This column was originally published on May 9, 2007

Six Muslims were arrested this week for allegedly plotting to attack Fort Dix in New Jersey, with the expressed intent to “kill as many American soldiers as possible.”

It was yet another attack that was foiled on U.S. soil, and credit must be be doled out where it is due.

The FBI, despite all its baggage (and there is quite a lot) did a commendable job of injecting its informants into the inner circle of these terrorists, and they pulled the plug on the undercover operation at the right time.  There seems to be ample evidence for conviction.

The electronic store clerk's decision to tip off authorities regarding the suspects' suspicious activity was an act of extreme bravery, for he put his personal safety well behind the good of the country.  How many people can ever say that they directly saved the life of another human being, let alone many?  By doing the right thing, he is most deserving of “hero” status.

Perhaps most deserving of credit President Bush.  While he has done many things wrong, and is justifiably criticized for his mistakes, too often he is not credited when things go right under his leadership.  This is such a case.

Any leader will tell you that the buck stops with him, for good or ill.  Under President Bush's watch, the United States has not been attacked since September 11, 2001.  That's five and a half years---and that's a record for which he can be extremely proud.  There isn't any doubt that terrorist cells have been operating within America's borders for years, and continue to do so today, as evidenced by this latest episode.  There have been numerous terror organizations and plots that have been uncovered and stopped, as reported in the media.  But there most certainly have been other victories, which, for security reasons, have not been made public.  That is a fact of life in the intelligence community---you get criticized when something goes awry, but can't always garner public accolades when operations are successful.

George Bush has overhauled the intelligence community and formed the Department of Homeland Security, both monumental undertakings. Since this is his Justice Department, and his CIA, he must be given credit for successes such as diffusing the Fort Dix plot.

It is unfortunate when partisan politics and ego and get in the way of doing the right thing.  Far too few acknowledge the President's role in saving lives, and that is simply unacceptable. 

However, this Fort Dix story is not just about terrorism.  It is also about an issue that closely correlates with the war on terror, and one that, if implemented, would be the single most effective measure to increase America's security immediately and exponentially.

It is about illegal immigration.

Three of the six arrested were in America illegally, and had been for quite some time.  Yet they enjoyed virtually all of the benefits of citizenship, including quality education and jobs, without actually being citizens.  Benefits, by the way, that were paid for by the taxpayers.

Kind of ironic, isn't it?  We support and pamper illegal aliens, who in many cases are here with  explicit knowledge of the Government, who then turn around and try to murder American soldiers.

Something doesn't quite add up.

If America had a wall on its entire southern border---one that was actually built, not just “funded” but in limbo--- the people's wrath might be tempered.  If the Justice Department went after the real criminals on the border---and not United States Border Patrol agents doing their job--- perhaps anger would be mitigated.  Americans don't expect perfection, but they do expect their government to try. 

Maybe if just a fraction of the money our Government spends coddling known illegals was used to beef up the security personnel and equipment on all our borders, then illegal immigration wouldn't be such a hot-button issue.

If law enforcement was allowed to profile in search of terrorists....wait, scratch that last one.  Someone just told me that the Dix Six were blond-haired, blue-eyed Swedish Catholics.  I will get back to you after I verify the veracity of that information.

The President, as Commander-in-Chief, must take the good with the bad.  While he should be applauded for his efforts at Fort Dix, you have to wonder if such a plot would have ever taken place if our borders had been sealed and adequately staffed, especially if such efforts had begun on September 12, 2001.  We're not constructing a complex skyscraper, mind you.  It's a wall ---with barbed wire, cameras, and other technological gadgets thrown in, yes---but still just a wall.  Take it from somebody whose toolbox is the phonebook:  it's not that difficult or expensive to build.

The failure of the President and the Congress to act on such basic, commonsense issues is inexcusable. 

The government assures us we are safer by ripping grandma out of the airport line and taking away her nail clippers, but that is an illusion.  We rationalize our safety when told to take our shoes off, yet the vast majority of airline freight---present on almost every commercial flight--- is never x-rayed.  And our port security?  It's a joke.

The point is that until our Government gets serious about protecting our shores by tackling illegal immigration head-on, we are no safer.  Terrorists will continue to walk across the border with a Tecate in one hand and a bomb in the other. 

As has become our custom, we are fighting this war with a self-imposed hand tied behind our back.

It doesn't take stars on your shoulder to realize that's no way to win a war.

An accredited member of the media, Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television/radio commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com  His self-syndicated model has earned him the largest cumulative media voice in Pennsylvania. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

It's that time of year when Freindly Fire heaps praise upon those most deserving.

So in the spirit of consistency, the Biggest Winner of 2011, just like every year, is illegal immigrants. They are granted driver's licenses, free education - in some cases all the way to college - and free first-rate health care. Not only do they pose a national security threat, but a personal one, as many are criminals released back onto the streets because the government refuses to deport them. Their presence has forced the closure of hospitals, ripped jobs away from American workers, depressed wages and caused taxes to increase sharply.

And let's not forget that many illegals are voting in our elections. How's that for irony: foreigners deciding American elections. Maybe that’s why both Parties pander to illegals, including leading GOP candidates Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Rick Perry.

And every time the illegals win, the American people lose.

Iran

For a country so incompetent that it took a quarter-century just to build a simple subway in its capital, and equally as long to construct the Tehran airport, Iran sure knows how to gain international attention. Year after year, Iran successfully extorts the West, and the U.S. continues to play the Iranians’ game. Now, Iran is threatening to cut off the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which one-sixth of the world’s oil supply passes.

And what does America do?  Prepare for yet another armed conflict --- with yet another Muslim country.  That would make Iran the eighth --- yes, eighth! --- Muslim nation the U.S. has attacked since the Clinton Administration --- truly a bipartisan debacle. Despite the insanity of this possibility, in which oil could spike to $200 per barrel and decimate whatever is left of the world economy, some talking heads continue advocating such military intervention. Going to war with random Middle Eastern oil nations isn’t sound foreign policy. It’s lunacy.

Here’s an idea. Maybe if we got off our duff and stopped kowtowing to radical environmentalists who offer no solutions, we could pursue energy independence with the virtually unlimited resources literally at our feet.  And guess what happens when we start producing $2 gasoline and diesel? We wouldn’t give a damn about Iran.  Or Iraq.  Or Libya. Or…

Rick Perry

Who’d have thought another Texas Governor could be so entertaining?  From taking 12 hours to come up with a response to Mitt Romney’s $10,000 bet, to shrinking the size of the government (apparently, we have only eight Supreme Court Justices and no Department of Energy), Perry has been in a class by himself.

Of course, not knowing the date of the election nor the correct voting age, while priceless, won’t help Perry stay in the race. But his significant campaign cash just might, which would undoubtedly provide more “Oops, I Did It Again” moments. So hats off to the only politician who could make George W. Bush look like Daniel Webster.  

Barack Obama

See “Rick Perry” above.  This election is the GOP’s to lose --- and they are well on their way to doing so.

Occupy Movement

Give credit where it’s due.  The Occupy Movement was able to dupe the media (admittedly, not a very hard thing to do) into providing nonstop coverage of…pictures of tents and filth. How newsworthy.

It was bad enough that Occupy had no organization, no spokesman, and absolutely no message.  But for the media to cover, night after night, lazy hippies who thought it cool to camp out, not work and get free things from idiots who thought it politically correct to patronize hobos was nauseating.

So incompetent was the Orgy --- I mean Occupy --- Movement that it took the media to inject its own rationale for why the “protests” were occurring --- income inequity. Well, here’s a newsflash: there is, and should be, income inequality. As in, the person waking up every day at 6AM to work a 12 hour day, should makes more money than a sloth looking for a handout. 

In the immortal words of The Big Lebowski: “Your revolution is over… Condolences. The bums lost. My advice is to do what your parents did -- get a job, sir! The bums will always lose!”

Andy Reid

Despite commanding an uber-hyped team whose spectacular failure was surpassed only by the Phillies, the best three-quarter coach in football --- and the one who game after game commits bush league mistakes that an eighth-grade coach would never make --- will absolutely, put-it-in-the-bank-guaranteed be back leading the Philadelphia Eagles next season. Where he leads them is equally predictable: not to a Super Bowl Championship.  Reid has simply been in Philadelphia too long, and has settled into a comfort level where winning The Big One, while nice, isn’t an imperative. He seems content with the moniker of being the winningest coach in franchise history along with all the other superlatives that don’t mean a bloody thing in a town that bleeds Eagle Green.

Reid has proven his value at turning around a franchise, but that is where his usefulness ends. The Eagles should, but won’t, bring in a closer to seal the deal and get the job done --- like Jon Gruden did with Tampa Bay. 

So Reid will win another season where his mediocrity will be on full display, and, this being Philly, will undoubtedly be making this list again next year for all the wrong reasons.

Archbishop Wood Football

Their season was full of confidence and hope, a fourth straight Catholic League title and a state championship in their sights. Yet Archbishop Wood stumbled in their opener, losing that crucial first game. Many teams would have folded, finding excuses as to why the season was slipping away (READ: 2011 Philadelphia Eagles). But Wood rebounded, and dedicated their efforts to the memory of former legendary coach Skip Duffy, who lost his battle with cancer in September.

And the rest is history. Wood rolled out fourteen straight wins, racking up average margins of 38 points in the regular season and 41 points in the playoffs, culminating in the total evisceration of perennial powerhouse Bishop McDevitt, 52-0 to win the State Championship.  In doing so, Wood has earned a place as arguably the best Class AAA football team ever.

Perhaps Andy Reid and Company should be taking notes from Wood --- not plays and calls, but the intangibles that always, always win Championships. Dick Vermeil’s character in the Vince Papale movie Invincible said it best. ”The team with character will find a way to beat a team with talent…great teams weren’t just playing for themselves. They played for a city. The people of Philadelphia have suffered…You are what gives them hope.”

And in times like these, hope is needed more than ever.  Congrats, Archbishop Wood for demonstrating what so many professionals have long ago forgotten --- that character still means something.

Freindly Fire’s Biggest Losers Of 2011 will appear tomorrow.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television/radio commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com  His self-syndicated model has earned him the largest cumulative media voice in Pennsylvania. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Do we really think if the attacks had hit China, they wouldn't have erected bigger and better buildings by now?

“We Remember.” “Never Forget.”

These phrases have been bantered about endlessly in the weeks leading up to the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

If only they held the true meaning that so many ascribe to them.

But to quote a line recently overheard: There’s what people want to hear; there’s what people want to believe; there’s everything else; then there’s the truth.

It’s time to cut through the emotion and get to the heart of where America really stands a decade later. Be warned: it’s not a pretty picture.  And through it all, no leader has appeared who can steer the nation back on track and take the bull by the horns to avoid another major attack --- and, God forbid, if there is one, lead the nation through it.

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The Economy

After spending hundreds of billions on homeland security, and over a trillion more on two wars, is America in a stronger position than it was in 2001? Not even close.  In fact, despite the blood and treasure expended, this nation is in perhaps its most precarious state ever.

Manufacturing jobs have been hemorrhaging at an unprecedented rate, the economy is in shambles with absolutely no recovery in sight, the real rate of inflation is significantly higher than the government admits, and the incomprehensibly large debt has America on the brink of insolvency. 

And most of this can be attributed to one thing: the lack of an energy policy.  Or, more accurately, the abject refusal to institute an energy policy that utilizes America’s vast resources.

The result is complete reliance on foreign oil, especially from hostile Middle Eastern oil nations whose regard for America’s interests resides somewhere between zero and nonexistent. 

Mammoth spikes in gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices continue to drive up costs, which puts companies out of business, citizens on the unemployment rolls, and keeps bank foreclosure executives very, very busy.

Perhaps most tragic of all, American’s immutable sense of pride and nationalism has taken a hit. 

Once, we possessed a “can-do” pioneering spirit that pervaded all aspects of American life, where “impossible” was not in the American lexicon.  That resolve is what vanquished the Axis Powers in World War II.  It’s what opened up the western United States, ultimately making California alone one of the largest economies in the world.  It’s how we put a man on the moon a mere 66 years after the Wright brothers’ famous 120-foot, 12-second flight. And yes, it’s how, under the leadership of Ronald Wilson Reagan, America won the Cold War --- and provided freedom for millions.

Failure to achieve success was the exception.  Now it’s become the norm.

The best example of our malaise of mediocrity? Ground Zero.

The most startling aspect of that hallowed ground isn’t that the Twin Towers, once the sentinels of American free enterprise, are gone, but that NOTHING stands there. Sure, there are reflecting pools and trees, and a shell of a building.  But that’s it.

It’s been ten years!

How is that possible? How can a decade have passed with no real progress? How could we have let the enemy win that important part of the battle?

As a comparison, if the Empire State Building had been attacked during World War II, it would have been rebuilt immediately.  No questions asked, and no moral victories for the enemy.

And to those who naysayers who would argue “it’s a different time,” think again. If the September 11 attacks had felled China’s buildings instead of ours, you can bet the ranch that they would have been resurrected --- bigger, better, and bolder --- in less than a year. Guaranteed.

Why? Because the Chinese took a chapter out of America’s playbook, and are mastering it to perfection. You know --- the same playbook that we seem to have relegated to the dustbin.

Are We Safer?

Given the hundreds of billions allocated for our security, are we really safer?

Despite some advances in communications, intelligence and specific security measures, the ultimate answer is no, for there are two gaping holes in our defenses: the borders are wide open and we refuse to profile.  Both are easily rectifiable, but because political correctness wins the day, Americans are living with a false sense of security.

Borders: What good does securing airports do if al Queda can simply walk across the border from Mexico --- with a suitcase nuclear weapon? Incompetent as that organization has proven to be, especially now that bin Laden is dead, they’re not dumb.  If they haven’t already smuggled weapons and terrorist cell members into America via our porous borders (fat chance of that, as intelligence experts concede cells are in place), they soon will.

Despite ample funds to build a wall --- a clear deterrent to both illegal invaders and terrorists --- neither Party chooses to do so for purely political reasons.  So much for real Homeland Security.

Profiling: Grandmothers continue to receive prisoner-like exams at our nation’s airports, while olive-complexioned individuals from the Middle East stroll by, unquestioned, with smirks on their faces.  Why the free pass? Precisely because they look like Arabs.

America's lawmakers have caved in to a small element that shouts "racist" anytime profiling is employed, especially in, God forbid, airports. Such practice, they claim, singles out individuals just because they appear "Muslim" or "Arab" and, as a result, these flyers feel offended. 

Get over it.

Profiling is simply a tool for law enforcement to determine who and what may be a threat, based on an ever-increasing array of data. Certain packages may be the hallmark container for a bomb - and they should be checked. A specific type of shoe may be the favored choice of shoe-bombers – so that footwear, and the owner, should be closely examined.

And yes, certain Arab and/or Muslim individuals, based on historical events, and along with appearance characteristics, mannerisms, suspect financial transactions and other patterns of behavior, should be singled out for closer inspection.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with profiling in security sensitive areas. Yes, it's a form of discrimination. So what? All nineteen highjackers on September 11 were Muslim Arabs. And so was the twentieth, Zacharias Moussaoui. The 1993 World Trade Center bombings were also carried out by people of this ethnic group.  As was the trans-Atlantic shoe bomber, the bombers of the U.S.S. Cole, the Madrid train bombers, and the London subway attackers.

What are we missing? Why are we so scared to profile? What will it take for America to demand policies that actually protect, not appease?

Sadly, probably only another terrorist attack.

This is because our elected leaders are, for the most part, too scared to tackle the issue, even though the majority of Americans support such measures. They are counseled to stay away from "hot-button" topics, instead focusing on 30-second soundbites on irrelevant issues.

To be clear, I am not advocating that random people on the street be detained and interrogated, with no probable cause, just because they "look Arab." This kind of harassment is contrary to the freedoms our country provides.

But it's time we stop worrying about people's feelings and reintroduce some common sense into our security measures.

One thing is for sure: al Queda will not stop. And if we continue to give them openings, they will gladly take them. While it’s not possible to guarantee another attack won’t occur, it will be unconscionable if it does --- and if it was preventable.

If we truly want to honor the memory of the 3,000 soul who perished on 9/11, we need to jettison political correctness, enter the real world, and combat threats in a meaningful way.

God help us if we don’t.

 An accredited member of the media, Chris Friend is an independent columnist, television commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com

Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries
and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including
The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick
Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."

Freind, whose column appears regularly in Philadelphia Magazine and nationally in
Newsmax, also serves as a frequent guest commentator on talk radio and state/national
television, most notably on FOX Philadelphia.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

State Rep. Tony Payton Wants Illegals To Have College Preference Over Citizens

"College is becoming a pipe dream for too many children, not because they aren't talented or willing to work hard, but because they can't afford it.”

That’s a true statement, as tuition costs have far outpaced inflation. So the elected official who said this must have a clue, right? Not a chance.

In an act that simply defies comprehension, State Representative Tony Payton of Philadelphia has just unveiled a bill that “would allow undocumented immigrant students to pay in-state tuition at any Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education school, community college or state-related university.” (This is similar to the proposed federal law known as the DREAM Act).

Hey Tony, nice to stick it to all the law-abiding Pennsylvania residents who want to attend college.  And who says good constituent service is hard to find? 

Why the handout to those who least deserve it?  Because, as Tony explains, “undocumented students are not eligible for federal financial aid, (so) college is often extremely expensive and simply out of reach for many of these students."

Oh, the tragedy. 

Of course, there is something that apparently hasn’t occurred to Tony as to why federal financial aid --- political codespeak for American taxpayer dollars --- is not available to these folks. They’re ILLEGAL.  As in, they have broken the law to get here, and are breaking the law being here.  Every single thing they do hurts American citizens and throws our nation deeper into the red. 

Yet not only are we supposed to feel guilty, but if Tony has his way, we should compensate them for their plight by sacrificing our children --- so that theirs can have an education courtesy of the taxpayers.

Let’s set the record straight with facts --- not rhetoric.  Illegal immigrants depress wages and take American jobs (and please, spare us the tired argument that “they only take the jobs Americans don’t want” --- completely false). They cost taxpayers hundreds of billions (thousands directly out of each American family’s pocket) through healthcare costs, education expenditures (in Pennsylvania, every illegal in our public schools costs $15,000 per year, and that’s not including the extra money needed for additional teachers and classrooms), prison expenses, and yes, government services.

In the case of higher education, as addressed in Payton’s bill, it’s important to remember that just because we are talking about state universities, space is not unlimited. So one of two things is true: with illegals in attendance, the college will either 1) close its doors to new applicants after a given class is filled, thereby denying the RIGHT of a legitimate Pennsylvania resident to attend that school, or 2) once a classroom hits capacity, the need to hire additional professors and expand school facilities is triggered --- both expensive propositions borne by the forgotten taxpayer.

The only saving grace is that, with Republicans in control of Harrisburg, Payton’s bill should have no shot at passage. But that’s not the point.  The real question is how such a bill could even be considered in the first place, and how 11 other states already passed similar legislation.

And quite frankly, this author doesn’t know what’s worse: the fact that a bill was introduced that empowers people to break the law, or the almost complete silence of Payton’s colleagues and the media on such a feat.

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When you cut right down to it, Tony Payton’s bill advocates the commission of a crime, and there isn’t any way to spin that to the contrary. (Federal law explicitly states that aiding an illegal immigrant is a crime). Among other things, it would aid and abet known lawbreakers. Period.  The fact that the feds do this on a regular basis, along with states (such as issuing driver’s licenses to known illegals) and municipalities just rubs salt in the wound.  The Government should not be above the law.

But if this debate is to advance, it is important to focus on the core issue.  And that is not whether a wall should be built (or if it is a racist barrier), or whether amnesty is a godsend (or a sell-out deal to the pro-illegal immigration forces). 

While these are important side discussions, the only relevant point is that when individuals attempt to circumvent a law because they don’t like it, the entire American system of justice --- the very rule of law that keeps us civilized --- breaks down. Once elected officials start picking and choosing what laws they will follow (setting the example for their followers to do the same), we all take a hit.

There’s no getting around the fact that Payton’s legislation overtly mocks the law. Under his bill, eligible students would have to attend a public or nonpublic secondary school in Pennsylvania for at least three years (an admission that we the people have already forked over at least $50,000 in education costs), pay state income taxes for at least three years prior to enrollment in college (how can you pay income taxes if you are here illegally, and how can the state abdicate its responsibility to apprehends these known lawbreakers), and provide an affidavit to the institution of higher education that the student will file an application to a become a permanent resident (giving a sworn legal document to a state entity that attests that one is here illegally, without fear of repercussion, is just insane).

Since the illegal immigration debate lends itself to easily getting off track, here’s the bottom line: For those who believe illegals should have rights, change the law to accommodate them --- don’t break it.  Lobby for amnesty and fight to change the definition of “illegal immigrant,” but do not cavalierly pick and choose what laws you want to follow because you happen to disagree with some.

That’s what they do in places like Iraq.  It is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind.

On behalf of Rep. Payton’s real constituents, shame on you, Tony.

Chris Friend is an independent columnist, television commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com

Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries
and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including
The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick
Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."

Freind, whose column appears regularly in Philadelphia Magazine and nationally in
Newsmax, also serves as a frequent guest commentator on talk radio and state/national
television, most notably on FOX Philadelphia.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

After ten long years, the wait is finally over. 

Osama bin Laden --- Public Enemy Number One --- had eluded capture for over a decade, casting doubt that justice would ever be served.  It was only natural to think he either died anonymously or blended so well into his surroundings that his fate would never be realized, and that America’s most painful wound would never fully heal.

But all that changed after a gutsy operation inside Pakistan led to his demise.  The massive celebrations around the nation left tears of joy in the eyes of millions, as unity once again took hold across America.  Notch a huge win for the good guys.

But at risk of putting a damper on the euphoria, it is clear that U.S. still is not wholly committed to winning the War on Terror. A glaring example is the debate over whether waterboarding and other “enhanced interrogation techniques” should be used on terrorists hell-bent on destroying us.

There are conflicting reports as to whether the waterboarding of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed provided information about an al-Queda courier, who ultimately led the U.S. to bin Laden’s Pakistani hideout.

One question: who cares?  Common sense tells us that waterboarding works, and has no doubt saved lives by obtaining intelligence that would have otherwise not been uncovered.  Whether that method was directly responsible for extracting the courier information may never be known, but debating that point misses the big picture entirely.

We are at war.  And when at war, you pull out all stops until victory is achieved --- Vietnam was supposed to teach us that. When you fight not to lose, the enemy becomes emboldened. 

Where we are right now is a perfect example of the adage “we have met the enemy, and it is us.”
We have allowed our security to be unnecessarily compromised, and, despite bin Laden’s death, the threat against the Western world remains high.

And it’s all done in the name of political correctness.

The blame cannot be directed just at President Obama, who officially discontinued waterboarding in 2009.  Under the Bush Administration, both the CIA and the military had effectively ended the practice years earlier.  And it was Republican John McCain who offered an Amendment prohibiting the U.S. from engaging in humiliating or degrading treatment of captured terrorists.

By way of explanation, waterboarding is when water is poured over the face of an enemy combatant, simulating the feeling of drowning.  If you're waiting for the rest of the description, you'll be sorely disappointed, because that's it.  Don't misunderstand---it's very effective, but derives its success due to psychological stress rather than physical harm.  No one gets hurt, and no one dies. 

But somehow that’s degrading, so despite its effectiveness, we stopped it outright. Does anyone really believe that if we politely ask our detainees for sensitive information, like their financial network, comrades' whereabouts, and the battle-plans to kill Americans, they will just tell us?

If the goal is to ensure that terrorists feel comfortable, then we were right to ban waterboarding.  But if we want to be seriously engaged in a global war against those who aggressively advocate our destruction, we must reconsider how we handle detainees, (who, incidentally, are afforded fantastic medical care, food reflective of their ethnicity, and prayer time).

Maybe we should ask the survivors and victims’ families of the 9/11 massacre, the Madrid train attacks, the London subway bombings, and a host of other atrocities if they care whether a prisoner, with possible knowledge of an impending attack (potentially nuclear, chemical or biological), has some water poured on his face, or feels humiliated.

Cutting through the PC, does the average American, or European for that matter, really believe such interrogation methods should be banned, putting the prisoner's well-being ahead of their own?  Are they really willing to jeopardize their children's future because a combatant's “dignity” is affected?

When Americans are captured, the enemy doesn’t feel compelled to reciprocate that dignity. Need a quick refresher?  Just look at the videos of Americans --- civilians and military --- being decapitated, dragged through the streets, burned, dismembered and hung from bridges.

Because we coddle prisoners, refuse to profile, won’t construct a border wall and tie our troops' hands behind their backs because of PC politics, we have become a paper tiger.  And the sigh of despair you hear?  That's the silent majority of Europeans who live on the front lines, too scared to publicly support anti-PC measures because their cultures have become the embodiment of appeasement.  They used to nod in admiration that at least one country still had the guts to take it to the enemy. Sadly, that is no longer the case.

We should use every means necessary to extract information that could save lives, and waterboarding is clearly one of them.  Just as Americans call for domestic drilling only after gas hits $4 per gallon, there will undoubtedly be loud calls to bring back enhanced interrogation techniques --- after the next attack.

But by then, it will be too late.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television commentator, and investigative
reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com

Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries
and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including
The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick
Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."

Freind, whose column appears regularly in Philadelphia Magazine and nationally in
Newsmax, also serves as a frequent guest commentator on talk radio and state/national
television, most notably on FOX Philadelphia.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Royal Wedding was watched in awe by over two billion people --- one of every three people on Earth --- for good reason.  Prince William and Kate Middleton seem like genuine people truly in love, in stark contrast to the last royal marriage where it became quickly apparent that Diana’s love for Charles was a one-way street.

Hopes are high that this Royal Couple will be more successful, since they are destined to be the future King and Queen of England.
As the world watches the pomp and circumstance, they will be reminded of great English traditions that have survived over the years, and the rich history of a people who changed the world in incalculable ways.

But for America’s leaders, it would be wise to take a history lesson from Britain’s more recent past, using it as a guide to avoid becoming what England is --- a nation in decline.  It is a shadow of its former self, a country known more for its pageantry and traditions than meaningful substance and a place on the world stage.

The sun never set on the British Empire, and, while it showcased the English pioneering spirit and willingness to take risks, England became vastly overextended, both politically and militarily.  Stretching itself too thin, it alienated indigenous peoples in many of the foreign territories it occupied. The blood and treasure expended to maintain the Empire became too great a cost, and the Crown’s holdings crumbled.

Faced with keeping its status as a world power by looking inward, it proceeded to do all the wrong things. England’s leaders bought into the quasi-socialism concept to give them a sense of security, but that “security” came at a high cost.  Their national prestige evaporated after massive taxation and runaway spending on social programs. This in turn starved the military, killed entrepreneurship, and fostered a lazy, entitlement mentality in much of their population.

Legendary Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher adeptly noted that the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money.  In Britain’s case, uncontrolled culture-killing immigration became rampant because the government needed new bodies to prop up its socialist Ponzi scheme.

It flung its doors wide open, with no regard to whom it was admitting, resulting in many immigrants whose loyalties were decidedly non-British.  This became a two-fold problem.  Some simply lived off the dole, with no incentive to become productive citizens and make their new country better; in fact, such entitlement largess, courtesy of Brits who actually put in a hard day’s work, became expected. 

Others took advantage of the system to (sometimes overtly) recruit terrorists hell-bent on destroying the West, resulting in deadly terrorist attacks on English soil. Rather than fight the real threat, though, Britain’s responses were rooted in meaningless, politically-correct measures that succeeded in wiping away citizens’ privacy --- and dignity.

British leaders not only allowed political correctness to take hold of society; they actively encouraged it. The forced multiculturalism, hand-in-hand with its open-borders policy, enabled immigrants to eschew assimilation --- a welcome situation for those who didn't believe their chosen society was better than any other.  The erosion of the remaining indigenous culture created massive social unrest when the disparate cultures ultimately clashed.

On top of it all, and perhaps most significantly, Britain lost its place as holder on the world’s reserve currency, the all-important pricing unit for products and commodities traded on the global market.  The country with reserve currency status enjoys immense economic benefits, so when lost, the repercussions are severe.  And it becomes lost when the world’s faith in that nation’s economy is shaken, and its stability questioned.

Every decade since World War I has seen Britain's culture and world standing whittle away. Could the same happen to America, and is it already occurring?

The United States has not seen that same steady decline, but the seeds of dependency sown during the New Deal and Great Society have grown deep roots that threaten to crumble the American foundation in a very rapid fashion.

Consider:

-The millions of baby boomers set to retire have placed Social Security, Medicare and other entitlements on the path to bankruptcy in mere years. The annual deficit is now greater than the entire budget of just a few years ago, and interest payments on our national debt account for a huge percentage of tax revenue. And America abandoned its manufacturing background, betting on an unsustainable service economy instead, thus outsourcing much of its future.

-The coddling of illegal immigrants, numbering over 12 million, continues to erode faith in America’s rule of law, while breaking the backs of taxpayers who are forced to pay billions to accommodate them.

-Prospects for energy independence grow dimmer by the day, while the nation’s biggest competitors --- some say adversaries --- forge ahead with bustling economies and strategic energy plans.

-Political correctness has become so ingrained that national security is threatened and lives are jeopardized, all in the name of not “offending” potential enemies. 

-America continues to engage in foreign entanglements with no clear objectives, while maintaining military detachments in over 130 countries.

-And the value of the once almighty dollar continues to plummet, having lost 95 percent of its value since 1900.  Not surprisingly, talk of the United States’ losing its reserve currency status has increasingly become a front page story.

The United States of today seems a lot like the Britain of yesteryear.  But will America’s leaders recognize the mistakes of our ally across the pond, or will we be doomed to repeat them?

                                                                             *****

The 17th century belonged to the Spanish, the 18th to the French, and the 19th to the English --- all once great empires that experienced huge declines. America has owned the last 100 years, and, while on shaky ground, continues to lead the world.  Given its superpower status, some say America can never meet Britain’s fate.  But no doubt the same was said during the height of the Roman Empire.  If history is any indication, America is not too big to fall. 

And here’s the most sobering thought: Britain's socialism and military decline was underwritten by an America ready and able to protect the peace at all costs. If and when America declines, who will remain to defend freedom and prosperity?
 
Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television commentator, and investigative
reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com

Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries
and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including
The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick
Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."

Freind, whose column appears regularly in Philadelphia Magazine and nationally in
Newsmax, also serves as a frequent guest commentator on talk radio and state/national
television, most notably on FOX Philadelphia.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The nature of New Year’s is to look at things in a positive way, but truth be told, it's a lot more fun to tee off on those most deserving of our wrath, ridicule and pity.

So now, Freindly Fire’s most deserving Losers of the Last Year:

Dick Clark

How do you criticize a man whose stroke of good fortune made him the real American Idol for several generations of Americans?  Not easily.   But Freindly Fire has never stroked egos to make nice; the sad truth is that Dick Clark’s time has come and gone.  His continued presence on ABC’s New Year’s Eve program is an embarrassment to the network, and, whether he knows it or not, a humiliation to Clark. 

His incoherence is a morbid fascination for millions, to the point where viewing Clark’s gaffes has itself become a New Year’s Eve tradition.  He was fantastic in his prime, and his courageous comeback was admirable. But let’s face it.  One last go-round would have been more than enough inspiration for people with debilitating conditions.  The prolonging of Clark’s once-proud career has made him the butt of tasteless jokes, unfortunately validated by his woeful countdown to the stroke of midnight.

Even talentless host Ryan Seacrest looks uncomfortable trying to understand, let alone converse, with Clark.  Like an aging athlete whose time to hang it up is obvious to all but himself, Clark is trying to maintain a relevance that is simply impossible to achieve.

To salvage whatever’s left of his dignity, please, ABC, pull the plug on Dick Clark.

Teachers Unions, Trial Lawyers, Taxers and Tea Party critics

Throughout Pennsylvania and nationwide, all four spent millions this campaign season --- and all got shellacked.

For the first time, more candidates than not took a hard-line stance against unchecked lawyer greed, fat union contracts, organized labor’s outrageous demands, and increased taxes.  And the fiery Tea Party made sure those issues remained at the forefront of the election cycle.

The result?  Hard to say.  Despite their vanquishing, none of the losers is going away anytime soon.

Facing a brand new phenomenon called accountability, teachers unions will use their unlimited campaign war chest (obtained through forced dues) to dig in hard against pension reform, school choice and public education funding cuts.  Trial lawyers will continue to write big checks, since tort reform threatens their very survival (and the number of Mercedes in the driveway). Taxers will again try to handcuff the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry by imposing job-killing extraction taxes and fees, and Tea Party opponents are looking to prove their nemesis to be a One-Hit Wonder.

However, special mention in this category goes to State Representative and House Democratic Campaign Chairman Mike Gerber of Montgomery County, who, just one month before the election, arrogantly boasted, "We will hold and maybe even expand our majority." In fact, under Gerber’s watch, the Republicans gained 13 seats (and the Majority) despite being outspent by $1.3 million.  With that kind of predictive accuracy, maybe he should be a weatherman.

Tucker Carlson

Filling in as host for Sean Hannity on FOX, Carlson said that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick should have been executed for killing dogs in his dogfighting operation. 

What a buffoon. 

Does he really believe that? Common sense would say “No,” but he appeared deadly serious. 

Look. What Vick did was heinous and inexcusable.  But he served his time, and appears to be penitent.  How he behaves moving forward will tell a lot about whether he is truly sorry.

But Vick isn’t the issue.  Carlson’s cheap shot to gain a brief bit of fame is. 

Equally as pathetic was Carlson deriding President Obama’s decision to thank Eagles’ owner Jeff Lurie for giving Vick a second chance.  Carlson’s rant demonstrates why the media is so scorned by the American people.

With all the legitimate issues with which to differ from the President, why would Carlson criticize Obama for his phone call discussing redemption?  Because wannabes like Carlson, despite all their posturing about how pure, conservative and Christian they are, really only care about themselves and the headlines they can generate. 

Issues and ideology take a backseat to vain ambition, even when that means injecting oneself into the story. And every time irrelevant issues like this get raised, meaningful debate about what really matters takes a hit.

Since shills like Carlson impugn the credibility of real conservatives, FOX should make him their fire hydrant.  And hell, come to think of it, even Dick Clark would be an improvement.

Americans

No, not the people, but the position in which they find themselves because Government has grown on such a massive scale under both Republicans and Democrats. We now have bankruptcy-level debt, pension bombs, a healthcare fiasco, labyrinthine bureaucracies and bailouts for Wall Street fat cats.

Yet with all the government intervention, the people are no safer; in fact, their economic and physical security have never been in greater peril. 

With no southern border wall, illegal invaders continue to enjoy unfettered access to America, leaving a wake of destruction in their path.  Jobs are lost, wages depressed, crimes increase, and the culture is forever altered. And when the federal, state and local governments coddle these lawbreakers, respect for the rule of law goes out the window.

However, all that will pale in comparison to when a terrorist saunters across the open border with a suitcase nuke. 

And the complete lack of an independent energy policy has left the people bent over the (oil) barrel of nations that don’t exactly have Americans’ best interests in mind --- despite the fact that the United States has more energy resources than the entire Middle East combined.

But the people have no one to blame but themselves.  Remember just two years ago when gas was $4.50/gallon, fuel tanks were being siphoned dry, and there was an outcry for offshore drilling and nuclear power?  Where was our resolve to see those things through?  Nonexistent.

Prices dropped because the economy tanked, and Americans quickly forgot that pain.  Well, the economy is still in the toilet, yet gas is approaching $3.50, and the former CEO of Shell just predicted $5 gas by next year. 

Trying to resurrect a moribund economy with skyrocketing fuel prices is most definitely a losing proposition.

University of Pittsburgh

Pitt recently fired football coach Dave Wannstedt, and, on December 16, hired Mike Haywood as his replacement.  On January 1, Pitt fired Haywood. 

Why the musical chairs?  In Wannstedt’s case, it was simple: he didn’t win enough games.  No issue there. But not so with Haywood.
He was arrested on a domestic battery charge involving the mother of his child, and was canned immediately by the University. So much for due process.

Admittedly, it’s not an easy position for the Pitt football program --- trying to maintain continuity and effective recruiting amidst negative headlines and a cloud hanging over the coach. 

But some things are infinitely more important: loyalty, fairness, and the one Pitt so callously forgot about: that innocent until proven guilty thing. Aren’t these the values our institutions of higher learning are supposed to teach?  Or are they just classroom theory, never to be practiced in real-world situations because they require effort and backbone?

The cowards at Pitt didn’t even have the common decency to meet with Haywood face-to-face, instead putting out a press release of his firing.  What class.

And what happens if the charges are dropped or turn out to be fallacious?  What if Haywood is acquitted? The fact that a man’s reputation and livelihood hang in the balance is obviously of no consequence to the Pitt braintrust.

Kind of reminds you of how Duke University treated the men’s lacrosse team after they were charged with rape: their season immediately cancelled, openly chastised by their professors, and treated like pariahs by the University.

Duke jumped the gun, just like Pitt. And as it turned out, the accuser lied, the prosecutor was dirty, and the players were innocent.  But hey, never let the facts get in the way of covering your derriere, especially when an Ivory Tower university might actually have to practice what it preaches --- and teaches.

Shame on Pitt for becoming yet another in the long list of universities to worship at the altar of political correctness.

                                                       *****

One can only hope that some of this year’s Losers graduate from the list, while others (especially the “Four T’s”) make it their permanent home.  But through it all, there is one unifying thread: common sense, backbone, and a stiff resolve are the best ingredients to avoid being one of the Biggest Losers Of The Year.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com
Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."
Freind, whose column appears nationally in Newsmax, also serves as a guest commentator on Philadelphia-area talk radio shows, and makes numerous other television and radio appearances, most notably on FOX.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

It's that time of year again when Freindly Fire heaps praise upon those most deserving. You probably aren't going to find these winners on the lists of typical media outlets, most of which bow at the altar of political correctness.

The Biggest Winner of 2010, as is the case every year, goes to none other than illegal invaders, all 20 million of them. Year after year, they continue to win everything. They are handed driver's licenses, free education - in some cases all the way to college - and free first-rate health care. Most appallingly, their freedom exists because of our government's non-existent efforts to deport them. Their presence has forced the closure of hospitals, taken jobs from American workers, depressed wages and caused taxes to sharply increase. And let's not forget that many illegals are voting in our elections. How's that for irony: foreigners deciding American elections. And every time the illegals win, there is an even bigger loser. Us.

Michael Vick and the Canine Community

As quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, Vick has played spectacularly well, good enough to hide the team’s considerable shortcomings and earn the Birds the Division crown.  He is often mentioned as a leading MVP candidate, and many experts predict he will lead his team to the Super Bowl.

Which is all an unexpected pleasure, given that Vick was in jail not that long ago for executing losing canines in his dog-fighting operation. Given a reprieve by the League, he was the Eagle’s third-string QB last season, and he started this one as the backup.  He got his shot though, and, made the most of it.  Perhaps most noteworthy, he never used his numerous injuries as a crutch when the team lost, and has demonstrated more leadership in one season than former-quarterback Donovan McNabb showed in his entire, lackluster career.

Is Vick truly remorseful about the dog killing, or sorry only that he got caught? Tough to say, but second chances are what America is all about, and, for the most part, he has kept himself out of trouble.  With dogs everywhere breathing easier (actually, breathing at all), and Vick on the right track, he is definitely the most unexpected winner this year.

Governor Ed Rendell

Ok, not really.  Rendell’s eight-year tax-and-spend agenda, combined with widespread conflicts of interest throughout his Administration (some say pay-to-play) has driven Pennsylvania off the financial cliff, leaving a $5 billion deficit debacle for incoming Governor Tom Corbett to fix. And it’s been three years and counting since his promised interview with “Freindly Fire” --- making that the only media entity with which he refuses to speak.  I wonder why.

But fair is fair, and Rendell could not have been more correct when he hammered the NFL for canceling the Sunday night football game in Philadelphia because of a snowstorm.  Not a two-foot storm of the century, mind you, but an 8 inch “weather event” that would have made an outdoor football game one to remember. The roads were drivable, subway trains were operational, and the fans would have shown up in force --- loving every minute of it.  They do it in other places just fine --- Green Bay, Chicago and New England, to name a few.  But now, Philadelphians are officially considered pansies.

The reality is that the League saw an opportunity to test market Tuesday Night Football.  As with most things, the decision was rooted in money.  But it was done so at the expense of the last real sport in America, where players gut it out with broken bones instead of running to the disabled list because of a hangnail.  In many ways, the game’s cancellation reflects what America has become: soft and wimpy, offended by everything and decisive in nothing. It’s how we run business, operate government, wage war, and yes, play football. The pioneering, tough-as-nails spirit that made us unique is all but gone.

Rendell labeled the NFL’s action the “wussification” of America.  Wrong first letter, Guv.

Congressman Joe Sestak

True, Sestak lost his bid for United States Senate, but he was unique among politicians. Here’s a guy who gave up the job security of a 100 per cent safe congressional seat to take on 30-year incumbent and Goliath of the Senate, Arlen Specter, in a long-shot bid. The entire Democratic Party power structure was against him, from Rendell to President Obama, thus ensuring very limited campaign money.  Yet he persisted in his mission, even turning down a reported job offer from the White House. And a funny thing happened along the way: he won the primary election.

But the more admirable trait of Sestak was that he never backed down from his core convictions.  Whether or not one agreed with him, he should be respected for standing his ground and not playing both sides or “moving to the middle” to appease the pundits. 

For any pol to do that is unusual, but it’s even more amazing in a year that saw a political wave running in the polar opposite direction of his beliefs.  To Sestak’s credit, in the best Republican year since 1946, he ran to the left of Barack Obama, favoring bigger government, higher taxes, more stimulus and expanded national healthcare.  And with the courage of his convictions, he ran towards those ideas, not away, as the vast majority of Democrats did.

Voters are craving more leaders committed to their ideals, whether Right or Left.  They may not always agree with those people, but they respect knowing where such leaders stand.  Unfortunately, such courage is in short supply.

China

The global recession is wreaking havoc on America, but China continues to grow at an unprecedented rate.  Why?  Because they put themselves in a position to win no matter what transpires, assuming that political will in America doesn’t raise its head.  And since there’s a fat chance of that happening, China’s push toward domination continues.

Taking advantage of its favorable trade deals with the U.S. (READ: bad for us), and benefitting from America’s business-killing tax rates (highest in the world), China is advancing itself with state of the art infrastructure --- such as the world’s fastest train, biggest hydro-electric dam, and 25 nuclear power plants under construction ---, and a first-rate military that not only boasts quantity but quality.

If the dollar stays (relatively) strong, China’s boom will continue as its manufacturing expands.  And if the dollar plummets, China, while taking a slight hit in the value of the considerable U.S. debt it holds, could well find itself a kingmaker by controlling the world’s reserve currency.

Blaming China for our woes makes for effective campaign commercials, but unless we start taking a hard look in the mirror very, very soon, we might as well invest in Rosetta Stone for one last financial hurrah, as its “How To Speak Chinese” will be the hottest seller in the USA since Rubik’s Cube.
 
Chris Christie and the Republican Party --- Sort Of

New Jersey’s Christie has accomplished more in one year than damn near all the other 49 governors combined.  And all it took was that elusive trait called “political will.” The Republican Chief Executive has successfully taken on all sacred cows, from public education to unions, bureaucrats to the entrenched political culture.  So effective has his brand of in-your-face reform been --- achieved with both legislative chambers being solidly Democratic ---, Christie’s star power is so bright that he is routinely mentioned as a presidential contender, and serves as a model for politicians nationwide, including Pennsylvania’s Tom Corbett.  With Corbett and Christie as bookends in two powerhouse states, these law-and-order leaders may yet pave the way for how America gets itself back on track.

The Republican Party as a whole is a different story. 

The GOP would be wise to understand that the election was NOT a mandate for Republicans, as much as it was a protest…a shot across the bow of both Parties. Voters have grown increasingly irritated with the Business As Usual approach in Washington, Harrisburg and Trenton, and are demanding their elected officials focus on what the people want, not what some leaders think they need.

If they become the Party of No, expect the pendulum to swing back yet again.  People don’t want more of the status quo.

And with America more vulnerable than ever before, from its reliance on foreign oil to its economy --- with the dollar based on absolutely nothing of value --- the stakes have never been higher.  Will the GOP work with the President on his promises to expand nuclear energy and offshore drilling, enact further tax cuts and demand more teacher accountability?

The next year will tell, and if the Republicans --- and the President --- don’t play their cards right, they will end up on the nations’s Biggest Losers list.  And most definitely, neither can afford to be on such a list. 

Look for Freindly Fire’s Biggest Losers of 2010 column next week...

Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com
Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."
Freind, whose column appears nationally in Newsmax, also serves as a guest commentator on Philadelphia-area talk radio shows, and makes numerous other television and radio appearances, most notably on FOX.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

There’s an old saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

Seems logical. 

After all, if you find yourself living in a foreign country, common sense tells you that you should be aware of that nation’s laws and customs and yes, quickly familiarize yourself with its language.

Deliberate ignorance of these things defies rationality, and, of course, should never be rewarded.

Just imagine how an Italian moving to France, for example, would be viewed if he found official French government documents written in… French, and French workers who spoke…French.

What if, in disgust, he wrote to his friends back home, asking, “What is this?  These application forms are in FRENCH!  Who do these people think they are to have official government documents printed only in their own language?  I am entitled --- it is my right --- to be able to read everything in MY language!  What is the world coming to when racist governments ignore my individual wants and needs?”

And do you know what response he would --- and should --- receive?

“Si fueris Romae, Romano vivito more; si fueris alibi, vivito sicut ibi.”  Translation: “In Rome, live in the Roman manner; if you are elsewhere, live as they do elsewhere.”

So why is it that the whole world abides by that rule --- except the United States?

The latest example occurred in Forty Fort last week.  The borough council in that northeastern Pennsylvania town voted down a proposal to make English the official language for government business.

                                              *****

Not to be outdone as the center of attention, another northeast PA town also made news when Hazelton’s immigration ordinances requiring landlords to check renters' immigration status were struck down by a federal appeals court.  The misguided judges also decreed that Hazelton could not require businesses to use an electronic database to verify whether potential employees are authorized to work.

The court’s rationale? That the town was infringing on the federal government’s right to control immigration rules.

There’s only one small problem:  The federal government hasn’t controlled the now-widespread illegal invader problem in decades, and cities such as Hazelton, reeling and on the verge of bankruptcy because of the fed’s abdication on this issue, are fighting back.

The court’s ruling is like telling citizens they can’t have guns to protect themselves because that’s the job of the police --- where no police force exists.

It just doesn’t work.

                                             *****

As long as we’re on the topic of Rome, it’s important to remember why the Empire disintegrated.  It wasn’t because of outside invasion, but from internal decay. Rome lost its way after abandoning its values; when that occurred, it was only a matter of time.  Rome was doomed to fall.

Why then, after the benefit of seeing the mistakes of others, would we choose a path of self-destruction?

                                             *****

Ronald Reagan said it best when he stated, “A nation without borders isn’t a nation.”  He didn’t know how right he was, nor could he have seen how much his country inexplicably would run in the opposite direction of that philosophy.

When a nation voluntarily relinquishes its culture and language, bowing to the altar of appeasement in order not to “offend,” it loses the very essence which makes it unique, and surrenders its identity.

And that’s exactly what’s happening here.

Rather than celebrate what makes our country the most desirable on Earth, the marshals of political correctness are relentlessly pushing to homogenize America, making it all things to all people. 

The irony, of course, is that for hundreds of years, immigrants have risked their lives to come to this nation, for the simple reason that America was…America. There has never been a country like it before, and there never will be again. Those that made it kissed the ground in thanks, for they knew they were the lucky few.

And those people were, and are, the backbone of America.

But now, in an attempt to coddle minorities and illegal immigrants --- for less than noble reasons --- some government officials are hellbent on erasing all that made America great, choosing to turn our land into one without respect for the rule of law. 

                                           *****

Is it any wonder why so many second and third generation Americans do not speak the native tongue of their ancestors? Because those who left everything behind to start a new life in America were happy to be here, and wanted their children to reap the rewards that this magnificent land had to offer.  They instinctively knew that, at the risk of losing some of their Old World culture, their children could only achieve greatness if they viewed themselves as American.  It was a branding they wanted to have.

What a pity that we have devolved so much.

Now, our government conveniently ignores the law --- and the will of the people --- to appease an obnoxiously loud but extremely small minority.  But the bigger problem is that a majority of Americans are unwilling to take a stand, afraid of being labeled insensitive, reactionary --- and, of course, racist.

Build a wall?  That’s racist.  And how dare you take away the dreams of people who just want the same opportunity as you --- no matter that they break the law to get here.

Demand proper documentation when applying for a job? No  way--- that would be insulting and disenfranchising to those here illegally.  And offending people is tantamount to harassment.

Affirm English as the official language? How bigoted and exclusionary!  That would be like putting up a sign saying, “You’re not welcome!”

And of course, those who speak out against local, state and federal governments that aid and abet criminals --- which is, by definition, the status of all illegal immigrants --- are swiftly labeled as bigots who hate immigrants.

But don’t look to Washington for answers, since the politicians are as much to blame as anyone.

Under their watch, illegals receive official drivers licenses, jobs, free education and healthcare (for which we foot the bill), and documents in their own language, all while our wide-open border beckons more illegals.

Republicans and Democrats are equally at fault, since both have no motivation to change.  Some in the GOP don’t want to offend the Hispanic vote (which doesn’t vote for them anyway) while others are in bed with Big Business wanting cheap labor. Too many Democrats put politics ahead of national security because they see illegals voting their way --- which they do, and in ever-growing numbers, to the point where they are affecting congressional and even presidential elections.

America’s downward spiral can only be reversed if the majority of people take their head out of the sand.

If the battle for America’s heart and soul is to be won, rank-and-file citizens have to voice the ideas that made America great --- and which have absolutely nothing to do with race---: protection of borders, protection of customs, protection of the English language.

If not, America will continue its plummet into obscurity, ceasing to be the Shining City on a hill.

And all of us --- American and immigrant alike --- will be far the worse for it.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com
Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."
Freind also serves as a weekly guest commentator on the Philadelphia-area talk radio show, Political Talk (WCHE 1520), and makes numerous other television and radio appearances, most notably on FOX 29.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 

Oh the hypocrisy.

Ever since Arizona passed its controversial law allowing police to check a suspect’s immigration status, the federal government had been intimating that it would file suit to stop the measure. 

Which it finally did.  (Although, in a moment of utter embarrassment, Attorney General Eric Holder testified of his intention to file suit despite his admission that he’d NEVER READ the ten page Arizona law!) 

And the results of the lawsuit?  Wholly predictable.

The Right is furious, the Left satiated, and, as always, common sense people are still out in the cold.

Fact is, the Arizona law, signed by a Republican Governor and a red-meat issue to the GOP base, is 100% meaningless.  Beyond providing fiery agenda-driven rhetoric --- for both sides ---, it’s just the latest futile attempt to solve America’s out-of-control illegal invader problem.

Why the hypocrisy? Because instead of focusing on the real issues, like building a border wall and cracking down on employers who hire illegals, the Administration is trying to score political points by hoping the Republican position alienates Latino voters.

If Obama and the Congress were really concerned about reigning in a state for doing its own thing --- against the wishes of the federal government ---perhaps a better lawsuit would be one against those who are in flagrant violation of federation immigration law. After all, these states are the biggest obstacle to sound immigration policy.

New Mexico would be a good start.

*****

After we get through the white noise of Arizona’s law being one that harasses the good illegals who have broken America’s laws to get here, or conversely, that such a measure is mandatory to protect our citizens from the invaders, it would be nice to stop and actually ask the most basic question:

How, exactly, are the police supposed to check the immigration status of people they suspect are in the country illegally? What document proving citizenship will they be seeking?

There is no national ID card, and probably about six people nationwide even know where their Social Security card is, so, for the most part, that leaves the driver’s license.

Granted, not everyone drives, but it would be a good starting place. 

Well, except for one small thing.

Several states still issue drivers licenses to illegal invaders.  States like….New Mexico, which just so happens to border Arizona.

(This practice does not comply with Federal Real ID Act requirements.  The Act mandates that, in order for a license to be recognized by the U.S. Government, states may issue licenses only after determining “proof of identity and lawful status of an applicant” and “verification of the source documents provided by an applicant.”)

So when Juan Valdez is pulled over for a traffic stop, on suspicion that he is an illegal, he will be required to prove his status as a citizen or legal immigrant.

As he whips out his license from New Mexico, Utah or Washington, or any of the eight other states that until recently issued licenses to known illegals, along with car insurance (because you can’t get car insurance without a license), a sly smile will creep across his face. There will be no deportation this night.  God Bless America!\

Of course, it doesn’t stop with licenses.  What about school identification cards, since American taxpayers are educating known illegals to the tune of billions a year?  And not just high school, but college, since many states offer in-state tuition rates to undocumented students?

Or the work ID cards issued by unscrupulous businessmen looking for cheap labor?  The list goes on…

Bottom line: Arizona’s law sounds good, and gives people a (false) sense of security, but in reality, it changes nothing.

Why the foot dragging on real reform?  It’s simple.

Too many Republicans are in bed with Big Business, which wants cheap labor, and too many Democrats put politics ahead of national security because they see illegals voting their way.  And make no mistake: illegal invaders are voting in ever-growing numbers.  The problem of illegals’ voting has become so acute that they could, in fact, be determining congressional and even presidential elections, especially in those states with razor thin electoral margins ---like Arizona and New Mexico.

So what is the answer?

That too, is simple, but it’s just not easy.  It all comes down to political will. As always, a small dose of common sense goes a long way:

1) Here’s a novel idea: Actually build the border wall. If built correctly, it will stop darn near all invaders ---who number over 500,000 per year --- yet the southern border remains as vulnerable as ever.  And not just to illegals, but terrorists who could be harboring nuclear and biological weapons---- or just a pilot’s license.  (Kind of like that guy Mohammad Atta and 12 other September 11 highjackers who had state-issued licenses.)

In 2006, legislation was signed into law for a special double-layer fence along 700 miles of the most heavily violated border.  Four years later, 34 miles have been built.  Given the millions out of work and trillions spent on government stimulus, how is this possible?  I’d say make the illegals build the wall before kicking them out, but since they’re already stealing jobs from Americans, that just wouldn’t be right.

2) Put employers who knowingly hire illegals out of business ---and in jail. Deliberately accommodating illegals is a national security risk, and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.  And here’s an added bonus: tough enforcement will reduce demand for cheap (slave) labor, thereby decreasing supply ---i.e., illegals --- at the border.

3) Since the rate of criminal recidivism among illegals is seven ---that is, the government is knowingly placing illegals back on the street who have committed an average of seven crimes --- let’s try something called deportation. Instead, we are being dictated to by third-world rat-hole countries that don’t want their own criminals back and refuse to take them.  And they still receive foreign aid.  There was a Senate bill introduced to stop this insane practice, but it died. Go figure.

4) Consult the dictionary.  Last time I checked, “illegal” means “breaking the law.” So when the government ---local, state or federal --- knowingly accommodates illegal invaders for any reason, they are, by definition, breaking the law!

That means no more licenses, jobs, college education, school tuition, or legal rights.  And no amnesty.  Rewarding people who break the law --- and slapping the face of those who have toiled so hard doing it the right way --- is the epitome of un-Americanism.

It’s time Americans band together to demand sensible immigration policy.  We are the most generous nation on Earth, but will only be able to continue that good work if our economic and physical security is no longer jeopardized. 

Stopping the invading hordes ---just like Mexico does on its southern border --- while maintaining our national identity  as the most welcoming country in the world, needs to be our first priority.