THE REFUGEE CRISIS

 It is difficult, if not impossible, to understand exactly how the Rowley regime's handling of the refugee problem can be justified. It is true that we are a small country. And it is true that we simply cannot afford to be effectively overrun by refugees fleeing from a murderously criminal regime in Venezuela. It is also true that we are signatories to several international treaties that dictate how we should treat with refugees. And finally, it is also true that the sanctions that the United States has placed on Maburro's regime is causing serious hardship in Venezuela. 

Now, the argument that is being promulgated by supporters of Maburro, Rowley & Co. is that it is these sanctions by the United States that are the real cause of the hardships of the Venezuelan people and that their removal would help to right things in that unfortunate country. 

Unfortunately, this is only a half-truth, and, as everybody knows, a half truth is more dangerous than an outright lie. Yes, the sanctions are hurting the ordinary people, but guess what? The ordinary people were hurting BEFORE the sanctions were imposed. Yes, the sanctions do not seem to have worked in that the regime is still in place. But the Cubans have installed a security apparatus that has given Maburro & Co. complete control over the military ... and 'power comes out of the mouth of a gun' (as Chairman Mao used to say). And the fact is that there really is nothing more than can be done now to remove the jackdonkey  from power. If anybody can think of a solution please put it forward. 

And so, donkeys that we are, we collectively curse the ugly Americans and after drawing up to our full three inch height look into the eyes of the eight foot giant and say 'you are wrong and the fault is yours that we have so many refugees coming over here.' But we don't say diddley-squat to either Maburro or the Cubans. We say nothing when Maburro cooks the election results and installs himself for another (illegitimate) term in office. We don't say anything to Maburro when his people run over here to escape from a crushing economic situation or from serious injustices which could cost them their lives.

Have you ever thought how desperate a person must be to pick themselves up and with very few belongings and almost no money make a dangerous journey by boat to another country that doesn't want them and which speaks a completely different language? 

And then we have a Prime Minister who appears on the face of it to be very friendly with Maburro and makes comments that are really criticisms of the United States. But wait a minute! It is a well recognized principle in international relations that countries don't have friends ... they have interests. Now where do you think our best interests lie when Venezuela and the United States are so obviously at loggerheads? With Venenezuela or with the United States? And please don't forget that the United States is not only our biggest trading partner, but also is capable of crushing us with one stroke of it's pen not to mention it's military. This ought to be a no-brainer.

So? Was it really in our best interests to turn those children away and have the whole world criticize us? Was that a humane action and should we be oblivious to the inhumanity of the Maburro regime? In other words, did we do right to treat those children the way we did?

I'm sorry, but I don't think so. And for the record, I know that the man's name is Maduro but he's such a donkey that I prefer to call him by a name that is more descriptive.