Warning to believers to exercise discernment

[angeltrue]

Oh, I think they know we're struggling. They just don't care. They tell us to be welcoming, but they live behind gates with security cameras and a guard who limits access. Even the Pope behaves that way. Do as I say, not as I do. I think he allowed just 2 carefully selected immigrant families to move to Vatican City.

You're right - they probably don't care. Trump said he would drain the swamp, and he'll have to remove almost the entire government, because the corruption is so bad.

 

[Fabric lover]

[QUOTE="angeltrue, post: 71206138, member: 386977" I don't know how the welfare system came to be so abused.[/QUOTE]

The reason the people pictured and quoted in one of your earlier posts are unashamed of what they're doing is because they're like the fish who took the worm and swam away. You can't blame the fish.
It's the same way with our "guests".
We made it easy, they saw an opportunity and they took it. It's no wonder they're happy! Getting them out of here now is almost impossible and they know it.
There is a real lack of self sufficiency today. People want help when with a little effort, they could help themselves. It really annoys me. I know a woman whose very survival depends on government assistance. Her home, medical, food and transportation are all provided by Uncle Sam. If it's free or close to it, she signs up. She gets purple with rage when she hears that funding for some of these programs will be cut or that they will be eliminated. I've offered suggestions on how she could help herself. She's not interested.

 

[Fabric lover]

You're right - they probably don't care. Trump said he would drain the swamp, and he'll have to remove almost the entire government, because the corruption is so bad.

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton (1834–1902).

 

[angeltrue]

[QUOTE="angeltrue, post: 71206138, member: 386977" I don't know how the welfare system came to be so abused.

The reason the people pictured and quoted in one of your earlier posts are unashamed of what they're doing is because they're like the fish who took the worm and swam away. You can't blame the fish.
It's the same way with our "guests".
We made it easy, they saw an opportunity and they took it. It's no wonder they're happy! Getting them out of here now is almost impossible and they know it.
There is a real lack of self sufficiency today. People want help when with a little effort, they could help themselves. It really annoys me. I know a woman whose very survival depends on government assistance. Her home, medical, food and transportation are all provided by Uncle Sam. If it's free or close to it, she signs up. She gets purple with rage when she hears that funding for some of these programs will be cut or that they will be eliminated. I've offered suggestions on how she could help herself. She's not interested.[/QUOTE]
I see your point - but I think we should still contact legislators and demand these entitlements be discontinued except for the most needy. Those Cubans should be returned to Cuba and get assistance from their own country, as should the others.

Let that woman get purple with rage - maybe she'll learn how to direct her energy into supporting herself. How this was permitted to go on this way is an atrocity. You have people in their 70's unable to retire, dragging themselves to work to support younger, able-bodied people. WE should be the ones purple with rage.

 

[Fabric lover]

I think we should still contact legislators and demand these entitlements be discontinued except for the most needy.[/QUOTE]

There are plenty of people who agree with you, but what's the best use of your time and energy?
If you're struggling to maintain your current lifestyle, maybe it's time to simplify. It can be very liberating to scale down.
Imagine what you would do if a tornado, flood or quake took everything you had. What then?
Newer RVs are built to be lived in. You could live very comfortably and travel or stay put in a lovely, peaceful park and move on when you wanted to. Interior storage is abundant, and you don't have to kill yourself doing housework!
Full time RV living is on my to-do list because I've done it before. Imagine camping in Yosemite in the winter (one of my favorite places). It is breathtakingly beautiful and very peaceful.

Maybe it's time to cut bait and move on.

 

[angeltrue]

I think we should still contact legislators and demand these entitlements be discontinued except for the most needy.

There are plenty of people who agree with you, but what's the best use of your time and energy?
If you're struggling to maintain your current lifestyle, maybe it's time to simplify. It can be very liberating to scale down.
Imagine what you would do if a tornado, flood or quake took everything you had. What then?
Newer RVs are built to be lived in. You could live very comfortably and travel or stay put in a lovely, peaceful park and move on when you wanted to. Interior storage is abundant, and you don't have to kill yourself doing housework!
Full time RV living is on my to-do list because I've done it before. Imagine camping in Yosemite in the winter (one of my favorite places). It is breathtakingly beautiful and very peaceful.

Maybe it's time to cut bait and move on.[/QUOTE]
Smart thinking. We are considering an RV, but I'm thinking about our family, and the massive debt they have inherited, along with an immoral world, widespread corruption, and nonexistent borders for years, which allowed those who hate us to flood the country. While I do plan on trying to enjoy the remaining time God gives me, I'd like to help to leave the world a better place for my family, if I possibly can.

I am looking forward to retirement, and we've stayed in several different places to try to determine where we want to stay. I do want low maintenance! Low housework and low upkeep is good, and no grass to mow!

 

[Fabric lover]

I am looking forward to retirement, and we've stayed in several different places to try to determine where we want to stay. I do want low maintenance! Low housework and low upkeep is good, and no grass to mow![/QUOTE]

I've seen these big coaches on the road, then I found these interior images. Wow!

5 Million Dollar RV - Bing images

 

[Richard T]

It is obvious that Christian kindness has been exploited by those who have an agenda, and it is critical in these times to exercise discernment. Remember, we are warned that satan "appears as an angel of light."

As Christians, we want to be kind and assist noble causes, but at the same time, we need to exercise discernment about what cause our assistance is actually furthering, and if we are being used as an ATM by those who either wish us harm, or merely want to exploit our system for gain, and allow others to support them instead of working.

The following is an excerpt of an article that shows how believers have been manipulated through the selective quoting of scripture, even by self-admitted atheists. Specific verses are used, in an attempt to shame believers into doing the bidding of these pied pipers. The article warns about Soros and Rubio.

In Florida, Rubio's state, the rate of fraud among Cubans who abused the "wet foot/ dry foot" policy is astronomical. The Sun Sentinel ran a blockbuster article on the millions of Cubans on welfare, food stamps, medicaid, and free housing, who are able-bodied, yet are committing fraud, thereby fleecing US taxpayers. Many apply for benefits, then return to Cuba to live, and access their account in the US where they are given thousands every month, through welfare programs. Some admit openly that they retire to Florida to access the free handouts that they never paid into, because they get more money and can live a more comfortable life in the US, meanwhile US citizens are being forced to work past retirement age to survive, and going without critical health care, and other necessities.

With Congress considering tapping into our retirement savings, and the massive debt our country is in which will enslave our children, everyone should be insisting that these criminals in Florida have their entitlements immediately stopped, and made to repay what they stole. Why isn't Rubio acting on that? Taxpayers should insist on a review of who is receiving these entitlements. Those healthy men, who overstayed their visas and set a bomb off in Massachusetts were receiving free government assistance. Why? How can this happen? Remember, it is not just your future that is being stolen, it is your family members.

The next time someone attempts to play on your heart strings to get you to open your purse strings, we should all think twice.

Excerpt:

Through the Evangelical Immigration Table (EIT), a project of the Soros-funded National Immigration Forum (NIF), progressive activists such as Sojourners founder, Jim Wallis, are well-funded to lobby for the Gang of 8 legislation that would almost immediately legalize about 11 million immigrants first, with promises of better law enforcement later.

Another 20 million immigrants, mostly family members, are likely to follow within ten years. A $250,000 national radio campaign by the Table features several evangelical leaders reading from Matthew 25, "I was a stranger, and you welcomed me ..."

We should take notice when self-professed atheist billionaire and globalist profiteer, George Soros, is the quiet funder of a curious "Evangelical Immigration Table" campaign to promote yet another massive and mysterious piece of legislation in Congress. This time it is the "Gang of 8" Schumer-Rubio immigration bill (S. 744).

God loves the citizen and the sojourner. He is a God of love and of order, peace, freedom from debt, wise boundaries, and of nations. In some contexts Scripture teaches us to welcome. In other contexts it teaches us to be distinct, set apart, and, at times, to build walls.

Read more at Bait and Switch: 'Evangelicals' funded by George Soros Endorse 'Gang of 8' Immigration Bill
~~~~~~~
Phyllis Schlafly wrote an article stating that "The Gang of Eight Betrays Americans." Gang of Eight Betrays Americans - Eagle Forum

She states: Remember that the Boston Marathon bomber, Tamarlan, and his family, who were all admitted to the U.S. legally, raked in $100,000 in welfare cash and benefits.

She goes on to say: ~Any government program managed by the liberals always includes a “follow the money” segment. The Gang of Eight’s claim to promote “immigrant integration” is a ruse to give taxpayers’ money to leftwing and Islamist activist groups such as CASA, La Raza, MALDEF, and CAIR.

The Gang of Eight is just as unfair and discriminatory to college-educated American citizens as to entry-level job seekers. S.744 creates four new unlimited green-card preferences for aliens: (1) those with a Ph.D. in any field, (2) foreign physicians, (3) foreign students who graduate from a U.S. college with an advanced degree in a STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) subject, and (4) spouses and minor children of the above.

The lobbyists lied to us by reciting the slogan that the “best and the brightest” are foreigners, rather than Americans, and must be imported so we can benefit from their brains and labor. The notion that the best and the brightest are foreigners is false and contemptible, since most of the world’s great inventions and innovations are American.

Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Mike Lee (R-UT) wrote a joint letter to all Senators about the Gang of Eight bill, identifying the following key flaws. S.744 —

1. provides immediate legalization without securing the border.
2. rewards criminal aliens, absconders, and deportees and undermines the law.
3. contains extremely dangerous national security loopholes.
4. facilitates fraud in our immigration system.
5. creates no real penalties for illegal immigration and rewards illegals with entitlements.
6. delays for years the implementation of E-Verify.
7. does not fix our legal immigration system.
8. rewards those who have broken our laws with a path to citizenship.

~~~~~~~

This issue must be looked into, because there is evidence that there is fraud within the student DACA programs, which Rep. Grassley brought out a few years ago: Help Save Maryland – DACA Ready Illegals Rape Child in Rockville High School – 2 Suspects Deportable Central Americans

DACA "Dreamers" raped a 13-year old in MD, and another raped a 3-year old.

As Christians who want to hold out the olive branch of kindness to those we feel may be less fortunate, we need to ensure that those who are the recipient of our kindness are those who truly deserve our kindness, and won't turn around and "tear us or our children to pieces." Hasn't this already been done?

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7:6

I will address one issue in your post, that concerning the benefits and costs of Cuban immigrants. The article you refer to from the Sun Sentinel, I believe is here. Welfare abuse by Cuban immigrants demands action

It is one from 2016, and though dated it is an editorial and one that should be noticed. However, this is not hard data. Cubans contribute greatly to the Florida economy. Also, new refugees often need welfare. That was certainly the case with E. Germany. In a few years though the economy boomed from their unification. So to discern correctly, you would need the approximate figures for the OVERALL lifetime contributions to Florida, minus the handouts. Instead, you quote anecdotal evidence of a some getting food stamps or welfare payments in Cuba from the US taxpayers.

If I may kindly point out some shortcomings and suggest it is wrong to judge prematurely with really little evidence of the total issue.

Also, we can target lots of other more important fraud in the USA. For instance, the businesses that abused PPI during covid for instance is in the hundreds of billions for fraud. PPP Fraud: Big Numbers, Bigger Numbers to Go

This is not to say that Cubans should not be prosecuted for fraud, just as anyone else, such as those that claim multiple primary residences or overstate net worth to get more favorable loans.

Admittedly, I will go out of my way to show that the Trump Administration is also lacking. First, notice Trump instructed the DOJ to NOT prosecute new cases of the Foreign Corrupt Bribery Act.

Pause on Enforcement of Foreign Anti-Bribery Law Threatens a Dangerous Race to the Bottom - Transparency International

us.transparency.org

So how much will this cost the U.S. taxpayer to simply ignore an important law? Some years it is a billion plus, other years just tens of millions of dollars. I admit the enforcement is rare, but the monetary damages the USA has collected in the past is not chicken feed. Full enforcement of companies paying fines can be found here. SEC.gov | SEC Enforcement Actions: FCPA Cases
(Disclaimer all amounts should be double checked and fines may or may not be necessarily evidence of guilt.) I am not responsible for errors though i strive to be as accurate as possible. Some major fines are listed below.

My point is that anyone can target something and make a case where the USA taxpayer is getting shafted. But again you did not fully make that case against Cuban refugees over their lifetimes. You probably have never lived in South Florida where many of the tradespeople are skillful Cubans that do everything from plumbing to electrical work and everything else. That you offer no idea of the economic contributions they and their families make to the Florida and USA economy. Many too are professionals, or agricultural workers that pick your fruits and vegatables among other things. One of the best M.D.'s I have ever seen was a Cuban American who offered services far below the standard cost. This does not mean that all of them are not guilty, but by all means discern the whole picture. Also, if fraud is an issue then it is up to Congress and the agencies to combat it. One way they do this is that cash assistance for some programs can only be received up to 12 months. https://acf.gov/sites/default/files/documents/orr/Benefits-for-Cuban-Haitian-Entrants.pdf

Now I admit that the companies listed below do much good for America too. Still, I am not sure how Trump justifies that the FCBA be taken off the table and that companies can go ahead and basically bribe at will (Though in some instances they may break another nation's laws).

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Monies taken in to the USA government from select companies. (Just a sample).

2025 to 2028- 0/Zilch if Trump DOJ does not enforce FCPA. I will note too that often foriegn governments are cheated. That these bribes to their officials will often increase the price that nation pays because the company may bribe officials to accept that higher price.

2024
RTX Corporation 224 million paid.
John Deere 10 million
SAP SE 98 million - 59 million going to some African nations that were damaged by their breaking the law.

2023 Albemarle 103 million

2022 Honeywell 81 million
ABB 147 million

2020
Goldman Sachs 1 billion
Novartis 340 million