The Economy – The Ezeocha Post

AN ALL-AMERICAN WAY TO FIX THE IMMIGRATION CONUNDRUM (Part I)

Illegal immigrants in the United States line up against a U.S. Department of Homeland Security bus in El Paso, Texas, so they can be unshackled and led across the border to Juarez, Mexico, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Tuesday, January 27, 2009. (Alex Garcia/Chicago Tribune/MCT) (Newscom TagID: krtphotoslive342933.jpg) [Photo via Newscom]

Every nation on earth, every society, have laws that govern it. Without laws, society will descend into anarchy. It will be a free for all and the weak will always be at the mercy of the mighty. Laws, are what protect the weak from becoming ever constant prey of the mighty. Laws ensures order in a society.

The United States of America is a sovereign nation like many others and have laws that govern human conduct, human interactions, and human-government relations within its borders. Among these laws are immigration laws that stipulates how a foreigner can legally come to this country for whatever purpose, and how such a foreigner can legally become resident in this country, if said foreigner at one point or the other decides that such a course of action is what he or her wants to pursue.

If anyone should enter this country illegally by not having the proper entry documents issued by the United States diplomatic centers all over the world, that person by default have committed a crime against the United States and cannot claim protection of the law of the land because he or she broke the law of the land in the first place by entering this country illegally. And such a person should be removed from the country.

Laws are what guarantees a nation’s sovereignty and security and protects a land from being overran by mischief-makers, and hence must be obeyed. At all times. Laws are not made with anyone in mind and should not be subjected to emotions especially when one deliberately violates them. Laws are not hobbies that one can pick up at one’s whim and drop at his or her discretion. Laws, are, laws.

So, when someone deliberately enter our country illegally, there should be no doubt about the person’s intent – which was to flout our laws – and there should be no sentiment about applying the law to its fullest extent in such a situation.

I had a conversation with a Norwegian the other day regarding immigration policies in nations of advanced economy. I have lived in Europe. I have visited Israel, and I have vacationed in Mexico. And in the course of our conversation, comparing one country’s immigration policies to that of another, we came to the conclusion that the United States of America has the most benevolent immigration policy. Ever.

Continue reading “AN ALL-AMERICAN WAY TO FIX THE IMMIGRATION CONUNDRUM (Part I)”

MY MANIFESTO (2)

A REPUBLICAN PARTY CONTENDER FOR THE WHITE HOUSE

There has been fierce debate across the aisle about how to fix our deficit, about the need to grow our economy, about the need to create lucrative and rewarding jobs, and about the need to – through a host of smart economic policies and programs – replicate the Clinton-era balanced budget and economic surplus.

By the way, as a Republican, acknowledging that a democrat achieved the great fit of securing for us economic surplus, and in partnership with a Republican House Speaker, achieved a balanced budget doesn’t make my politics bad. It rather reinforces my professionalism and statesmanship. Giving credit to whom credit is due is not bad politics. And should not be viewed as so.

So how do we reduce our deficit, create jobs, and accrue excess revenue for the treasury?

First, by incentivizing our youth to go to school to acquire the skills relevant for the 21st century economy. And how do we do that? By making access to funds for education easier for them. For all American youth and be it for graduate school, college, or community college education.

There are so many jobs in the IT and health sectors that are out there waiting for folks to fill them up. But we have a dearth of professionals who have the skills for these specific jobs. The caveat however is that some of the times folks are enthusiastic for these kinds of jobs but most of the times do not seek to pursue a career in them because they presume that these kinds of jobs are not for folks that look like them. The role my administration will play in this situation will be to encourage employers, especially those in Silicon Valley, to demonstrate through their recruiting processes that these jobs are up for anyone who have the required skills and not just for certain people. I will also encourage the institutions that grant funds to acquire these skills to make their process impartial so that anyone who is desirous of further education can have easy access to funds. When more Americans are gainfully employed, the costs on government of social welfare such as unemployment benefits and food stamps will be reduced. When folks are gainfully employed rather than depending on government for handouts, the more money government will be making through taxes that folks will be paying. And the more the people who are employed and independent of the government, the more money that can be freed from the social nest to tackle other pressing needs the country do have, such as fixing our infrastructure. And fixing our infrastructure also creates jobs. This is an all-round win for the economy.

We have deficits because our revenues are less than our expenses; hence our need to borrow money to offset our budgetary deficits. To fix our deficit – that is, to stop borrowing more money and to start repaying our debts – we have to find more ways to generate more revenues. That is it. There is no other way around that. And one of the ways to generate more revenues for the government would be to raise taxes on Americans. So read my lips. I am a Republican and I will raise taxes on the rich. The poor and the middle class are already paying their fair share. Some are paying more than 25% of their gross income on taxes. I am not seeking to punish the rich because they are rich. But I will make our tax system fair. Hence as your president, I will propose to Congress an across-the-board flat tax rate of 25% for all Americans. I will not simply propose it to Congress and abandon the fight just like most presidents do after their State of the Union address. I will work hard with men of good conscience in Congress to make it a law. That is a promise.

Continue reading “MY MANIFESTO (2)”

THE DILEMMA OF AN EVENTUAL CLINTON NOMINATION TO THE REPUBLICANS AND THE CHANGE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MUST MAKE TO PRECLUDE A CLINTON PRESIDENCY

Donald Trump is a .22 caliber mind in a .357 Magnum world.

By announcing that he won’t be seeking his party’s nomination for the Office of the President of the United States come next general election, Vice President Joe Biden has literally handed the Democratic Party’s nomination to Hillary Clinton. Former first lady, former U.S.Senator, and former Secretary of State.

Hillary’s two out of four opponents in the first Democratic Party debate held earlier this month has withdrawn from the race for their party’s nomination. Only Hillary Clinton, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and former Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland are remaining on the Democratic Party field. But you can bet your money that the Clinton tide will easily sweep Senator Sanders and Governor O’Malley away once the primary season kicks in. You can bet your tuition money on that. Her campaign is poised to never repeat the mistakes and indiscipline they characterized their 2008 run. They are ready this time around. Suffice it to say then that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic Party nominee for the 2016 presidential election and a breathe away from the Oval Office in 1/17.

A Hillary Clinton’s presidency has been trumpeted by Republicans as a third term for President Obama. As an opposition party, the Republicans see Obama’s presidency, irrespective of the progressive policies and programs the Obama Administration has put in place for the past 7 years, as a disaster. Hence a Clinton’s presidency will be a continuation of that disaster.

So assuming for a moment that Republicans are right, then who among their candidates or a combination of their candidates will be their weapon to prevent an almost palpable Clinton presidency from happening?

Continue reading “THE DILEMMA OF AN EVENTUAL CLINTON NOMINATION TO THE REPUBLICANS AND THE CHANGE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MUST MAKE TO PRECLUDE A CLINTON PRESIDENCY”

OPEN LETTER TO THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

I know I said I did not care whether it is a Democrat or a Republican that wins the 2016 presidential election. Of course I do not care. I am not a political party freak. But I know a man who I know will continue to build on the enormous gains the Obama administration has made on the economy.

By Amanda Zheranova

Updated 07:43 AM CT, Monday March 23, 2015

Editor’s Note: Amanda is a Grade 12 high school student from Houston, Texas.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(EP) — Hello, Mr. or Madam President-Elect, my name is Amanda, a 17-year old high school kid from Houston, Texas. As a citizen interested in public policies and how they affect the lives of the common man, there are certain things that I will need you to do for us before your first 100-days in office runs through.

I do not know whether you will be a Democrat or a Republican. I do not really care. I only want the best man or woman for our country. And since the American people have chosen you, I accept that you are the best we have to lead our nation for the next four year.

If you are a Republican, please do not repeal Obamacare. Since it was passed into law and became operational, my mother, who is a single parent has been able to afford health insurance for our household. I am the oldest in a family of four including my mom. As we are all under the age 26, my brothers and I are covered under our mom’s insurance. And that is a good thing. Of course I watch television and I listen to political debates. From my analysis, there are some good prescriptions in the law and there are also some prescription in it that are not well thought-out. Rather than repeal the law, please work with Congress to review some of those aspects of the law that adversely affects small businesses and the little man and then pass a compromise appendage healthcare law to complement the already good things in Obamacare. If you repeal the law and we return to the status quo before the law was passed, we will lose our health insurance and you would lose your legitimacy as the president of all Americans.

If you are a Democrat, please do something about welfare. It is a good thing that we have programs such as food stamps to help people who are going through some hard times in their life until they find their feet. But what is not fair to taxpayers and hardworking people like my mom is when other adults make a career of living off of food stamps and refuse to better themselves. I will want you to reform the food stamp program and put a cap on the number of months a person can be on the program. It is also necessary to require people who are on the program to do some community service work at least once every week for the duration of time they are receiving the benefits. And finally on this issue, I will want you to make it difficult for someone who have already received the benefit to be able to receive it again without a proof to show that she had made an attempt to get a job, go to school, or improve her life in one way or the other. When people have a sense that government will always hand out benefits to them to subsidize the irresponsible lifestyle they choose to live, the incentive to work to supplement the life they are living zeroes out.

If you are a Republican, it is likely that you are a man. A white man. And being a man, I know you are a father. As a father, you are enthused at the idea that your son will one day grow up to walk on your footsteps and hopefully succeed where you have failed in life. Through your guidance, of course. That feeling is not native to you or white men alone. That is every father’s desire including African-American fathers. So I implore you that you work with Congress to pass a law to outlaw the killings of African-American men and teenagers all over the country by police officers. To us whites, they are just another data. But a time will come when it will blow up on the face of this country and undermine our greatness if nothing drastic is done about it. Segregation was outlawed. It was done while a white man was in the White House. Civil Rights Act was passed into law. A son of the south for that matter signed it into law. Outlawing extrajudicial killings of African-American men in this 21^st century jet age is far easier to do. You have your precedents. Do it!!!

Continue reading “OPEN LETTER TO THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”

AS THE PRESIDENT PROPOSED, LET US REBUILD AMERICA

Washington DC and the political world is agog with punditry after the 2015 State of the Union Address by the President last night. Political pundits call most of his legislative proposals to Congress a political machinations which the president knows will not yield any credible policy dividend, but proposed them he still did so as to push the Republicans further right and give Democrats fodder to paint the Republicans as anti-middle class in the 2016 election.

This could be true. It could also be a wrong analysis. We stand to see which way Republicans will be leaning in days to come.

I am no Democrat. Neither am I a Republican. I am an independent intelligent man who knows that the president’s proposals are commonsensical and if Republicans can take him up on it, at least half the way, can re-position America back to global economic dominance – A unipolar world. We already enjoy military, political, and cultural dominance.

Take this line below from the president’s address for example:

“Twenty-first century businesses need 21st century infrastructure — modern ports, and stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest Internet. Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this. So let’s set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline. Let’s pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan that could create more than 30 times as many jobs per year, and make this country stronger for decades to come. Let’s do it. Let’s get it done. Let’s get it done.”

Can you pause to imagine the genius of this proposal? Rebuilding America is not a Democratic Party idea. And of course it’s is not an Obama idea. It seems closer to an idea of Republicans of the past. GOD bless their soul. The Rockefellers, the J.P. Morgan Chase’, the Vanderbilts, and the Carnegies. These are men that built America and they were Republicans. In their wisdom, they understood that a country that enjoys modern infrastructural development is a country that enjoys economic prosperity. And they built America. The built the railways. They built the dams. They built up Chicago. And they also built steel plants and refineries all over America. They were geniuses and they were great statesmen. Traits that the present troves of Republicans apparently lack. If only they can relearn our history and model their ways according to the ways of past leaders of the party.

At this age and time when bullet trains and high speed rails is a sine qua non to national development and characterize developed economies in Asia, the most powerful nation on earth should not be found wanting. John Boehner, let us build America once again.

ON HONEST AND RESPONSIBLE DIALOGUE ON RACE RELATIONS IN AMERICA (Part I)

Not all white people are racists. Majority of white people are not. If all whites are racists and because of their racism chose not to vote for a Black man in both 2008 and 2012, we wouldn’t have President Obama, America’s first Black President. Even if every eligible voter from other ethnic minorities voted 100% for him.

Majority Of White People Are Not Racists.

The Black Man Is As Competent As The White Man In Every Facet Of Human Endeavor.

Racism Is A Costly Self-Inflicted Disease.

In times like these, we need to be unified at home so that we can present a common front to the world and defeat our enemies. For a house divided against itself cannot stand.

Now know that racism denies the goodness, qualifications, and quality in the ‘other.’ Racism exalts itself and looks down condescendingly on the ‘other.’ Racism thinks itself intellectually superior and considers itself lord over the ‘other’ and even when it wrongs the ‘other,’ racism considers it scandalous to apologize for the wrong because it sees the ‘other’ as less human with no dignity. So, irrespective of how articulate, analytical, collected, handsome, cool, tall, and prudent President Obama has been, if all white were racists, those who voted for him in both the 2008 and 2012 general elections would not have done so. Simply because despite his (Obama) outstanding candidacy, his white supporters, if they were racists, would have been blinded to all the qualities which made him a better candidate than his opponents and could have chosen the wrong person at the wrong time to be the leader of the free world.

MAJORITY OF WHITE PEOPLE ARE NOT RACISTS.

Meanwhile, those white folks that jump to the defense of blatant racism by white police officers, anytime they (white police officers) take down another African-American man or teen, those folks are culprits.

Why do Fox News Network, folks like former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and some right wing politicians jump out of their pants to defend criminals and rogue police officers who kill African-American men, simply because the perpetrators are white?

I will answer that question in the latter paragraph after the next.

Continue reading “ON HONEST AND RESPONSIBLE DIALOGUE ON RACE RELATIONS IN AMERICA (Part I)”

IN DEFENSE OF PRESIDENTIAL DECISIONS

Barack Obama making his 2nd Inauguration Speech As The 44th President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States of America. January 20, 2013.

By Chinedu Ezeocha for Ezeocha Post

Originally Published on Monday June 23, 2014 at 4:54 PM CT

In 2008 we elected Barack Obama to four years in office as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. By so doing, we deferred to him the mandate to make decisions on our behalf as a nation, both in domestic and in foreign policies. Good or bad, we live the consequences of his decisions. The buck stops with him.

Because we were satisfied with the choices and decisions he made on our behalf in his first term, such as killing Osama bin Laden and passing the Affordable Care Act – which has now become law, when in 2012 he sought re-election, we voted him back to the Oval Office to continue to make decisions on our behalf as a nation.

Presidents are mere men who are susceptible to making error of judgments just as we all do. Barack told us while he was running for the Office of the President that there will be false starts and that he will make mistakes. He never promised to get it right at all times. Presidents make mistakes, but what is never questionable is the motive behind every decision a president make, whether good or bad. Which are always in service to country and in service to humanity. Meanwhile, in their hallowed position, presidents some of the times make decisions which may be unpopular with the masses as at the time the decisions were made, but which in the long turns out to be wonderful decisions because they had privileged information and intelligence that informed their decision. Information which are classified and therefore not available to the average joe, the paid political analyst on television who knows nothing more than the average joe, the radio talk show host, and of course, the political strategists from the opposition party.

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ATTRACTING FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT TO NIGERIA

calabar — Construction work at the early stages of the development project of the Calabar International Convention Centre (CICC), Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria. CICC Image/May 2014.

By Chinedu Ezeocha for Ezeocha Post

Originally Published on Wednesday May 21, 2014 at 3:07 AM CT

According to World Bank data, China enjoyed a rise in foreign direct investment (FDI) from US$30bln in 2000 to $150bln in 2008. Cheap labor and existing infrastructure were responsible for this boom in FDI. As Chinese workers are getting educated and demands for better working conditions are on the rise, corporations are relocating their manufacturing base to neighboring Nepal and Bangladesh. Many are trooping into Africa. Ghana in recent times has been a host to legion of foreign corporations seeking access to cheap labor, existing infrastructure, and security for business.

FDI lowers the rate of unemployment, boosts the economy, and produces a strong middle class – the lifeline of any functioning economy. As one of the least developed countries of the world, Nigeria can position itself to take advantage of these billions of dollars in FDI that is looking for a conducive environment to be invested. Hence President Jonathan should be proactive in tackling the power issue, the infrastructural deficits, and more importantly, the Boko Haram security concerns. He has a moral obligation to do so.

Continue reading “ATTRACTING FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT TO NIGERIA”

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