Transparency

 Trump isn't perfect, no one is.  But to complain about Trump not being transparent about his finances while not applying the same standards to the Clintons, Obamas (who parlayed their presidencies into hundreds of millions of dollars), and Bidens (who seems to have been selling access to both Biden, as well as pardons), seems a bot hypocritical.   Let alone the legions of those in congress who are making huge money insider trading.   Pelosi is kind of the poster child for this, but there are so many across both parties that naming all of them would be futile.  

 

“Show me a man that gets rich by being a politician, and I'll show you a crook.” 

Harry Truman

I think that the problem lies in the fact that Trump was a successful businessman long before he ran for president and that his businesses continue to operate and make money while he's in office.   While it's easier to connect the riches of the Clintons, Obamas, and Bidens to their time in the White House, it's not quite so obvious for Trump.  It seems unreasonable to expect the Trump organization to provide confidential financial information that would potentially help his competitors just because he's president.   Are there instances where the Trump organization has benefited from Trumps presidency, probably.   Is their even a hint of a quid pro quo in terms of paying Trump for particular official action?   Is the Trump organization getting a "better" deal to build a multi million dollar hotel in another country really significantly worse than using insider knowledge gained as a congressperson to buy and sell stocks for massive profit?

 

Assimilation

 I've written extensively about the seemingly endless fraud in the people's republic, and how the vast majority of that fraud is concentrated in one immigrant community.   As we see in myriads of public statements, the Somali community in MN thinks of themselves as citizens of Somalis first, Muslims second,  and residents of MN third (at best).   They've brought tribal conflict that's shown up in how they vote, and an aptitude for fraud that is impressive from Somalia.   They worship Ilhan Omar who's family was part of the oppressive regime and who's father was (by most standards) a war criminal.    We've seen a massive amount of immigration fraud, on top of the outright theft of hundreds of millions of dollars.   Some of which is reported to be supporting Muslim terror groups.   You could argue that you can't blame the entire group for the actions of the few, and that is usually True.  However when the scope of the autism fraud was revealed, and the high rate of participation, the 50% rate of immigration fraud, and the total inability to police their community, I think it's fair to say that it's not just a few troublemakers.  

Strangely enough, the Twin Cities is also home to another large group of immigrants that get less publicity.   Sure, we hear about Suni Lee and the kid who was in Gran Torino, but that's about it.    Of course I'm talking about the Hmong (and to a lesser extent the Karen).    One might ask why we don't hear the same sorts of things about this community as we do about the Somali community.   I believe that there are two relatively simple answers.   One, gratitude.  The Hmong were (as a community) grateful to have been removed from SE Asia and their situation there and have shown that gratitude.   Two, assimilation.   They have done an excellent job of assimilating into the community, without sacrificing their cultural identity.  You could probably find some answers in the differences between Asian and African cultures as well.  

In short, I'd argue that to compare and contrast the experiences of the Hmong and Somali immigrants who ended up in the people's republic  would make an interesting case study.  Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that it'll ever be done because of the potential to open various cans of worms.  It seems safe to conclude that immigrants who have no desire or intent to assimilate are not immigrants that bring value to the countries they immigrate to.  

 

 https://www.wilder.org/wp-content/pdf-file/SFO_PopulationAtGlance_AllPopulationss_6-16.pdf

I decided to take a look, and found this.  It's interesting that Somalis have the highest poverty rate and one of the lowest working rates.    This is interesting data, but it would be interesting to do a deeper dive.   Especially to look at things like country loyalty and intent/desire to assimilate.  

Work

I've committed to a 9 months program at my church focused on integrating faith an work.   One of the foundations of this program is to study the role of work in scripture and how it relates to our faith. In our last session we looked at part of a book called Practicing The King's Economy, and specifically on the notion of the importance of work and equity in scripture.

  I know that many on the progressive christian side of things have problems with the Old Testament.  It's "myth", it's "revenge fantasy",  it's too supernatural, there's too much of YHWH directly intervening or whatever.  But there seem to be a couple of things that they do tend to pull out of all of that in an attempt to form a political strategy.   Those two things are the Gleaning laws, and the Jubilee.  There is an attempt to use those two things as some sort of foundation for the social gospel/liberal/governmental social programs.   So let's look at them.

The Gleaning laws required everyone on the Hebrew nation/Israel to leave the perimeter of their farmland unharvested, I believe that the requirement was 10% (I know, it's not a rule book, but...).   This was then available for those in need to harvest and provide themselves with food.  One of the keys to this law was that it required work on the part of those in need.   It didn't require that the one who's field it was harvest the crop, process it, and then set aside 10% to deliver to those in need.   I required those in need to actually do the work of providing their own food.  It certainly didn't involve the government in the process.  It was literally people allowing those in their community the ability to harvest their own food.   

I've heard people argue that this law (but no rules, right?) justifies the modern welfare state.  That this is why we should support programs like SNAP and other cash payments from the government.   Yet, as we see with SNAP, those programs provide much more than basic sustenance and  the very notion of requiring work to receive those benefits has raised quite a ruckus among the recipients.  

The Jubilee was a law that required Israel to do a total reset every 50 years.   All of the land reverted back to the original tribal allotments, all slaves were freed, debts were cancelled, and things went back to how they originally were when Israel settled the promised land.  It seems germane to note that there is no record of Israel every actually practicing the Jubilee throughout their history as a nation.  I've heard people use the notion of the Jubilee as justification for confiscatory tax rates on "the rich", and the like.   Yet the reality is that the Jubilee was tied to the land and the people of Israel, and doesn't translate well to 21st century society.  

What I think is the most important aspect of both of these laws, was that they were rooted in community.  They were some of the laws intended to distinguish YHWH's chosen people from the surrounding nations.   They were rooted within the community, and intended to strengthen the community.   

If we are going to take anything from these two laws and attempt to apply it to 21st century culture, I'd suggest that we focus on work and community.   That maybe a top down, national or international approach to problems isn't always the answer.   That removing work from assistance  creates dependency and dignity from those who need the help.   That simply taking the wealth from those who do work and produce, and giving it to those who don't isn't the best plan.  

Don't Covet

 We just finished a sermon series about the 10 commandments this morning with "don't covet", and it raised a question in my mind.  

Is there not a point where "pay your fair share" becomes simply coveting what others posses?   Does the fact that the covetousness is for some amorphous "greater good" , somehow make it acceptable?  

Finally does the very concept of "don't covet" that which belongs to your neighbor at least suggest the notion of private property?     I get that everything belongs to YHWH and that we are stewards of what He gives us, but this commandment seems to suggest that what we steward for YHWH is (in a sense) ours and should be protected from others.   

More Good Stuff

 https://x.com/reallindelltv/status/1988751134987808970?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

Great video of an idiotic DFL representative making a fool of himself.   

 https://x.com/jackunheard/status/1988845026852352157?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

Thanks for this CNN.  Crockett is clearly not capable of rational thought.  

 https://x.com/jasonjournodc/status/1988792127388602777?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

Great News Nation video of how much of a nothingburger the Epstein files are for Trump, and in fact, seem to exonerate Trump.  

 

Reparations?

 https://www.pacificresearch.org/the-slavers-call-for-reparations-we-go-on-metaphor-alert-again-as-au-and-eu-debate-history/

This is a good article on the irony of the current countries, which historically were an enthusiastic and major participant in the global slave trade, demanding reparations from those who bought the slaves that they sold.  

Waste, Fraud, Abuse, and Failure

 https://www.city-journal.org/article/minnesota-welfare-fraud-somalia-al-shabaab

 https://www.countyhighway.com/archive/volume-3/issue-3/the-shame-of-our-cities-rosen

 https://x.com/ajinvestigates/status/1991480590512578600?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

 https://x.com/endwokeness/status/1991678468959129940?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

 https://x.com/gragedustin/status/1991889396652806632?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

 https://x.com/gragedustin/status/1991849600039235727?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

 https://x.com/rickkupchella/status/1991370036003635343?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

 https://x.com/wallstreetapes/status/1991540077277900957?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

 

 https://x.com/jbartle44051086/status/1991215349547565288?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

This seemingly never ending litany of fraud coming from MN broadly, MSP in particular, and the Somali community specifically keeps growing.   What's strange is that the DFL is somehow not being associated with this fraudapalooza so far.    More fun stuff.  At this point it is impossible to deny that the complete and total responsibility for the conditions fall 100% on Walz and the DFL.   The Somali influx is also a problem.   It's strange that the large numbers of Hmong and Karen immigrants haven't caused nearly the problems of the Somalis.  

 https://alphanews.org/mpd-chief-cites-east-african-kids-from-out-of-town-in-ongoing-dinkytown-youth-crime-problems/

Clearly the MPD chief is too much of a coward to be specific.   

 https://alphanews.org/mpd-chief-cites-east-african-kids-from-out-of-town-in-ongoing-dinkytown-youth-crime-problems/

MNDHS whistle blower comes forward to suggest mismanagement under the Walz regime.   

 tartribune.com/twin-cities-fraud-case-draws-in-thc-company-former-house-majority-leader-and-prominent-attorney/601525568?taid=6919edfec7e0ef00018556d3&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Shocking, that DFL politicians and weed companies are engaging in fraud. 

 https://www.startribune.com/thousands-of-college-students-could-lose-financial-aid-as-program-faces-102m-deficit/601516144

As the DFL squandered a huge surplus and continues to raise tuition, more  deficits loom.  

 https://x.com/gragedustin/status/1988740

It's not just Walz.  

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-administration-eric-swalwell-federal-criminal-probe-mortgage-rcna243518

More DFL elected officials committing mortgage fraud.   Which ignores the fact that this guy was banging a CCP spy.  

 https://x.com/ingrahamangle/status/1988768923169243415?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

I'm not going to argue that we should get rid of SNAP, but clearly there needs to be some sort of overhaul of the program.  

https://x.com/wallstreetapes/status/1988939913535090921?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

It's no wonder Chicago schools are performing so poorly.   Watch the attached news report for details.  

 https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2025/11/14/republic-reporting-prompts-arizona-house-gop-investigation/87261676007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=undefined&gca-ft=0&gca-ds=sophi

Strangely enough, AZ is one of the places with sketchy election security.  

 https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1988986173738377424?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

But this absolutely never happens, so I've been sold.

 https://x.com/gragedustin/status/1988996977879634396?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

The MSP ABC affiliate does some good reporting on more fraud in the light rail system.  That this whole thing is a billions of dollars money sewer is almost beyond the point.