Last year her green card was expiring. In accordance with regulations and directions of Homeland Security, she sent her renewal paperwork 90 day before the expiration. Her first green card arrived about 6 weeks after her biometric appointment. This time 6 weeks later a letter arrived indicating that her current green card was automatically renewed for one year after the previous date. I was tranquil. Homeland Security had some problems with the new passport requests and I knew they were a bit behind. The US Government would catch up, I thought. We can put a man on the Moon. We can land a bomb in the 2nd floor corner office from 150 miles away we can surely print a renewal card.

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Raffaella decided to get her US driver’s license. Thoughts of the DMV, incredible lines and rude people filled my nightmares. The day finally came when she felt she was prepared.

We arrived early in the morning. Strangely there were no lines; the office was disturbingly empty. I accompanied Raffaella to the counter and pulled out the binder full of documentation, passport, green card and letter from DHS. The clerk looked at the documentation and called the state trooper standing in the corner. Officer Watkins carefully read the documents. After about five minutes he walked out into the public area, handed back the documents and pulled out a page of instructions. Quietly he stated that the DMV accepted only the documents listed on the sheet.

I looked at him, not understanding. The green card, valid passport, social security card were all considered valid documents. He explained that the green card was no longer valid. I showed him the letter.

He looked at the document number at the top of the letter and responded, “We only accept the documents listed on the paper.”

I explained that these were the documents and he again responded, “We only accept the documents listed on the paper.”

I slowly began to understand and asked, “You are telling me you do not accept documents from the Department of Homeland Security?”

He again responded, “We only accept the documents listed on the paper.”

The adrenaline was flowing; my hands began to shake, and the volume of my voice became more intense.

He again responded, “We only accept the documents listed on the paper.”

He clearly was saying, “Look you idiot. The letter extending the validity is not on my sheet. I am not going to admit that DMV does not recognize DHS documents. Leave!”

I looked at him and asked why he was treating me like an idiot. I had been cordial. I did not make any negative comments about him, police officers, government or any other public officials. If he would not allow the documents from DHS, why not come clean and admit it?

The room was now filling up. Fifty people or so were more interested in understanding why the DMW would not accept documents from DHS than getting their license renewed. A small group was moving to my assistance. They could not believe that the DMV would not accept documents from DHS.

He asked us to come to his office. He continued in his normal tone telling me that he could only accept the documents listed on the paper. I asked to talk to his supervisor. He decided to make a phone call.

The supervisor asked for the documents via Fax and they sent us home with a promise of the phone call. Sure to their word, “We cannot accept the documents because the letter is not valid for a long enough period of time.”

Those who have had the privilege of doing things with the government know that there is no resolution when the government returns a blank stare. I called DHS to no avail. I went to the DHS web site to see that the renewal would have been processed within 6 months and no other information available. I sent a request only to receive a response that the renewal was “in the works” and if any further documentation were necessary I would receive a written request.

Time passed and I became concerned. Perhaps DHS had sent a request and it got lost in the mail (you know, another governmental agency which we should have faith in).

Enlightenment came while reading the Dallas morning news. DHS is opening two new regional processing facilities in North Texas. It seems that normal processing times have lengthened from about 3 months to 18 months. Following the recent crackdown more Illegal Immigrants decided to ask for residency. Yes, the crackdown is working. If required people will actually follow the law. In the first quarter of 2007 the number of applications went to just over 1.2 million overloading the system. Just think if all 24 million Illegal Immigrants actually requested residency. The application time would be over 10 years.

To this date I have no clue of when the renewal green card will arrive. Raffaella cannot get a Texas driver’s license. We have no recourse and no one to talk. We have spent over $5,000 in various fees, lawyer costs, and documents. Still a Legal Immigrant cannot do what law grants her the right to do. If she were like the 24 million Illegal Immigrants she would simply drive without a license or go to one of the sanctuary states but we believe in following the law.

If the Amnesty bill were to go forward the results would be disastrous for Legal Immigrants and for DHS. It would be impossible to execute the applications without increasing 100 fold the number of DHS employees including infrastructures, buildings and the like. Before any type of Immigration Reform can be discussed the influx of new illegal immigrants must be stopped and DHS must have sufficient manpower to handle the work. Anything else would result in anarchy. DHS could not handle the applications. Immigrants would be granted legal status without background checks. DHS could not even make sure that the appropriate fees for the applications would be paid.

Many people want to say that the poor Illegal Immigrants are suffering and they deserve special treatment. No one is defending the Legal Immigrants who are paying a high price for obeying current law. The lesson is follow the rules and get screwed. Break the law and everything will be fine. Illegal Immigration hurts Legal Immigrants more than anyone else.

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The Inevitability of the Destruction of the Middle Class – War on the Middle Class

A father opens the door in the early evening just as the family has finished dinner. The sharp explosions of gunshots break the peaceful silence in a quiet neighborhood and a normal family ends its existence. The police investigate and find no reason for the tragedy. No apparent enemies, a simple family with a simple life. Stories like these find their way on to the front pages of our newspapers with increasing frequency. An unknown killer choosing a house at random in places where “these things just do not happen!”

We discussed these events over a plate of Cincinnati Spaghetti. Incredulous, we wondered what is happening to our world. My profession requires that I study tendencies and perceptions. I am subjected to hours of financial programs and news services. Some interesting things have been published recently. Raw data that may explain what would drive a person to knock on the door of a stranger and kill a family in cold blood without a moment’s hesitation:

Over the last 10 years the increase in earnings of the top 0.5% was more than the total earnings of entire bottom 20% of the population.

Greenspan and others state that inequality in earnings has been going on for 100 years. It is inevitable and cannot be stopped.

Successful people say that they work harder or have sacrificed more than people who are less successful. This is a fallacy. Success, as measured by earnings, has a great deal to do with social status, education and opportunity (knowing other successful people creates opportunities).

Legislation allows financially stable individuals to take advantage of difficult times. Financial institutions are allowed to charge usury rates on loans on credit cards. This reduces the disposable income of the lower income or rising classes. The result is less demand for products that can then be purchased with cash at significantly lower prices. A simple example is that one individual does not pay bank fees, credit card dues or any other type of utilization costs while an individual with a lower salary will pay 50$ annual dues, 12$ monthly service fee, 18% interest which can accelerate to 30% even though the debtor is making the payments in accordance with the contract. These fees can be the difference between eating dinner and going hungry for many families.

Rich people get bailouts from government when they make bad investments while working class gets bankruptcy.

The US working class mentality sides with the rich on policy because they believe they will become rich (the lottery syndrome).

Government uses tax dollars to protect America’s interests (only rich people). The latest example is the mortgage bailout. The only people helped by the various plans suggested will be the investors in bank stocks.

Government allows powerful individuals to close US production facilities and move their facilities to poor countries to avoid health and safety standards. They will say it is to reduce labor costs but the only real reason to produce outside the US is to avoid regulation.

It seems that the world is stacked against the working class. It is tough to make it to the end of the month much less think about the future. Should this individual get sick they are hit with a double whammy, healthcare costs they cannot afford and must go into debt just to stay alive and loss of wages since sick leave has been practically eliminated. God forbid that an individual should become part of the 35% of Americans who are not employed. They will be homeless in a few weeks and left to die.

With this type of future, always present in the mind of 98% of Americans, the pressure is intense. It is a short road from despair to anger against the world thus any door in quiet neighborhood is the perfect place to express that anger.

Free Markets work under enlightened self interest. They can last for centuries but take away the enlightened part and free markets bring their own type of enlightenment. We have seen it over the centuries with all great empires. The French Revolution, the fall of the Roman Empire, Macedonia, Egypt, Napoleon all learned why all members of society must have hope for a better future for themselves and their children. Perhaps the US is simply another fallen empire learning a lesson in humanity.

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Judge Blocks Homeland Security from Advising Employers that they are violating the law on Immigration

A Federal Judge in San Francisco extended an injunction prohibiting the Social Security Office and Department of Homeland Security from advising employers that hiring illegal aliens could result in criminal prosecution. Anti immigration supporters are despondent. I ask, “Why?” Why does the United States Government feel the necessity to advise employers that they are breaking the law before arresting them? I was also under the impression that ignorance of the law does not exclude one from prosecution for breaking the law. Why is the administration losing time sending letters? They surely did not think about what they were doing before illicitly prosecuting 2 border patrol agents for doing their job.

The fact is the administration has no desire to prosecute corporate America for breaking the law. Politicians have no desire to alienate the future majority of America. The hope is that they can somehow let time pass and the new Democratic Congress and President will be able to pass “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” including amnesty for 24+ million illegal immigrants. The US in just a few years will then pass legislation making Spanish the official language.

How long must the farce go on? There are laws. There is no need for compassion. When someone has to sneak in to enter the United States they know they are doing something they should not. When an employer sees that the SSN do not match they know that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. Instead of sending letters law enforcement should enter the work area and arrest both the illegal immigrants and the employers. If the employers have everything in order they have nothing to worry about.

It is time to start taking our future seriously. Our politicians will not do what they are paid to do. They will not follow their constitutional mandate. WE THE PEOPLE must take back our government and our country. If WE THE PEOPLE want savage immigration it should be put to a referendum and not left up to corrupt politicians and corporate America with vested interests in unlimited sources of slave labor. This is our country and our future. It is not an extension of Mexico and it is not the playground of corporate America. No matter what your thoughts on illegal immigration it is time to hold our politicians responsible.


Tags: Government Politics Recession Corporate America Finance Illegal Immigration Economy Reaganomics

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Ex-Chairman of the FED Greenspan proposes that the war in Iraq is about oil

Ex FED Chairman Alan Greenspan is making the rounds on the television circuits to promote his new book. In one of these interviews he stated that he was not against the war in Iraq. He did not feel that it had anything to do with Weapons of Mass Destruction instead it was about the expansion of radical regimes and the control of the straights of Hormutz. Paraphrasing, a country could shut off 11 billion barrels a day of oil to the western world changing the world as we know it.

He felt that this was the real reason for the war. He also stated that the Administration could not present a case for war based on this premise because of the President’s and the Vice President’s ties to the oil industry. I have always believed that the war had nothing to do with WMD. I felt it was highly improbable that we could have been so wrong about their capabilities. I did not believe however that this had anything to do with oil because any reasonable man would have understood that the cost in blood and treasure would have been significantly higher than any losses suffered by the oil industry.

Mr. Greenspan may believe that war is worth protecting America’s future. Perhaps Russia and China feel the same way. I do not believe that taking away someone’s free will to act over their own resources can be excused with our future economic survival. I guess the lives of thousands of Iraq’s citizens and thousands of US soldier’s is less important than EXXON’s profit margin. While we cannot change what has been done we can tax the oil companies to pay for their war.

Our economic way of life could easily have been protected without going to war. We have not made significant progress in energy generation because oil has been so cheap and corporations have lobbied against alternative energy development. It is time that we make energy independence a primary goal. Independence can only come from non-petroleum based solutions.

This is our country. It must represent who we are. We have delegated the management of our image and culture to corrupt politicians and corporate America for too long. If we allow the decadence to continue we will lose our place in history and become relegated to obscurity of a nation that squandered its inheritance. We must be the best nation in the world based on principles not because we have better missiles. Remember every day there is someone bigger, stronger and more intelligent. We must be great because we work hard, are honest and can gain consensus.

Tags: Government Politics Iraq Corporate America Finance Illegal Immigration Economy Reaganomics

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US-China Trade War is on – Are you ready to fight?

Have you heard? Not only does your government think that Americans lazy, unkempt and uneducated but China says that we complain too much. Endless recalls of products produced in China that violate US consumer protection laws have pissed off China’s government. In retaliation, China is slowing the flow through of goods. The US retailers are desperate! The very reasons why I have been suggesting that America needs to produce more of its goods locally are coming to pass. Ludicrous you say. China cannot afford not to export to the US.

Let’s look at this in a different light. During the bubonic plague there was a great change in the economic system and the powerful fell to poverty while the working man became the new lord. Before the plague there was too much labor and too little work. The plague reduced the labor force by about 30%. The rich dudes, much like our $100 million CEOs, who could not screw in a light bulb if their life depended on it, no longer could find slave labor to work their lands. They began selling their properties to buy food and those who actually produced something became the new landowners. In less than two decades the face of the economic world had changed.

We can see ourselves as the rich dudes. We only produce 18% of what we consume. Everything else is dependent on slave labor. This is why Corporate America and the traditional politicians all want amnesty. The Chinese are the poor laborers. A Trade War is the plague. The Chinese will do just fine. They may grow at a slower pace but the people without goods, services and food are the US citizens.

It is shameful for our government to talk about national security when it clearly does not give a rat’s ass about the security of our nation. We are in the weakest position we have ever been. We are simply hoping that somehow things will blow over. That everyone in the world will understand that it is in their best interest to make US corporations richer.

The war we should be fighting is not about capitalism. It is about survival. This is our Alamo. We must defend our nation from the real enemies not those that Corporate America says are our enemies. We must fight against outsourcing of the production of goods and services necessary to our survival. We must fight against open borders and amnesty for those who have broken the law. We must fight Collusion and Corruption between our politicians and Corporate America.

If we think that China, North Korea, and/or Iran are our enemies we must see Corporate America as their facilitators. Let these countries do what they will. We can resolve this problem by eliminating the power of the facilitators. Stop Corporate Lobbying now!

Tags: Government Politics Recession Corporate America Finance Illegal Immigration Economy Reaganomics

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Department of Homeland Security – The Good, Bad and the Ugly

Interesting that a Clint Eastwood film could so easily describe our Department of Homeland Security.

The Good: The department of Homeland Security has some really good people, trying to protect this country and who do their jobs responsibly.

The Bad: The department of Homeland Security does some really bad and stupid things like convicting two agents for doing their job, supporting illegal immigration policies on the Mexican border, and lying to Congress. If you or I lied to Congress or to Homeland Security, for that matter, right now we would be in jail. Remember Martha Stewart et al? Most people are convicted of lying to the justice department not for the crime for which they are being investigated. The personal interests, may I even say corruption, of the higher officials and politicians responsible for controlling Homeland Security too often take precedence over the good of the country and the direction given by the voters. Homeland Security officials have justified their actions by saying that they will not bow to the populous movement.

Just for clarity, the populous movement means the will of the people, the electorate. Yes this is you and me. Individuals in Homeland Security believe that the government should operate as they want it to, not following the desires of the people. I guess, WE THE PEOPLE, are too dumb to know what we want our government to do.

The Ugly: The department of Homeland Security does some really ugly things like losing 12+ billion dollars in Iraq and looking the other way over problems at the core of their responsibilities like port and border security just so the corporations can make a few extra bucks.

Now the politicians want a terror war tax. Why? Why are we thinking about raging war across the world when we are not capable of securing our own borders.

We would not have a terror war in the first place if we remembered that the electorate is made of living and breathing people and not of corporations. We do not need to raise taxes, we need to cut out the corporations from our political process. We need to put People back in “WE THE PEOPLE.”

Without the people, “This Land is our Land”, is not a true statement. Without the populous movement, there is no one to fight the wars or pay taxes. Perhaps the populous movement is important. The United States has lost its identity. Homeland Security seems to be an organization designed to protect corporate interests, not the people of the United States. There is good in Homeland Security perhaps we can take the good people and free them from a corrupt organization allowing them to do their jobs. We must require that our elected officials concentrate on holding responsible those corrupt individuals involved in advancing their personal agenda over the will of the people. We must require that these individuals go to jail, just as you or I would. We must remember that justice is blind and that equality is not just about color.

Tags: Politics Corporate America Corrupt Politicians Government Data War on the Middle Class Border Security Port Security Stop Pork Spending Illegal Immigration

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The World is one big happy family!

Our government has just sent a full scale high level delegation to China to discuss trade, international finance and, while not publicized, most likely China’s position as a primary holder of US debt. North Korea has come back to the forefront. Now that they are in the Nuclear club they want things from the US otherwise they will continue developing nuclear weapons. Obviously these things all translate to money, money and more money. Iran has quieted down a bit in the last week but most likely will jump back to the forefront with some nuclear threat of its own. Finally, Saudi Arabia informed the US that should the US pull out of Iraq the Saudi Government will provide support to the Sunni militants in Iraq.

These questions are discussed to nausea by the media, each taken individually as if they are different problems. The way I see the world instead says these are all symptoms of the same problem. The problem is that each country has there own interests while the US is attempting to create one big global market. The position of the US seems to be a noble objective and perhaps the first President to actually accomplish this will be remembered as a great President.

The problem is that our government seems to see the world through rose-colored glasses. Since each country will act in its own interest, they have little concern for a worldwide market. Additionally there is the perception that the US is rich and the other countries should get a piece of the American pie. This attitude is found in every aspect of international dealings. The Mexicans believe that the US should accept all of their poor and hungry. North Korea wants billions of dollars in aid and additional technology just to come to the table to talk about talking. China believes that they should be able to purchase US corporations without allowing the US to purchase China’s infrastructures. For the Chinese it is obvious. Why should they be excluded from purchasing US assets since everyone else can?

Perhaps it is time for the government to consider a change in policy. China does not see either Iran or Korea as a problem while they do see the US as a major threat to their economy feeling the necessity to threaten the US, during the most recent visit, not to do anything that they would perceive as protectionist. They also feel that the US does not understand China. Well, I agree. I do not understand China, I do not understand Iran, and I do not understand North Korea. China does understand these countries. Since our government feels that an intimate relationship with China is in our best interest how about we let China take care of these problems.

While many Americans are rich, many Americans are very poor. Many Americans are homeless even with a job and a college degree. Many Americans are scared to death to lose their health insurance and their jobs. We have serious problems here at home. We need to be concerned with the security of our borders before we think about Iraq’s borders. We do not need to be protectionist. We do need to act in our own best interest, just like everyone else in the world does.

Tags: Politics Iraq China North Korea venezuala Border Security Port Security Iran Illegal Immigration

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Border Patrol Agents – The real story – Governmental officials using their office to forward personal agenda

I am somewhat amazed at the “ho ha” regarding the conviction of our law enforcement personnel in Homeland Security for pursuing, shooting, failing to file a written report regarding the shooting of a foreign national smuggling drugs across the US – Mexico border and most importantly not accepting a guilty plea when it is clear that homeland security does not want our border patrol officers to enforce the law. The homeland, under our government’s distorted view of the world, stretches from the North Pole to the South Pole and spans the globe. These officials feel that our immigration policy is outdated and that Mexican citizens not only have the right to enter this country with drugs but are entitled to do so. These officials are: Christopher Sanchez, an investigator with the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General, gee I wonder where his family is from, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof, check out the photograph, I bet her ancestors are from Northern Europe.


The real problem is that these individuals in the department of homeland security have personal agendas. They think the law is wrong so they have instituted procedures making it impossible for border agents to do their job. Should some poor agent actually believe that he has a duty to protect his country and enforce the laws, stepping over these procedures then these people use their position of power to crush those who do not bow to their authority no matter what the law indicates.

Before everyone gets off on a, “you are a racist”, rant. Please note the obvious ancestral origins of Officer Jose Alonso Compean. American is not about where your ancestors are from or how long you have been in the US, it is about obeying and enforcing laws of the elected government. These officers fulfilled their duties, they are Americans, while the U.S. Attorney felt that her personal beliefs supercede the laws of this country. We must ask to what country she is loyal? Perhaps she is one of the Mexicans carrying the Mexican protesting in the Center of Dallas for her rights?

Where is the oversight of this rogue agency? Where is the investigation into an investigator of the Homeland security office who has closest enough ties to receive a phone call from the mother of a convicted drug smuggler, illegal alien?

If these are the people responsible to guarantee the protection of our borders and thwart terrorist activities we must simply thank god that the terrorists have not decided to attack again.

Politicians, this is the oversight we need. We all know about Iraq, it’s a bad story but common knowledge. Do your job, investigate the department of homeland security and these blatant infractions of US law.

Tags: Politics Corrupt Politicians Homeland Security War on the Middle Class Border Security Port Security Stop Pork Spending Illegal Immigration

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