Happy happy Americans

 

.....

and I didn't realize the big ships were coming for the celebration.

,,,,,

then we have the concert in Washington DC

Happy Birthday USA

..........

But Independence day remind me of the the Boston Pops, who would play this as an encore to their concerts:

,,,,,

Then you have this story about the fans who came to the US to watch the World Cup and discovered that what they thought they knew  about the USA was wrong. Duh.    

,,,,,,

Ironically, almost no one on the discussion groups has noticed that. \the later episodes of this series is about the US revolution, including the Battle of Saratoga, and now has ended with the Battle of Kings Mountain. 

Modern Martyrs

 

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this was in 2023....

of course these are not the only martyrs killed by the enemies of those who   hate Catholicism or Christianity and of course these same evil types attack the pious of other religions including Judism, Hinduism, Islam. 

Will the movie encourage right wing violence?

 the new controversial movie that is banned in some places (So Elon let it be put on X) is a modern day imitation of Charles Bronson's Death Wish movie.

No, I didn't watch it nor will I watch it in the future because it is violence porn.

So will it encourage right wing nutcases to do the same thing in Europe and in the USA?

Probably: copycat crimes are a known public health problem:  

Yet the recent rape gang report in the UK suggests it was covered up, and there are anecdotes that similar crimes are not punished in Europe. So this film will encourage vigilante justice and suggests the use of weapons for self defense might become more common

But no one wants to admit this is already happening: But by the left,  and its shocktroops of Antifa.

We read about left wing folk on line spouting non stop hatred of working class folk who are called MAGA, or who are justifying murder and making heroes out of those who murder for political reasons. 

one does hope that payback murders against criminals and crooked politicians in the USA and Europe doesn't reach the point of what happens here in the Philippines.  

sigh.

I remember the African Proverb that warns: Even a small snake has a fang.

There is a need to spread peace, but alas pacifism always suggests normies need to be peaceful but rarely points out the crimes that they are angry about because the pacifists always underestimate the depth of evil.

refugees unwelcome: Some things never change

Thousands of migrants are fleeing South Africa amid xenophobic violence and ahead of planned anti-immigrant protests on June 30. Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, and Mozambique are repatriating citizens following the events, with many camping outside consular offices. pic.twitter.com/ktO5T7gMGt

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 26, 2026

....

So it's not just some in the USA trying to get rid of migrants who flood their country, don't assimilate, steal the jobs of locals, and often resort to crime to live. It is also happening in parts of Europe. 

Myself, I oppose sending people back to places like Haiti which is still in chaos, and now Venezuela has had an earthquake, so would you send people there? Regan had the right idea: Those with jobs and assimilated should get an amnesty. 

However, the Somalis who defrauded the government via NGO type stuff, and drug gangs, no problem. Throw them out or put them in jail.

Assimilation is a big problem, and in the USA it has been a problem, and local xenophobia against those from a different culture is not a new thing: The Knownothing riots of the 1844 for example was against the Irish Catholics, who were poor and uneducated fleeing the Irish Famine, but their presence exacerbated the anti Catholic prejudices inherited from England. This prejudice was still around when JFK ran for president and he had to point out that he would not push Catholic law into US law, because he would take the oath to defend the constitution: something that ordinary Muslims might want to tell the loudmouths pushing Sharia law into the USA to learn this lesson because their statements about making this into US law is making those of that religion unpopular in some areas.

Most Yanks reading about this (in AlJ, since I doubt the US MSM even knows that it isn't just white Boer farmers fleeing that country) don't realize that South Africa has a problem with African refugees too.

this film was made years ago in 2009, based on a 2005 short film at a time when the huge influx of refugees from starvation and deliberate eviction of the middle class who opposed Mugabe in Zimbabwe filled the slums of South AFrica.

The original inspiration was the treatment of black South Africans under apartheid, but the short film was made to satirize the negative attitudes of South Africans to the refugees.

....'

so remember this film the next time Steven Spielberg and others tell you that the people from outer space just want to help you and are superior.

The refugees in District 9 are slaves who revolted against their masters, and fled to earth. But hey, it could have been worse (/s)

Earthquake in Venezuela

 

Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.1 and 7.5 shook Venezuela and were felt in Colombia

that is a powerful earthquake and hit near Caracas... reports from later suggest thousands may have been killed.

Finding the covid cover up

the fact that Lancet quickly published an article denying covid came from the lab that was written by Ecohealth's leader withoug telling those reading it that Ecohealth had money links to the covid virus being experimented on in Wuhan lab

Not to mention the coverup of possible treatments, which if given early (not when you went into ICU) could have lessened the problem.

Summary of press propaganda in the UK

Lotus Eaters podcast discuss how the UK press distorted the story of a school girl who carried an ax to protect herself and her sister.

a good reporter would have gone into the neighborhood and maybe to the school to see if similar sexual harassment or worse happened to their preteen girls. But no, instead the press backed the government propaganda.

two reasons I posted this:

One: it shows how press bias happened, and it suggests why the press ignored the grooming gangs for the last 40 years

Two: It shows the importance of Twitter in exposing grass roots news stories at a time when the mainstream press is failing their job in exploring the truth.

And suggests the UK aim to stop the internet access is more about controlling the news than about protecting the children

it wasn't just in the UK

It is an open secret that illegal migrant women and children are in danger of being sexually assaulted when they travel to the USA.

Unlike European migrants, who tend to be fleeing the wars of the Middle East and include a lot of military age men, in the US, women often migrate because Hispanic culture allows women to be independent, and there are a lot of jobs in the USA for them (factories, nannies, caregivers).

But women and children are more vulnerable to sexual exploitation.

I am too lazy to look up all the details, so I asked Grok about human trafficking in the US and to migrants entering the USA

Answer:

Yes, sexual violence, including rape, by human traffickers and smugglers is a well-documented risk for migrants—especially women and girls—traveling to the US, primarily during journeys through Mexico.

Scale of the ProblemReliable exact numbers are difficult due to severe underreporting (victims fear retaliation, deportation, stigma, or lack access to authorities). However, multiple sources report high prevalence:Amnesty International (2010): Up to 60% of women and girls migrating through Mexico may experience sexual assault. link NBC NEWS LINKState Dept LInk

Other estimates: UN and NGOs have cited figures around 70% for women traveling without family protection. Some reports on Central American women/girls reaching ~80%.

A study on Central American migrants found 1 in 4 women experienced sexual violence (mostly rape), far higher than for Mexican women or men.

These assaults often occur en route in Mexico (Darién Gap, cartel-controlled areas, stash houses in border cities like Reynosa and Matamoros) rather than after US entry. Violence has reportedly increased in recent years with surges in irregular migration, kidnappings, and cartel involvement.

How Human Traffickers/Smugglers Are InvolvedSmuggling vs. Trafficking overlap: Many migrants voluntarily pay smugglers ("coyotes"), but coercion frequently turns it into trafficking. Smugglers use debt bondage, threats, family extortion, and violence to control groups. Rape serves as "payment," intimidation, or control.

Common tactics: Kidnapping in stash houses, gang rape (sometimes in front of families), forced prostitution, or repeated assault during transit. Women may take birth control preemptively knowing the risk.

Perpetrators: Cartels, smugglers, gangs, corrupt officials, and sometimes other migrants. In labor trafficking cases involving Latin American migrants, sexual violence occurs in ~20% of documented instances.

Post-arrival: Some face further exploitation (sex or labor trafficking) inside the US, but the journey itself is the highest-risk phase.

Context and Broader DataMigrants from Central America (Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador), Venezuela, and Mexico are heavily affected. Unaccompanied minors and women traveling alone are most vulnerable.

Cartels and criminal groups profit from both smuggling and extortion/trafficking. Reports note rises in sexual violence consultations by groups like Doctors Without Borders.

unwomen.org US government sources (DHS, ICE, CBP) and NGOs like Polaris document immigrant vulnerability to trafficking. Many detected victims in the US are foreign-born.

Underreporting is extreme—most cases never reach authorities. Data comes from survivor interviews, shelters, medical NGOs, and limited official records in Mexico/US. en.wikipedia.org

This is a longstanding humanitarian crisis tied to irregular migration routes, organized crime, poverty, and weak enforcement in transit countries. Efforts include anti-trafficking programs (T-visas in the US), but risks persist for those using dangerous smuggling networks. For official resources, see DHS Blue Campaign or IOM/UNODC reports.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_assault_of_migrants_from_Latin_America_to_the_United_States

so when ICE points out they are trying to trace 300 thousand vulnerable migrant children lost to follow up and that they have only found half of them, the news then ridicules the report, pointing out (correctly) that many of these children were placed with families who just didn't keep in touch with the govt, or into foster homes. 

But that last part ignores that some of these placements were never checked out properly, and that some of the children were diverted into being used for cheap labor or possibly into the black underground of child prostitution.

sigh.

I don't blame the migrants like the Republicans tend to do: If you are poor and have no real opportunities in your country, then yes you will willingly risk death or dishonor to migrate. 

This however does not excuse government who didn't regulate the border under Biden (for charitable reasons, as if the open borders might entice immigrants who just want a job, and of course entice criminal gangs to enter).

In constrast, one sees military age Muslim men traveling in boats trying to enter Europe. This site estimates 80 percent. And then they wonder why rape occurs, and the cultural beliefs make this seem not a crime but acceptable.

Most migrants coming to the USA would work if allowed by an amnesty, but with the US being manipulated by the crazies of both parties, they would rather cause disorder to gain political power than to do like Reagan and legalize those with jobs who have no criminal background.