Saturday, October 27, 2018

Caravan, or Invasion? That is the question.

First, I need to publicly admit I briefly flirted with those who call the mass of people headed toward our border, an Invading force. These people are mainly from Honduras, where, if any information gained on the internet can be trusted at all, there has been political unrest for at least a decade. Maybe longer. The US involvement there has been less than stellar:

"In contrast, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted in her autobiography “Hard Choices” that she used her power to stir the crisis into a favorable outcome for the U.S., even if it meant forgetting about democracy. “We strategized on a plan to restore order in Honduras and ensure that free and fair elections could be held quickly and legitimately, which would render the question of Zelaya moot,” she wrote in her book. The “free and fair” elections that Clinton envisioned included a media blackout and targeted assassinations of anti-coup leaders ahead of the polls. No international institutions monitored the elections."

Here's more from the same article:

In an interview in Buenos Aires over a year before her murder, Caceres pointed specifically to Clinton for her role in the coup, arguing that it highlighted the extent of North American “meddling” in Honduras and support for the ongoing crisis.
Former Clinton White House counsel Lanny Davis was involved in lobbying against the elected Honduran leader deposed in the military coup. Working for the Honduras branch of the equivalent of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Davis called on U.S. lawmakers to back the military removal of Zelaya.
While multiple world leaders were quick to condemn Zelaya's ouster and demand a return to democratic rule, Obama's White House refused to label the political crisis a military coup.

  I now wonder if these people are fleeing loss of jobs, food, money, stability. My underlying, fundamental, and frankly, life-long position on immigration has been, "Come on in!" -When properly vetted.
  I got caught up in the thoughtless mob mentality of Trump and his ilk. Now I see that my original position is based on reality and should be steadfastly held to and enacted.

 Yes, immigration policy is a mess, perhaps deliberately made so by the Establishment to foment unrest between Americans. Looks like they are succeeding, so far

.Honduran Democracy Still in Crisis 7 Years After Coup