BY FRANK VERNUCCIO
America’s fractured population
can’t seem to fi nd a common
path to have a less contentious
conversation. There is a
reason for that.
The traditional divide,
Democrats and liberals versus
Republicans and conservatives,
has been replaced by
a new gap, pitting those who
choose realism against those
whose perception of actual
facts has been overshadowed
by their biases. The lines
aren’t always along party affi
liation, as witnessed by the
fi ghts within the Democratic
Party of realists such as Joe
Manchin and Krysten Sinema
against Joe Biden and the Progressive
caucus.
The fever pitch among realists
against the progressive’s
immigration, spending,
defense, crime and education
policies is fueled by what they
perceive, correctly, as being
the latter’s disregard for the
truth. The Biden administration’s
misstatements about
Afghanistan; the nonsensical
statement that spending $3.5
trillion won’t cost anything
and the taxes that support
it will not touch the middle
class; the claim that “the border
is under control” are examples
of blatant falsehoods
that many believe are arrogant
insults to the general citizenry.
Underlying much of the
Left’s views on the economy
is a refusal to acknowledge
the history of socialist societies,
which for more than a
century have failed to produce
desirable results. Their
belief that currency can be
infi nitely printed without
consequences, in defi ance of
historical examples such as
Germany’s hyper-infl ation
in the early years of the 20th
century, is leading to disaster.
America is already close
to $29 trillion in debt, amounting
to $220,000 per household.
Adding more is irresponsible.
President Biden insistence
that spending trillions will
have a “zero price tag,” and
foolish statements from progressives
such as U.S. Rep.
Ritchie Torres (D-NY) that
spending $3.5 trillion would
be only a “modest investment”
defy logic.
The Pentagon was left out
of the Biden’s proposed spending
spree. He sent a package
for defense to Congress that,
accounting for infl ation, resulted
in a cut of 2.6%. That
fi gure utterly ignored the
massive threats from China’s
largest in the world navy, Russia’s
globe-leading nuclear arsenal,
North Korea’s atomic
belligerence, the growing
power of terrorist forces and
Iran’s impending weapons of
mass destruction breakout.
The White House preferred to
ignore major dangers abroad
in order to divert funds towards
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, N 44 OV. 12-18, 2021 BTR
its gargantuan social
spending programs. Pretending
those threats do not exist
is a disservice to the nation
and an extraordinary exercise
of foolishness.
Several Republican senators
warn that “President
Biden’s budget proposal cuts
defense spending, sending a
terrible signal not only to our
adversaries in Beijing and
Moscow, but also to our allies
and partners.”
Add to all that, the White
House’s disastrous withdrawal
from Afghanistan,
which it insists was a success,
infl ames realists who can easily
see through the blatant
falsehood.
Similarly, the lack of candor
about the southern border
and the nearly unchecked
fl ood of illegal immigration
has captured the attention
and sparked the anger of realists.
Similar to the Afghanistan
mess, Biden has not only
failed to accede to the reality
of his failed policy but has bizarrely
called it a success, despite
the enormous evidence
to the contrary.
Mark Morgan, former acting
commissioner of U.S. Customs
and Border Protection,
recently wrote in Imprimis
“In just a few short months,
the Biden Administration
has created a disaster on the
southern border of the United
States. It did so by methodically—
and by all indications
intentionally—undoing every
meaningful border security
measure that had been in
place. As a result, we have had
fi ve straight months of over
170,000 illegal immigrants
apprehended at the border.
The number in June was the
highest in over 20 years. And
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) has been
effectively shut down. Our
national discussion of border
security is generally misleading,
and it is designed to be
misleading by those who favor
open borders.”
“Intentionally misleading”
may well be the mantra of the
delusionists who have created
so much anger and pain
throughout the U.S.A.
CIVIC CENTER
Community Action
Civic Association
BY TONY SALIMBENE
An important Nov. 10 annual
Veterans Day event continues
at PS 108, but virtual.
All veterans of all eras are
invited to log-in and watch
the kids and their wonderful
teachers perform their own,
original Veterans Day school
assembly they work so hard
to present. Please call before
hand, 718-863-9829 so they
can send you the email link to
click in.
Remember Nov. 11, Peace
Plaza at 11 a.m., then Van Nest
at 12:15 p.m. We thank them
for their annual invitations.
Good news again as we attempt
to transition out of the
pandemic. The Department of
NY announced there will be a
Mid-Winter Conference in Albany
this year. Some Covid-19
protocols will still apply but
they are attempting to get as
close to the good old days as
possible. I sent out the email
from Department Adj. Casey
as we need to reserve rooms
by the hotel’s rules. Reserve
early as we know, and we want
to try to be together.Continue
prayers for our members on
sick call. Try a buddy check
and see if you can be of help.
Until Next Time: Never let
the fear of striking out keep
you from playing the game.
CIVIC CENTER
Korony Post 253
BY JOE MONDELLO
Salutations to all our
Sam Young family. A belated
Happy Veterans Day to you
all. Hope this week’s column
fi nds you well. With the winter
months ahead of us, remember
to go to your VA hospital
or health provider and get
your fl u shot; maybe even get
a booster vaccine while your
there. Your choice, just sayin..
Our News12 interview regarding
the Sam Young Post has
seem to spark some interest in
our veteran community. A few
calls have come in about joining
the American Legion.
By the time you are reading
this, the NYC Veterans
Day Parade has marched on. I
hope you enjoyed all the perks
allotted to you like the free
food at some major eateries.
Remember this Sunday, Nov.
14, our own Bronx Veterans
Day Parade will take place
marching up East Tremont
Avenue. Kickoff is at 12 noon.
We would like to see all of our
veterans participates in this
event. Young or old, we earned
the right.
If you need help with some
food for the Thanksgiving holiday,
lets us know. And if you
alone for the holiday, come
to Post 620 on Sunday, Nov.
28, as we are serving a post-
Thanksgiving brunch. Call
and leave a message if you are
coming so we can order the
correct amount. Gonna skip
the Christmas plans for now.
Look for that information in
December’s column. But, it’s
never too early to start talking
about Valentine’s Day.
We are in the planning
stage of putting together a
Sweetheart Dinner Dance
with live entertainment.
“The Many Voices of Dennis
Dell” will be performing. We
are bringing Dell back to the
Bronx to perform his one-man
show. So mark your calendars
now as we are limiting the
sale of tickets. Tickets go on
sale Jan., 4, 2022. Well that’s
all for now.
Hope to see you down
at Post 620 sometime soon.
Would also be nice to see some
legionnaires from other Post
drop in and visit us. Don’t be
a stranger. In closing, Veterans
Day is always observed
on Nov. 11, with speeches, parades
and church services
across the United States and
in many places the American
fl ag is hung at half mast. A
period of silence lasting two
minutes may be held at 11 a.m.
When the holiday fi rst began,
it had a different name, which
was Armistice Day.
CIVIC CENTER
Samuel Young
Post 620
Fencing along the southern border. Photo Getty Images
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