Army Bob: Ms. Ocasio-Cortez seriously needs fact checker

Google search: “AOC Bezos Fact-check”

AB, I didn’t see where AOC said “Nazi” concentration camps in reference to the camps. I did see the reference to concentration camps as a general comparison. In the sense that Border Patrol and Homeland Security agents are concentrating children in facilities not suitable for human beings, they are in concentration camps. But that is not the point. The point is that children are being housed like prisoners, but without the amenities usually afforded POWs or prison inmates.

Amazon may be compensating its employees well, but I believe the important point is that, although there is no law against corporations succeeding in a capitalist system, it is morally and ethically wrong for that corporation to be exempt from paying federal income taxes.

It would behoove all people, not just politicians, to tell truth. It would also behoove the media to confine itself to reporting news without bias, unless it is offering editorial comment that is clearly labeled as such.

Speaking truth to power is the responsibility of all of us. Manipulating truth to one’s own advantage is less than admirable. And that includes Ms. Ocasio-Cortez. Your criticism of her may, indeed, be warranted.

By the way, you may have seen the Nazi concentration camps after the fact. What you saw was the worst possible case of man’s inhumanity to man. What we are getting a glimpse of right now is 21st Century concentration camp life without the ovens. An example of man’s inhumanity to children. But give Trump time. His atrocities have just begun, and his depravity deepens.

I’m not a partisan. I’m politically entirely independent, having zero allegiance to any political power group and I’m very willing to imperfectly attempt to objectively and mercifully give all their honest due, whether it be for good or for ill they have done. Having said that, I want to commend you, Army Bob, for bringing up an obvious example of the now continuous open attempts at the incessant destruction of truth and facts. It has resulted in constant rampant slander and libel that is going on in our post-modern America and elsewhere in the world.
OAC is of course intentionally politically disruptive, very media-loud and further extremely high-profile, with handlers behind her who admit picking her to run her for her office. I consider her more of an agent, spokesperson and actress in that regard. But she’s not at all alone in assuming right along with her devoted followers, including many in the media as you point out, that somehow if she boldly says something it must ipso facto of course be true. Facts, feelings, fiction, figments and froth all appear to have virtually equal worth and impact-value in our current generally unthinking world of 24-hour news, the internet and social media.
If this growing escape from reason and the present anything-goes atmosphere were only relegated to the political realm it would still be significantly harmful, but it’s not only there. I see this lack of concern for truth and accuracy, and I hear it all around me more and more virtually every day now. Even coming from people who should know better and should be much more careful and responsible. I like so many others have personally been on the receiving end of fact-less, irrational libel and slander from loud voices. It is very destructive in every way, hurting everyone that it touches or has yet to touch in the same way someday. We must live in the world that we make or which is in many ways made for us. People will cheer on an OAC and not for a second think that if they personally had a business doing exactly what Amazon is doing, as you’ve described it, they would be viewed as a capitalistic devil incarnate for providing all of the jobs, services and competition for the benefit of so many.
Amazon isn’t perfect, of course. Nothing visible existing on earth is. But people will get in line to work there and at other big chain retailers for good reasons. I’m glad Amazon moved on their own to pay $15/hr minimum without being coerced by government over-lords to do so. The market with its supply and demand and competitive inter-party negotiation must decide what is fair within healthy pricing and earnings. Market costs and pricing cannot be dictated without eventual serious far-reaching consequences and unemployment, as history and reality can attest.
OAC is way out of her league in making her incredible glib pronouncements. Her lack of credibility in her very loose if not disconnected relationship to facts and truth will have its effects on her profile and political status as time goes on. In the meantime the media and all who have any honest concern about established facts and truth should hold her accountable to the degree they can, just as you are doing with your column. You do a service to point these things out to those willing to think them through and check them out. Thanks.

I am almost convinced that AOC is actually a GOP plant. If the Democrat Party does not silence her and her fringe companions, Donald Trump will get a second term.

Since when does a Democrat need facts- it’s all about feelings and emotion.

We should always keep in mind that the U.S. President is head of the executive branch. It is the one and only branch that is responsible to execute the laws on the books made by others. Congress makes the laws. One of the laws is that no one is to illegally enter the United States for any reason. I am very open to knowing precisely what law or laws President Trump and his administration are not following, and which law or laws he should not enforce as written. Compassion is a needful thing, but if compassion means ignoring laws for many we feel for that others have been and are now being held accountable to follow, then that is not compassion. That is favoritism, foolishness and fraud. Not all of those breaking U.S. immigration laws are good people. Former Vice President Joe Biden said in the debate that the Obama administration deported three million as being supposedly those not just entering the U.S. without permission, but committing more than just just that violation of crossing our border illegally. By saying such, did Biden just admit that during the eight years of Obama/Biden they found that three million illegal immigrants they deported had committed crimes beyond illegally crossing the border? That is no small statistic. That is a big problem, a huge failure of leadership and responsibility and a travesty. Think of all the victims, both of those coming in illegally and those rightfully here in the U.S. What can justify any, whether hundreds, thousands or millions of crimes by those unlawfully here? Where is the compassion for those innocent victims of the criminals entering illegally? Does compassion only go to the ones breaking the law? It appears from statements and positions on the left that is in fact the case. Let’s use our God-given minds as we wisely make use of our hearts.

This is very interesting to me and I’m sure to millions of others how those who howl and cry child abuse and human rights violations apparently think…or too often don’t stop to do so. The situation boils down to something pretty simple. Adults from several other countries on their own have decided not to remain in Mexico where they already are for whatever reason, and where they could legally live, remain and proceed with following legal processes to enter the U.S. But instead they have deliberately determined not to lawfully apply for procedural entry into the U.S. as all of the millions of others around the world who have or are now doing so are patiently and respectfully observing. These disrespectful, border-crashing adults instead have just decided on their own to break our U.S. immigration laws that Congress has long established. Having such immigration laws is simple sanity and absolutely necessary national security. Virtually all other nations have such strict laws in order for others to legal entry their country. Then even worse, these deliberate law-breaking adults bring children and infants with them as they are doing their asylum claims and unlawful border crashing. Some of those infants and young children are not their own children but are merely rented or otherwise used and abused by the law-breaking adults in order to attempt to more easily get into the U.S. And some of those children are brought in for unthinkable human trafficking. The many howlers who are now complaining that it is inhumane abuse and even worse when these children are for a time necessarily separated from their incarcerated parents, others not their parents, and even rescued from the human traffickers, at the very same time have zero problem with the fact that every day in the U.S. parents are arrested and incarcerated for crimes and their actual verifiable children are of course temporarily or permanently separated from them because as a nation we don’t allow children to be incarcerated with parents and other adults, or remain with abusive adults. We don’t punish children for the violations of the adults in their lives, but we must separate them for a time or until they themselves are adults and seek some in-home solution for them as soon as possible. That takes time and it takes lots of money. For those who are now the loudest howlers about inhumanity and abuse regarding child separation from illegal immigrants, our legal national domestic practice of separating children from parents processed for criminal behavior that has been in place for centuries in the U.S. is totally appropriate and reasonable. But this illegal immigration situation is a totally irrational agenda on the part of most of the howlers. To these howlers only illegal immigrants are abused when children are rightfully and lawfully separated from them. To them illegal immigrants have done no wrong at all and cannot be treated has having done any wrong. However, the reality is that the innocent children, real or fake, must be rationally and rightfully be separated from them when a crime has apparently been committed by the adults and a legal Congressionally-approved process is being carried out by authorities. That process usually includes adult detention and incarceration. Until enough foster homes are available for these innocent children they have to be temporarily placed somewhere. The border patrol and Homeland Security is completely overwhelmed and doesn’t have enough facilities and foster homes for the hundreds of thousands who are now illegally coming across the border illegally, and as children are being brought here. Are these howlers demanding that Congress solve the problem? No. That doesn’t suit their rationale or their agenda. They simply and easily blame Trump along with those attempting to enforce the immigration laws and want to fix the problems that have long been left unaddressed. This border crisis situation is worse but much like other administrations have faced before Trump, including the Obama administration which also separated children from adults and in total deported some 3 million who were here illegally. The howlers are now showing among other things their true agenda, their absolute irrationality and their open hypocrisy. Until Congress addresses the tragic, unnecessary and unfinished immigration issues the crisis will only continue and will probably get worse. In the meantime, those who just hate Trump no matter what he does, rightly or wrongly, even if he is just enforcing the laws as written by Congress as he is charged to do as part of his office, will have yet another thing to loudly howl about. Howling about horrible Trump is now always near the top of the agenda. It is not rationally and responsibly protecting our borders and enforcing our laws for the sake of all. It would be funny to watch this circus if it were not so serious, pathetic and tragic.

The U.S. takes in more immigrants legally than any other country. And more illegal immigrants as well. Once immigrants reach Mexico from an oppressive or economically disastrous country they can remain there and/or apply for legal U.S. entry. They don’t have to come to the U.S. to be safe, have a job and continue to speak their native language without learning English. The excuses given to excuse illegal immigration simply don’t hold up. They come to the U.S. instead of other stable South American countries and Mexico because we let them in illegally and they get instant freebies on the U.S. taxpayers, as well as abundant employment. We are a illegal immigrant magnet country, pure and simple. But we can’t let people come in illegally. None of those defending acceptance of those coming in illegally are fair to mention drug mules, human trafficking and criminals fleeing prosecutions in other countries. There is no fact fairness and reporting integrity anymore in the mainstream media on this issue. Only howlers with an obvious agenda. It’s willful Congressional neglect and insanity together with a path to cultural demise and national economic suicide if this continues. No nation can survive long if it is constantly taking in millions of illegal immigrants. No nation. The U.S. is just a country. It does not have eternal life.

Mr. Parks – facts, facts, we don’t need no stinking facts! You are spot on in your assessment and logic. You, sir, are a patriot and a caring American.
The ones who oppose or argue on the other side – not so much.
If Congress had half a brain (obviously the shy half are Democrats and RINOS), they could fix the problem with the military and law enforcement, but that won’t happen because it is a talking point. And who suffers? American citizens on the border, those raped, killed, and sold illegal drugs by the invading horde.
If they want to become legal citizens, GET IN LINE. Otherwise, go home!

Lynn, you appear to me to be a kind and thoughtful person. I don’t question your genuine concerns and compassion regarding any mistreatment of anyone, including those at our southern border. I’m entirely with you on any human abuse concerns. But in the same way there must logically be the very same concerns and compassion for all of those women and children who are being brought hundreds of miles up through Mexico rather than remaining there, and in many cases forced to be drug mules and raped and abused by the criminal predators, drug lords and human traffickers who are involved. The border is in too many places without the sufficient barriers that require those coming, legitimately or not, to go through a rational process and some orderly and monitored gates. The foolish and often very public magnets that draw all of those involved in illegal immigration must also be stopped.

But I must say, and I know I reflect the view of millions of others in this, something that is getting very, very old and that betrays all reason, objectivity, facts and logic is the constant claim that comes from the left that when immigration is out of control and children and adults overwhelm the financial and physical resources of border enforcement due to the failure of Congress to appropriate what is needed to address the problems, the reason MUST be because Trump and conservatives hate foreigners and immigrants. You resorted to the “hate card” in your comments. These out-of-control issues aren’t in the least essentially caused by any hatred of immigrants or those from other countries by anyone in the Trump administration or otherwise.

This country has throughout its history and continues to welcome and approve entry of many millions of lawful, productive and respectful immigrants from countries all over the world who benefit this country, their families and themselves. Using this “hatred card” accuses law enforcement of cold hearts and avoids the real issues involved. It is a very cheap shot.

If someone came into your home without your permission and you called the police to take them away and handle them, does that mean it’s because you hate the intruder? No. You would resent anyone claiming you were hateful in such a circumstance. You simply need to and want to protect what you are responsible for and have a right to control in the way that best suits you and those you love and care for. It’s no different with any country. So, let’s drop the all-too-easy hate motive card and let’s discuss the reasonable, logical and seriously required issue of orderly immigration entry into the U.S., basic national security principles, the rule of law and due process that’s required to rationally and effectively handle it all.

Those issues are all essentially in the lap of Congress that makes the rules. But Congress has continually refused for these decades to lift a finger to solve the long-time growing problems they have foolishly and selfishly neglected. They can just keep saying something should be done, arguing and calling others bigots so they don’t have to do the hard work of wisely governing this country through their role as legislators. It’s a big spineless, self-serving cop out. It’s dangerous, pathetic and outrageous. It’s a clear dereliction of duty.

The blame should not be diverted to crying out some political agenda or some pet theory of what must be in the heart of those like Trump who are currently despised by the left. We can like him and his approach or not, but as President he is in charge of enforcing the federal laws, providing national security for all, and protecting the nation’s borders with all of the impacting ramifications. He is openly calling for trying to stop the illegal activity. Many others don’t seem to care much that those activities are illegal and that nameless faceless U.S. citizens are being hurt and endangered in major ways because of it. How about some expressed concern and compassion on the left for the U.S. citizens who are in so many ways made victims through no fault of their own? I am quite sure that if a close loved one of anyone howling on the left about abuse and hatred of immigrants were to be severely injured or killed by an illegal immigrant who should not be here and who all too easily got through the border, their howling would change and would likely go in the other direction. Many hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens are personally greatly negatively affected, including injury, losses, losing their lives or those of a loved one, which is directly attributable to an unsecured and unregulated border. Does the left care about those victims? I don’t hear it anywhere. In general the left’s view and agenda doesn’t allow for it. To many on the left it’s all about hatred and abuse of immigrants. Respectfully, you, Lynn, as a public voice read in TownBroadcast have an opportunity to drop that hate-bigot card approach and take the issues on for what they are in reality.

Mr. Parks, a solid, reasoned, objective response to the Left. The usual race baiting and bigot slinging are falling on deaf ears because they only focus on illegals and not the destruction done to U.S. citizens and border towns. The main reason Trump was elected was to do something about illegals entering the country. He is trying and being road blocked ever since being inaugurated. Face it, the Democrats, media, and RINO’s all subscribe to bringing down America in any way possible. Their pure hatred of Trump winning in 2016 know no bounds.
If the Democrats win the elections in 2020, the open borders will remain and we’ll (taxpayers) be paying forever in one way or another.

Terry, I appreciate your detailed response.
I have said all along that the crisis at the border is two-fold – it is a crisis of immigration run amok, and a humanitarian crisis.
It’s fruitless to try to lay blame for the immigration run amok, because the causes are multiple and go back decades. The president is not wrong that immigration philosophy, policy, practices, and legislation need a major overhaul. And that job does lie squarely in the laps of the House and Senate. But Trump and “his” Republican Party and the Democrats have positioned themselves as opponents rather than allies where this issue is concerned.
Fixing all this mess will be very difficult and will take a long time.
I do understand your point with regard to using a hate card. I feel I’ve been misunderstood, but aside from that, my columns are opinion pieces, and it is my opinion that there is a pervasive element of hatred on the part of some people, including legislators, the president himself (just consider his actions and read his poorly worded comments about immigrants/refugees), and a couple of respondents to columns penned by me. You need only be aware of the subtext to see it.
To be clear, my position is not one of open borders. It is of the humane treatment of refugees seeking internationally recognized legal asylum from the horrors of their homelands. Our president has been an easy spender on the things that he likes. He could be equally easy spending money to address the awful conditions at the border, but he choses to cling to the lie that things at the border are fine (he is on record on video saying just that), and that the living conditions for those being detained are better than what they had when they were back in their own homes. There is simply no evidence of the latter claim. And there is no accepted definition of what makes conditions here or there something that can be equated. No one seems to consider the psychological aspects of the living arrangements at the border. Families are broken apart; people, though in crowded conditions, may also be experiencing painful mental isolation; and I would dare venture that every one of them suffers from that sense of having absolutely no control over their fate, even though most of them have committed no crime that warrants imprisonment.
You and I may differ in our belief as to the number of people who are coming illegally. My sources contend that more than half are seeking legal asylum, and are therefore legal refugees. They do not deserve inhumane incarceration.
Bottom line, though, is that you and I are not so far apart in our perception of what exists at the southern border.
I appreciate you constructive criticism of my use of the so-called hate card. I will be more circumspect when citing my belief that we are seeing clear evidence of hatred expressed by some who ought also to be more circumspect about how they express themselves.
Peace.

Lynn, thanks for your thoughtful response.