"Operation Firewall"

Fourteen tons of drugs burning in Juarez, Mexico.

Mexican drug cartels are fighting for the U.S. dollar in a modern drug war along the U.S./ Mexico border. Officials at the D.E.A. have reported that American consumers spend about $12 to $15 billion each year for illegal drugs and have pledged to bring such a demand to a grinding halt.

More than one year ago Congress passed the Merida Initiative in an effort to stop the violence and the flow of drugs into the U.S. The initiative calls for $1.5 billion in aid to Mexico with approximately $117,000,000 for military hardware and equipment (that's more than the Defense Dept. hands to Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan).

So, why isn't this program working? The Department of Homeland Security says the "shared problem, shared solution" hasn't gotten out of the portals of the Treasury Dept. because the new military technology hasn't been resolved. Huh? The word we should use here is bureaucracy.

No Sunset for the Patriot Act

I have been in Prez Obama's camp since his Democratic nomination. His ideas/ideals have been refreshing and sorely needed. Now comes the bad news. The infamous Patriot Act introduced under the previous administration was set to expire this year. In political circles this is known as "sunset". Now, however, it appears that Mr. Obama just can't seem to let it die.
A quick review of the law should scare anyone. It allows for the arrest and detaining of a "suspect" without habeas corpus for just about anything authorities may deem a "terrorist act". Check out too many books on radical Islamic Faith and risk having the librarian report you to the F.B.I., no, it's not because she's a mean busybody, it's because the law requires such notification ; your buddy sends a $500 check to his friend Ibn in Niarobi which immediately draws the attention of the Dept. of Homeland Security and his possible arrest. This law allows for the searching of our phones, computers, and just about anything that might be considered "suspect". Which could lead to arrests with out right to legal counsel indefinitely.

Every civil rights organization under the sun has come down hard in opposition to the act, but their pleadings have fallen on death ears.

Pardon my naivete, I looked to Mr. Obama to change this capricious law with an executive order the first day he walked into the White House. It didn't happen. Later, I waited for him to ask Congress to deny reauthorization of the bill this year. It didn't happen, either.

Obama's position on this issue begs for logic only to find none. Yep, it's all about politics. In this sense one could think of the Executive Branch as a sponge soaking up yet more power that it doesn't want to release. Think Lord Acton and you get a better picture: "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely".



Benjamin Franklin got it right when he said: "Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve either".