“Is Vice President Kamala Harris playing with fire? If she is correct that global warming is driving emigration (“Kamala’s Theory of Everything,” Review & Outlook, April 14), and not fear of persecution or torture, then none of the emigres will be eligible for asylum.”
There is no question the exodus is driven mainly by a lack of economic opportunity. But the idea that the U.S. can build a modern economy on the foundation of endemic corruption is nonsense. For 60 years wealthy countries have spent trillions of dollars trying to do so. The record of failure in this undertaking reflects self-delusion of historic proportions.
The Marshall Plan financed the rebuilding of modern industrial economies, not building something new from scratch. Those countries had a legal foundation on which to build an economy. In Asia the “miracle” was based on the introduction of modern laws and regulations governing the economies that over decades produced steady growth. The West’s gift to Japan, Korea and Taiwan and others was not money, it was the rule of law.
Transparency International ranks the 180 or so countries according to the “perception” of corruption based on a number of measures. El Salvador is ranked 104th, Guatemala is 149th and Honduras is 157th, the same as Zimbabwe.”
Comment: Fun for the feeble minded, feeble minded who think that history and culture are “just history.” As I have written before I participated in the great kick-off to the 60 year effort mentioned above. That was the “Alliance for Progress” in the Kennedy and Johnson eras. It was a total bust because the elites in these places did not want the structure of society to change. They were on top and they wanted to stay there. They also wanted to steal as much of the money hat we were giving them as possible. We let them steal a lot in the silliness of accepting the “dignity” of their national sovereignty. Nothing has changed since then.
And, now, this empty headed silly creature, is evidently persuaded by a lot of academic fools that she can jawbone the tough, mean pols in Central America that they should change their thieving ways, and become hardwood tree farmers! Incredible.
Some anti-colonial ideologue fool will probably object to my description of the s——e countries of Central America. Tant pis pour lui. pl
https://www.wsj.com/articles/kamala-harris-explains-illegal-immigration-11619211527
The imbecile’s commandment Numero Uno:
Thou must only think nice thoughts.
Commandments two through ten? They can’t count that high.
Nice thoughts on prisoners, especially Black ones would be excluded in her Brahim Brain. I will always remember Tulsi tearing her a new one on the subject, and getting the biggest cheers, both then, and in subsequent interviews.
Thank you the thought provoking post. I would say I mostly agree with the statement, but would say what is necessary for development are local institutions which are not of an extractive nature (which include the rule of law and governance).
Latin America basically inherited a local set of institutions which were extractive in nature. Spanish settlers, who came with the idea of quick riches and quick way to claim aristocratic, were not interested in developing the colonies in an inclusive manner, where wealth stayed in there. No. They were not interested either in permanently settling there, as being a “criollo” which is a latin american spaniard, was considered lesser than full blown europe born spaniard.
In contrast, north America was settled by migrants who wanted to build a new home, not get rich and go back to where they came from. That initial motivation is crucial. Settlers where there to stay.
With latin american independece, there was a moment to “change” institutions..but if anything there are very few succesful examples of revolutions leading to desired outcomes (the U.S independence, maybe france? and maybe the war of the roses?). What really happened in latin america is that the extractive institutions put into place by colonists, where transfered to the local white elite. The extractivist model continued, and continues, but the capture is in the hands of the current elite. Nowdays, these elites are in cahoots with other big interests (corporations engaged in resource extraction for example). Whenever there has been a local attempt to change this institutions via a revolution, there is always a hand preventing or sabotaging the attempt.. because someone makes a lot of money out of the status quo (the local elites, and potential external backers). Putting the whole ideological drama behind the Cuban attempt, that is a good example to look at.
Yes all true.
Not to be left out – the “elites” south of yon border. Substitute “cruel greedy murdering barbarians” for “elites” for a better go. Why ? In Mehico city of olden days the high priesthood “elites” ripped out the hearts of teenage children, one after the other, after the other, after .. … to let their butchered bodies roll down their pyramid steps into stew pots for the cannibal feasts of “the people.” Estimates 25,000 to 50,000 per year. Who replaced those enlightened helmsmen? A Spanish “elite” who priesthood back home conducted such cruel executions by burning alive in “auto da Fe” without sedatives (including women) that even the not famed as humanitarian Turks of that day demanded they be censured.
So keep those paragons of civilization and culture south of the border, Ms Kamala Harris. Pretty please.
Fourth and Long,
re: “the not famed as humanitarian Turks of that day”
You are causing me to blush for my much-maligned forefathers. They were really gentle souls deep down.
Ishmael Zechariah
P.S: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_the_Impaler
I’m uncertain what you’re getting at but plead guilty to using a rhetorical device – my apologies to your ancestors. The idea is that those Turks were noble and forward thinking enough to say publicly and internationally that the auto da fes of the Spanish Inquisition were inexcusably barbaric. Because their coreligionists were the primary victims? I don’t know but doubt it. The Sultan did not execute the deranged Jewish lunatic who thought in 1666 he was the Messiah and, after inspiring a QAnon level mass hysteria among European Jews, (including more “eminent” rabbis than anyone likes to recall) – marched on the Sublime Porte — no. He showed him the Koran – and a sword. The lunatic converted on the spot and spent his remaining days with mystics. Compare with Spain of the reconquista.
Fourth and Long –
One can say many things about the Catholic Church, but there is no doubt that the officials of the Church have long been obsessive record keepers. Consequently there is a large volume of historical material available for historians to study regarding events such as the Spanish Inquisition.
Edward Peters, in his excellent book ‘Inquisition’ notes that during the Spanish Inquisition (according to best estimates) about 3,000 executions were carried out by Inquisitorial verdict between the years 1550 and 1800. This comes out to about 12 per year on average or about one per month over that 250 year period. Hardly the bloodletting that we moderns attribute to this event in history. Admittedly the methods of execution were “cruel and unusual” but then we must recall that in merry ol’ England hanging, drawing and quartering was not formally abolished as a method of execution until the Forfeiture Act of 1870 became law.
A good deal of what we moderns think we know about the Inquisition is actually shrouded in a fog of myth, much of which was created as propaganda by the Protestant adversaries of the Roman Catholic Church post-Reformation. An example would be Goya’s drawings of Galileo being tortured for his heliocentric beliefs (never happened).
I highly recommend Peters’ book. He does a fine job covering both the history of the Inquisition and the development of the myths.
Source: Edward Peters – Inquisition – Univ. of California Press – 1989
Yes there’s plenty of mythology and there’s a tendency to exaggerate battle losses in historical accounts. But your fiddling with numbers that way is also deceptive. No kidding the Tudors were beasts. Children were hung in London for stealing apples and bread well past those days. I think the accounts of the mass executions by burning especially during the reconquista are believable. I think there were events which made an indelible, unforgettable impression – by intent, as with such “exemplary” executions carried out by rulers at certain times throughout history. We’re the stories of Aztec carnage and cannibalism also inventions as many bleeding heart liberal professors liked to say? Was Bartoleme de las Casas a fantasist and liar too – a BLM style leader of his day? I don’t think so at all.
You have to keep in mind that public executions are, or at least have been in the past, very popular, you don’t need Hogarth’s prints for that. What one person calls and atrocity can be entertaining if not awe inspiring. The early Church fathers looked at mankind and came up with the idea of Original Sin as humankind’s state. The Romans said man was a wolf to man. The Calvinists were so aghast they updated the state of man to one of Utter Depravity.
The goody two shoes liberals we discuss here want everyone to think there is not a scintilla of truth to those observations. Men evolved into the most deadly animal known to science. Some capable of running down wild animals, some can lift a thousand pounds. Because deep down they are transgender fairies and drag Queens yearning to be loved and understood. Do I have it right yet?
Sexist much? “silly empty-headed woman”…
Laura Wilson
I do not intimidate easily. That is what she is. Get lost.
A good laugh.
Oh, how I wish you had a “like” button. All I can say is that you have a gift for saying so much in so few words.
Bill H
I put one on.
Harris is a silly, empty headed woman with an annoying cackle even worse than Hilary Clinton – I prefer women politics to be competent and seasoned, with appropriate gravitas; not callow and exploitive.
That applies to all parties. Trump’s biggest failing was his annoying personal attributes and he paid dearly for them, so Harris is not getting a free ride. Especially since she has not even a single hint of the actual positives Trump amply demonstrated off camera.
Having watched Harris in California for years, evil is the only way to describe her. What more do you need to say for someone who replaced Barbara Boxer.
One more state teacher union tool – first last and always for a state now ranked near the bottom nationwide (#45) while consuming by law 50% of the state’ general fund every single year. Teachers unions are the political king makers in this state and that is the ilk who shoved Kamala Harris on to the national scene.
Kamala Harris is good for one more thing – a GOP victory at midterms. She is the surging GOP 2022 insurance policy:
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/04/26/republicans-projected-regain-house-majority-midterm-elections/
Bring her on, the more we see the more we react just like voters did in the 2020 DNC primaries – zero votes for Kamala Harris and need to beat a hasty retreat before she lost her own home state of California. Diane Feinstein’s revenge must taste so sweet.
You seem to think there will be honest elections in 2022.
Deap, you are mistaken about the 2020 DNC primaries. Top tier candidate Harris got 129 votes in the NH Primary. She had withdrawn too late to be taken off the ballot. 129 is more than zero, (but it is still fewer than the 282 votes I got as a Gabbard delegate in the RI Primary, held long after the Super Tuesday Obama massacre).
Harris: …… “In addition, tomorrow I will meet with Guatemalan community leaders and I’m eager to hear their thoughts. The people of the region, of course, must be at the center of everything we do………”
No Kamala, protecting American interests must be the center of everything we do ….. when it coincides with Guatemalan interests, fine. But when in conflict with American interests, it is called treason to sell out your own country.
Know the difference, Ms Harris Because we do. Quit cackling over ganga, Ms Harris and get all illegal drugs out of our Leftist national degradation if you want both the US and Central America to benefit.
BTW: Making them all drugs “legal” is not the answer. Get your nose out of your narcissistic echo chamber and see what “legal” pot did to California, which only upped the Mexican-Central American drug cartel violence in this state.
Don’t worry. We’re leveling the playing field by abandoning the rule of law here. Don’t believe me? Check the policies that have been imposed in response to COVID-19.
Or listen to Elie Mystal describe all the unique processes that had to come together to obtain the righteous verdict against Chauvin
https://www.c-span.org/video/?511076-4/washington-journal-elie-mystal-discusses-derek-chauvin-verdict-policing-us
Is this what we can expect of legal process going forward, under the new, Equitable system
Ms. Harris will at some point take over the job of Commander in Chief from Dementia Joe; I can’t see him making it to the end of this year.
At that point, Harris will have the distinction of becoming the first president to sleep her/his way into the Oval Office. Had it not been for her ‘relationship’ with Willie Brown (once labeled the most powerful politician in California history), her star would have fizzled out years ago. But Willie took care of her. Brown appointed the Cackler to two state commissions when he was speaker of the State Assembly (those two posts each paid a very nice stipend). And he assisted her in other ways, probably too numerous to mention.
Willie was twice her age when the Cackler hopped into bed with him. Was it true love or was she prostituting herself for career advancement? We can each arrive at our own conclusion, but I have a strong feeling that career advancement was first and foremost on Harris’ mind.
When insights did he gain from their relationship, Willie Brown said : “Kamala is out for Kamala.”
There was an error in your post, Col. “The wit and wisdom of Kamala Harris” could only be represented by a blank page.
On a colonial note Kamala is helping create a new caste system, with her and ‘her people ‘ on top. Just like her mom grew up in. Got your “covid passport”? No? Untouchable status for you.
A few months ago, Harris was passing herself off as Asian… the first Asian VP, etc. What happened to that agenda. Tough call when one is mixed race in a the Democrat race-defined New World.
“What happened to that agenda.”
The good press talking point was repeated over and over again in the MSM. That is the only agenda regarding her race.
Best idea I’ve heard in ages: Trump should run for Congress in FL-23, Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s district in 2022. Image if Nancy Pelosi had to hand over the Speaker’s gavel to Donald Trump…
One wonders what in fact is the real seat of power, within our officially tri-partate system of government: (1) POTUS, (2) SCOTUS, (3) Speaker of House or leader of the Senate,…………. or (4) government employee union bosses – the unelected, fourth branch deep state