I once asked Ernst what his projection was, time-wise, for a wholesale citizen revolt against discriminatory current governmental practices to break out, and Ernst said:
"It will be a while yet. America was not built in a day. It is not going to self-destruct in a day. People are still paying their taxes . . . "
Today is the day when American taxpayers render unto Caesar's what is Caesar's. It is appropriate that we surmise where some of that money might go - and where it obviously isn't going: that is, to serve Americans.
Here is one possibility, as indicated in an April 1, 1998 Letters to the Editor to the Post Eagle, a Polish-American weekly, titled "Soviet Jews Demand U.S. VA Benefits":
" The latest news, which you will not read about in the controlled press, is the action being taken by the Veterans Affairs cabinet.
Our American Veterans who fought for this country are being cut down on their services. Some benefits U.S. veterans receive through the federal Department of Veterans Affairs which are at stake include access to health care, disability and death compensation, education assistance, burial assistance and help in obtaining home loans. Even the V.A. Hospitals are at risk.
If the American Legion and VFW groups do not protest such actions, in all probability, some vet hospitals will close down in the future.
While this is being done to our own vets, Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota is leading the fight for U.S. veterans' benefits to be given to former Soviet Red Army Soldiers who now live in the U.S.A.
He also wants to protect the other benefits they already receive such as SSI and food stamps.
In fact, thousands of Red Army veterans descended upon Washington to demand U.S. VA benefits. They arrived in 50 chartered buses to protest.
Did you read about this in the press ? No way.
The daily press totally suppressed the news about the thousands of Russian Jews who fought in Stalin's Army during WWII, immigrated here and are now DEMANDING U.S. VETERANS BENEFITS !
"We have enough trouble funding the ailments of our own", said American Legion Executive Director Richard Pedro. He said Russia should pay them.
Bill Smith, a spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars, a national advocacy group, agreed.
"We have to take care of our own first", he said. RIGHT ON !
How did this all begin ? Sen. Frank Lautenberg of N.J. introduced a bill making all Russian Jews automatically classified as refugees and eligible for the give-away program.
He argued that all Jews are victims of anti-Semitism and should not be required to prove any persecution as is required of all other groups.
The Congress passed this bill out of fear of reprisals.
The Soviets' organizer for V.A. benefits is headed by Igor Soskil, a survivor."
Thought for the Day:
"Oh, what fine scribblers and spouters we had back then, in those early days of borrowed calm before the storm!"
(Jean Raspail in "The Camp of the Saints")