Thursday, September 12, 2013

Venezuela from crazy to insane

(My new American Thinker post)

 A couple of stories from Venezuela bring home the reality that the country is falling apart and freedoms are disappearing.  

 President Maduro has just announced that the government launched a news network to tell the public the truth about the situation in the country:   

 "Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced on Tuesday at a public event that the Government would launch a "Truth News Broadcast" via mandatory radio and television broadcasts to air his Administration performance.  The newscast will be broadcasted at noon and in prime time.    

 Venezuelan opposition denounces that mandatory radio and television broadcasts constitute misuse of power by the Government, in addition to using state-run media for propaganda.  For its part, the Venezuelan Government argues that mandatory radio and television broadcasts are a necessary tool to broadcast its messages, in order to counteract the alleged "censorship" the private media apply against government events and achievements."   

 A government news channel to tell the truth?  like Granma in Cuba or Pravda in the old USSR?  Mandatory broadcasts?

The second story is a statement by Mario Vargas-Llosa:   

 "Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa is "very concerned" over the direction Venezuela has taken over the last years, and remarked that the country "is a total disaster, a real chaos; where demagogy, corruption, and violence abound."    "(Venezuela) is a country that, instead of moving forward, is going backwards; it features the highest inflation rate in Latin America," Vargas Llosa remarked in an interview with news agency Efe apropos the publication of his new novel "El héroe discreto (The discreet hero)" in Spain, Latin America, and the United States. As usual, the writer seized the opportunity to give his opinion about current issues.   He asserted that, unlike his country, Peru, and other Latin American countries, whose economic situation have improved; Venezuela is "a negative exception" to that outlook.   "Venezuela's case is rather tragic," the writer asserted. He is also worried about Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro maintaining "the messianic ideas" of his predecessor (late President Hugo Chávez) to turn Venezuela "into a headlight, an example" for other countries.  "However, I'm afraid that Venezuela is rather the exception to the rule. Nowadays, there are more countries in Latin America where democracy is developing, featuring modern economic policies which are leading to progress and development," Vargas Llosa remarked."   

Mr Vargas-Llosa's comments will hurt the regime.  He is very well respected author and spokesman.

These two stories confirm that Venezuela is on unsustainable path and there are some very bad days ahead.  

Regime change in Syria?  How about Venezuela?  

The US needs to consider sanctions against Venezuela, specially given the real evidence that the country is eliminating freedoms and its economy is falling apart.    

 P.S. Check out our interview with Comandante Cazorla in Venezuela.  He is outspoken member of the opposition.






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Companies lay off workers and then ask for immigration reform?

(My new American Thinker post)

 My guess is that most immigration reform supporters went home singing "See you in September."   However, no one is talking immigration in September.  

Syria has slowed down everything, especially all of the hysteria about Congress voting or not voting.  My guess is that the last 2 jobs reports" are hurting a great deal.  

At the same time, it hurts when you see this in The Washington Examiner.   It does not help when US companies are lobbying for immigration reform (signing a letter to Congress) after they've laid off US workers:    

 "For example, Hewlett-Packard, whose Executive Vice President for Human Resources Tracy Keogh signed the letter, laid off 29,000 employees in 2012.   
In August of this year, Cisco Systems, whose Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Kathleen Weslock signed the letter, announced plans to lay off 4,000 -- in addition to 8,000 cut in the last two years.  
United Technologies, whose Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Organization Elizabeth B. Amato signed the letter, announced layoffs of 3,000 this year.  American Express, whose Chief Human Resources Officer L. Kevin Cox signed the letter, cut 5,400 jobs this year.  
Procter & Gamble, whose Chief Human Resources Officer Mark F. Biegger signed the letter, announced plans to cut 5,700 jobs in 2012.   
Those are just a few of the layoffs at companies whose officials signed the letter. 
A few more: 
T-Mobile announced 2,250 layoffs in 2012. 
Archer-Daniels-Midland laid off 1,200. 
Texas Instruments, nearly 2,000. 
Cigna, 1,300. 
Verizon sought to cut 1,700 jobs by buyouts and layoffs. 
Marriott announced "hundreds" of layoffs this year. 
International Paper has closed plants and laid off dozens. 
And General Mills, in what the Minneapolis Star-Tribune called a "rare mass layoff," laid off 850 people last year.   
There are more still. 
In all, it's fair to say a large number of the corporate signers of the letter demanding more labor from abroad have actually laid off workers at home in recent years. 
Together, their actions have a significant effect on the economy. According to a recent Reuters report, U.S. employers announced 50,462 layoffs in August, up 34 percent from the previous month and up 57 percent from August 2012.   
"It is difficult to understand how these companies can feel justified in demanding the importation of cheap labor with a straight face at a time when tens of millions of Americans are unemployed," writes the Center for Immigration Studies, which strongly opposes the Senate Gang of Eight bill and similar measures. 
"The companies claim the bill is an 'opportunity to level the playing field for U.S. employers' but it is more of an effort to level the wages of American citizens."

Maybe this is all a terrible coincidence.  However, it stinks to have US based companies laying off workers and then signing letters calling on Congress to legalize foreigners. 

I'm all for facilitating the hiring of high skilled foreigners not available in the US, or students in our universities.  I'm even willing to give some here illegally a conditional path to legalization, or work visa after a background check and penalties paid.

The bottom line is that US companies should not lobby for immigration reform after they've laid off US workers.  It smells very bad.

You can hear CANTO TALK here:





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Congress should debate and vote on Syria

(My new American Thinker post)

 Sorry but Congress has to do their work.  We need a full debate and a vote regarding military action in Syria. 

I agree with Representative Poe of Texas:  

 "Americans turned off their televisions Tuesday night more confused than ever. The American people do not know still don't know what our foreign policy is in the Middle East. While the president is waiting to make a decision, Congress should go ahead and vote on whether or not to take military action in Syria."

The vote will have several benefits:

1) It will force a debate of the issue.  Our legislators will be forced to make a case for or against the military action.   It will also force The White House to explain just how a "very small attack" will change anything in Syria.  

Maybe we can hear more about the Russian plan and how it will work, too!

2) It will show the world that we are not isolationists.  Some of us just don't like wars without a strategy or dropping cruise missiles on tents like we did in the 1990s.   Please don't call me an "isolationist" because I don't want to fly blind into a storm. 

3) Finally, this is what The Founding Fathers intended.   They wanted Congress to have these debates of war and peace.

So let's debate and vote.  Don't put this off. 

You can hear CANTO TALK here:







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A year later and Benghazi is still an issue


Incredibly, there are still lots of questions about Benghazi.  We remind you that 4 Americans, including our Ambassador were killed, and there are still lots of unanswered questions.

 Sheryl Atkinson of CBS has been doing good work.  Her latest report mentions this:

 "Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., is one of the key Republicans investigating Benghazi. He tells CBS News "Benghazi matters as much today as it did on Sept. 11, 2012."  
Gowdy wants to know why the State Department allowed a consulate that did not meet security requirements to remain open; what assets, if any, were en route when the siege ended; and was there any evidence upon which Susan Rice based her public pronouncements that this attack was a response to a video?  
The Justice Department says it's "using every tool and resource available...to ensure that anyone who played any part in that attack will face justice, no matter how long it takes and no matter how far we must go to find them."  

 We are still waiting!

 P.S. Check out our recent shows:




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