Real life pastor here. The exegesis for “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:25) is something like this: There was a general assumption then (and perhaps now) that material wealth in this world indicated one’s status before God. This is evident by the people lamenting, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus point is that the rich then (and definitely now) are self-sufficient and if they find a deficit, will attempt to buy their way out of it. This is a similar notion to God warning Israel about the pitfalls of prosperity in Deuteronomy 8. Eternal life is not something to purchase or achieve—but a grant from God. Thus Jesus says, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
The point is not to exclude the wealthy or middle class from salvation, but to correct the notion that one can buy it.
Real life pastor here as well. The story you are referencing is the man with many possessions who asks what he needs to do to inherit eternal life (I.e. a life aligned with God)? Jesus responds with the law. The “blessed” man with possessions says “I already do that.” Jesus says “there is one thing you lack…go sell all your possessions, give the money to the poor and follow me.” But the man with possessions can’t do it. Then Jesus says “it’s easier…” as you suggested. Some say the eye of a needle was a narrow entry point into Jerusalem where once would have to take possessions off their mule or camel to pass through it. And yes, the wealthy saw themselves as “blessed” before God, but Jesus turns it around, especially in Luke: blessed are the poor, woe to the rich! So the wealthy man’s issue, just like today is his attachment to his way of life, what he has, and all the ways he justifies it. remember in Luke the story of the rich man and Lazarus!).
This text must bring us to pause and ask what our attachments are which separate us from our neighbors in need: wealth, ideology, politics. And then all the ways we justify it. The question “who can be saved” is an appropriate question since we re all so far from coming together, sharing our possessions (Acts 2/Act 4–also written by Luke) and creating a way for abundant life for everyone—give the money to the poor. Jesus’ response is also poignant—for us, it’s impossible. We can’t get past our own selves! But for God anything is possible. We really need to get past ourselves and find the abundant life of coming together, rather than having these rich politicians tell us what we need to believe and how our neighbors are to be treated. God bless you all.
This part seems a stretch, your own addition to the text: "what our attachments are which separate us from our neighbors in need: wealth, ideology, politics."
You can serve God or money, but you can’t do both. Yes, my addition. We have tried to make the text fit our own capitalistic agenda because of our attachment to it. We have even turned Jesus into someone who supports Trump. Bondi, hard on the protesters in the church said, Jesus would never stormed a church in protest,” forgetting he turned over tables in the temple. The level of attachment to shape narrative is profound.
God and money is biblical. Jesus’ harsh words to church leaders of His time is biblical. But as you said, you have added the part about politics etc. Since Jesus never taught us to critique Roman emperors etc., it doesn’t seem right to use His lessons for your own politics. Use something else.
I’m not interested in debating how Jesus felt about his oppressors. But his kingdom and teachings are political and always have been and don’t forget he called Herod a “fox.” PBWY
I understand, which is why I said “some say.” But the point is Jesus asked the man to follow him, or to become a Christian in other words. You can’t follow both God and money. Being wealthy isn’t a problem, but it’s a lot harder to follow Jesus with it because we end up serving it rather than God. And sir, to say my “entire exegesis” is in question because of the gate theory is a bit dramatic.
If Don Lemon violating the FACE Act, (formerly known as the KKK Act,) on MLK, Jr. Day isn't discussed and the implications of being SO stupid to think you have the "Constitutional Right" to do what the Bolsheviks, KKK and German Nazis did to disrupt and demoralize people aren't talked about I might have to unsubscribe to Racket and stop paying $5 a month.
It's the single most ironic event to happen in all of this and clearly illustrates just how uneducated and entitled these people really are.
I've already seen NBC trying to whitewash it by saying Don Lemon was "covering" an anti ICE protest.
That's not true at all. He was leading it. He even provided coffee for his pals from BLM. This is funded. He even had his branded mics there for the camera to see.
At one point, Don Lemonsucker goes up to the pastor and "informs" him that "we have a Constitution that gives me the right to do this".
No, dipshit. We don't.
In fact, none of the insurrectiony rioting that's happening in MN is Constitutionally protected speech.
I want to see people jailed for this shit. It's DONE BEEN GONE too far since George Floyd.
This is an actual insurrection being staged by the flailing Dem leadership because they, ( like the Bolsheviks and Nazis,) have no real solution to this.
Mark and Walter the depth of political corruption in Minnesota is so deep and systemic it boggles the mind. The Left here has been planning this before the George Floyd incident. Please look into the Hillary Clinton-Mr. And Mrs. Andy Luger connection. Andy Luger former U.S. Attorney in Minnesota. Luger is also connected deeply in the Democratic party including Amy Klobuchar. The two former Assistant U.S. attorneys Melinda Williams has developed a strong relationship with Amy Klobuchar. Melinda and Joe Thompson both have been playing the media in Minnesota for a long time under Luger under the Biden Presidency. There is more to share.
I agree, but... I'm so tired of the end-all of everything being nothing more than useful fodder for the next election. I could not care less about Hillary, Amy, or Biden. While I have no use for them whatsoever, they can be a distraction. I want to find all the people involved in Minnesota, charge them, put them on trial, and imprison them if called for. Then do it in Florida for the Medicare/Medicaid fraud. Go to every state and lock people up. End the fraud. That's real money going to undeserving people.
My fear -- no, not fear, belief -- my belief is that nothing will come out of Minnesota other than a letter from Jim Jordan, some mean tweets from Trump, and a bunch of campaign rhetoric. I want to end the fraud which seems to be part and parcel of our political system. And to be honest, our economy.
Anyway, I'm not lecturing the original poster here. I'm in agreement that we must address Minnesota, and I was just extending his comment. I truly want Minnesota to be addressed as something other than fuel for a political campaign. At this point, I see political elections being largely a waste of time. A distraction, really.
I totally agree. We are in child-proofed political atmosphere where only the issues the media wants to use (for their own purposes) will be covered and magnified.
This is the wealthy media elites/owners shoving the issue THEY want discussed into our eyeballs.
I mean, us even chewing on it giving them a win, frankly.
Not saying the immigration issue doesn't have importance, but it is not the MOST IMPORTANT, ALL CONSUMING issue of the day. It just isn't.
You'll notice also: This issue (like most of the issues the media chooses to obsess around)- WHICHEVER way it goes- does NOT affect the financial positions of the wealthy media owners...They love their current command economic position, and want to keep things as they are.
So we get immigration, 24/7 in the current cycle, Trans nonsense the next, UFO's after that, and on and on and on.
You don't see coverage on taxing the rich with any vigor. Etc.
The problem is that the ideological capture among judges and State and local prosecutors in places like MN is profound; which severely handicaps our justice system. The very fact that MN and other jurisdictions proclaim that they are “sanctuaries” belies the rule of law. They are exempting themselves from accountability and creating conditions that breed entitled creeps like the folks that invaded the church. This also complicates the job of ICE; which thus is unable to find and detain criminals from jails, where non-sanctuary jurisdictions will house criminals. Notice that ICE operations in places like TX and TN have not occasioned these kinds of chaotic and sometimes violent protests.
While discussing the MN protests at one point Walter states that he does not really know what their objective is. I was surprised. I'm sure if he gave it some thought he would say what is obvious. The dem strategy is clearly to use protests to create the narrative that Trump creates chaos. Simple. It works so well for them. Watch the news, it's all there, chaos! And why is there chaos? Because of Trump! What can American's do to put an end to the chaos? Vote for the democrats! This is not complicated.
I keep thinking the best way to root out the fraud in Minnesota would be to send in a battalion of certified public accounts, not a battalion of ICE bash and grab guys;
Lots to unpack. Clearly social norms in Minneapolis are gone. Mob intimidation against rule of law. People are losing their minds very much like Covid. Mass psychosis formation. Why do I get up and go to work everyday when such moronic chaos is US news? Are we forgetting the thievery that Minneapolis and Minnesota has perpetuated?
This is all a smokescreen to deal with the billions being stolen. What other conclusion is logical? That fucking dildo ranting about starving children and white privilege….. his rant doesn’t equate to the problem at hand.
Not one of your best ATW's guys. It's like you're trying way too hard to make this 95/5 issue into a 50/50 issue. It's so not, for so so many reasons. I'll give you two big ones: the context of the massive fraud and corruption of Walz, Omar and Kieth Ellison, and the key fact that for some very strange reason you never feel is relevant, that if Minneapolis did not choose for purely political purposes to declare itself a "Sanctuary City" and followed federal law, to which they are most definitely required to do as members of our nation of states, and cooperated with ICE and the Border Patrol as other states have done, where we hear not a peep, then NONE OF THIS DRAMA would be happening. How about we talk about that? Would Renee Good be alive today if Minneapolis had not been declared a Sanctuary City? And what was the true motivation for Minneapolis being declared a Sanctuary City? Was it out of a genuine concern for keeping illegals, most with crumbling convictions or charges, here illegally? Or was it more motivated as a political statement of opposition to a president they lost an election to?
I think Walter and Matt covered the issue of sanctuary cities in within the last two or three episodes of ATW, although I can't remember exactly the episode. I do remember them talking about how far "sanctuary cities" go back, the original idea (which is nothing like what it's being used for currently), and also commenting that you can't have a functioning nation if various subsections of that nation decide which national laws apply to them and which don't.
Agreed. They did. I didn't mean to say that they never mentioned it. My point being the significance of the sanctuary city status in Minneapolis and the deliberate political strategy of Walz and Frey and other Dems to make a point of not cooperating with ICE, as the cause of this chaos is IMV being understated. There simply would be no chaos, no news, if the Dems did not choose to make opposition to Federal Law enforcement a major part of their political strategy of showing their base how they are opposing the hated Trump.
My first thought on hearing Walter almost mispronounce Lemon's last name as Lamont made me chuckle: as in "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! By day, mild mannered Lamont Cranston: by night, The Shadow! (Old US radio show.) I might start calling Don Lemon "The Shadow." ha.
Agree with Walter’s description of MLK’s position. It’s very much where we are now as a nation. We want fair and equal application of law including the application of justice. The people want redress for fraud, abuse and corruption regardless of source.
Am I to understand that the Minneapolis police was not available to intervene at the church to remove the protesters. The gaul of them interrupting a sacred service. Under these circumstances would it be legal for their ushers to forcibly remove the apostates?
Getting picky I believe Frey is the only one that could order the police to stand down. An interesting question is if it's an illegal order. Regardless, Frey has a stewardship responsibility to promote the public safety. So my question is does it? My guess is no.
You sure you want to grant them that much skill? Considering the serious financial issues that occurred on their watch I'd find it equally likely its a perverse serendipity.
Possible. But my spidey sense tells me that politicians with that much money sloshing around, who also ignore multiple warnings from Federal and State auditors, are likely benefiting from the fraud in $$ as well as via the paid for votes from the imported Somali “community"
Respectfully, I ask you how many hands the sloshing funds would have to go through to finally reach those high-level elected officials. Hypothetically starting at the "infamous Somali day care center" to their NGO sponsor, to the local government pass through. Its only at this point we've hit the infamous government and I'm sure there could be as many hands the hush money would pass through. So many hands, so many potential squealers, makes your approach unlikely. Now if there's a rash of unsolved murders that could be tied to one of these channels, maybe. However, my take the theft was localized at a very low level coupled with lazy bureaucrats not performing anything resembling due diligence. You may be right but if you are this would make Teapot Dome look like petty larceny. So in conclusion, if you say crawl up everyone's behind I'm with you. But here I believe occam's razor provides the likeliest answer.
This is an unknown source for me. Its definitely provocative but is it reliable? I don't know if its news or opinion? The way I look at it is it's "point" without "counter-point.". I will say it will be interesting when the facts catch up with the rhetoric how this article will be judged.
It's been online for 15 years, beginning with the mortgage fraud, the subprime debacle, and the great financial crisis. I find it a credible source on many topics. It's generally left to left-of-center, like Racket News. ymmv.
There is such a variety of comments I'm not sure where to put Racket on the political spectrum. Many times I find Matt very tentative seeking guidance or perhaps trying to elicit comment from Walter. However I am always very interested in their subject matter.
I'm a "boomer" working all my life to help make ends meet with my wife. There was never time for protesting beyond perhaps an afternoon. How do you explain the large ongoing presence of protesters? Don't they have to work for a living? I know I'm not the only one who has thought about this, respectfully, have you?
I think the root of the question is extremely important. Can cities, states and one of the biggest political parties in the U.S. disregard immigration laws passed by a democratically elected Congress? It’s very similar to the civil war.
Real life pastor here. The exegesis for “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:25) is something like this: There was a general assumption then (and perhaps now) that material wealth in this world indicated one’s status before God. This is evident by the people lamenting, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus point is that the rich then (and definitely now) are self-sufficient and if they find a deficit, will attempt to buy their way out of it. This is a similar notion to God warning Israel about the pitfalls of prosperity in Deuteronomy 8. Eternal life is not something to purchase or achieve—but a grant from God. Thus Jesus says, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
The point is not to exclude the wealthy or middle class from salvation, but to correct the notion that one can buy it.
This is the first time I’ve heard this explanation and I really appreciate it.
Same here, first time I've heard this explanation and I also really appreciate you taking the time to write this.
Real life pastor here as well. The story you are referencing is the man with many possessions who asks what he needs to do to inherit eternal life (I.e. a life aligned with God)? Jesus responds with the law. The “blessed” man with possessions says “I already do that.” Jesus says “there is one thing you lack…go sell all your possessions, give the money to the poor and follow me.” But the man with possessions can’t do it. Then Jesus says “it’s easier…” as you suggested. Some say the eye of a needle was a narrow entry point into Jerusalem where once would have to take possessions off their mule or camel to pass through it. And yes, the wealthy saw themselves as “blessed” before God, but Jesus turns it around, especially in Luke: blessed are the poor, woe to the rich! So the wealthy man’s issue, just like today is his attachment to his way of life, what he has, and all the ways he justifies it. remember in Luke the story of the rich man and Lazarus!).
This text must bring us to pause and ask what our attachments are which separate us from our neighbors in need: wealth, ideology, politics. And then all the ways we justify it. The question “who can be saved” is an appropriate question since we re all so far from coming together, sharing our possessions (Acts 2/Act 4–also written by Luke) and creating a way for abundant life for everyone—give the money to the poor. Jesus’ response is also poignant—for us, it’s impossible. We can’t get past our own selves! But for God anything is possible. We really need to get past ourselves and find the abundant life of coming together, rather than having these rich politicians tell us what we need to believe and how our neighbors are to be treated. God bless you all.
This part seems a stretch, your own addition to the text: "what our attachments are which separate us from our neighbors in need: wealth, ideology, politics."
You can serve God or money, but you can’t do both. Yes, my addition. We have tried to make the text fit our own capitalistic agenda because of our attachment to it. We have even turned Jesus into someone who supports Trump. Bondi, hard on the protesters in the church said, Jesus would never stormed a church in protest,” forgetting he turned over tables in the temple. The level of attachment to shape narrative is profound.
God and money is biblical. Jesus’ harsh words to church leaders of His time is biblical. But as you said, you have added the part about politics etc. Since Jesus never taught us to critique Roman emperors etc., it doesn’t seem right to use His lessons for your own politics. Use something else.
I’m not interested in debating how Jesus felt about his oppressors. But his kingdom and teachings are political and always have been and don’t forget he called Herod a “fox.” PBWY
There is no evidence for the gate theory, calling your entire exegesis into question.
I understand, which is why I said “some say.” But the point is Jesus asked the man to follow him, or to become a Christian in other words. You can’t follow both God and money. Being wealthy isn’t a problem, but it’s a lot harder to follow Jesus with it because we end up serving it rather than God. And sir, to say my “entire exegesis” is in question because of the gate theory is a bit dramatic.
If Don Lemon violating the FACE Act, (formerly known as the KKK Act,) on MLK, Jr. Day isn't discussed and the implications of being SO stupid to think you have the "Constitutional Right" to do what the Bolsheviks, KKK and German Nazis did to disrupt and demoralize people aren't talked about I might have to unsubscribe to Racket and stop paying $5 a month.
It's the single most ironic event to happen in all of this and clearly illustrates just how uneducated and entitled these people really are.
I've already seen NBC trying to whitewash it by saying Don Lemon was "covering" an anti ICE protest.
That's not true at all. He was leading it. He even provided coffee for his pals from BLM. This is funded. He even had his branded mics there for the camera to see.
At one point, Don Lemonsucker goes up to the pastor and "informs" him that "we have a Constitution that gives me the right to do this".
No, dipshit. We don't.
In fact, none of the insurrectiony rioting that's happening in MN is Constitutionally protected speech.
I want to see people jailed for this shit. It's DONE BEEN GONE too far since George Floyd.
This is an actual insurrection being staged by the flailing Dem leadership because they, ( like the Bolsheviks and Nazis,) have no real solution to this.
Just violence.
Talk about DEPLORABLE.
Mark and Walter the depth of political corruption in Minnesota is so deep and systemic it boggles the mind. The Left here has been planning this before the George Floyd incident. Please look into the Hillary Clinton-Mr. And Mrs. Andy Luger connection. Andy Luger former U.S. Attorney in Minnesota. Luger is also connected deeply in the Democratic party including Amy Klobuchar. The two former Assistant U.S. attorneys Melinda Williams has developed a strong relationship with Amy Klobuchar. Melinda and Joe Thompson both have been playing the media in Minnesota for a long time under Luger under the Biden Presidency. There is more to share.
I agree, but... I'm so tired of the end-all of everything being nothing more than useful fodder for the next election. I could not care less about Hillary, Amy, or Biden. While I have no use for them whatsoever, they can be a distraction. I want to find all the people involved in Minnesota, charge them, put them on trial, and imprison them if called for. Then do it in Florida for the Medicare/Medicaid fraud. Go to every state and lock people up. End the fraud. That's real money going to undeserving people.
My fear -- no, not fear, belief -- my belief is that nothing will come out of Minnesota other than a letter from Jim Jordan, some mean tweets from Trump, and a bunch of campaign rhetoric. I want to end the fraud which seems to be part and parcel of our political system. And to be honest, our economy.
Anyway, I'm not lecturing the original poster here. I'm in agreement that we must address Minnesota, and I was just extending his comment. I truly want Minnesota to be addressed as something other than fuel for a political campaign. At this point, I see political elections being largely a waste of time. A distraction, really.
I totally agree. We are in child-proofed political atmosphere where only the issues the media wants to use (for their own purposes) will be covered and magnified.
This is the wealthy media elites/owners shoving the issue THEY want discussed into our eyeballs.
I mean, us even chewing on it giving them a win, frankly.
Not saying the immigration issue doesn't have importance, but it is not the MOST IMPORTANT, ALL CONSUMING issue of the day. It just isn't.
You'll notice also: This issue (like most of the issues the media chooses to obsess around)- WHICHEVER way it goes- does NOT affect the financial positions of the wealthy media owners...They love their current command economic position, and want to keep things as they are.
So we get immigration, 24/7 in the current cycle, Trans nonsense the next, UFO's after that, and on and on and on.
You don't see coverage on taxing the rich with any vigor. Etc.
The problem is that the ideological capture among judges and State and local prosecutors in places like MN is profound; which severely handicaps our justice system. The very fact that MN and other jurisdictions proclaim that they are “sanctuaries” belies the rule of law. They are exempting themselves from accountability and creating conditions that breed entitled creeps like the folks that invaded the church. This also complicates the job of ICE; which thus is unable to find and detain criminals from jails, where non-sanctuary jurisdictions will house criminals. Notice that ICE operations in places like TX and TN have not occasioned these kinds of chaotic and sometimes violent protests.
Lesson One: groups of people (Canadians, Minnesotans) that self-describe themselves as "nice" or "friendly" should never be trusted.
The tyranny of nice
Yeah they are the worst. They are the sneaky ones.
I live in Northern Wisconsin...it can be like that here...behind the "awe shucks" facade lurks raging monsters sometimes :-)
claiming first amendment rights while preventing religious expression is amazing. not in a good way.
While discussing the MN protests at one point Walter states that he does not really know what their objective is. I was surprised. I'm sure if he gave it some thought he would say what is obvious. The dem strategy is clearly to use protests to create the narrative that Trump creates chaos. Simple. It works so well for them. Watch the news, it's all there, chaos! And why is there chaos? Because of Trump! What can American's do to put an end to the chaos? Vote for the democrats! This is not complicated.
They are also throwing shade to cover /distract from the multi billion boondoggle.
I keep thinking the best way to root out the fraud in Minnesota would be to send in a battalion of certified public accounts, not a battalion of ICE bash and grab guys;
The Crimson Permanent Assurance could do it.
Superb Monty Python/Terry Gilliam reference!
Thank you! I was rather chuffed with it, myself;)
A gay black guy and a botoxed jewish woman get together to talk about how to be a good Christian. Lol!
Who says Jennifer Welch is Jewish?
Lots to unpack. Clearly social norms in Minneapolis are gone. Mob intimidation against rule of law. People are losing their minds very much like Covid. Mass psychosis formation. Why do I get up and go to work everyday when such moronic chaos is US news? Are we forgetting the thievery that Minneapolis and Minnesota has perpetuated?
This is all a smokescreen to deal with the billions being stolen. What other conclusion is logical? That fucking dildo ranting about starving children and white privilege….. his rant doesn’t equate to the problem at hand.
Not one of your best ATW's guys. It's like you're trying way too hard to make this 95/5 issue into a 50/50 issue. It's so not, for so so many reasons. I'll give you two big ones: the context of the massive fraud and corruption of Walz, Omar and Kieth Ellison, and the key fact that for some very strange reason you never feel is relevant, that if Minneapolis did not choose for purely political purposes to declare itself a "Sanctuary City" and followed federal law, to which they are most definitely required to do as members of our nation of states, and cooperated with ICE and the Border Patrol as other states have done, where we hear not a peep, then NONE OF THIS DRAMA would be happening. How about we talk about that? Would Renee Good be alive today if Minneapolis had not been declared a Sanctuary City? And what was the true motivation for Minneapolis being declared a Sanctuary City? Was it out of a genuine concern for keeping illegals, most with crumbling convictions or charges, here illegally? Or was it more motivated as a political statement of opposition to a president they lost an election to?
I think Walter and Matt covered the issue of sanctuary cities in within the last two or three episodes of ATW, although I can't remember exactly the episode. I do remember them talking about how far "sanctuary cities" go back, the original idea (which is nothing like what it's being used for currently), and also commenting that you can't have a functioning nation if various subsections of that nation decide which national laws apply to them and which don't.
Agreed. They did. I didn't mean to say that they never mentioned it. My point being the significance of the sanctuary city status in Minneapolis and the deliberate political strategy of Walz and Frey and other Dems to make a point of not cooperating with ICE, as the cause of this chaos is IMV being understated. There simply would be no chaos, no news, if the Dems did not choose to make opposition to Federal Law enforcement a major part of their political strategy of showing their base how they are opposing the hated Trump.
Do we really need to waste time on the ways that Don Lemon sucks? Few other things going on in the world...
My first thought on hearing Walter almost mispronounce Lemon's last name as Lamont made me chuckle: as in "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! By day, mild mannered Lamont Cranston: by night, The Shadow! (Old US radio show.) I might start calling Don Lemon "The Shadow." ha.
Churches are the last bastions of sincere moral decency and resolve and no one understands this better than Ellison and whoever runs Lemon.
The government contradicts a big part of his story.
What is the evidence there was no warrant? What is the evidence that he was forced out without clothes?
The police can't force someone to put on warm clothes
I don't trust one word of any ICE story. Everything is so performative.
Agree with Walter’s description of MLK’s position. It’s very much where we are now as a nation. We want fair and equal application of law including the application of justice. The people want redress for fraud, abuse and corruption regardless of source.
Am I to understand that the Minneapolis police was not available to intervene at the church to remove the protesters. The gaul of them interrupting a sacred service. Under these circumstances would it be legal for their ushers to forcibly remove the apostates?
As I understand it, Waltz and Frey and Ellison have ordered police to “stand down”. Another part of their performative theatrics to create chaos.
Getting picky I believe Frey is the only one that could order the police to stand down. An interesting question is if it's an illegal order. Regardless, Frey has a stewardship responsibility to promote the public safety. So my question is does it? My guess is no.
Jurisdictionally I think you are correct. But he and Waltz are in lockstep…likely legally conspiritorily.
You sure you want to grant them that much skill? Considering the serious financial issues that occurred on their watch I'd find it equally likely its a perverse serendipity.
Possible. But my spidey sense tells me that politicians with that much money sloshing around, who also ignore multiple warnings from Federal and State auditors, are likely benefiting from the fraud in $$ as well as via the paid for votes from the imported Somali “community"
Respectfully, I ask you how many hands the sloshing funds would have to go through to finally reach those high-level elected officials. Hypothetically starting at the "infamous Somali day care center" to their NGO sponsor, to the local government pass through. Its only at this point we've hit the infamous government and I'm sure there could be as many hands the hush money would pass through. So many hands, so many potential squealers, makes your approach unlikely. Now if there's a rash of unsolved murders that could be tied to one of these channels, maybe. However, my take the theft was localized at a very low level coupled with lazy bureaucrats not performing anything resembling due diligence. You may be right but if you are this would make Teapot Dome look like petty larceny. So in conclusion, if you say crawl up everyone's behind I'm with you. But here I believe occam's razor provides the likeliest answer.
Speaking of the Minneapolis police, NC has good commentary on the issue.
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/01/ice-called-out-by-minneapolis-police-for-harassing-off-duty-officers-of-color-as-doj-targets-minnesota-officials-personally-with-criminal-subpoenas.html
ICE isn't winning over those who would normally be natural allies.
This is an unknown source for me. Its definitely provocative but is it reliable? I don't know if its news or opinion? The way I look at it is it's "point" without "counter-point.". I will say it will be interesting when the facts catch up with the rhetoric how this article will be judged.
It's been online for 15 years, beginning with the mortgage fraud, the subprime debacle, and the great financial crisis. I find it a credible source on many topics. It's generally left to left-of-center, like Racket News. ymmv.
There is such a variety of comments I'm not sure where to put Racket on the political spectrum. Many times I find Matt very tentative seeking guidance or perhaps trying to elicit comment from Walter. However I am always very interested in their subject matter.
Live updates from Minneapolis.
https://www.startribune.com/ice-raids-minnesota/601546426
I'm a "boomer" working all my life to help make ends meet with my wife. There was never time for protesting beyond perhaps an afternoon. How do you explain the large ongoing presence of protesters? Don't they have to work for a living? I know I'm not the only one who has thought about this, respectfully, have you?
I'm not saying there is no controversy with immigration, etc, but this thing is blown FAR out of proportion to reality.
Like all the people in Grover's Mill, New Jersey in 1938 who went outside expecting to see UFO's but found none.
To me, what is interesting is who in/around the media is so savagely blowing up this story, and for what reason?
I think the root of the question is extremely important. Can cities, states and one of the biggest political parties in the U.S. disregard immigration laws passed by a democratically elected Congress? It’s very similar to the civil war.
I think the answer to that is clear. This is a losing issue for the Democrats, both at the ballot box and under federal law.
Which makes it even more intriguing, to me, that the mainstream media would decide to draw the partisan battle lines around this issue.
Obviously some 5d chess going on, here.
Trump, Trump, Trump
Make sure to check out Townhall’s undercover video demonstrating Ohio immigration judges taking payoffs to approve asylum cases. https://x.com/townhallcom/status/2013657449887076460