Europe's Migrant Crisis: Views from Central Europe

Europe's Migrant Crisis: Views from Central Europe

• Many so-called asylum seekers have refused to relocate to Central and Eastern Europe because the financial benefits there are not as generous as in France, Germany or Scandinavia. In addition, hundreds of migrants who have been relocated to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which rank among the poorest EU countries, have since fled to Germany and other wealthier countries in the bloc.
• "It needs to be said clearly and directly: This is an attack on Europe, on our culture, on our traditions." — Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydło.
• "I think we have a right to decide that we do not want a large number of Muslim people in our country. That is a historical experience for us." — Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary, referring to Hungary's occupation by the Ottoman Empire from 1541 to 1699.

The European Union has initiated legal action against the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland for failing to comply with a controversial order to take in thousands of migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The so-called infringement procedure, which authorizes the European Commission, the powerful executive arm of the European Union, to sue member states that are considered to be in breach of their obligations under EU law, could lead to massive financial penalties..."
Read on!

Lunch video-----The Fall of Chicago. There Will Be No Economic Recovery.

Noon-toon

19th Obamacare Co-Op Folds, Leaving Only 4 Operating in 2018 - Washington Free Beacon

19th Obamacare Co-Op Folds, Leaving Only 4 Operating in 2018 - Washington Free Beacon:

"Minuteman Health is the 19th co-op that will not be operating and selling insurance on the Obamacare exchanges in 2018. This means there are only four co-ops of the 23 originally created through Obamacare that will still be offering health care plans next year."

WAIT, THERE WAS A TRUCE? “Dems say goodbye to truce, use inflammatory rhetoric against GOP healthc…

Instapundit » Blog Archive » WAIT, THERE WAS A TRUCE? “Dems say goodbye to truce, use inflammatory rhetoric against GOP healthc…:
"WAIT, THERE WAS A TRUCE? “Dems say goodbye to truce, use inflammatory rhetoric against GOP healthcare,” including these gems from the past 24 hours:

● “On CNN, Montel Williams: GOP Plan Would Send 140 Million to ‘Death.’”
—Headline, NewsBusters today
● “Republicans are trying to pass a bill that could kill up to 27,000 in 2026 so they can give tax cuts to the wealthy.”
—Deleted tweet by Bernie Sanders yesterday.
● “Let us be clear and this is not trying to be overly dramatic: Thousands of people will die if the Republican health care bill becomes law.
—Not-deleted tweet by Bernie Sanders, yesterday.
● “Forget death panels. If Republicans pass this bill, they’re the death party.”
—Not-deleted tweet by Hillary Clinton, yesterday.
...Or as Seth Barron noted in City Journal last week in response to GOP Rep. Steve Scalise being shot by a deranged Sanders supporter, “Every policy difference, no matter how trivial, has been cast as a matter of life and death. 
Proposed changes in federal Medicaid reimbursement practices will consign ‘tens of thousands of people’ to early death, according to Senator Bernie Sanders, while rolling back federal guidelines on transgender bathroom signage will cause more teenagers to kill themselves, according to ThinkProgress…Trump’s opponents in the media, academia, and politics can pretend that their calls for radical action were meant metaphorically or in a nonviolent sense. 
But they are the ones who opened this box of fear, panic, and rage. 
Let them take responsibility for the climate that now exists.”

Why Government Schools Fail - Reason.com

Why Government Schools Fail - Reason.com:
"Every year, almost every industry improves.
We get more choices—usually better choices, for less money.
"But of all the products we make and the services we provide, there's one that stands out as an exception," according to the Cato Institute's Andrew Coulson.
"One activity in which excellence doesn't spawn countless imitators or spread on a massive scale: schooling."
Why not?
What can be done about it?
These questions are asked and often answered by Coulson's new PBS TV series School Inc. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/school-inc/
It's a wonderful three hours, reaching back years to America's first experiments in education and traveling the world to look at schools in Chile, England, Sweden, India and Korea. In Korea, top teachers make millions.
Why haven't American schools improved? 
The education establishment says, "We don't have enough money!"
But American schools spend more per student than other countries.
Spending tripled during Coulson's lifetime and class sizes dropped.
But test scores stay flat.
"Schools adopted all sorts of new technologies, from projectors to personal computers to 'smart' whiteboards," says Coulson.
"None of these inventions improved outcomes ... Educational quality has been stuck in the era of disco and leisure suits for 40 years, while the rest of the world has passed it by."
The main reason for that is that most schools are controlled by government. 
Government is a monopoly, and monopolies resist change..."
Read on!

Blog: California Dems kill plan to forensically audit Janet Napolitano's $175-million scandal at the University of California

Blog: California Dems kill plan to forensically audit Janet Napolitano's $175-million scandal at the University of California:
"Janet Napolitano got caught by a state auditor hiding $175 million in discretionary funds in the Office of the President of the University of California, while pleading poverty and asking for tuition hikes.  Even worse, she tried to rig the audit.

There is enough smoke there to conceal a substantial fire.

It would seem merely prudent to send in the forensic auditors – people skilled at tracing funds that got squirreled away through accounting maneuvers.  
Of course, this presupposes that the people in charge care about whether or not money was stolen, misappropriated, or wasted when an executive took pains to hide it.

A Republican in the California State Assembly, Dante Acosta of Santa Clarita, sought to launch an examination of how those funds were used.  
And not a single Democrat supported the effort to pierce the darkness (where democracy dies, according to the Washington Post) with a genuine forensic investigation.

Patrick McGreevy reports in the Los Angeles Times:

Two months after a state audit found mismanagement at the University of California, Democratic state lawmakers on Wednesday blocked a Republican legislator's proposal to have auditors go back in and look deeper at spending, this time with an eye for possible criminal activity.

....However, no Democratic lawmakers on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee voted to authorize a new audit[.]..."

You ought to know!

'Obamaphone' program riddled with fraud: Audit - Washington Times

'Obamaphone' program riddled with fraud: Audit - Washington Times:

"The controversial “Obamaphone” program, which pays for cellphones for the poor, is rife with fraud, according to a new government report released Thursday that found more than a third of enrollees may not even be qualified.
Known officially as the Lifeline Program, the phone giveaway became a symbol of government waste in the previous administration. Now a new report from the Government Accountability Office bears out those concerns."

Protecting the world!-----Carrier Strike Group 5

Photo: Carrier Strike Group 5:

Posted 6/30/2017

PACIFIC OCEAN (June 29, 2017) Ships assigned to Carrier Strike Group 5 sail in formation during a live-fire gunnery exercise. 
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, providing a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. 
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Burke)

AM Fruitcake

History for July 2

History for July 2 - On-This-Day.com:
Hermann Hesse 1877 - German poet, novelist, painter, Thurgood Marshall 1908 - U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Ken Curtis 1916 - Actor, known for his role as Festus Haggen in the TV series "Gunsmoke"



Medgar Evers 1925 - Civil rights activist from Mississippi, Dave Thomas 1932 - Founder for Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Richard Petty 1937 - Auto racer
 

1776 - Richard Henry Lee’s resolution that the American colonies "are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States" was adopted by the Continental Congress.

1881 - Charles J. Guiteau fatally wounded U.S. President James A. Garfield in Washington, DC.


1926 - The U.S. Congress established the Army Air Corps.


1937 - American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart disappeared in the Central Pacific during an attempt to fly around the world at the equator.


1947 - An object crashed near Roswell, NM. The U.S. Army Air Force insisted it was a weather balloon, but eyewitness accounts led to speculation that it might have been an alien spacecraft.


1962 - Wal-Mart Discount City opened in Rogers, Arkansas. It was the first Walmart store.


1982 - Larry Walters ("Lawnchair Larry") took flight in his homeade airship that consisted of a lawnchair with 45 helium-filled weather balloons attached to it. He stayed in flight for about an hour.


1998 - Cable News Network (CNN) retracted a story that alleged that U.S. commandos had used nerve gas to kill American defectors during the Vietnam War.

First Muslim Governor About To Take Over This State - Here's The Terrifying Changes He Plans To Make Immediately ⋆ Freedom Daily

First Muslim Governor About To Take Over This State - Here's The Terrifying Changes He Plans To Make Immediately ⋆ Freedom Daily:

"This would be a massive victory for the Muslim Brotherhood who are rapidly getting their talons into every facet of American society. In a recent raid conducted at a Muslim’s house in Annandale, Virginia, federal agents discovered a dusty bundle of documents in the basement outlining the Muslim Brotherhoods’ secret 5-phase plan for taking down America. This was a closely-guarded secret until the FBI got their hands on this blueprint for taking down our country, authored by Muslim Brotherhood ringleader Yusuf al-Qaradwai."

The way we were-----DUELING BANJOS ~ Guitar & Banjo Song ~ Deliverance

Europe: "Big Business" Colludes with Islamism

Europe: "Big Business" Colludes with Islamism:

• For "Big Business," the more things that are declared "forbidden" in the name of Islam, the more products declared "permitted" must be produced for "good Muslims" to buy.
• In the 1970s, Iran and Saudi Arabia, which were engaged in a competition to spread their vision of Islam worldwide, found help from multinationals such as Nestlé, which had in mind the creation of the large global halal food market.
• The next stage is that if most Muslims consider a veil and halal food an Islamic obligation, they will soon ask for sharia law and Islamic courts -- as in Great Britain.

When there is a profit to be made, capitalism has no political spirit and can collude with any ideology -- from democracies to totalitarian tyrannies. 
This view was most recently set forth by the French anthropologist Florence Bergeaud-Blackler in her book, "Le marché halal ou l'invention d'une tradition" ("The Halal Market or the Invention of a Tradition").

Bergeaud-Blackler claims in her book that "halal" food (food that, in Islam, is religiously permitted) was "recently invented" as a label and as a potential commercial market, in a collusion between Iranian fundamentalists and multinational agrifood businesses. 
In an interview with the French daily newspaper, Liberation, she said:

"I speak of invention of the 'halal market' in the sense that we are not dealing with an ancient tradition imported from Muslim countries. The halal market never existed in the Muslim world until food 'big business' created it and exported it. The halal convention was born in the 70s and 80s. At this time, two ideologies triumphed on the international scene: on the one hand, Muslim fundamentalism, including the proclamation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, and, on the other hand, neo-liberalism, with Thatcher and Reagan. This convergence, unscheduled and unexpected, would allow these two ideologies to work together to establish a halal food industrial protocol"..."

Read on! 

Smart Kids Live Longer - The New York Times

Smart Kids Live Longer - The New York Times:
"Intelligent children tend to live longer than their less gifted peers, a new study suggests.
Scottish researchers began their study with 75,252 men and women born in 1936 — 94 percent of the Scottish population born that year — who had taken standardized intelligence tests in 1947.
By 2015, they were able to confirm a cause of death for 25,979 of them; 30,464 were still living in Britain.
After controlling for many health, socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics, they found that lower scores on the childhood intelligence test were associated with death from heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, lung cancer and stomach cancer..."

Pedro Figueroa-Zarceno awarded $190,000 in San Francisco sanctuary policy - Washington Times

Pedro Figueroa-Zarceno awarded $190,000 in San Francisco sanctuary policy - Washington Times:

"SAN FRANCISCO – A man from El Salvador in the U.S. illegally who sued San Francisco after police turned him over to immigration authorities in violation of the city’s sanctuary law is set to be awarded $190,000, his attorney said Thursday."

Sadiq Khan ROASTED over anti-terror strategy during LBC panel debate | UK | News | Express.co.uk

Sadiq Khan ROASTED over anti-terror strategy during LBC panel debate | UK | News | Express.co.uk
"SADIQ KHAN was left floundering during a grilling on his stance on counter-terrorism and the Government’s Prevent strategy.
Taking questions from a live audience as part of an LBC event, the Mayor of London was quizzed on what he was doing to tackle terrorism.
His response, along with the response of Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Sophie Linden, received a cold reception from host James O’Brien, who quipped:
“You haven't told us anything that you're actually going to do.”
The slap down comes after Mr Khan was asked:
“As the Mayor of London, what are you going to do to counteract radicalisation and extremism? What's your view on the Government's Prevent policy, which is often seen as vilifying innocent Muslims?”
The Labour party politician responded by saying “these are unprecedented times” and that “we need to understand the facts”.

Michigan Cities are Banning People From Renting Out Their Property [Michigan Capitol Confidential]

Michigan Cities are Banning People From Renting Out Their Property [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"While cities like Detroit and Grand Rapids have largely embraced short-term rentals, that’s not the case everywhere, meaning that this property rights issue has come to the forefront.
Home sharing — where people rent out their residential property through companies like Airbnb and HomeAway — has become increasingly popular in Michigan.
And some municipalities are fighting back by banning the practice.
...Page pointed out that short-term rental properties are often second homes, which are taxed at a higher significant rate than homesteaded properties.
The additional tax base of second-home properties plays a vital role in the tourism economies of some towns.
Despite the benefits, this practice has some opponents.
Hotels and members of the accommodations and tourism industry don’t like the competition. 
And some residents and homeowners associations don’t like the flow of people coming through the neighborhood.
These groups have encouraged local government officials to charge excess fees or even ban these rentals.
That’s happened in Traverse City, Grand Haven and elsewhere..."

Lunch video-----The Truth About CNN

Noon-toon

Trump administration sends 'feds,' 20 ATF agents to Chicago - Washington Times

Trump administration sends 'feds,' 20 ATF agents to Chicago - Washington Times:

"The Trump administration has deployed “the feds” to Chicago that the president threatened to send to the city earlier this year to get a handle on gun violence.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday detailed the federal “strike force” being deployed to the city to target violent offenders and investigate gun crimes."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Declares State Of Emergency For MTA « CBS New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Declares State Of Emergency For MTA « CBS New York:
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Just days after a subway derailment in Harlem, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he will be signing an executive order declaring a state of emergency for the MTA.
The governor made the announcement Thursday at the Genius Transit Challenge Conference, an international competition with a $1 million prize to come up with solutions to improve the transit system’s reliability.

Cuomo said the state of emergency will “allow us to expedite many of the normal government processes.”
...While he said issues with the transit system have been going on for years, Cuomo said its “current state of decline is wholly unacceptable.”
“The delays are maddening New Yorkers,” he said. “We need ideas outside the box because, frankly, the box is broken.”
...This week, an A train derailment in Harlem left dozens injured. 
Officials said it appeared to have been caused by an improperly stored piece of rail and two track maintenance supervisors have now suspended without pay.
There have also been multiple breakdowns, delays and countless inconveniences for those who rely on the trains. 
Earlier this month, riders were left sweltering underground in a stuck F train.
...“If you underfund a public transit system by billions of dollars, eventually it’s going to melt down,” said Executive Director of the Riders Alliance, John Raskin.
“That eventually is now.”

Government "Travel-care"-----Some subways are literally held together with zip ties | New York Post

Some subways are literally held together with zip ties | New York Post:
"At more than $1 million per subway car, you’d think they’d be held together with something more than zip ties.
A savvy straphanger noticed a homespun addition to her 7 train Wednesday morning when she saw part of the car fastened with zip ties.
“Zip ties used on the undercarriage of a #7train..is this standard?” tweeted MsJaya_B. 
“How often are these checked for wear and tear?”
With all the problems the MTA has had recently, writers can hardly be blamed for thinking the worst.
An MTA spokeswoman said Wednesday that the zip tie was being used as a temporary fastener to attach a cable to the new R186 cars while a special part is being made.
She added that the cable is attached another way, and the zip tie is just a back-up.
“The ties are a back-up way of securing a cable on the subway car.
It’s used in conjunction with other fasteners,” said MTA spokeswoman Beth DeFalco.
“It’s 100 percent safe and only used on some cars on the #7 line. 
We have a specially designed bracket that is being engineered and is set to be installed in the next few weeks.”"
And this: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/29/fed-up-commuters-subway-issues/

The World Is Now $217,000,000,000,000 In Debt And The Global Elite Like It That Way

The World Is Now $217,000,000,000,000 In Debt And The Global Elite Like It That Way
"The borrower is the servant of the lender, and through the mechanism of government debt virtually the entire planet has become the servants of the global money changers.  
Politicians love to borrow money, but over time government debt slowly but surely impoverishes a nation.  
As the elite get governments around the globe in increasing amounts of debt, those governments must raise taxes in order to keep servicing those debts.  
In the end, it is all about taking money from us and transferring it into government pockets, and then taking money from government pockets and transferring it into the hands of the elite.  
It is a game that has been going on for generations, and it is time for humanity to say that enough is enough.

According to the Institute of International Finance, global debt has now reached a new all-time record high of 217 trillion dollars…

Global debt levels have surged to a record $217 trillion in the first quarter of the year. This is 327 percent of the world’s annual economic output (GDP), reports the Institute of International Finance (IIF).

The surging debt was driven by emerging economies, which have increased borrowing by $3 trillion to $56 trillion. This amounts to 218 percent of their combined economic output, five percentage points greater year on year.

Never before in human history has our world been so saturated with debt..."

You ought to know!

Reagan Biographer: GOP Must Retain Trump’s Blue-Collar Voters or ‘Democrats Will Run This Country for 50 Years’

Reagan Biographer: GOP Must Retain Trump’s Blue-Collar Voters or ‘Democrats Will Run This Country for 50 Years’:

"“I knew Ronald Reagan had brought us back from the dead before, so I thought I’d look and see how he did it, and I learned that everything I knew about Reagan was wrong, that he was much more of a populist than he had been given credit, and that’s what allowed him to attract the Reagan Democrats that put him in the White House and let him change America and the world,” he said.

Marlow cited a passage of the book which explains that Reagan forged a bond with white working-class voters from the Democrats’ New Deal coalition who were concerned with rising crime and taxes in the Sixties and Seventies, and the lack of respect for American virtues shown by the Sixties cultural revolutionaries."

Approaching 'Solar Minimum' Will Draw Sun Spot Activity To Low Point

Approaching 'Solar Minimum' Will Draw Sun Spot Activity To Low Point:
"Sun spot activity is argued to be the most important factor in earth’s climate, and lack of spots means global cooling. 
Since global warming has morphed into a religion, advocates will not recant their belief that man-made global warming will destroy the earth. ⁃ TN Editor
The sun is heading into a period known as solar minimum, during which activity at the surface will ‘change form.’
In this time, certain types of activity, such as sunspots and solar flares will drop – but, it’s also expected to bring the development of long-lived phenomena including coronal holes.
According to NASA, solar minimum could also enhance the effects of space weather, potentially disrupting communications and navigation systems, and even causing space junk to ‘hang around.’
The sun follows roughly an 11-year cycle.
While sunspots were relatively high back in 2014, they’re now heading toward a low point expected in 2019-2020, according to NASA.
‘This is called solar minimum,’ said Dean Pesnell of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.
‘And it’s a regular part of the sunspot cycle.’..."

AM Fruitcake