HSPI Releases Task Force Report on the Future of the Homeland Security Council. The report is the product of a bipartisan Task Force composed of former senior federal officials, practitioners at the state and local levels, and subject matter experts in the area of homeland security policymaking. Co-chaired by HSPI Director Frank Cilluffo and Deputy Director Daniel Kaniewski, the Task Force identified and reviewed arguments for and against merging the Homeland Security Council and National Security Council, and also assessed crucial factors that merit consideration whether or not there is a merger.
It was just recently The Contemplation uncovered that Bradley Schreiber, a former senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has opened his own Homeland Security Solutions, LLC (Read More . . .).
A senior advisor jumping ship? It looks like Schreiber jumped into his own business only to watch the Department of Homeland Security blend with a the National Security council. This is not only smart, but both Homeland Security and National Security Council are both redundent.
One Problem (of many) Bush’s Homeland Security Didn’t Fix
Homeland Security is a joke. We already have in place the FBI, CIA, INS and Department of State, which with common database and collaboration can easily manage security. The proper management of these already existing Departments has made Homeland Security redundant.
Fact:
In all US ports container searches are still done in a very lazy fashion. Did you know that not all containers coming into US ports are searched? U.S. seaports handle over 2 billion tons of freight each year but only about 5% of containers entering the United States are inspected on arrival. Lets do the math :: 5% of 2,000,000,000 = 100,000,000+. That is 100 million containers not ever inspected.
Let me clarify what inspected mean . . . it the container looks normal, smells norma (with dogs) and tagging matches all the paperwork it is approved. The chances of being opened is less than 5%.
There are other areas of vulnerability of ports include:
- The geographical/physical layout of the ports themselves is of concern.
- The protection and security of the landside perimeter of a port is difficult due to their large size.
- orts located in highly urbanized areas allow terrorists a densely populated area in which to hide while infiltrating or escaping the port area at their perimeter.
- The high volume of trucks entering and exiting port facilities pose a threat to the port, as well as surrounding geographical areas. Exiting trucks may contain questionable contents.
- The disabling of a ship at port is enough to halt all activity at that port for an extended period of time, especially if the disabled ship is blocking a throughway for other vessels. Think about a one lane highway and you hold up one car.
Did you know that cargos will never be inspected if it meets one of the following:
- Either as a direct result of Federal Government involvement
- Indirectly through financial sponsorship of a Federal program (indirectly?)
- There have been many US Government personnel that have imported illegal substance, trafficking and classified information via this “sponsorship program”.
- This would include Blackwater contractors
- In connection with a guarantee provided by the Federal Government
Now, how many of these un-inspected on each cargo ship?
- Military Cargo = 100% (governed by Military Cargo Preference Act of 1904);
- Export Import Bank = 100% (governed by Public Resolution 17);
- Civilian Agencies Cargo = at least 50% (governed by Cargo Preference Act of 1954); and
- Agricultural Cargoes = at least 75% (governed by the Food Security Act of 1985)
Which basically means . . . our ports are the easiest to ship.
Nothing has actually changed and cargo inspection has not changed due to the Bush Administration only real Except the reputation of the United States being a bulling by imprisoning without due process and fair trial via our military prisons (AKA Guantánamo Gay Bay).
One Port Solution Fits All
One High Port Import Tax – Any company that imports goods or services inside the US will be taxed a high percentage. Sell the goods here or be willing to pay the price.
There are plenty that do not pay any import or less import tax, here are a few:
Australia Special Rate
Bahrain Special Rate
Trade in Civil Aircraft (duty-free treatment)
NAFTA for Canada (duty-free treatment)
Chile Special Rate
Africa (duty-free treatment)
Israel Special Rate (duty-free treatment)
Uruguay Chemicals for Dyes (duty-free treatment)
Morocco Special Rate
NAFTA for Mexico
Dominican Republic-Central American Special Rate
Singapore Special Rate
Notice anything? Looks allot like what you see on WalMart’s shelves!
One High Port Export Tax – Any company that exports goods or services outside the US will be taxed a high percentage. Sell the goods locally or be willing to pay the price.
Where does the money go? – The high tax will pay for 100% container inspection, stimulate the economy and produce jobs without building another bridge.
Final Thoughts
The economy for the US is now so dented that it only a discount buyer will be willing to invest in the US economy. The only way to react is to strengthen our import/export tax tariffs and let the priority be true independence.
OR
The United States keeps importing and filling Walmart shelves. I remember pre-walmart and if I wanted to get something from Singapore or Chine I went to a specialty store. Now, it is low quality crap. We will be a WalMart country. Remember when people said, “I Live in Ford Country”? Well soon it will be “I live in WalMart Country”.
OR
We start acting and matching globally. Instead of leading the charge into exporting/importing why not follow the lead of other countries that aren’t in debt, in fact one . . . Estonia.