As IF Times

link: Trump driving migrant debate among GOP field – The Washington Post

Donald Trump continues to dominate the news headlines with his populist rants about what ails the nation.  As noted in earlier pieces, the fact that these numerous festering issues have been brought forward for public discussion is a refreshing change from the PC sensibilities of both political parties and the media in general.

Until Trump, public figures were unable to speak candidly about numerous social and economic topics for fear of negative media characterization.  It’s as if someone had imposed an omerta edict, banning honest discussions on key social issues that could be spoken of in polite company.  Immigration, unemployment and the general fecklessness of the  sitting administration and congress are issues which affect most every citizen. Many likely feel that the America they’ve known is disappearing because of problems created by ill conceived policies.  Until Trump, no one had the cojones to talk about solutions for them in blunt unvarnished terms.  Indeed, at this point in the election process, the combatants appear to be less Republicans vs Democrats and more of the people vs Washington elites.  Trump’s great feat is that he’s able to discern that people hate all politicians,  tapping into that antipathy to become the de-facto spokesman for the silent majority.  Imagine that, Trump speaking for the common man!

Many of his proposed solutions resonate with the average guy since they seem to have some basis of common sense.  Building a wall to protect the southern border may have populist appeal, but we’re not sure if he can do that without hiring low cost Mexican workers.  Union labor rates would cripple the project.  On that note, one of Trump’s other populist notions is to bring back jobs from China.  Hmm…not sure he’s thought this one through.

Over the past few generations, the manufacture and fabrication of virtually all consumer goods has been ceded to China.  Why? Because workers there are cheap, plain and simple.  The result is that the west has grown accustomed to cheap clothes, cheap electronics, cheap iPhones, cheap furniture, even cheap rocks.  So now, that’s Americans’ favorite price point, cheap. But now, let’s say we could mandate that companies use only domestic labor for manufacturing.  That means that the price of everything skyrockets.  Wal Mart would go bust.  So would Costco.  No more buying one suit, getting 3 free at Joseph.A.Banks.

What Trump likely knows and is not revealing is that the real way to rebuild wealth in the west is not to bring back low wage jobs. How much can you pay someone to  put the caps on toothpaste? It’s only by dismantling the obstacles and regulations and taxation constraints that stymie business formation and growth that wealth creation can happen.  The villains aren’t in China or Mexico.  The guys with the twirly mustaches sit in government offices in state and federal capitols in the USA!  If Trump doesn’t make that point clear, then he is catering to populist sensibilities….like the politicians he claims to loathe.

Still, Trump is the right man at the right time. The pendulum of political correctness and progressive policies has swung so far to the left that a catalyst was needed to swing it back.  Trump is like chemo therapy for a cancer patient; strong medicine for a severe ailment.

link  Miami airport screener accused of attack after jeers at genitals – Miami-Dade – MiamiHerald.com.

You know this had to happen.  Previously I expressed that what they should really do is to have the images on public display for amusement to pass the time while being forced to shuffle forward a foot at a time like sheep in the airport lineups.   In fact as the recent NY bombing incident seems to show again, I’m not sure why they keep up the charade of screening people with current methodology at all.  The guy who is a “suspect” in the Times Square bomb attempt actually got on board a plane even though apparently he was on a  no fly list.  Somehow the undie bomber got on board a plane at Christmas time and he also was on a no fly list.

The only people airport scanning seems to inconvenience and catch are those carrying bottles of lotion or packets of gum.  So now, we have an institutionalized system in place that:

a.  is inconvenient to all of the public

b. is expensive as far as hiring all the crack security clerks

c. is expensive as far as the high tech machines involved

d. does not filter out those it should filter

e. is a source of entertainment for the staffers

It gets even worse.  If you think about it, the ‘authorities’ didn’t even catch the perps in both the cases mentioned, it was the public that brought them to attention.   So why bother with the elaborate charade to show people how secure they really are when they are better able to protect themselves without official help?  

The biggest obstacle to many of the ills facing us today are perpetrated by those in government that seek to placate the larger public while not offending a very small few, in many cases, casting  aside common sense  We’re willing to traumatize, inconvenience, embarrass, harass average people but unwilling to take a hard line against actual thugs.  Presently, the headlines are filled with bleating about the racial nature of Arizona’s toughened illegal alien laws, laws which only serve to underline existing federal laws. 

There are an estimated half million illegal immigrants in that state.  Surprisingly 99.999% are likely illegals from Mexico.  Associated crime from this constituency is out of control.  If you’re going to have a crackdown on enforcement of border issues, where do you look?  If people cannot even be allowed to use common sense in their decision making, there truly is no hope.  This logic brings to mind the old joke:

“…Apparently, 1 in 5 people in the world are Chinese.  And there are 5 people in my family, so it must be one of them.  It’s either my mum or my dad. Or my older brother Colin.Or my younger brother Ho-Chau-Chou.   But I think it’s Colin…”