If you remember a few years ago the opium problems started with OxyContin and the Sackler family. They went so far as to get the FDA to approve the drug as safe meaning non addictive. That a began the pain clinics in Florida that sold more Oxy than the rest of the lower 47 states. After that it spread and continued with members of Congress protecting it because of monetary support from drug companies.
To fight Fentanyl we need to follow the money and go after the ones making and distributing. The Federal government need clear lines of responsibility and the authority to go to war over this invasion. It takes a dedicated president and administration to do this. Not sure the Democrats are up to this challenge. Rewriting title IX and enforcing things like that seen to matter more to them. I am being a little cynical but believe the Biden Administration does not have this on any priority list.
There are no serious repercussions for this behavior now. Put a bounty on these dealers heads, just like we have with other predators in the past, problem solved in short order. They will become a "protected" species
Same thing with child molesters, put a bounty on their heads, release Epsteins list. Let the real men correct the balance before the wusses of society collapse our Republic.
These are the same problems we encountered in the early days of Covid. The CDC was hoarding viral samples to protect their Covid testing turf. The protective gear was not overseen by anyone, and seems to be the case today. As a physician, don’t get me started on the FDA. We are in a bad spot
This is one article that I actually wished you were not so insightful. I wish you were wrong. I wish the dysfunction wasn't so bad. Yet like well, wishing does not change reality. because of this problem, it will not even make us "wish it was better." It cannot. Begrudgingly, I must say this was a good article. Not because I do not want you to be credited. I "wish" this article wasn't necessary.
America might not make it to a third century if we do not fix our bureaucracy. I would say America has no rule of law today. America is beyond point of return. The pace, It can only be slowed down. I would allege that beginning in 2015 when DT became the Repub candidate, from Obama and Biden on down (including the DOJ, FBI, CIA MSM and mass media Twitter, etc.) begin an attempted coup of DT from that day to this very day 12-12-2022. But hey that is ok, as so many hate that guy. Now, if you believe the Biden admin inflation is slowing-going down, just remain vigilant in observations, with real estate crash, food shortages, and the litany could continue. TH WALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, but King Biden determined that a big no. I have the money to traverse through a big recession, but those joe-six packs making up the 70%, that can not afford an emergency $500 vehicle repair will come to detest those Biden Dem voters and their policies. . Selah
Said I would not do it but it is very informative.
What the heck is really going on? This explains it all.
TIERNEY'S REAL NEWS
DEC 12
SAVE
▷ LISTEN
Shortly after 9/11, Vice President Dick Cheney instructed the National Security State to view all Americans as potential threats.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) were created specifically for this purpose. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) came along in 2002, and within the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) was formed.
The DHS, ODNI, DOJ and FBI became the four pillars of this new institution. Atop these pillars is where you will find the Fourth Branch of Government - the Intelligence Branch.
After September 11, 2001, the US electronic surveillance system - that was originally created to monitor threats from abroad - was retooled to monitor threats inside our own country. That is when all of our electronic ‘metadata’ came under federal surveillance. That’s exactly what Edward Snowden tried to point out.
Later, Barack Obama and Eric Holder weaponized that national surveillance system so that their political opposition became the MAIN targets. I believe Obama hired Podesta to complete this task.
The preexisting Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice (DOJ) were then repurposed to become two of the four pillars of the domestic national security apparatus: a domestic surveillance state.
The problems we face now as a country are directly tied to the actions of Bush and Obama. First, the Bush administration monitored the communication of American citizens; and, secondly, Obama’s team fine-tuned and used that system against their political opponents and American citizens - and finally Trump and MAGA.
The DHS, ODNI, DOJ and FBI became the four pillars of this new institution - which is the Fourth Branch of Government - THE INTELLIGENCE BRANCH. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower (military) to John F. Kennedy (CIA) to Richard Nixon (FBI) all warned against this happening. The 4th Branch controls our Government and influences every facet of our life. We The People are under surveillance. We The People are the target. This is what Trump means when he says “They aren’t after me - they are after you. I’m only standing in the way.”
The ODNI was created and originally intended for the CIA, NSA, DoD, DoS, and DIA to deposit their unique intelligence in ONE PLACE - so that agencies like the DOJ and FBI could access threats when needed to analyze threats to the U.S. This, they hoped, would ensure the obvious flags missed in the 9/11 attacks would not be missed again. However, it is now used by the Intelligence Branch to target Trump and American citizens and hide information from one agency to another.
The Intelligence Branch is an independent functioning branch of government, it is no longer a subsidiary set of agencies within the Executive Branch as most would think. The Intelligence Branch functions much like the State Department, through a unique set of public-private partnerships that support it. They use corporations to do their dirty work - like those in Silicon Valley. The Intelligence Branch holds power over the ODNI through their influence and partnership with the body that authorizes the power within it, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI.)
The people behind Obama, those same people now behind Joe Biden, knew from years of strategic planning that ‘radical transformation’ would require control over specific elements inside the U.S. government. Eric Holder played a key role in his position as U.S. Attorney General in the DOJ.
AG Holder recruited ideologically aligned political operatives who were aware of the larger institutional objectives. One of those objectives was weaponizing the DOJ-National Security Division (DOJ-NSD) a division inside the DOJ that had no inspector general oversight.
The second larger Obama/Holder objective was control over the FBI. Why was that important? Because the FBI does the domestic investigative work on anyone who needs or holds a security clearance. The removal of security clearances could be used to hire BAD GUYS.
Hillary Clinton, and her operatives in the Obama State Department, began working on their first steps to use Big Tech to spy on and control us all. The Obama administration used the “Arab Spring” as a beta test. The Obama administration recruited Facebook and Twitter to support rebellions in the Middle East that the White House and DoS supported and to hide those they didn’t. This was the modern merge between the U.S. intelligence community and Big Tech social media.
In many ways, this coordinated effort was a test run for how they rigged the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The U.S. intelligence community worked with social media platforms and political operatives.
"Reform should be a bipartisan issue, but both sides have entrenched views and lobbyists who don’t want bipartisan reform. Instead, both sides seek concessions to their friends and donors. "
While I agree that it "Should" be a bipartisan issue, the problem is that one side is hell bent on destroying America. And while I get the need to "compromise" and work together. There is no middle ground with liberals. They expect you to compromise your beliefs but will not be willing to budge on there's. That is because their goal is not to better America but to destroy it and remake it into a socialists regime much like Venezuela. So the Fent crisis and indeed drugs in total is a means to an end. When their voting base is doped up and their drug problems are keeping them poor, that creates more democrat voters. Look at all the inner cities and urban areas of the nation. All SOLID blue and equally also the most crime and drug ridden.
And when any republican comes out offering solutions that involve anything but handouts they immediately scream racism. Most recent election in GA is proof.
There is no compromise or "work together" when it comes to the liberals. When or if we should get power back the republicans and conservatives need to forge ahead and ignore any democrat calls for compromise. We need to demonize, attack, and call them out for the wretches they are.
In regards to this article. Nothing will be done. Nothing. The dems love the way it is. The fent keeps flowing and so long as it keeps them in power they will allow it. Republicans wont be able to do anything about it either. Any calls to action are met with screams of bigotry and racism.
We will not make it to 300. We wont even make it to 2024 in my opinion. The dems have control of the media. And as long as that is there, they can make any candidate the GOP puts forth out to be a trump clone or just a bad person even if they are not. That drives the independents who vote on "feelings" not facts and the media controls the feelings. Dem good, republican bad. That's all they need to say and its a checkmark vote in the blue column. every time.
Got to keep fighting, Chaz. Don’t give up. And, you may not see it, but God really is in control. Be the positive, smiling, dissident. The uber left hates that 😂.
This issue goes beyond access to drugs; it is psychological, mental, spiritual, and cultural as well. "One pill can kill" will be no more effective than "just say no" or "this is your brain on drugs." Stemming the flow of drugs into the country will only change how people get them--meth is pretty much a US product. Clever people will always find a way to tap into the wallet of the addict.
Culturally, COVID hastened the effects of the workplace insistence on productivity/profit at any cost. The Wall Street Journal did an exceptionally well-written expose about seemingly healthy people who used DoorDash-like services to provide drugs (primarily cocaine) to them so they could work more, work harder, and feel invincible. The result in the story was death by fentanyl-laced cocaine. It's worth reading (https://www.wsj.com/articles/fentanyl-cocaine-new-yorkers-drug-delivery-service-all-died-11666526726.)
Teachers and nurses are two illustrations of what happens when humanity and reality are divorced from unrealistic expectations. I was a teacher for three decades and am horrified by the disconnect between the bureaucracy and human reality of schools. Online learning is great for some and devastating for others. To expect teachers to bring every student to pre-COVID achievement levels (as low as some of them already were) hastened the burnout and departure of many educators. (I could write an entire essay on this--and I may well do so.) Nurses, too, were expected to provide a level of service that was unrealistic pre-COVID and practically impossible during/post COVID. Talk to a few. The mental and emotional strain is debilitating.
The culture wars waged on social media and replayed on every media outlet only cemented distrust of politicians and media. The isolation demanded by bureaucrats and politicians during COVID contributed to inevitable anxiety for most people and exacerbated the effects of mental illness. Couple that with a refusal to treat the mentally ill who refuse to care for themselves or allow themselves to be cared for by family members, there's no wonder crisis is the common descriptor of mental health in this country. Mass violence, homelessness, and yes, addiction are all results of ignoring severe mental illness, particularly in poor and lower middle class communities who do not have the resources to ensure the treatment of mentally ill community/family members. Add the stigma of mental illness to that, and it's no wonder so many people with treatable levels of anxiety turn to stimulants widely available on the streets.
The primary issue is spiritual. When people do not have a solid faith, they rely on themselves to persevere, regardless of the impossibility of the task. You, Erick, indulged in a brief "Christmas vacation mindset," knowing that you would catch up--and secure in understanding that, if you didn't, you have a Great Provider who will meet your needs. You understand the nature and source of peace. Many people don't. As a post-Christian nation, too many people are deceived into believing that there is no way to find peace, contentment, and joy outside the realm of productivity, success, or influence. I read Ezekiel 22 today, and these words stood out:
25 There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her. 26 Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. 28 Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations... 29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice. 30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.
I know this prophecy was specific to ancient Judah, but there is a case to be made that the post-Christian West (and in many cases, the Western church) is mirroring the evil described. Yes, the government and bureaucracy are failing us, but so is the Church in many ways. Government should rise to the occasion and deal with the supply of drugs, but only Jesus can help mitigate the demand. We as the Church should be building up a spiritual wall and standing in the gap before the Lord. I don't know what that looks like exactly, but I'm willing to be part of whatever it is.
“But Mexican traffickers were sneaking fentanyl right through the front door, hidden in passenger vehicles and commercial trucks passing through official ports of entry in California and Arizona.”
I see this comment and the general “it is Trump’s fault too” as contributing to the very problem being trumpeted here. Border security is part of the solution. Trump talked of using the US military against Mexico’s drug cartels (the Scott Adams approach.) Trump talked about economic sanctions on China and other countries for not doing enough to stop the trafficking. Trump noted the bureaucratic bloat and inefficiencies and was working on regulatory reduction and staffing reductions at agencies.
Biden is a big government man. So is Obama. They like human crises of the masses because they can milk it to demand higher taxes to grow even bigger government.
The larger issue though is that the Trump Administration's Department of Homeland Security, DEA, etc. all behaved exactly as Obama's did and as Biden's did. The change at the top did not translate down.
Yes, I remember a great interview of Ronald Reagan by Johnny Carson, before Ronny announced he would run for President. Go to the 9 minute mark of this and listen to what Reagan says about the unchecked power of federal agencies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrNKguJLUYE
It is too bad that we did not get a second term of Trump if only to see if he would have used it to cut down the size and scope of government. I think he would have... and it is largely why he was attacked by the employees of government.
How about swapping 87,000 new IRS agents chasing $600 bucks here and there for 87,000 Professional Border Protection or Homeland Security Agents that can help fight the Fentanyl crisis?
The Chinese think in centuries while the west thinks in years. The west (thru our mother country, England) used opium to addict their country and then steal them blind of their land, silver, etc. in the tea for opium trade. Now, they are returning the favor by producing fentanyl and addicting the west/USA.
If the border was more secure - via a wall or any other means - CBP would be able to increase the number of agents at the ports of entry, rather than having them round up the crossers who come across an open border, or chase after the "gotaways" who run off.
I'd like to see the wall finished, those "87,000 IRS agents" McCarthy keeps yammering about be reallocated to CBP, and then increased and more effective scanning measures put in place.
Grateful you published this. I forwarded to the men in my small group and asked them to forward to their friends/family. We need a call to action - from the ground up.
If you remember a few years ago the opium problems started with OxyContin and the Sackler family. They went so far as to get the FDA to approve the drug as safe meaning non addictive. That a began the pain clinics in Florida that sold more Oxy than the rest of the lower 47 states. After that it spread and continued with members of Congress protecting it because of monetary support from drug companies.
To fight Fentanyl we need to follow the money and go after the ones making and distributing. The Federal government need clear lines of responsibility and the authority to go to war over this invasion. It takes a dedicated president and administration to do this. Not sure the Democrats are up to this challenge. Rewriting title IX and enforcing things like that seen to matter more to them. I am being a little cynical but believe the Biden Administration does not have this on any priority list.
There are no serious repercussions for this behavior now. Put a bounty on these dealers heads, just like we have with other predators in the past, problem solved in short order. They will become a "protected" species
Same thing with child molesters, put a bounty on their heads, release Epsteins list. Let the real men correct the balance before the wusses of society collapse our Republic.
These are the same problems we encountered in the early days of Covid. The CDC was hoarding viral samples to protect their Covid testing turf. The protective gear was not overseen by anyone, and seems to be the case today. As a physician, don’t get me started on the FDA. We are in a bad spot
This is one article that I actually wished you were not so insightful. I wish you were wrong. I wish the dysfunction wasn't so bad. Yet like well, wishing does not change reality. because of this problem, it will not even make us "wish it was better." It cannot. Begrudgingly, I must say this was a good article. Not because I do not want you to be credited. I "wish" this article wasn't necessary.
America might not make it to a third century if we do not fix our bureaucracy. I would say America has no rule of law today. America is beyond point of return. The pace, It can only be slowed down. I would allege that beginning in 2015 when DT became the Repub candidate, from Obama and Biden on down (including the DOJ, FBI, CIA MSM and mass media Twitter, etc.) begin an attempted coup of DT from that day to this very day 12-12-2022. But hey that is ok, as so many hate that guy. Now, if you believe the Biden admin inflation is slowing-going down, just remain vigilant in observations, with real estate crash, food shortages, and the litany could continue. TH WALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, but King Biden determined that a big no. I have the money to traverse through a big recession, but those joe-six packs making up the 70%, that can not afford an emergency $500 vehicle repair will come to detest those Biden Dem voters and their policies. . Selah
Said I would not do it but it is very informative.
What the heck is really going on? This explains it all.
TIERNEY'S REAL NEWS
DEC 12
SAVE
▷ LISTEN
Shortly after 9/11, Vice President Dick Cheney instructed the National Security State to view all Americans as potential threats.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) were created specifically for this purpose. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) came along in 2002, and within the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) was formed.
The DHS, ODNI, DOJ and FBI became the four pillars of this new institution. Atop these pillars is where you will find the Fourth Branch of Government - the Intelligence Branch.
After September 11, 2001, the US electronic surveillance system - that was originally created to monitor threats from abroad - was retooled to monitor threats inside our own country. That is when all of our electronic ‘metadata’ came under federal surveillance. That’s exactly what Edward Snowden tried to point out.
Later, Barack Obama and Eric Holder weaponized that national surveillance system so that their political opposition became the MAIN targets. I believe Obama hired Podesta to complete this task.
The preexisting Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice (DOJ) were then repurposed to become two of the four pillars of the domestic national security apparatus: a domestic surveillance state.
The problems we face now as a country are directly tied to the actions of Bush and Obama. First, the Bush administration monitored the communication of American citizens; and, secondly, Obama’s team fine-tuned and used that system against their political opponents and American citizens - and finally Trump and MAGA.
The DHS, ODNI, DOJ and FBI became the four pillars of this new institution - which is the Fourth Branch of Government - THE INTELLIGENCE BRANCH. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower (military) to John F. Kennedy (CIA) to Richard Nixon (FBI) all warned against this happening. The 4th Branch controls our Government and influences every facet of our life. We The People are under surveillance. We The People are the target. This is what Trump means when he says “They aren’t after me - they are after you. I’m only standing in the way.”
The ODNI was created and originally intended for the CIA, NSA, DoD, DoS, and DIA to deposit their unique intelligence in ONE PLACE - so that agencies like the DOJ and FBI could access threats when needed to analyze threats to the U.S. This, they hoped, would ensure the obvious flags missed in the 9/11 attacks would not be missed again. However, it is now used by the Intelligence Branch to target Trump and American citizens and hide information from one agency to another.
The Intelligence Branch is an independent functioning branch of government, it is no longer a subsidiary set of agencies within the Executive Branch as most would think. The Intelligence Branch functions much like the State Department, through a unique set of public-private partnerships that support it. They use corporations to do their dirty work - like those in Silicon Valley. The Intelligence Branch holds power over the ODNI through their influence and partnership with the body that authorizes the power within it, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI.)
The people behind Obama, those same people now behind Joe Biden, knew from years of strategic planning that ‘radical transformation’ would require control over specific elements inside the U.S. government. Eric Holder played a key role in his position as U.S. Attorney General in the DOJ.
AG Holder recruited ideologically aligned political operatives who were aware of the larger institutional objectives. One of those objectives was weaponizing the DOJ-National Security Division (DOJ-NSD) a division inside the DOJ that had no inspector general oversight.
The second larger Obama/Holder objective was control over the FBI. Why was that important? Because the FBI does the domestic investigative work on anyone who needs or holds a security clearance. The removal of security clearances could be used to hire BAD GUYS.
Hillary Clinton, and her operatives in the Obama State Department, began working on their first steps to use Big Tech to spy on and control us all. The Obama administration used the “Arab Spring” as a beta test. The Obama administration recruited Facebook and Twitter to support rebellions in the Middle East that the White House and DoS supported and to hide those they didn’t. This was the modern merge between the U.S. intelligence community and Big Tech social media.
In many ways, this coordinated effort was a test run for how they rigged the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The U.S. intelligence community worked with social media platforms and political operatives.
Public health has failed. As a clinical guidelines publisher, we have receipts to prove it.
Joe, possibly connect with Jeff Childers, lawyer in Florida…writes a popular blog. He’d be interested in your receipts.
Thanks. At the right time, I’ll reach out!
"Reform should be a bipartisan issue, but both sides have entrenched views and lobbyists who don’t want bipartisan reform. Instead, both sides seek concessions to their friends and donors. "
While I agree that it "Should" be a bipartisan issue, the problem is that one side is hell bent on destroying America. And while I get the need to "compromise" and work together. There is no middle ground with liberals. They expect you to compromise your beliefs but will not be willing to budge on there's. That is because their goal is not to better America but to destroy it and remake it into a socialists regime much like Venezuela. So the Fent crisis and indeed drugs in total is a means to an end. When their voting base is doped up and their drug problems are keeping them poor, that creates more democrat voters. Look at all the inner cities and urban areas of the nation. All SOLID blue and equally also the most crime and drug ridden.
And when any republican comes out offering solutions that involve anything but handouts they immediately scream racism. Most recent election in GA is proof.
There is no compromise or "work together" when it comes to the liberals. When or if we should get power back the republicans and conservatives need to forge ahead and ignore any democrat calls for compromise. We need to demonize, attack, and call them out for the wretches they are.
In regards to this article. Nothing will be done. Nothing. The dems love the way it is. The fent keeps flowing and so long as it keeps them in power they will allow it. Republicans wont be able to do anything about it either. Any calls to action are met with screams of bigotry and racism.
We will not make it to 300. We wont even make it to 2024 in my opinion. The dems have control of the media. And as long as that is there, they can make any candidate the GOP puts forth out to be a trump clone or just a bad person even if they are not. That drives the independents who vote on "feelings" not facts and the media controls the feelings. Dem good, republican bad. That's all they need to say and its a checkmark vote in the blue column. every time.
No its not going to get better. That is all.
Got to keep fighting, Chaz. Don’t give up. And, you may not see it, but God really is in control. Be the positive, smiling, dissident. The uber left hates that 😂.
"...failures of progressivism."
No, it's the success of progressivism that has led to abject failures. Liberalism kills.
This issue goes beyond access to drugs; it is psychological, mental, spiritual, and cultural as well. "One pill can kill" will be no more effective than "just say no" or "this is your brain on drugs." Stemming the flow of drugs into the country will only change how people get them--meth is pretty much a US product. Clever people will always find a way to tap into the wallet of the addict.
Culturally, COVID hastened the effects of the workplace insistence on productivity/profit at any cost. The Wall Street Journal did an exceptionally well-written expose about seemingly healthy people who used DoorDash-like services to provide drugs (primarily cocaine) to them so they could work more, work harder, and feel invincible. The result in the story was death by fentanyl-laced cocaine. It's worth reading (https://www.wsj.com/articles/fentanyl-cocaine-new-yorkers-drug-delivery-service-all-died-11666526726.)
Teachers and nurses are two illustrations of what happens when humanity and reality are divorced from unrealistic expectations. I was a teacher for three decades and am horrified by the disconnect between the bureaucracy and human reality of schools. Online learning is great for some and devastating for others. To expect teachers to bring every student to pre-COVID achievement levels (as low as some of them already were) hastened the burnout and departure of many educators. (I could write an entire essay on this--and I may well do so.) Nurses, too, were expected to provide a level of service that was unrealistic pre-COVID and practically impossible during/post COVID. Talk to a few. The mental and emotional strain is debilitating.
The culture wars waged on social media and replayed on every media outlet only cemented distrust of politicians and media. The isolation demanded by bureaucrats and politicians during COVID contributed to inevitable anxiety for most people and exacerbated the effects of mental illness. Couple that with a refusal to treat the mentally ill who refuse to care for themselves or allow themselves to be cared for by family members, there's no wonder crisis is the common descriptor of mental health in this country. Mass violence, homelessness, and yes, addiction are all results of ignoring severe mental illness, particularly in poor and lower middle class communities who do not have the resources to ensure the treatment of mentally ill community/family members. Add the stigma of mental illness to that, and it's no wonder so many people with treatable levels of anxiety turn to stimulants widely available on the streets.
The primary issue is spiritual. When people do not have a solid faith, they rely on themselves to persevere, regardless of the impossibility of the task. You, Erick, indulged in a brief "Christmas vacation mindset," knowing that you would catch up--and secure in understanding that, if you didn't, you have a Great Provider who will meet your needs. You understand the nature and source of peace. Many people don't. As a post-Christian nation, too many people are deceived into believing that there is no way to find peace, contentment, and joy outside the realm of productivity, success, or influence. I read Ezekiel 22 today, and these words stood out:
25 There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her. 26 Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. 28 Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations... 29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice. 30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.
I know this prophecy was specific to ancient Judah, but there is a case to be made that the post-Christian West (and in many cases, the Western church) is mirroring the evil described. Yes, the government and bureaucracy are failing us, but so is the Church in many ways. Government should rise to the occasion and deal with the supply of drugs, but only Jesus can help mitigate the demand. We as the Church should be building up a spiritual wall and standing in the gap before the Lord. I don't know what that looks like exactly, but I'm willing to be part of whatever it is.
Wow! Very good. The Ezekiel passage sounds like today. Thank you.
I'm no fan of legalizing marijuana, but I do think it *could* help make marijuana safer.
“But Mexican traffickers were sneaking fentanyl right through the front door, hidden in passenger vehicles and commercial trucks passing through official ports of entry in California and Arizona.”
I see this comment and the general “it is Trump’s fault too” as contributing to the very problem being trumpeted here. Border security is part of the solution. Trump talked of using the US military against Mexico’s drug cartels (the Scott Adams approach.) Trump talked about economic sanctions on China and other countries for not doing enough to stop the trafficking. Trump noted the bureaucratic bloat and inefficiencies and was working on regulatory reduction and staffing reductions at agencies.
Biden is a big government man. So is Obama. They like human crises of the masses because they can milk it to demand higher taxes to grow even bigger government.
The larger issue though is that the Trump Administration's Department of Homeland Security, DEA, etc. all behaved exactly as Obama's did and as Biden's did. The change at the top did not translate down.
Yes, I remember a great interview of Ronald Reagan by Johnny Carson, before Ronny announced he would run for President. Go to the 9 minute mark of this and listen to what Reagan says about the unchecked power of federal agencies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrNKguJLUYE
It is too bad that we did not get a second term of Trump if only to see if he would have used it to cut down the size and scope of government. I think he would have... and it is largely why he was attacked by the employees of government.
How about swapping 87,000 new IRS agents chasing $600 bucks here and there for 87,000 Professional Border Protection or Homeland Security Agents that can help fight the Fentanyl crisis?
The Chinese think in centuries while the west thinks in years. The west (thru our mother country, England) used opium to addict their country and then steal them blind of their land, silver, etc. in the tea for opium trade. Now, they are returning the favor by producing fentanyl and addicting the west/USA.
If the border was more secure - via a wall or any other means - CBP would be able to increase the number of agents at the ports of entry, rather than having them round up the crossers who come across an open border, or chase after the "gotaways" who run off.
I'd like to see the wall finished, those "87,000 IRS agents" McCarthy keeps yammering about be reallocated to CBP, and then increased and more effective scanning measures put in place.
Grateful you published this. I forwarded to the men in my small group and asked them to forward to their friends/family. We need a call to action - from the ground up.
Finish the wall then we have more people to work the crossings target the cartels and see what happens when we actually try to do something