Trump’s Drug War

The absurdity is overwhelming. Here we are as Americans, all party to the White House’s illegal murder of over eighty (so far) men in boats on the premise they are bringing drugs to the United States. As well remarked elsewhere, there is no evidence these boats are carrying drugs and no credibility in the idea these small vessels with a fuel range of 100-200 miles are embarking on a thousand mile journey to the U.S.

But even more insane is the idea that a nation under any government can stamp out drug use/abuse by ‘interdicting’ drugs enroute to this country. We can’t even stamp out drugs manufactured in within the borders of this country. Anyone who believes such nonsense needs to have these words tattooed onto their forehead: Supply-Demand. If people want a product, no matter how potentially dangerous, there will ALWAYS be a supplier. Basic economic fact. Reducing supply only results in higher prices for said product, i.e. better profits, more incentive to supply.

So let’s get real about illegal drugs. First, “drug users” include people who depend on caffeine in their morning coffee, iced tea at lunch or other caffeinated beverages, persons who ‘must have’ their cigarettes or other tobacco products, and persons prescribed any of a multitude of pharmaceuticals which address any of a multitude of human conditions from depression to headache to cancer. Secondly, there is an enormous difference between the use of and the abuse of any drug. Prohibitionists prefer to consider all illegal drug use as ‘abuse’ in order to justify draconian laws punishing users. We must keep in mind the blurred line dividing legal and illegal drugs is primarily based on their regulatory status and whether their production, sale, and use are permitted by law. Theoretically, this status is determined by government authorities based on factors like medical utility, potential for abuse, and perceived harm to the individual and society. In other words, there is no truly ‘illegal’ drug.

This theory supporting the prohibition of certain drugs has been shown to be a fabrication serving other less savory objectives. The drug war is a tool used by government to carry out activities which are illegal. For example, one might wonder about the president’s single-minded assault on alleged drug smugglers from Venezuela when coca leaf is grown in three other Latin American countries: Peru, Bolivia and Colombia. Surely the fact that Venezuela possesses the world’s largest oil reserves has nothing to do with it. Surely.

Never mind the fact that cocaine is hardly relevant in drug abuse circles since fentanyl hit the streets. In 2023, there were approximately 72,776 overdose deaths involving fentanyl (synthetic opioids other than methadone) compared to about 29,449 deaths involving cocaine.

Postcard showing an underground opium den in San Francisco, pre-1906 earthquake. By 1896, there were around 300 opium dens in San Francisco, mostly in Chinatown. In the 19th century and the early 20th century, opium smoking was common worldwide, especially in Asia, which was one of the sources of the opium poppy.

In order to better understand this absurdity, let’s go back more than a century to the country’s first ‘drug war’. The San Francisco Opium Den Ordinance of 1875 made it a misdemeanor to maintain or visit places where people smoked opium. These places were mainly in Chinese immigrant neighborhoods. Similar racially inflammatory state laws emerged. Soon after came the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred Chinese laborers from entering the U.S., a ban expanded to all Chinese people in 1902 and not fully repealed until 1943. The first federal drug law, the 1909 Smoking Opium Exclusion Act, prohibited importing and using opium. It wasn’t that the government suddenly became concerned about opium use. In a nutshell, it was that the railroads powering the economic growth of that period were now built, and thousands of Chinese who had been welcomed to this country to do the backbreaking work of carving tunnels out of rock and laying steel track were no longer of use. Even worse, these immigrants, the primary users of opium, were inviting relatives to immigrate and their jobs were seen as threats to white workers.[1]

Then there was alcohol. After nearly a century of growing religious fervor stemming from massive evangelical movements, especially the “Second Great Awakening,” characterized by fiery camp meetings, frontier revivalism, and emotionally charged preaching, a rising cry against alcohol resulted in ‘prohibition,’ enacted on a federal basis in 1920 but in individual states as early as the 1880s.

Carrie Nation became famous for her attacks on alcohol-serving establishments, using rocks, bricks, and her signature hatchet to destroy liquor bottles, mirrors, and bar fixtures. Before resorting to violence, she would kneel outside saloons, sing hymns, and deliver strong sermons to patrons and owners, sometimes calling herself the “Destroyer of Men’s Souls”.

“A wide coalition of mostly Protestants, prohibitionists first attempted to end the trade in alcoholic drinks during the 19th century. They aimed to heal what they saw as an ill society beset by alcohol-related problems such as alcoholism, domestic violence, and saloon-based political corruption.”[2]

Alcohol prohibition led to massive increases in organized crime (bootlegging, speakeasies), rampant corruption of officials, dangerous unregulated alcohol leading to sickness/death, huge losses in government tax revenue, and a general disrespect for the law, with little measurable public health benefit, ultimately proving a costly failure. Ultimately, prohibition led to the development of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), significantly expanding the role and authority of the FBI’s predecessor, the Bureau of Investigation (BOI), making it central to federal law enforcement by creating massive new criminal enterprises (bootlegging) that required federal intervention, strained resources, spurred corruption, and ultimately led to bigger federal crime-fighting roles and the rise of modern organized crime, impacting federal investigations for decades.

This powerful new agency could have drifted into irrelevance when alcohol was once again legal in 1932, but instead there is evidence that the federal official who spearheaded cannabis prohibition saw it as a way to maintain his department’s relevance and budget. Harry Anslinger, the head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN), needed a new focus for his agency after alcohol prohibition was repealed. He launched a public campaign against cannabis (often using the “marihuana” spelling to associate it with Mexican immigrants), portraying it as a dangerous substance to justify his department’s continued existence. Anslinger’s rhetoric carried strong undercurrents of racial prejudice and xenophobia, targeting Mexican immigrants and Black jazz musicians.

Then as the ‘60s ended with massive marches in support of equal rights for minorities and women, against the Vietnam war, and in support of gay rights, President Richard Nixon officially launched the “War on Drugs” in the early 1970s, declaring drug abuse a public enemy and enacting significant federal legislation like the Controlled Substances Act to combat drug production, distribution, and use, though policies intensified under subsequent administrations.

One of Richard Nixon’s top advisers and a key figure in the Watergate scandal said the war on drugs was created as a political tool to fight blacks and hippies, according to a 22-year-old interview recently published in Harper’s Magazine.

“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people,” former Nixon domestic policy chief John Ehrlichman told Harper’s writer Dan Baum for the April cover story published Tuesday.

“You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities,” Ehrlichman said. “We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”[3]

A 2017 study showed that police forces which received military equipment were more likely to have violent encounters with the public, regardless of local crime rates. A 2018 study found that militarized police units in the United States were more frequently deployed to communities with large shares of African-Americans, even after controlling for local crime rates. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militarization_of_police#cite_ref-17

In the next administration, First Lady Nancy Reagan famously addressed the drug “problem” with her “Just Say No.” advice, unwittingly illustrating the parental role now assumed by government over the private, consensual behavior of drug users. Reagan’s successor, George H.W. Bush, took it a step further. He promoted the 1033 Program (Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Disposition Services) in the early 1990s to transfer surplus military gear to local law enforcement for the “War on Drugs.” Nowhere in this rush to judgement did anyone point out that M16/AR-15 rifles, grenade launchers, armored vehicles (APCs, MRAPs), night vision, tactical robots, and “less-lethal” gear (beanbag/pepperball guns, flashbangs) have absolutely no effect on drugs. These weapons and the “war” in which they are being used are against PEOPLE—American citizens, most of whom simply preferered to toke a joint after work rather than drink an alcoholic beverage.

This despite the fact that in the 1970s and ‘80s, marijuana was by far the most widely used of illegal drugs, was found in multiple studies not to be addictive and also found not to be a ‘gateway’ to harder drugs, as so often alleged in government reports. Even today, with drugs like cocaine and even fentanyl in the headlines, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report 2024, the estimated number of people who used various drugs at least once in the prior twelve months was: Cannabis (Marijuana): 228 million users; Opioids: 60 million users; Amphetamines: 30 million users; Cocaine: 23 million users; Ecstasy: 20 million users.

All the while, the drug war of those decades provided cover for illegal U.S. government operations in Central and South America as those nations began to resist colonization by American corporations seeking to exploit natural resources like oil, minerals, and agricultural opportunities. Fertile land and cheap labor could produce crops such as coffee, bananas, and other foods requiring year-round growing seasons.

According to Tim Weiner, the Central Intelligence Agency “has been accused of forming alliances of convenience with drug traffickers around the world in the name of anti-Communism” since its creation in 1947.[4] The CIA has a long, controversial history in South America, primarily during the Cold War, involving covert operations like coups, political destabilization, and support for right-wing regimes (e.g., Operation Condor) to counter perceived communist influence, leading to significant human rights abuses and democratic declines, with operations continuing into recent times, such as those in Venezuela. Key actions included overthrowing governments (Chile, Ecuador, Brazil), supporting anti-communist forces (Contras in Nicaragua, a major scandal where in U.S. operatives sold guns to Iran between 1981 and 1986, facilitated by senior officials of the Ronald Reagan administration. The administration hoped to use the proceeds of the arms sale to fund the Contras, an anti-Sandinista rebel group in Nicaragua.), and involvement in conflicts like the Salvadoran Civil War, with consequences like suppressed democracy and economic impacts.

This kind of interference in the affairs of other nations more or less permeates American history. In the early 20th century, during the “Banana Republic” era of Latin American history, the U.S. launched several interventions and invasions in the region (known as the Banana Wars) in order to promote American business interests. During the Cold War (1950s-1980s), the CIA carried out coordinated campaigns to install South American dictatorships (Argentina, Chile, Brazil, etc.) to track, kidnap, torture, and kill left-wing dissidents, with CIA support and intelligence sharing. In Guatemala (1954), the CIA overthrew the democratically elected President Jacobo Árbenz, linking to U.S. corporate interests, using exile forces and propaganda. In Chile (1970s), CIA efforts undermined President Salvador Allende, paving the way for a military coup. Same idea for Brazil (1964): Supported a coup against President João Goulart, leading to a military dictatorship. Nicaragua (1980s): Funded and trained the right-wing Contra rebels fighting the socialist Sandinista government, with alleged links to cocaine trafficking. El Salvador (1980s): Trained and equipped military units involved in massacres during the civil war.

CIA interventions often resulted in the collapse of democratic institutions, reduced civil liberties, and economic hardship, despite justifications of promoting democracy or fighting communism, according to research. The support ‘troops’ for these political objectives has become de facto occupation of these nations with armed agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, with 87 foreign offices in 67 countries. For example, in the so-called “Southern Cone,” (Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay), are considered to be transit zones for the movement of cocaine base, cocaine HCL, and heroin being shipped from Colombia and Peru to markets in the U.S. and Europe, or producers of coca leaves. The end result of these often violent interventions in the affairs of our neighbors is the current and ongoing flood of desperate people arriving at our borders.

Not only are drug laws used outside our nation’s borders as cover for extra-judicial interference in international relations, they also serve domestically to selectively target specific individuals and politically inconvenient groups or based on racism or other prejudices, most recently undocumented immigrants. This is a useful tool for xenophobes determined to turn the United States into a white patriarchal “Christian” nation. The current administration manipulates this demographic by playing up the drug war.

Public support for prohibition policies relies on judgments of morality, that becoming intoxicated is immoral, an echo of the early 1800s temperance movement which reached its zenith with alcohol prohibition, the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This same moral judgment about private consensual activity remains a strong current in the United States where prostitution, gambling, and drug use (other than legal drugs) fall under strong government control. While government cannot (yet) spy on the living rooms and bedrooms of its citizens, government agents find such laws useful in targeting specific types of people, as previously illustrated.

“Today, police make more than 1.5 million drug arrests each year, and about 550,000 of those are for cannabis offenses alone. Almost 500,000 people are incarcerated for nothing more than a drug law violation, and Black and brown people are disproportionately impacted by drug enforcement and sentencing practices. Rates of drug use and sales are similar across racial and ethnic lines, but Black and Latinx people are far more likely than white people to be stopped, searched, arrested, convicted, harshly sentenced, and saddled with a lifelong criminal record.

“The wide-ranging consequences of a drug law violation aren’t limited to senseless incarceration: people with low incomes are denied food stamps and public assistance for past drug convictions; states including Texas and Florida suspend driver’s licenses for drug offenses totally unrelated to driving; and numerous other policies deny child custody, voting rights, employment, loans, and financial aid to people with criminal records.”[5]

Despite apparent national political resolve to deal with the drug problem, inherent contradictions regularly appear between U.S. anti-drug policy and other national policy goals and concerns. Pursuit of drug control policies can sometimes affect foreign policy interests and bring political instability and economic dislocation to countries where narcotics production has become entrenched economically and socially. Drug supply interdiction programs and U.S. systems to facilitate the international movement of goods, people, and wealth are often at odds.[6]

“We are still in the midst of the most devastating drug epidemic in U.S. history,” according to Vanda Felbab-Brown, senior fellow at the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at Brookings Institution. In 2020, overdose deaths in the United States exceeded 90,000, compared with 70,630 in 2019, according to research from the Commonwealth Fund. Yet, the federal government is spending more money than ever to enforce drug policies. In 1981, the federal budget for drug abuse prevention and control was just over a billion dollars. By 2020, that number had grown to $34.6 billion. When adjusted for inflation, CNBC found that it translates to a 1,090% increase in just 39 years.[7]

What if that money had instead been applied to individuals and programs that support individual ambitions and needs—tiny homes for the homeless, for example? What if the costs of our interference in foreign nations had instead been directed toward helping the people of those nations deal with loss of farmland to multinational corporations, climate-change induced drought and hurricane damage, and support for social programs, education, and entrepreneurship, thereby reducing the urgency of people in those countries to flood to U.S. borders in hope of better lives?

Without hot button issues like women’s reproductory rights and drugs, politicians would have to gain votes based on performance rather than propaganda. Stepping away from “government as nannies” and the idea of controlling private behavior would allow taxpayer dollars to support programs that help deter substance abuse in the same way that public education has helped reduce the use of cigarettes. No one knows better than addicts that they, individually, are the only ones who can control their addiction. Ultimately, as free people, we must claim the fundamental right to kill ourselves if we wish it. Most importantly, awareness of draconian drug policies as a cover for illegal objectives both in and outside our nation’s borders would forever eliminate travesties such as the murdering of likely-innocent people in boats leaving Venezuela.

And, in the case of the current administration, understanding the real agenda of the drug war could rightfully turn the public attention fully to the president’s dirty Epstein laundry.

[1] https://muse.jhu.edu/article/240064

[2] Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States

[3] https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/politics/john-ehrlichman-richard-nixon-drug-war-blacks-hippie

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_drug_trafficking_allegations

[5] https://www.vera.org/news/fifty-years-ago-today-president-nixon-declared-the-war-on-drugs

[6] https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL33582.html

[7] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/17/the-us-has-spent-over-a-trillion-dollars-fighting-war-on-drugs.html

Arkansas and the Nation — Do We Have a Constitution?

https://www.5newsonline.com/video/news/local/arkansas-prison/franklin-county-prison-site-may-undergo-on-site-archaeological-work-ahead-of-construction/527-33b60464-ae22-4edf-86ec-a2a6576b58dc

Well, pig soooie y’all, doncha just love Little Miss Gub’ner Sarah and her special skills at getting her way? She decided she wanted a plop a prison down in Franklin County where people are outnumbered by rabbits and deer, so by god she’s gonna have it, by hook or by crook! Methods so far include secret purchase of land and not taking ‘NO!” for an answer. When questioned, her typical non-answer ensued:

Dietz noted that local elected officials have expressed frustration about being kept in the dark about the new prison. “Was this just strictly a state deal, so there were not any local officials involved in it leading up to it?” he asked the governor. Sanders dodged the question, saying it was “no secret” her administration was focused on public safety. https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2024/10/31/franklin-county-selected-as-home-of-new-3k-bed-state-prison

No matter what the locals want, Miss Sarah is gonna ram this through. But the legislative committee tasked with approving funding said “NO!”

A bill to appropriate up to $750 million for a new Franklin County prison failed in the Arkansas State Senate for the fifth time on Tuesday. 21 voted for the bill on Tuesday, the highest number yet. 9 voted against, and 5 were marked as present. 27 yes votes were needed, as a three-fourths supermajority is required for an appropriations bill to pass. https://www.4029tv.com/article/franklin-county-funding-senate-fails-fifth/64422978

Still ramming, the GOP Gov’ness continued to ignore the will of the people, something she apparently learned at the knee of Mr. Trump, for whom she spent two years lying as his press secretary. Currently, as of May 16, 2025, she (and the Department of Corrections following her orders) have taken the next step, apparently under the belief that sooner or later she’ll successfully run over local (and state) concerns:

Franklin County, AR (KATV) — The State Board of Corrections tonight selected builders for a controversial prison project in Franklin County. In a special meeting tonight the board selected Nabholz Construction, a prominent Conway-based construction company, and J.E. Dunn Construction Group, based in Kansas City to partner on the project. They took that step despite the legislature’s unwillingness during the recent session to approve a $750 million request to fund the project. Still the board is armed with $75 million that had previously been appropriated for prison construction – and they’re using it to move the process forward. [By now the estimated cost is $850 million. Stay tuned for further cost escalations.]

This fits right in with the operational mindset of the GOP. In Arkansas, that has meant stifling the voice of the people despite the state constitution’s protection of the right to petition, as described in Article 5, Section 1:

The first power reserved by the people is the initiative. Eight per cent of the legal voters may propose any law and ten per cent may propose a constitutional amendment by initiative petition and every such petition shall include the full text of the measure so proposed. Initiative petitions for state-wide measures shall be filed with the Secretary of State not less than four months before the election at which they are to be voted upon; provided, that at least thirty days before the aforementioned filing, the proposed measure shall have been published once, at the expense of the petitioners, in some paper of general circulation.

Since Sanders took office, her handpicked attorney general and legislative minions have made every effort to hamstring the petition process, concluding the 2025 legislative session with the following:

Act 153 clarifies that the certification of ballot titles for initiatives, referendums and constitutional amendments as well as the signatures collected for those measures would only be valid for the next general election.
Act 154 expands the attorney general’s existing authority to reject a proposal if it conflicts with the U.S. Constitution or federal statutes and prevents the sponsor of a measure from submitting more than one conflicting petition simultaneously.
Act 218 requires signature gatherers, known as canvassers, to inform potential signers that petition fraud is a criminal offense.
Act 240 requires canvassers to request a photo ID from potential signers.
Act 241 requires canvassers to file a “true affidavit” with the secretary of state, the executive branch office that oversees elections, certifying they complied with the Arkansas Constitution and state laws related to canvassing, perjury, forgery and fraudulent practices in the procurement of petition signatures. Signatures submitted without the affidavit would not be counted.
Act 273 disqualifies signatures collected by canvassers if the secretary of state finds “by a preponderance of evidence” that they violated state law collecting the signatures.
Act 274 requires potential signers to read a petition’s ballot title or have it read to them; failure to ensure this would result in a misdemeanor charge against the canvasser.
Act 453 requires canvassers who are paid to collect signatures to be permanent residents of Arkansas. A sponsor of a ballot measure would be fined $2,500 per paid canvasser hired who does not meet this requirement.

This deliberate effort to block, restrict, hinder, impede, delay, inhibit, obstruct, undermine, and otherwise derail the efforts of Arkansas citizens to collect sufficient signatures with which to place a proposed measure before voters is a direct assault on citizens’ rights as clearly stated in the constitution. This most likely is an aftershock of the successful 2016 medical cannabis petition effort, the outcome of 17 years of citizen efforts. The likelihood of citizen efforts to further legalize cannabis, protect women’s healthcare rights, and other non-GOP ideas has driven this outrageous conglomeration of legislative foment and the governor’s veto of legislation that would allow drive-through delivery of legal medical cannabis to qualified patients from licensed outlets.

“This legislation would expand access to usable marijuana, therefore I am vetoing this legislation,” Sanders stated.

Never mind that a more informed point of view about marijuana would greatly reduce the need for new prison space… **

This is authoritarian thinking, apparently well learned from Trump and other GOP operatives (Stephen Miller springs to mind) in how to circumvent not only the letter of the law as written in the U.S. Constitution, but also the intent. Apparently the Founding Fathers didn’t know what they meant to say when they wrote “…no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

Also, the Founders also apparently failed to designate skin color when they wrote “that every person born within the limits of the United States, and subject to their jurisdiction, is . . . a citizen of the United States.” And so forth.

As things whittle down to the bone with these Republican yahoos, We the People are either going to have to settle for a king in the White House, or rise up. It gives some hope that over 200 lawsuits against Trump administration efforts have been filed. But, as repeatedly noted in the histories of democracy, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

**Possession of 1 ounce (28 grams) or more with two prior marijuana convictions is a Class D felony, carrying a penalty of up to 6 years in prison and a $6,000 fine. A total of 4,976 arrests for marijuana were reported for 2023, the last year available for such data. Huckabee is on record for opposing expansion of the medical marijuana program and legalization of recreational marijuana.

The Black Hole of Artificial Intelligence

Let this serve as a warning to anyone out there who thinks shifting government operations to AI is a good idea. AI will gut you with a rusty knife and never look back. As you read, think of yourself trying to talk to someone about your Medicare, or your military records, or your tax return.

While I research and write extensively on local history, I wanted to also write romance. So after researching options, I selected a pen name Z (not the actual pen name), established a Facebook page and an ‘author’ page for Z in 2012, and within a couple of years garnered over 800 followers for my sexy stories. Available as both ebooks and paperbacks, Z books are still available at Amazon and other outlets including Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and multiple other booksellers. Over the ensuing years, a total of 6,276 books were sold. Since this fiasco with Facebook, sales have dropped off to the point that I can no longer justify writing more in this genre.

In mid-November 2023, the link accessing my Z Facebook account suddenly disappeared from my real name page. At first I thought this was just a technical glitch. But over the next several weeks, as I contacted Facebook and META in every possible way, I reached the conclusion that there was no one in the wheelhouse. This has left me immeasurably sad and furious.

At first, I engaged in an online chat with a META helper but that ‘person’ soon directed me to send an email. Please note META AI misspellings and incorrect grammar are as shown. I wrote:

Dec 12, 2023, 6:34 a.m.: “The link to my other account, Z.524, has disappeared from my page. I can’t access either Z or her page for “Z Author.” I’d like to place a Christmas ad for book sales but the account has vanished.”

Response from META Support:

Dec 12, 3:06 p.m. “For us to continue thru the process kindly provide a copy of you [sic] valid Id and any information or documentation or proof your ownership of the Page. [Subsequent errors left as is.]

META Dec 12, 9:22 p.m. “This is an automated reminder that we’re waiting on additional information from you to continue to work on your case.”

Denele Campbell Dec 13, 5:49 a.m. “Here’s a screen shot of two of my many Z books as shown on my Amazon/KDP account. Note my image in the upper right corner. Do you understand that I, Denele Campbell, am an author working on nonfiction projects while Z, my pen name, writes smutty romance? That’s why I have different Facebook accounts. See enclosed my driver’s license.”

META Dec 13, 6:28 a.m. “We will update you once our Internal Team have resolution on this one. For immediate and real-time support, you may initiate a new chat via https://www.facebook.com/business/help. We appreciate your understanding about this matter, and we thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team we wish you and your business well, Have a good day head of you.”

Campbell Dec 13, 1:06 pm: “What additional information do you need? I responded to your earlier request six hours ago and have no heard back from you.”

Campbell Dec 15, 5:55 a.m. “Is this too hard for META?”

META Dec 15, 6:20 a.m. “Good day! This is Lai from Meta Pro Team. I hope this email finds you well. Please be advised that we are currently working on this case to be resolved urgently. We hope that you extend your patience with us on this matter. Rest assured that we are ensuring the best for a positive resolution.”

META Dec 15, 12:58 p.m. “This is an automated reminder that we’re waiting on additional information from you to continue to work on your case…”

Campbell Dec 15, 1:03 p.m. “Why am I getting these automated reminders?”

META Dec 16, 2023, 3:57 a.m. “Thank you for contacting Meta Advertising Support. I hope my email finds you well. Our Internal Team is currently looking into it and while it can be difficult to estimate how long it takes to resolve due to the technical nature and complexity of the issue, we will continue to keep you posted on any updates. Rest assured that we’ll be following up on your issue closely and will be updating you via this email thread once we received updates from the team. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach back out to me by replying to this email. For any other issues, please feel free to contact us again. You may also visit this link for other helpful advertising solutions: https://www.Meta.com/business/help. Thank you for advertising with Meta Pro Team. Have a great day ahead!” Franz

Campbell Dec 17, 7:41 a.m. “I cannot understand why it is taking so long for META to return my access to my pages for Z. I’ve had those pages for eleven+ years and NEED TO ADVERTISE my books BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

META Dec 17, 8:49 a.m. “I hope this email finds you both safe and in the best of your health

This is Natalia I am sending this email on behalf of my colleagues who are closely monitoring the case. Your concern is currently being looked into and while it can be difficult to estimate how long it takes to resolve due to the technical nature and complexity of the issue, we will continue to keep you posted on any updates. Rest assured that I’ll be following up on your issue closely and will be updating you via this email thread once I received updates from the team. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your continuous support. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach back out to me by replying to this email. For any other issues, please feel free to initiate a chat support session through this link: facebook.com/business/help For immediate and real-time support, you may initiate a new chat via https://www.facebook.com/business/help Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team, we wish you and your business well, Have a good day ahead of you!”

META Dec 18, 1:37 p.m. “This is an automated reminder that we’re waiting on additional information from you to continue to work on your case 1700280090499765. If your issue has not been resolved, please reply with the requested information so that we can work to resolve the issue.”

Campbell Dec 19, 4:51 a.m. “WHAT REQUESTED INFORMATION?!?!?!?!?! I have provided all the information previously requested.”

META Dec 19, 9:02 a.m. “Thank you for contacting Meta Advertising Support. My name is Cris and I am sending this email on behalf of my colleague who assisted you on chat previously about an issue with your ads with Case ID: 1700280090499765. I hope my email finds you well.
Please let us know if the issues still persist, kindly send us documentations like screen recording of the error that you are getting. Please feel free to reply to this email so I can assist you further.
I will look forward to your response. Just a reminder our system is set up to close out cases that have gone more than 48 hours without a response. If you are unable to get back to me within that timeframe, you may get an email regarding the case being closed and a survey. You may also visit this link for other helpful advertising solutions: https://facebook.com/business/help
Again, thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. We wish you and your business well. Have a great day!

Campbell Dec 19, 9:17 a.m. “Cris – do you not have access to this absurdly long chain of communications about this problem? I am so UPSET!!!!!!!!!! Here’s a screen shot of my drop down menu showing that I do not have access to my Z page. I have had that page for eleven+ years and suddenly about three weeks ago it was no longer on my drop down page menu.”

Campbell Dec 19, 9:19 a.m. Here’s the image of my FB page as Z showing the drop down menu for my other pages. Clearly Z profile is not listed. I can’t go to my Z page or advertise my books. Now it’s SIX DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS and I have not been able to advertise my books. I’ve sent META a copy of my ID. I’ve sent META a screen shot showing my Z book listings at Amazon alongside my name ID as owner of that account. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED?

Campbell Dec 19, 9:43 a.m. “You know, I’ve tried to be polite and civilized about this mess, but I am utterly SHOCKED that META is so incompetent as to first, delete my connection to my Z account and second, to spend TWO WEEKS pretending to “fix” the problem and still I can’t get into my Z account.”

META Dec 20, 6:30 a.m. “Thank you for your prompt response. I am writing about your concern regarding lost access on your account. Our Internal Team is still diligently working on the matter as we know that this is utterly important. We apologize for any inconvenience that may have been caused by this delay. Please know that we are working towards a viable resolution. Kindly expect a response in the next 24-48 business hours. For anything else, please do not hesitate to come to us through chat. You may access this link to come to chat with us at https://www.facebook.com/business/help Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this process.” Abby

Campbell Dec 20, 2023, 9:26 a.m. “Without notification from Meta, I lost access to my Z account. For two weeks I have waited for you to solve this problem. I find it hard to believe that META is so utterly incompetent that you would not have this problem solved by now.

I have had my Z account for over eleven years. I have advertised and built up a following for my books. Now, suddenly, I can’t use the account because the link from my personal account to my pseudonym Z account has been cut off for no reason. I have yet to hear any explanation.

Is this the new META, frivolously ending people’s accounts without explanation then blathering on about fixing it while NOT fixing it? If so, I suspect META will not last long.

Will somebody please stand up and speak clearly about this situation?

By the way, here’s a screen shot of my Z gmail account.”

META Dec 20, 9:26 a.m. It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job. We’d love to hear your feedback about your support experience. If you have a moment, please take this 15 second survey. Data from this feedback survey and other survey responses will be processed by Meta according to our Privacy Policy and will be accessible to Meta employees and our external support team only. It will be used to improve our support services and automated assistance. Be sure to bookmark this page so you can contact us again in the future: http://www.facebook.com/business/help/support.

Campbell Dec 22, 10:51 a.m. “What are you guys doing about my loss of access to my Z account? Looks like you’re doing NOTHING, despite all your emails saying you’re working on it. I mean, how much “work” does it take to reconnect my access? This is absolutely the most infuriating and disgusting experience I have ever had with Facebook.”

META Dec 22, 1:35 p.m. “This is James from Meta Pro Team. I hope you are doing well. I am writing this email on behalf of my colleagues to help you regarding your concern on regaining access to Facebook page. Your reference ID is 1700280090499765. As we’ve checked, your case is still ongoing and we are still waiting for an update from our Internal Team regarding the appeal for regaining access to Facebook page. Thank you for your continued response. We really appreciate your patience and tremendous understanding while we’re on the midst of checking your concern. Rest assured that our Internal Team are working on this case. We’ll certainly get back to you once the result of the request is already available.”

META Dec 23, 1:30 a.m. “Thank you for being patient with us. We know how your business means to you. We truly admire your patience and kindness in dealing with this matter. You can trust that we share the same objective here. This is regarding your case ID:1700280090499765. We understand how important this is for you and your business. However, after several escalations and investigations, our team has not reached final resolution. Should same concern persist, feel free to reach out via chat so we can attend to you immediately. We truly understand that we are not expecting this kind of resolution, but rest assured, that we can continue providing better support for you via chat or by reporting a problem via the Facebook App with these steps:

Report that something isn’t working on Facebook:
1. Log in to Facebook on a computer.
2. Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
3. Select Help & support, then select Report a problem and follow the on-screen instructions.

At Facebook, we are always looking for ways to improve the experience for our users to make sure they have the best experience possible. Right now, we are tagging this case as done and we will be looking at a long-term fix that will require assistance from several channels and we are closing this case as Done. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via our chat channel for further assistance. You can also reach our chat support via this link facebook.com/business/help (https://facebook.com/business/help).
Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. Have a great day! Thanks, Kate

META Dec 23, 1:30 a.m. “How was the support you received from Meta? It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job. We’d love to hear your feedback about your support experience. If you have a moment, please take this 15 second survey. Data from this feedback survey and other survey responses will be processed by Meta according to our Privacy Policy and will be accessible to Meta employees and our external support team only. It will be used to improve our support services and automated assistance. Be sure to bookmark this page so you can contact us again in the future: http://www.facebook.com/business/help/support. Abby

Campbell Dec 23, 5:11 a.m. “Words cannot express my absolute disbelief that this problem is now being kicked back to me. What is going to be gained by my starting over?! Why put me through this ridiculous process AGAIN? If you can solve the problem in the first round, why should I believe you can solve it this time? This is not user friendly, to say the least.”

META Dec 23, 8:29 a.m. “It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job. We’d love to hear your feedback about your support experience. If you have a moment, please take this 15 second survey…” etc.

Campbell Dec 29, 5:45 a.m. “PLEASE help me with this. None of my help requests are being answered and I can’t find any other means of initiating a chat. Please note that on Dec 23, 2023, I received this message from META: “This is regarding your case ID:1700280090499765. We understand how important this is for you and your business. However, after several escalations and investigations, our team has not reached final resolution. Should same concern persist, feel free to reach out via chat so we can attend to you immediately.”

This is absurd–obviously if your team has not reached final resolution, THE SAME CONCERN PERSISTS!! I still can’t access my Z page. What is the problem?

META Dec 29, 5:23 p.m. “Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. My name is Iris. At Facebook, we are always looking for ways to improve the experience for our users to make sure they have the best experience possible. Rest assured, our team is aware of this matter and we will do everything we can to help you out. We appreciate your patience and ongoing partnership. Do take note of your case ID: 1700280090499765. Please be assured that I will be getting back with you within 24-48 business hours or may even be a bit longer depending on the issue at hand. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. Have a nice day!

META Dec 29, 5:24 p.m. “Thank you for being patient with us. We know how your business means to you. We truly admire your patience and kindness in dealing with this matter. You can trust that we share the same objective here. We understand how important this is for you and your business. However, after several escalations and investigations, our team has not reached final resolution. Should same concern persist, feel free to reach out via chat so we can attend to you immediately.

We truly understand that we are not expecting this kind of resolution, but rest assured, that we can continue providing better support for you via chat or by reporting a problem via the Facebook App with these steps:
Report that something isn’t working on Facebook:
– Log in to Facebook on a computer.
– Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
– Select Help & support, then select Report a problem and follow the on-screen instructions.

At Facebook, we are always looking for ways to improve the experience for our users to make sure they have the best experience possible. Right now, we are tagging this case as done and we will be looking at a long-term fix that will require assistance from several channels and we are closing this case as Done. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via our chat channel for further assistance. You can also reach our chat support via this link facebook.com/business/help (https://facebook.com/business/help). We appreciate you for contacting Meta Pro Team. Have a great day! Dona

META Dec 29, 5:24 p.m. “How was the support you received from Meta? It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job. We’d love to hear your feedback about your support experience. If you have a moment, please take this 15 second survey…” etc.

Campbell Dec 30, 5:26 a.m. “OF COURSE THE SAME CONCERN PERSISTS. META support is apparently not skilled enough to reconnect my Z.524 account for my access. While you tell me in one sentence that you are working on it, the next sentence tells me to START OVER with my problem. This is not acceptable. You have wasted over a month while I could not access my account. How hard can it be to simply reconnect me to my Z page? I’ve received nothing but reassurances without any progress.”

META Dec 30, 1:17 p.m. “I hope you are doing well and I hope this email finds you well!
I do understand that you are anxious to have an update on this case, however, the Internal Team is still reviewing the case. As much as I want to give you an update on this case, I do not wish to mislead you without any concrete findings with regards to the issue. Seeking your kind understanding on this. Rest assured, I will send you an update as soon as I receive a response from our Team. Thanks for contacting Meta Pro Team. Have a nice day! Abby

META Jan 1, 2024, 1:42 p.m. “This is an automated reminder that we’re waiting on additional information from you to continue to work on your case 1700280090499765. If your issue has not been resolved, please reply with the requested information so that we can work to resolve the issue.”

Campbell Jan 1, 2:08 p.m. “No, it has not. You HAVE NOT SAID WHAT INFORMATION YOU NEED. Please advise.”

Campbell Jan 1, 2:16 p.m. “I have sent all the information you requested. 22 hours ago. What else do you need? Here it is again. Here’s a screen shot of two of my many Z books as shown on my Amazon/KDP account. Note my real image in the upper right corner. Do you understand that I, Denele Campbell, am an author working on other projects while Z, my pen name, writes romance? That’s why I have different Facebook accounts. IF YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHAT MORE YOU NEED. Z IS MY PEN NAME — THAT MEANS MY REAL NAME IS Denele Campbell BUT I PUBLISH BOOKS AS Z. MY FACEBOOK PAGE FOR Z IS PART OF MY PROMOTION FOR MY BOOKS. I HAVE PAID FACEBOOK MANY TIMES FOR ADS.

META Jan 1, 9:05 p.m. “This is an automated reminder that we’re waiting on additional information from you to continue to work on your case 1700280090499765…” etc etc

Campbell Jan 2, 5:47 a.m. “Here is more information about my work under the name Z

1. My publishing account at Smashwords. image

2. My Z website: image

3. List of books published under pen name Z: image

4. My Z gmail account: image

5. KDP Sales report for 2023: image

Probably would have had many more sales IF I COULD HAVE ADVERTISED FOR CHRISTMAS ON MY Z FACEBOOK PAGE.

6. Please specify what additional proof you need that Z and Z Author are my Facebook accounts?

META Jan 2, 9:47 a.m. “I hope this email finds you well. We have received an update form our Internal Team.

Thanks for contacting us. We’ve received your request to gain access to the Page Z at www.facebook.com/100065664063967. We’d be happy to look into this, but please keep in mind that we are not in a position to resolve disputes between third parties. If you’d like us to help, please provide all of the following:

2. A signed statement from a person with sufficient knowledge and authority over this matter, which will need to be on company letterhead and should include all of the following:

A link to a published press release or news article about the connection between the brand’s names (both names must be present in the article/press release),
A link to your official website that states the connection between names (both names must be present),
Any legitimate DBA documentation same as asset name; and

g) A declaration that the information you have provided is true and accurate (e.g. “I certify that the information provided is true and accurate”). Your statement must include similar language.
The letterhead should contain the following elements:

a. Mandatory elements: Business name, Physical address (typically the registered address of the business), Phone number and Company logo or official branding
b. Preferred elements: Email address and Website

3. Any one of the following documentation supporting your request:

Domain Name Assignment Agreement
Deed of Assignment of Intellectual Property
Utility Bill
Articles or Certificates of Incorporation, Formation, or Organization
Business License and Permits
DBA documents
Tax Certifications and Licenses
Bank Statements, Summaries, Letters
Credit Score Reports
Securities and Trading Documents, notably those originating from the SEC 8-K form
Trademark/registered/copyright document (e.g. Certificate of Federal Registration)

If we are able to process your request, only one admin will be added to the Page, and it will be the admin’s responsibility to manage the Page roles.

Campbell Jan 2, 10:35 a.m. “Please see my response below:

1. A copy of a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a current driver’s license or a passport, of the individual signing the statement. You can find the different kinds of IDs we accept in the Help Center: https://www.facebook.com/help/159096464162185?ref=cr A government issued ID is not going to happen. As I’ve stated repeatedly, I made up that name to use as a pen name for a series of romance novels. My real name and ID has been provided to you three times. My explanation has been stated REPEATEDLY. Surely I do not have to explain that authors often use pen names for publishing books.

2. A signed statement from a person with sufficient knowledge and authority over this matter, which will need to be on company letterhead and should include all of the following:
I am a self-published author. There is no “company” and NO ONE besides me is involved. Everything goes through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. Do you want me to give you my password so you can look at my books alongside my Z books at Amazon?

2 a. a) A description of your relationship to the Page (including your authority to request a change in the person(s) who manages it, as applicable); IT IS MY PAGE. No one else is involved.

2 b. The name of the current person(s) who manage the Page and their relationship to the Page, or a reasonable explanation of why the current person(s) who manages the Page is/are not known to the requestor; My name is Denele Campbell. I’ve provided my gov’t issued ID three times. I own the page, started the page. Z is the name I use to write romance novels. Is this so hard to understand? Maybe a real HUMAN needs to read this instead of your AI.

2. c An explanation of your request detailing why you are requesting ownership, and whether there has been a termination of the employment and/or business relationship with the named person(s), as applicable I AM NOT REQUESTING OWNERSHIP. I AM THE OWNER. I started the page, I have maintained the page, posted on the page, and for some unstated reason by Facebook/META, my access was CUT OFF in November 2023. For God’s sake, haven’t I explained this enough? It’s my page, I started the page ten years ago and have used it ever since. I’m the one who should be demanding answers, like, after ten years, WHY DID FACEBOOK suddenly terminate my access to MY PAGE without checking with ME FIRST?

The Facebook account (URL/ID/associated email) needing to be added as the new admin of the Page; …When I began writing romance, I added the Z page. It’s always been there on my drop down menu of “profiles” alongside my Author Denele Campbell page…

2.f A link to your official website that states the connection between names (both names must be present) As I have stated, nothing in public is going to show a connection between these two names because of potential confusion to my Campbell readers. You have no right to demand this of me. I have supplied all the information you deserve after treating me this way, and I’m actually thinking I might need to sue META to make somebody wake up.

2.g. You want a certified statement that what I’ve said is true. I’m telling you it is true. WHY THE HELL WOULD I LIE?????????????

3. You want one of the following documentation supporting my request:
Domain Name Assignment Agreement
Deed of Assignment of Intellectual Property
Utility Bill
Articles or Certificates of Incorporation, Formation, or Organization
Business License and Permits
DBA documents
Tax Certifications and Licenses
Bank Statements, Summaries, Letters
Credit Score Reports
Securities and Trading Documents, notably those originating from the SEC 8-K form
Trademark/registered/copyright document (e.g. Certificate of Federal Registration)
Please understand that if we do not receive a signed statement with all of the information requested above, we won’t be able to help. Once you have provided the information, we may follow up with additional questions, however providing us with this information doesn’t guarantee that we’ll be able to fulfill your request.

That last bit about needing a signed statement is ABSURD. Here’s what I can provide: A screen shot of my author page at Amazon, showing my two pen names, one of which is Z (upper right corner)

Finally, let me restate that Facebook/META has violated my rights by not asking first before cutting off my access to my Z page. If you had asked, I could have provided whatever information you require. SURELY Facebook has more than one person by just about any name, so why pick on me for Z? I ASSUME there is somebody name Z, who is not me, who has demanded you eliminate me, but as I have said from the start, I did an internet search of authors by that name when I first started and found none, and proceeded to take that name for my romance novels. If somebody came along since then, that’s their problem, not mine.

Campbell Jan 2, 10:41 a.m. “Oh, and by the way, authors don’t need to use a DBA for a pseudonym/”pen name”/pka/”professionally known as” name.

Also online at https://www.kboards.com/threads/dbas-pen-names-publisher-names.254337/ :

“I respectfully submit that you’re overthinking it. I come from a business background as well and after consulting with an attorney and my accountant, we decided it was unnecessary to incorporate or file a DBA; there are no tax advantages, no intellectual property advantages… the only realistic reason you might want to is if you are publishing non-fiction advice and want a liability shield. And, as you say, there is the added issue that your pen name and real name are linked in public record when you create a corporate entity – if that matters to you, don’t do it.

“You can publish under any name you like. You can assign your royalties however you like. If you are looking for tax advantages like deferred taxation, assign your royalties to a trust, but you don’t need a DBA or to be incorporated to do that.”

MAYBE META NEEDS TO LEARN ABOUT PEN NAMES.

FACEBOOK lists over 30 people by the name Z. Have you removed access to them as well? If not, why not? WHAT ARE YOUR REASONS for inflicting this damage on me?

I’ve asked for answers before and got nothing but repeated BS. So I’m not holding my breath that you’ll answer me now.”

META Jan 2, 2:29 p.m. “Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. At Facebook, we are always looking for ways to improve the experience for our users to make sure they have the best experience possible. Rest assured, our team is aware of this matter and we will do everything we can to help you out. We appreciate your patience and ongoing partnership. Please be assured that I will be getting back with you within 24-48 business hours or may even be a bit longer depending on the issue at hand. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. Have a nice day! Thanks, Abby

META Jan 3, 3:38 a.m. “How was the support you received from Meta? It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job. We’d love to hear your feedback about your support experience. If you have a moment, please take this 15 second survey…” etc.

Campbell Jan 3, 5:20 a.m. “Please note that yesterday I was too upset to realize I did not include my URLs for my Z pages.

[URLs]

Let me be clear. I am the creator and ONLY user of these pages. For reasons unknown to me, Facebook eliminated the link from my Denele Campbell page to my Z pages–without notification, without warning. I have spent a VERY FRUSTRATING month trying to get that connection back so I can use those pages.

This latest questionnaire/list of demands shows me that Facebook/META STILL DOES NOT UNDERSTAND that I am the only owner of these pages. PLEASE move this problem to a supervisor or someone who has a functioning brain.”

META Jan 3, 2024 7:53 a.m. “I hope this email finds you well. At Facebook, we are always looking for ways to improve the experience for our users to make sure they have the best experience possible. Rest assured, our team is aware of this matter and we will do everything we can to help you out. We appreciate your patience and ongoing partnership. Please be assured that I will be getting back with you within 24-48 business hours or may even be a bit longer depending on the issue at hand. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. Have a nice day! Thanks, Abby

META Jan 3, 2:27 p.m. “This is an automated reminder that we’re waiting on additional information from you to continue to work on your case 1700280090499765. If your issue has not been resolved, please reply with the requested information so that we can work to resolve the issue.”

Campbell Jan 3, 2:46 p.m. “WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?”

META Jan 3, 2:51 p.m. “I understand the urgency of this case for this affects your business.
Due to the complexity of the issue, our Internal Team needs to review the case further. This requires them to do a critical assessment and analyze the root cause to prevent this from happening again. With that said, we would like to follow-up with you within the next 48 hours. We appreciate your patience on this matter. For reference, you may visit this link for our advertising solutions: https://www.facebook.com/business/learn. Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. Enjoy the rest of the day. Thanks, Abby

META Jan 3, 9:11 p.m. “This is an automated reminder that we’re waiting on additional information from you to continue to work on your case…” etc.

META Jan 5, 3:55 p.m. “We wanted to follow-up regarding case 1700280090499765. Since we’ve not received any correspondence we’ll be closing out your case at this time. If you need further assistance and would like to reopen the case, please reply to this email as soon as possible.”

Campbell Jan 6, 5:27 a.m. “Contrary to your assertion, I have corresponded repeatedly over the last month. I have sent you the URL for both my Z accounts:

[URL]

I have sent my driver’s license and the explanation that while I am Denele Campbell, I am writing under the pen name of Z. I have sent you legal notice that pen names are not required to establish an official DBA. I have repeatedly sent you notice of the facts in this matter, that I created these pages in 2012, that I am the ONLY person who ever used these pages, and that everything in these pages is mine. I have sent screenshots of my various emails, Amazon author pages, and other material confirming that Z and Denele Campbell are the same person.

Since my access to these accounts was terminated by Facebook in November without any warning, I have repeatedly asked/pleaded/demanded my connection to my accounts be restored. I lost money over the holidays because I could not advertise my books. I have lost sleep over this mess, and yet I keep getting the same automated BULLSHIT from Facebook. I get automated replies to my queries. I get demands for documentation without any acknowledgement of the documentation I have already sent. I get these “OH, we haven’t heard from you so we’re going to close your case” notices when I have immediately complied with your requests without receiving any feedback.

It’s as if I’m talking to a machine, which I suspect is at least part of the problem, since I know Zuckerberg fired tens of thousands of employees. Without doubt, AI might be able to handle a lot of the busywork involved with administering Facebook, but AI is too stupid—apparently—to solve this problem. How hard is it to verify that Denele Campbell established Z.524? Do Facebook techs no longer have access to account origins or account activity that would show, in an instant, that these accounts are mine? Has anyone noticed that the Z pages have had ZERO activity since you cut my access? I have even sent a list of my Z books for a tech to compare to the books advertised on FB to see these are the same. But has anyone at Facebook bothered to compare?? Obviously not, or this problem would be solved.

This is NOT ACCEPTABLE! Restore my access to my Z accounts IMMEDIATELY. Stop with the polite automated messaging that goes nowhere. Send my case to a human who can actually THINK!”

META Jan 7, 4:55 a.m. “Good day to you! I would like to let you know that we are currently reviewing this matter. This may take longer or can be resolved quickly depending on the complexity of the issue. In the event that we received feedback earlier than the turnaround time frame, we will notify you immediately. Rest assured that we will be following up on your issue closely and will be updating you via this email thread for any updates. For anything else, please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you need further assistance and we’ll be glad to assist. Thanks for your patience…”

META Jan 7, 7:10 a.m. “Thank you for contacting Meta Advertising Support. My name is Cris and I am sending this email on behalf of my colleague who assisted you on chat previously about an issue with your Page with Case ID: 1700280090499765. I hope my email finds you well.
Our Internal Team have reached out and for us to continue with the request you’ve made, you need to resend a copy of your signed letter which includes the link of the Facebook Page link you’re requesting to get Admin role. I will look forward to your response, Denele. Just a reminder our system is set up to close out cases that have gone more than 48 hours without a response. If you are unable to get back to me within that timeframe, you may get an email regarding the case being closed and a survey. You may also visit this link for other helpful advertising solutions: https://facebook.com/business/help Again, thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. We wish you and your business well. Have a great day!

Campbell Jan 7, 7:20 a.m. “Regarding your comment, “you need to resend a copy of your signed letter which includes the link of the Facebook Page link you’re requesting to get Admin role.”

Please note that I will NOT be sending a letter or anything else in response to the email outlining all the steps necessary to “get Admin role.” As I HAVE REPEATED several times, the Z pages as specified in my messages were CREATED BY ME, NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER BEEN AN ADMIN BUT ME. What is so hard to understand about that? Try to move beyond your programming on this topic. Please restore my pages without further delay.

META Jan 7, 9:19 a.m. “I hope you this email finds you well! I understand that you are not comfortable in providing a letter as a requirement for your request. These kinds of cases are very sensitive because your personal information are involved, especially your card.
We want to make sure that your account will be secured before we take any actions. In case that the requested requirements are not completed, we will not be able to complete your request.
Our system is set up to close out cases that have gone more than 48 hours without a response. If you are unable to get back to us within that timeframe, you may get an email regarding the case being closed and a survey on how you were assisted. Not to worry if that happens, you can still reply to this email and we’ll be able to help. Looking forward to your response.
Should you ever need real time support, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and we will get back to you the soonest possible time. You may initiate a new chat via https://www.facebook.com/business/help.
Your satisfaction is our happiness! Again, thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. We wish you and your business well. Have a good day! Thanks, Ingrid

Campbell Jan 7, 12:47 p.m. “So does anyone in your department have the capacity to UNDERSTAND what I am saying? All I’m getting is automated messages from you and your associates.

I AM THE ONLY PERSON who has any involvement in the Z pages. I have REPEATED this information so many times I’ve lost count. I created these pages in 2012 and am the only person who has ever used them. I have sent you the URL for both my Z accounts. I have sent my driver’s license and the explanation that while I am Denele Campbell I am writing under the pen name of Z. I have sent you legal notice that pen names are not required to establish an official DBA. I have repeatedly sent you notice of the facts in this matter, that I created these pages in 2012, that I am the ONLY person who ever used these pages, and that everything in these pages is mine. I have sent screenshots of my various emails, Amazon author pages, and other material confirming that Z and Denele Campbell are the same person.

Since my access to these accounts was terminated by Facebook in November without any warning, I have repeatedly asked/pleaded/demanded my connection to my accounts be restored. I lost money over the holidays because I could not advertise my Z books. I have lost sleep over this mess, and yet I keep getting the same automated BULLSHIT from Facebook. I get automated replies to my queries. I get demands for documentation without any acknowledgement of the documentation I have already sent. I get these “OH, we haven’t heard from you so we’re going to close your case” notices when I have immediately complied with your requests without receiving any feedback.

It’s as if I’m talking to a machine, which I suspect is at least part of the problem, since I know Zuckerberg fired tens of thousands of employees. Without doubt, AI might be able to handle a lot of the busywork involved with administering Facebook, but AI is too stupid—apparently—to solve this problem. How hard is it to verify that I established Z.524? Do Facebook techs no longer have access to account origins or account activity that would show, in an instant, that these accounts are mine? I have even sent a list of my Z books for a tech to compare to the books advertised on Facebook to see these are the same. But has anyone at Facebook bothered to compare?? Obviously not, or this problem would be solved.

This is NOT ACCEPTABLE! Restore my access to my Z accounts IMMEDIATELY. Stop with the polite automated messaging that goes nowhere. Send my case to a human who can actually THINK!”

META Jan 7, 2:53 p.m. “I understand the urgency of this case for this affects your business. I am writing about your concern regarding <ISSUE>. Due to the complexity of the issue, our Internal Team needs to review the case further. This requires them to do a critical assessment and analyze the root cause to prevent this from happening again. With that said, we would like to follow-up with you within the next 48 hours. We appreciate your patience on this matter. Your Case ID is 123456789…” etc etc

META Jan 8, 9:37 a.m. “I hope this email finds you well. This is Dom from Meta Pro Team, emailing you on behalf of my colleague who is diligently working on your case ID: 1700280090499765. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we work on your case. I would like to let you know we have received an update from our Internal Team already. Please understand that in order for us to proceed with the Admin Dispute, we need you to provide a signed statement stating the following:

a) A description of your relationship to the Page (including your authority to request a change in the person(s) who manages it, as applicable);
b) The name of the current person(s) who manage the Page and their relationship to the Page, or a reasonable explanation of why the current person(s) who manages the Page is/are not known to the requestor;
c) An explanation of your request detailing why you are requesting ownership, and whether there has been a termination of the employment and/or business relationship with the named person(s), as applicable;
d) The Facebook account (URL/ID/associated email) needing to be added as the new admin of the Page;
e) The ID/URL of the Page;
f) Applicable for Business Entities/Advertisers only: If the supporting documentation provided shows ownership of a parent organization rather than the specific brand/company mentioned in the Facebook asset, you will need to provide further evidence of the link between the two brands by providing an official/reputable online source (to be included in the letter), or additional supporting documentation. Examples of appropriate supporting documentation include:
– A link to a published press release or news article about the connection between the brand’s names (both names must be present in the article/press release),
– A link to your official website that states the connection between names (both names must be present),
– Any legitimate DBA documentation same as asset name; and
g) A declaration that the information you have provided is true and accurate (e.g. “I certify that the information provided is true and accurate”). Your statement must include similar language.
The letterhead should contain the following elements:
a. Mandatory elements: Business name, Physical address (typically the registered address of the business), Phone number and Company logo or official branding
b. Preferred elements: Email address and Website
Please understand that we need a formal letter from you to be submitted to our Internal Team.

Please submit your signed statement in PDF file so we can proceed with the request.
Looking forward to your response so that we can sort this out as soon as we can. Please note that our system is set up to close out cases that have gone for more than 48 hours without a response. If you’re unable to get back to us within that time frame, you may get an email regarding the case being closed and a survey. If that happens, you can still reply to this email and we’ll be able to help. You can also initiate a new chat via https://www.facebook.com/business/help for real-time support.
Thank you for contacting the Meta Pro Team. Have an awesome day! Warm regards, Dom”

META Jan 8, 1:46 p.m. “This is an automated reminder that we’re waiting on additional information from you to continue to work on your case 1700280090499765…” etc.

Campbell Jan 9, 5:36 a.m. [Attached PDF letter with information requested, repeated from earlier responses]

META Jan 9, 9:53 a.m. “Our Internal Team is currently looking into it and while it can be difficult to estimate how long it takes to resolve due to the technical nature and complexity of the issue, we will continue to keep you posted on any updates. Rest assured that I’ll be following up on your issue closely and will be updating you via this email thread once I received updates from the team. For your reference, here’s your Case ID: 1700280090499765.
We do apologize for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your continuous support.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach back out to me by replying to this email.
Again, thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. We wish you and your business well. Have a great day! Justine

META Jan 10, 12:44 a.m. “How was the support you received from Meta? Hi Denele, It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job…” etc.

Campbell Jan 12, 5:26 a.m. “It has been days since this email. What is the progress/status?

META Jan 12, 8:17 a.m. This is Hannah and I’m responding on behalf of my colleague who is working on your case. We also would like to thank you for your patience while waiting for the update. Please be advised that we will not be able proceed if we will not receive the required details. Please include the following in a single PDF document.
1. A •copy of valid government-issued ID• of the individual signing the statement; any of the following are accepted:
• Passport
• Government ID
• Driver’s License
• For Civic requests, Government Employee IDs will be accepted.

2. •A SIGNED STATEMENT• that includes:

a. Government Letterhead or Seal, Company Letterhead
b. Clear and readable signature (signed by hand or digitally confirmed)
c. A description of requestor relationship to the Business and the Business ID number is required
d. An explanation of the request (reason why you lost access and/or why you need the access)
e. The Facebook account (URL or associated email) needing to be added as an admin
f. One of the following:
► The name of the current person(s) who manage the Business Manager OR
► A reasonable explanation of why the current persons who manage the Business Manager is/are not known to the requestor
g. A declaration that the information you have provided is true and accurate, e.g. “I certify that the information provided is true and accurate” or similar

3. •EVIDENCE OF A CLAIM TO OWNERSHIP•. You may provide at least ONE supporting documentation:

• Credit Line Monthly Invoice
• Domain Name Assignment Agreement or
• Deed of Assignment of Intellectual Property or
• Utility Bill or
• Articles or Certificates of Incorporation, Formation, or Organization or
• Business Licenses or Permits or
• DBA documents or
• Tax Certs. and Licenses or
• Bank Statements, Summaries, Letters or
• Credit Score Reports or
• Securities and Trading Documents- Trademark/registered/copyright document: e.g. Certificate of Federal Registration.

We hope to hear from you soon. If you ever need further support, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and we will get back to you the soonest possible time. You may initiate a new chat via https://www.facebook.com/business/help. Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. Have a great day ahead! Hannah

Campbell Jan 12, 8:24 a.m. “Hi Hannah — I’m enjoying seeing how many names are used by your AI system. As for the requested items, I provided those materials back in December the first time you asked for them. Have you lost the record of our previous emails?”

META Jan 14, 3:18 a.m. “How was the support you received from Meta? It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job. We’d love to hear your feedback about your support experience. If you have a moment, please take this 15 second survey…” etc

Campbell Jan 14, 5:05 a.m. “Dear META — What is the status of my appeal for restoring my access to my Z page?”

META Jan 14, 6:09 a.m. “Due to the complexity of the issue, our Internal Team needs to review the case further. This requires them to do a critical assessment and analyze the root cause to prevent this from happening again. With that said, we would like to follow up with you within the next 48 hours. We appreciate your patience on this matter. Your Case ID is 1700280090499765. For reference, you may visit this link for our advertising solutions: Advertiser Help Center (https://www.facebook.com/business/help). Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. Enjoy the rest of the day. Jeff

META Jan 14, 7:15 a.m. “Thanks for contacting us. We’ve received your request to gain access to the Page Z at 100065664063967. We’d be happy to look into this, but please keep in mind that we are not in a position to resolve disputes between third parties. If you’d like us to help, please provide all of the following:
1. A copy of a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a current driver’s license or a passport, of the individual signing the statement. You can find the different kinds of IDs we accept in the Help Center: https://www.facebook.com/help/159096464162185?ref=cr
2. A signed statement from a person with sufficient knowledge and authority over this matter, which will need to be on company letterhead and should include all of the following:

e) The ID/URL of the Page;
f) Applicable for Business Entities/Advertisers only: If the supporting documentation provided shows ownership of a parent organization rather than the specific brand/company mentioned in the Facebook asset, you will need to provide further evidence of the link between the two brands by providing an official/reputable online source (to be included in the letter), or additional supporting documentation.
Examples of appropriate supporting documentation include:
– A link to a published press release or news article about the connection between the brand’s names (both names must be present in the article/press release),
– A link to your official website that states the connection between names (both names must be present),
– Any legitimate DBA documentation same as asset name; and
g) A declaration that the information you have provided is true and accurate (e.g. “I certify that the information provided is true and accurate”). Your statement must include similar language.

3. Any one of the following documentation supporting your request:
– Domain Name Assignment Agreement
– Deed of Assignment of Intellectual Property
– Utility Bill
– Articles or Certificates of Incorporation, Formation, or Organization
– Business License and Permits
– DBA documents
– Tax Certifications and Licenses
– Bank Statements, Summaries, Letters
– Credit Score Reports
– Securities and Trading Documents, notably those originating from the SEC 8-K form
– Trademark/registered/copyright document (e.g. Certificate of Federal Registration)

Please understand that if we do not receive a signed statement with all of the information requested above, we won’t be able to help. Once you have provided the information, we may follow up with additional questions, however providing us with this information doesn’t guarantee that we’ll be able to fulfill your request.
If we are able to process your request, only one admin will be added to the Page, and it will be the admin’s responsibility to manage the Page roles.
Please note our system is set up to close out cases that have gone more than 48 hours without a response. If you’re unable to get back to me within that time frame, you may get an email regarding the case being closed and a survey. Not to worry if that happens, you can still reply to this email and I’ll be able to help, or you can chat back into us and we will be able to reference this interaction at that time as well.
Here’s our reference number: 1700280090499765
Looking forward to hearing from you soon so that we can assist you further. Have a great day ahead! Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. Thanks, Jeff

Campbell Jan 14, 7:17 a.m. “I’ve already answered these questions THREE TIMES.”

META Jan 14, 7:34 a.m. “Thank you for your quick reply. I would like to let you know that our Internal Team has reviewed your case in detail and unfortunately the document previously does not include all information that can make them approve your dispute for the Facebook Page Z. To approve your request, our Internal Team must get the following requirements…” etc

Campbell Jan 14, 7:39 a.m. “As I have previously stated multiple times, Z is a pen name for my romance novels. I created the page in 2012 and am the ONLY PERSON to ever administer those pages. None of these documentation requests apply to my situation with the loss of access to my Z pages.”

META Jan 14, 7:46 a.m. “We definitely understand how important it is to get your request approved by our Internal Team so you can continue managing your work on the platform.
Please understand that if we do not receive a signed statement with all of the information requested above, we won’t be able to help. Once you have provided the information, we may follow up with additional questions, however providing us with this information doesn’t guarantee that we’ll be able to fulfill your request. If we are able to process your request, only one admin will be added to the Page, and it will be the admin’s responsibility to manage the Page roles. Please note our system is set up to close out cases that have gone more than 48 hours without a response. If you’re unable to get back to me within that time frame, you may get an email regarding the case being closed and a survey. Not to worry if that happens, you can still reply to this email and I’ll be able to help, or you can chat back into us and we will be able to reference this interaction at that time as well. Here’s our reference number: 1700280090499765
Looking forward to hearing from you soon so that we can assist you further. Have a great day ahead! Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. Thanks, Jeff

Campbell Jan 14, 7:52 a.m. “Please see attached letter I sent DAYS AGO.”

META Jan 14, 7:53 a.m. “Thanks for contacting us. We’ve received your request to gain access to the Page Z at 100065664063967. We’d be happy to look into this, but please keep in mind that we are not in a position to resolve disputes between third parties. If you’d like us to help, please provide all of the following:
1. A copy of a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a current driver’s license or a passport, of the individual signing the statement. You can find the different kinds of IDs we accept in the Help Center: https://www.facebook.com/help/159096464162185?ref=cr
2. A signed statement from a person with sufficient knowledge and authority over this matter, which will need to be on company letterhead and should include all of the following:
e) The ID/URL of the Page;
f) Applicable for Business Entities/Advertisers only: If the supporting documentation provided shows ownership of a parent organization rather than the specific brand/company mentioned in the Facebook asset, you will need to provide further evidence of the link between the two brands by providing an official/reputable online source (to be included in the letter), or additional supporting documentation.
Examples of appropriate supporting documentation include:
– A link to a published press release or news article about the connection between the brand’s names (both names must be present in the article/press release),
– A link to your official website that states the connection between names (both names must be present),
– Any legitimate DBA documentation same as asset name; and
g) A declaration that the information you have provided is true and accurate (e.g. “I certify that the information provided is true and accurate”). Your statement must include similar language.
3. Any one of the following documentation supporting your request:
– Domain Name Assignment Agreement
– Deed of Assignment of Intellectual Property
– Utility Bill
– Articles or Certificates of Incorporation, Formation, or Organization
– Business License and Permits
– DBA documents
– Tax Certifications and Licenses
– Bank Statements, Summaries, Letters
– Credit Score Reports
– Securities and Trading Documents, notably those originating from the SEC 8-K form
– Trademark/registered/copyright document (e.g. Certificate of Federal Registration)
Please understand that if we do not receive a signed statement with all of the information requested above, we won’t be able to help. Once you have provided the information, we may follow up with additional questions, however providing us with this information doesn’t guarantee that we’ll be able to fulfill your request. If we are able to process your request, only one admin will be added to the Page, and it will be the admin’s responsibility to manage the Page roles. Thanks! Abby”

Campbell Jan 14, 10:21 a.m. “META Support, please note that you are not understanding this situation. THERE IS NO 3rd party. I’ve stated my situation quite clearly SEVERAL TIMES. Please get this matter resolved immediately and STOP shuffling this off.”

META Jan 14, 12:18 p.m. “Thanks for contacting us. We’ve received your request to gain access to the Page Z at 100065664063967. We’d be happy to look into this, but please keep in mind that we are not in a position to resolve disputes between third parties. If you’d like us to help, please provide all of the following:
1. A copy of a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a current driver’s license or a passport, of the individual signing the statement. You can find the different kinds of IDs we accept in the Help Center: https://www.facebook.com/help/159096464162185?ref=cr …” etc.

Campbell Jan 14, 12:24 p.m. “You guys are stuck in ignorance.

THERE IS NO 3rd party. I am the only person who has ever used the Z page.

THERE IS NO ID for Z—it’s a name I made up for a pen name for my romance books.

You want my ID? I’ve sent it three times.

This has been going on since November 2023, same questions over and over and over. Why can’t you understand?”

META Jan 15, 1:13 p.m. “I hope this email finds you well. As per our internal team carefully check the following details require by our team. Thanks for contacting us. We’ve received your request to gain access to the Page Z at 100065664063967. We’d be happy to look into this, but please keep in mind that we are not in a position to resolve disputes between third parties. If you’d like us to help, please provide all of the following:
1. A copy of a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a current driver’s license or a passport, of the individual signing the statement. You can find the different kinds of IDs we accept in the Help Center: https://www.facebook.com/help/159096464162185?ref=cr
2. A signed statement from a person with sufficient knowledge and authority over this matter, which will need to be on company letterhead and should include all of the following:
e) The ID/URL of the Page;
f) Applicable for Business Entities/Advertisers only: If the supporting documentation provided shows ownership of a parent organization rather than the specific brand/company mentioned in the Facebook asset, you will need to provide further evidence of the link between the two brands by providing an official/reputable online source (to be included in the letter), or additional supporting documentation.
Examples of appropriate supporting documentation include:
– A link to a published press release or news article about the connection between the brand’s names (both names must be present in the article/press release),
– A link to your official website that states the connection between names (both names must be present),
– Any legitimate DBA documentation same as asset name; and
g) A declaration that the information you have provided is true and accurate (e.g. “I certify that the information provided is true and accurate”). Your statement must include similar language.
3. Any one of the following documentation supporting your request:
– Domain Name Assignment Agreement
– Deed of Assignment of Intellectual Property
– Utility Bill
– Articles or Certificates of Incorporation, Formation, or Organization
– Business License and Permits
– DBA documents
– Tax Certifications and Licenses
– Bank Statements, Summaries, Letters
– Credit Score Reports
– Securities and Trading Documents, notably those originating from the SEC 8-K form
– Trademark/registered/copyright document (e.g. Certificate of Federal Registration)
Please understand that if we do not receive a signed statement with all of the information requested above, we won’t be able to help. Once you have provided the information, we may follow up with additional questions, however providing us with this information doesn’t guarantee that we’ll be able to fulfill your request.
If we are able to process your request, only one admin will be added to the Page, and it will be the admin’s responsibility to manage the Page roles. Thank you for your understanding .
Thanks, Abby”

Campbell Jan 15, 1:31 p.m. “This is just a repeat of what we’ve done FIVE TIMES already. I’ve given you all the information that applies to this situation. STOP ASKING for things I’ve already provided. These requests are the same words, over and over again. Is there a real person who can communicate with me?

META Jan 16, 9:15 p.m. “This is an automated reminder that we’re waiting on additional information from you to continue to work on your case 1700280090499765…” etc.

Campbell Jan 17, 5:15 a.m. What “additional information” do you need. Please specify.

META Jan 17, 6:52 a.m. “Thank you for being patient with us.
We know how your business means to you. We truly admire your patience and kindness in dealing with this matter. You can trust that we share the same objective here.
We understand how important this is for you and your business. However, after several escalations and investigations, our team has not reached final resolution. Should same concern persist, feel free to reach out via chat so we can attend to you immediately.
We truly understand that we are not expecting this kind of resolution, but rest assured, that we can continue providing better support for you via chat or by reporting a problem via the Facebook App with these steps:
Report that something isn’t working on Facebook:
1. Log in to Facebook on a computer.
2. Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
3. Select Help & support, then select Report a problem and follow the on-screen instructions.
At Facebook, we are always looking for ways to improve the experience for our users to make sure they have the best experience possible. Right now, we are tagging this case as done and we will be looking at a long-term fix that will require assistance from several channels and we are closing this case as Done. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via our chat channel for further assistance. You can also reach our chat support via this link facebook.com/business/help (https://facebook.com/business/help). Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. Have a great day!”

META Jan 17, 6:52 a.m. “How was the support you received from Meta? It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job. We’d love to hear your feedback about your support experience. If you have a moment, please take this 15 second survey…” etc.

Campbell Jan 17, 7:07 a.m. “Facebook/Meta has done nothing toward resolving this issue. For two months you have sent the same messages, requested the same information (which I have supplied) and then when you run out of prefabricated responses, you decide the problem is solved. IT IS NOT SOLVED. I still do not have access to my Z pages where I need to advertise my Z books. Facebook has NOT restored my access to MY ACCOUNT for Z nor does anyone at Facebook seem to be capable of even understanding the problem. It is tragic that after all the creative work of Mark Zuckerberg in establishing Facebook that it has now descended to such an incompetent entity that it cannot even reconnect my page.

META Jan 17, 1:57 p.m. “How was the support you received from Meta? It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job. We’d love to hear your feedback about your support experience. If you have a moment, please take this 15 second survey…” etc.

Campbell Jan 17, 2:02 p.m. “Stop sending me “How did we do?” requests when YOU’VE DONE NOTHING to solve my problem. Is there a human tech anywhere?”

META Jan 17, 2:08 p.m. “How was the support you received from Meta? It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job…”

Campbell Jan 18, 5:01 a.m. “Dear Meta –You say you are waiting on additional information, but you never say exactly what information you need. So STOP sending me messages that say “It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job. “YOU ARE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB.” You are doing NOTHING to solve my problem. I can’t access my Z page. I can’t advertise. META is dysfunctional.”

META Jan 18, 10:35 a.m. “How was the support you received from Meta? It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job…” etc.

Campbell Jan 18, 10:35 a.m. “Dear Meta –You say you are waiting on additional information, but you never say exactly what information you need. So STOP sending me messages that say “It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job.” YOU ARE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB.” You are doing NOTHING to solve my problem. I can’t access my Z page. I can’t advertise. META is dysfunctional. Please search your premises for a human who has a functioning brain.”

META Jan 19, 3:47 a.m. “I hope this email finds you well. This is a follow up email regarding your Page Access. Please take note of this Case ID: 1700280090499765. We are more than happy to look at this issue, but before we do, we need some additional information from you to help us investigate the issue. There are 3 documents that must be provided to proceed with this matter. We will need you to please provide the following:
1. Copy of valid government-issued ID (of the individual signing the statement); any of the following are accepted:
• Passport
• Government ID
• Driver’s License
• For Civic requests, Government Employee IDs will be accepted.
2. A signed statement with the following details:
• Government Letterhead or Seal, Company Letterhead (where appropriate)
• Clear and readable signature (signed by hand or digitally confirmed)
• A description of requestor relationship to the Business and the Page ID (and authority to request access to the Business, as applicable)
• An explanation of the request (example: there has been a termination of the employment and/or business relationship with the named person(s)/Business and another person needs to be added as Admin)
• The Facebook account (URL/ID/associated email) needing to be added as an admin
• One of the following:
– The name of the current person(s) who manage the Page as applicable the relationship of the above person(s) to the Business OR
– A reasonable explanation of why the current persons who manage the Page is/are not known to the requestor
• A declaration that the information you have provided is true and accurate, e.g. “I certify that the information provided is true and accurate” or similar
3. Evidence of a claim to ownership (one of the following)
Option 1: Individual amounts of the past three invoices on the ad account(s) that the Page own and include the last 4 digits on the credit card +the credit card expiration date. Note: Invoice information will only be accepted if included directly in the body of the signed letter/statement
Option 2: Credit Line Monthly Invoice for owned ad account
Option 3: Provide at least one supporting documentation:
• Domain Name Assignment Agreement or
• Deed of Assignment of Intellectual Property or
• Utility Bill or
• Articles or Certificates of Incorporation, Formation, or Organization or
• Business Licenses or Permits or
• DBA documents or
• Tax Certs. and Licenses or
• Bank Statements, Summaries, Letters or
• Credit Score Reports or
• Securities and Trading Documents- Trademark/registered/copyright document: e.g. Certificate of Federal Registration.
As soon as we have the above information, we would be happy to move forward with assisting you further.
NOTE: Our system is set up to close out cases that have gone more than 48 hours without a response. If you’re unable to get back to me within that time frame, you may get an email regarding the case being closed and a survey. Not to worry if that happens, you can still reply to this email and I’ll be able to help, or you can chat back into us and we will be able to reference this interaction at that time as well. For anything else, please do not hesitate to come to us through chat. You may access this link to come to chat with us at facebook.com/business/help Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team. We wish you and your business well. Have a great day. Thanks, Joy”

Campbell Jan 19, 6:31 a.m. “Letter and information attached. Can we PLEASE get this resolved ASAP??”

Letter: Denele Campbell, Author

Etc.

Regarding

Z, Author – THIS IS MY PEN NAME, same address

Z email and website

To Whom It May Concern:

Regarding Case ID: 1700280090499765

Attached: Copy of valid government-issued ID (of the individual signing the statement); any of the following are accepted:• Driver’s License

This is my signed statement with the following details:
• Company Letterhead (see above)
• Clear and readable signature (signed by hand or digitally confirmed)
• A description of requestor relationship to the Business and the Page ID (and authority to request access to the Business, as applicable)

Z is my PEN NAME for certain material I write. I created these pages. I am the only admin to ever access these pages.

https://www.facebook.com/Z.524 and https://www.facebook.com/AuthorZ

• An explanation of the request (example: there has been a termination of the employment and/or business relationship with the named person(s)/Business and another person needs to be added as Admin)

In mid-November, for unknown reasons and without warning, Facebook/META ended my access to my Z page. I created the page in 2012 and have been the only admin. Currently no one is managing the pages.

• The Facebook account (URL/ID/associated email) needing to be added as an admin;

Denele Campbell

Since Facebook cut my access to my Z account, I cannot access any financial records from the Z account. Here are copies of my bank records showing payment for Z ads on Facebook, paid out of my personal bank account on MasterCard ending in xxxx:

I certify that the information I have provided is true and accurate.

Sincerely,

META Jan 20, 6:57 a.m. “How was the support you received from Meta? It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job…”

Campbell Jan 20, 6:57 a.m. “Please do not send me surveys as if you have solved this problem. UNTIL YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEM.”

META Jan 20, 9:58 a.m. “I understand how you feel about this. I know the urgency of this matter, and the impact that it would cause you if not resolved right away. As a matter of fact, it is truly a pleasure for me if we get this sorted out and reinstate your advertising features.
The documents that we are asking is vital to have the internal investigation proceed.
Please help us to continue by providing the necessary document. Thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team we wish you and your business well, Have a good day ahead of you!
Thanks, Abby

Campbell Jan 20, 10:21 a.m. “I supplied requested documents yesterday. Did you not receive them?”

Campbell Jan 20, 10:26 a.m. “Here they are again, attached as a pdf file.”

Campbell Jan 20, 10:38 a.m. “I cannot fully express the frustration and sadness I feel after 5 weeks of this runaround. Yesterday I supplied the information you requested. Today I received your notice: “I understand how you feel about this. I know the urgency of this matter, and the impact that it would cause you if not resolved right away. As a matter of fact, it is truly a pleasure for me if we get this sorted out and reinstate your advertising features. The documents that we are asking is vital to have the internal investigation proceed. Please help us to continue by providing the necessary document.” AGAIN, did you not receive what I sent?

META Jan 20, 1:46 p.m. “I understand the urgency of this case for this affects your business. I am writing about your concern regarding Page. Due to the complexity of the issue, our Internal Team needs to review the case further. This requires them to do a critical assessment and analyze the root cause to prevent this from happening again. With that said, we would like to follow-up with you within the next 48 hours. We appreciate your patience on this matter. Your Case ID is 123456789.”

Campbell Jan 20, 1:57 p.m. “Well, I’ve lost count on how many times you’ve said that. It’s been TWO MONTHS since I could access my Z page, and it seems like you guys are just repeating the same words over and over and over. Did you get the letter I sent as per your instructions? If so, what if anything else do you need?”

META Jan 20, 2:23 p.m. “Thank you for your prompt response. I am writing about your concern regarding <ISSUE>. Our Internal Team is still diligently working on the matter as we know that this is utterly important. We apologize for any inconvenience that may have been caused by this delay. Please know that we are working towards a viable resolution. Kindly expect a response in the next 24-48 business hours. For anything else, please do not hesitate to come to us through chat. You may access this link to come to chat with us at https://www.facebook.com/business/help

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this process.”

META Jan 21, 1:23 a.m. “We would like to inform you that we have done everything to resolve your issue. The Internal Team has completed their investigation and kindly asks you to perform the following actions as the next step to reach the solution. We hope this information will be useful to you and will proceed with closing the present support request. If any further questions arise, please do not hesitate to reach out to us again via the following link: https://www.facebook.com/business/help. You can also visit Blueprint for useful courses to help reach your advertising goals: https://www.facebook.com/business/learn/courses.Thanks for contacting the Meta Pro Team, we appreciate your feedback.”

Campbell Jan 22, 5 a.m. “OK, sounds good. You said: ” We would like to inform you that we have done everything to resolve your issue. The Internal Team has completed their investigation and kindly asks you to perform the following actions as the next step to reach the solution.”

YOU FAILED to name “the following actions as the next step” — Is this a JOKE?

Campbell Jan 22, 5:33 a.m. “It seems clear to me that no one at META is actually trying to restore my access to my Z pages. I’ve wasted a lot of time trying to meet your ever-changing requirements yet none of my efforts have been acknowledged. After weeks of emails and META lies, I am losing hope that I will ever be able to use my Z pages again. I’ve never had any acknowledgement or explanation of WHY my access to my pages was terminated. But I can assure you, this will not end here. I am going to warn other authors not to advertise on Facebook – apparently once an author advertises and builds up a following, Facebook can take it away without explanation, make a bunch of empty promises about fixing the problem, then fail utterly to communicate intelligently or fix the problem.”

META Jan 22, 8:26 a.m. “Please be advised that this case has already been tagged as closed. We recommend for you to raise another case on our end for us to proceed on your issue. Also, we highly suggest for you to provide the Case ID: 1700280090499765 to our next representative for reference. I hope the above information has been helpful. I will be closing this case now, if by any chance you have encounter an issue or need further assistance, please feel free to initiate a chat support session at the following link: https://facebook.com/business/help Again, thank you for contacting Meta Pro Team! Have a nice day!

Campbell Jan 22, 8:37 a.m. “WHY WAS IT CLOSED? Did you think the problem was solved? Surely not, since you KNOW it is not solved. Are you guys incapable of interacting with me in a timely or agreeable manner? Apparently you are incapable of solving this problem, which Facebook-META CREATED when you cut my access to my account. I’M NOT STARTING OVER. THIS IS THE LAST TIME I will give META a chance to restore my access to Z before going public.”

META Jan 22, 9:10 a.m. “How was the support you received from Meta? It’s important for us to know whether we are doing a good job…”

What Democrats Did Wrong

Party leaders failed to see the long term need for younger, more vigorous candidates. The bulk of Biden’s term suffered from his shuffling gait, whispery voice, and apparent mental decline. Not that Trump is so much younger, but his demeanor as a bully conveys a message of strength. Sadly.

Dems also failed to foresee Biden’s inability to win a second term and consequently failed to hold a 2024 primary that would have introduced all best possible candidates. Call it allegiance to a venerable old warrior (Biden) or inability to break out of an established order of candidate precedence, or fear of the unknown, this lack of a so-called ‘fair’ fight in selecting a presidential candidate played a significant role in Harris’ defeat.

Sorry, but Kamala Harris was not popular in the 2020 primaries from which she withdrew for lack of funding. Built-in negatives aside from her mixed race and being female included her speech affectations which make her seem smug. One would think that the defeat of Hillary would have been lesson enough. For now, the fight is still between present day realities which are incomprehensible to conservatives and the “good old days” when men were ‘successful’ if they knew how to saddle a horse.

During Biden’s term, there was no apparent coherent approach to illegal immigration. This played into Harris’ weakness on this issue, which Biden appointed her to address. Whatever policy recommendations she made failed to make news cycles. As noted by the Washington Post, “Harris, in fact, has never been in charge of the border. The Department of Homeland Security manages migration. Her immigration role for the Biden administration has included boosting U.S. aid to Central America, traveling to the region and discouraging potential migrants from making the dangerous journey to the United States.” Be that as it may, if there had been a strong Biden policy on illegal immigration and prominent promotion of those policies, Trump wouldn’t have been able to make that topic a centerpiece of his campaign.

https://abc13.com/migrant-caravan-immigrations-and-customs-story-migrants/4690683/

Yes, boosting U.S. aid to Central America is foundational to stemming the tide, as Harris knew. Sadly, the fact is that coherent immigration policies addressing root causes aren’t enough to stop people seeking better opportunities for themselves and their children. If your children are starving and your home and livelihood are daily threatened by violent gangs rampaging through neighborhoods, you too would leave behind everything you’ve ever known and walk to the promised land.

THERE IS NO GOOD SOLUTION to illegal immigration. There is no fence high enough, or military/border guard personnel vast enough to make illegal entry impossible. As climate change advances, more and more populations will face starvation and violent domestic turmoil. The U.S. cannot take them all. No one can. This message must be made clear. Trump’s plan to deport millions WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. This is whack-a-mole thinking.

Biden, in the seeming tradition of Democrats and, in the words of Michelle Obama, “went high” when the Republicans “went low.” But we’re dealing with primitive thinking where the hero bashes the villain over the head. With no head bashing, there’s no hero. The villain wins. It’s past time for the Democrats to develop more than one track and start bashing. To greatest possible extent, yes, don’t give up the vision of a better world—peace, love, good vibes. But we also must carry a big stick and when somebody needs to get bashed over the head, bash the son of a bitch. The Biden administration’s justice department took waaaay too long quibbling over how/when/why to prosecute Trump for his shocking illegal acts. He should never have been free to run for re-election.

Not that Biden or the justice department had control over local and state prosecutions, but the failure of appropriate federal action left the door open for Trump to escape from prosecution in lower courts, as is now obvious. It was the first Trump presidency which allowed him to stack the Supreme Court, and that will be the case again. His sponsors are playing the long game, moves that have been feverishly planned since at least the 1950s. The strategy is to whip up fear and hatred to drive conservative voters to the polls, desperate to buy God’s favor by forcing the entire nation into a theocracy. None of this matters to Trump, whose entire plan involves self-enrichment, self-aggrandizement, and eluding justice.

True to their religious belief system, conservatives prefer government which regulates what the population does in their bedrooms and allows the business segment to run wild. The opposite is true for liberals, who believe what people do in their bedrooms is no one’s business and what the business community does can ONLY be regulated by government. Who else can force corporations not to dump industrial waste in our rivers? Ensure clean drinking water and safe food supplies? Mitigate the onslaught of pandemics? Enforce design and construction standards for roadways, bridges, and buildings?

These requirements of government are easily forgotten by a fearful, angry electorate who is not educated to understand these fundamental duties, an electorate even more distracted by a wannabe dictator whose success depends on agitating division with lies and false promises. This can only be effectively countered by an equally vociferous Democrat whose presence and actions meet the pseudo-strength of a candidate like Trump. Potential right-wing demagogues have the advantage of money flowing from a huge array of business interests. Liberals have only the People to carry on the framework for freedom established by the Founding Fathers:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Foundational to this vision was EDUCATION. Public education was not an afterthought of the American Revolution – it was a core ideal of our Founders. They maintained that a well-educated population was the only means of ensuring America’s future. The roots of taxpayer-funded public education in the United States can be traced back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1647. The colony passed a law that required towns to establish schools, made children attend school, and allowed the state to levy taxes to support schools. This traditional determination now stands at risk from religious forces who have managed to divert tax dollars into support for private, religious schools which often slant their programs to fit a religious agenda.[1]

Could Obama have warded off this SCOTUS situation with his nomination of Merrick Garland for the post by steamrolling the Senate?

It is in full accord with traditional notions of waiver to say that the Senate, having been given a reasonable opportunity to provide advice and consent to the president with respect to the [Supreme Court] nomination of [Judge Merrick] Garland, and having failed to do so, can fairly be deemed to have waived its right. Here’s how that would work. The president has nominated Garland and submitted his nomination to the Senate. The president should advise the Senate that he will deem its failure to act by a specified reasonable date in the future to constitute a deliberate waiver of the right to give advice and consent. What date?…90 days is a perfectly reasonable amount of time.

– Excerpt from an op-ed column in The Washington Post on April 10 by Washington, D.C., lawyer Gregory L. Diskant, who is in private practice and also serves as a member of the national governing board of the liberal advocacy group, Common Cause.

“The Appointments Clause [of Article II] clearly implies a power of the Senate to give advice on and, if it chooses to do so, to consent to a nomination, but it says nothing about how the Senate should go about exercising that power. The text of the Constitution thus leaves the Senate free to exercise that power however it sees fit. Throughout American history, the Senate has frequently – surely, thousands of times – exercised its power over nominations by declining to act on them.

– Excerpt from a commentary about the Diskant column by M. Edward Whalen, president of the conservative advocacy group, the Washington-based Ethics and Public Policy Center, published April 10 on the National Review Online’s Bench Memo.[2]

Equally appalling was the lack of foresight by none other than Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg who refused to retire during Obama’s presidency, which would have allowed another justice to step in on her coattails. Despite her excellent record and unfailing support for liberal causes, a bit of hubris caused her to cheat the future of a suitable replacement.

Democrats need to wake up! Making nice is not always the best course of action when we’re dealing with not only ignorant tyrants like Trump but also foreign bad actors with their thumbs on the scales.

[1] In June 2022, in Carson v. Makin, the high court held that when governments choose to subsidize private schools, they must allow such funds to pay for religious schools. A majority of current justices appear to believe that excluding religious groups from government programs is a violation of the First Amendment’s free exercise clause. Although court precedents prohibit direct funding of religion under the establishment clause, the current court could decide that if the state funds secular public charter schools, religious public charter schools cannot be excluded from such funding.  See https://www.freedomforum.org/government-fund-religious-schools/

[2] https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/constitution-check-could-obama-bypass-the-senate-on-garland-nomination

In the United States today, apparently…

https://carolbodensteiner.com/2014/01/13/what-did-rural-life-look-like-1910/

Progress came too fast for the evolutionary capabilities of humans. Suddenly, within one hundred years, men were expected to accept women as equals after millennia of their submission. Men were expected to adjust to working with their minds instead of their hands, their bodies eager and waiting for the first throw of the spear, the first clubbing of an enemy. The majority of men needed those physical triumphs to feel like man, and they still do.

A significant percentage of women still believe men are their superiors, the representative of their male god who tells them how to live in submission. It’s too much to expect that suddenly after only 100 years of having the right to vote and the right to contraception, women would universally embrace the responsibility of citizenship, of bodily autonomy.

Sadly, an official return to policies constructed of old fears and prejudices destroys people, most of whom have worked for decades—lifetimes—to ensure that Americans are able to pursue our personal needs and dreams, to become who we want and need to be despite centuries of repression and exploitation. Progress means making the world a better place where people don’t suffer from old hatreds and fears. Now women are losing the right to control what happens to their own bodies. Men and women risk losing their right to live and love as they are—gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and more. Anyone who isn’t white need not exist.

While attempting to fling us backwards to a time without electricity, running water, or air conditioning, not to mention television, cell phones, and antibiotics, conservatives seem to think society could obtain all those things WITHOUT concurrent changes in social norms. That’s not how it works. Advances in technologies and sciences go hand in hand with social change. In a democratic society, education sufficient to produce people who invent cell phones also produces realization of our innate value as individuals—no matter what gender, skin color, or ethnic background.

Back in the ‘good ole days’ women made the cloth. “Heagerty family members demonstrating the steps needed to spin cotton, Cave Springs (Benton County), about 1900. From right: removing the seeds, carding the fibers, spinning the thread, and winding it on a reel.” Jerry Ritter Collection (S-2004-20-6)

Irony is when people vote for policies that are oppositional to their personal needs. Irony occurs when those voters cherish their cell phones while remaining ignorant of the high levels of education required for their invention or the vast technological network that serves them. Irony occurs when those voters flock to doctors to deal with cancer and other life-threatening conditions whose increasingly successful treatments come about at the hands of highly educated scientists who understand the cellular function of DNA and RNA, terms about which those voters are utterly ignorant. Undoubtedly, key figures in those fields are women and/or LBGTQ+.

It’s called shooting yourself in the foot.

Next: What Trump Will Bring

We Know the Answers; If Only We Would Listen

The continuing search for solutions to the massive influx of immigrants has yielded some outrageous ideas, such as Trump’s ‘solution,’ ridiculed by Rep. Robert Garcia, who on January 31 reminded the Republican caucus that the plan they have rallied behind consists of moats filled with alligators, fences with spikes on top, bombing northern Mexico, and shooting asylum seekers. “Trump only speaks about creating misery at the border, there is no plan to improve anyone situation here,” Garcia pointed out.

Serious efforts to address these problems more realistically have been ongoing. For example, on June 26, 2023, a conference addressing the root causes of migration in the Western Hemisphere convened in Washington D.C. under the auspices of the Council on Foreign Relations. Speakers included Katharine M. Donato (Donald G. Herzberg Professor of International Migration and Former Director, Institute for the Study of International Migration, Georgetown University; CFR Member), Silvia Giorguli (President, El Colegio de México, A.C.), Manuel Orozco (Director, Migration, Remittances and Development Program, Inter-American Dialogue), and Presider Kellie Meiman Hock (Managing Partner, McLarty Associates; CFR Member). What follows are excerpts from their discussion.

HOCK: We’ve got the socioeconomic realities of Mexico and Central America in an environment of increasing violence, and we’ve got on our side the U.S. failure to enact a coherent immigration reform to try to permit more regular flows despite our having a labor shortage, despite the efforts of the Biden administration to try to enact some more regularity through the regional processing centers and other efforts. It’s still difficult, and an election in 2024 will not make it more easier.

GEORGULI: First is this idea that we do need a comprehensive and regional approach to the management of migration more than unilateral or bilateral agreements to look at more in a—in an open perspective. Of course, one of the acts of the centers of the management of migration goes to addressing the drivers of migration—economic drivers; environmental drivers; and now in Central America—well, in North and Central America, and in Mexico also, violence-driven migration.

One of the main conclusions of the group was the idea of increasing the legal pathways to migration, both in terms of labor opportunities but also in terms of humanitarian protection. And another lesson learned from what we have seen in the region is the importance of civil society and the work that they have done, that in many cases they have been more effective than certain states to respond to the urgent needs and the humanitarian needs of population on the move.

DONATO: … the historical context is complex. It is an area of the world where there was a lot of civil war and civil strife in the 1980s in El Salvador, in a variety of countries in Central America. There was not only a lot of violence then, but there was a lot of displacement. And that started a pattern of, you know, fairly significant internal displacement, which then translated into movement through Mexico and coming up to the U.S. border.

And even though that kind of violence began to dissipate in the 1990s, it’s an area of the world that has continued to—since the mid-1990s that continues to not be totally on stable ground with respect to democracy, democratic processes, with respect to the belief in the legitimacy of the state to take care of me if I’m—something happens. And it’s also an area of the world where there’s been a fair amount of environmental events, big natural disasters—so Hurricane Mitch in 1998, I believe; Hurricane Stan in, I think, 2003 or (200)4; very big storms coming through. And actually, in 1998 when that happened, the U.S. implemented temporary protected status for hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans and Hondurans who were in the U.S. and could not return.

So the thing is, none of these drivers—the initial drivers—operate by themselves. They all interact. But they’ve created enough of a push so that many, many people have left. And I think about 4 million—not counting the recent years of entry, I think 4 million persons born in northern Central American nations live in the United States, and that’s not counting the last few years.

And so the population has grown in the U.S. It’s grown because not only of these drivers, but then all of the family networks. You know, someone gets to the U.S. They get TPS, temporary protected status, which has to be renewed on a yearly or, you know, every-two-year basis. But then those families who then have a foothold here then can help bring others here.

So this has been a process that’s been going on now for decades. It’s going to be fairly hard to stop even if life, let’s say, in Guatemala and Honduras became less violent and more predictable with respect to climate and therefore food supplies. Even if those structural problems lessen, it still will take quite some time because now family connections are cross-border. And you know, if I haven’t been able to cross and my family’s been in the U.S. for fifteen years, odds are very, very high that I’m going to come.

GIORGULI: … addressing the drivers of migration, keeping the strategy of cooperation for development in order to attend the causes of migration, is still a very important and one of the main strategic lines to follow when you talk about the regional management of migration. But there are two things that we have learned from the Mexico-U.S. experience for more than one hundred years.

First, that it will take time to have results on one side. And secondly—and that’s new—that, usefully, I think that in a certain way we are—still think a lot of this lever, economic migration, and that’s why it has been so difficult to move to a different way of managing Central American migration in Mexico and in the U.S., no? So, like, trying to change that chip and trying to emphasize more of these challenges, such as the rule of law, and strengthening the local institutions, no?

For example, in the case of Mexico, of course there has been a change in terms of refugee and asylum because the way the applications have increased in the last three years. There has been a lot of work with UNHCR—with ACNUR in Spanish, UNHCR in English—but still the institution that is responsible for processing and receiving all the applications is very weak in terms of financial resources and human resources, no? So that would be, like, very close to the U.S. case, where the strengthening of the institutions can be one way to build this more comprehensive management.

DONATO: … in the United States any significant change to legal pathways has to come from U.S. Congress, and we are stuck, right? Congress is stuck and unable to develop out legal pathways. So, as a result, the legal visa system that we have in place currently comes from an act of Congress that took place in 1990. And I don’t know one employer in the world that wouldn’t have changed their hiring procedures over the course of three or four decades. So we are talking about an antiquated system.

…[With] the Biden administration—there have been some changes, small, some recommendations from the task force that sync with what the Biden administration has done in the U.S. The regional processing centers, it’s going to take a while to figure out if they’re going to work. But the idea is that perhaps we should have a place where people can go that’s more accessible than coming all the way from Venezuela … all the way up through Mexico, and all the risks that are associated with that kind of movement. … can we develop a place—and the U.S. government is working on this now with two other partners, Canada and Spain.

~~~

OROZCO: …the administration wants to extend DACA to this crowd of kids, and we’re talking about five hundred thousand people now. You know, between 2019 and 2022, five million people tried to come to this country. I mean, five million is a lot—it’s a country moved to the U.S. border. Maybe half made it, or two million made it. The other ones were returned, and billions of dollars spent on that is a big hassle that we haven’t even talked about, all because there is a broken system.

GIORGULI: … something that I learned from working with the task force, and especially from the colleagues from Central America, is that it has to do not only with economic opportunities, but working side by side with the rule of law, with the construction of institutions in the countries and communities of origin, no? So I do agree with Manuel that economics is probably one of the strongest and most continuous drivers of migration, but I also think, from the field work that we have been conducting and from the experiences that we heard within the task force, that if you don’t have this other part, it’s just economic investment, or creating job opportunities in the communities of origin by themselves will not be enough.

QUESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE: I’d like to go back to something that Manuel said. Very specifically he talked moral hazard—moral hazard in migration, taking migration seriously. Silvia talked about UNHCR giving money to COMAR in Mexico to help with refugees, and so on—not enough money, not enough.

But I would say the same thing happens in the United States. The United States invests, creates a whole new bureaucracy when they create the Department of Homeland Security, and starts giving money almost specifically, almost exclusively to ICE and to CBP. USCIS is lost out there somewhere, right? And the problem with enforcement, with thinking that you are going to stop water from flowing, is that it’s self-perpetuating. The more you invest in that, the more you have to invest. The more walls you build, the more you trap people behind those walls, and it gives you exactly what you say you don’t want.

~~~

The group further discussed inequities in existing agricultural programs as well as the increasing effects of climate change and poor quality education in these countries where so many immigrants originate. A complete manuscript is available at https://www.cfr.org/event/addressing-root-causes-migration-western-hemisphere Video of the discussion is found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc3CG7SRvrE&t=23s.

Without addressing the root causes of the increasing immigration, the U.S. has no chance of enacting meaningful controls. This conference was one of many ongoing efforts to better understand what we can do without killing people or otherwise fantasizing about inanely cruel–and ultimately ineffective–policies.

The New Peasants

https://knightstemplar.co/what-did-peasants-do-in-the-middle-ages/

We need to stop thinking like peasants. We no longer live under the rule of a king or an aristocratic lineage of dukes, earls, and what not. We citizens of the United States (and most modern democracies) hold equal shares of power over ourselves, each of us with the right to assemble, speak our mind, and vote in order to maintain a government that protects us from any force threatening to bar our path to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Apparently some among us have forgotten, or more likely never learned, that this is our gift as Americans. They are the 21^st century serfs who plod along ignoring their rights—and their duties—as American citizens. Observers most often label these new age serfs as ignorant, but that’s not entirely the reality. These modern serfs are willfully ignorant, a choice they have made in order to avoid thinking.

True, thinking is a troublesome exercise. Thinking requires the gathering of all pertinent facts on any particular issue. Such fact gathering requires not only the time and effort of the exercise, but also possession of skills in such areas as rationality and research. These skills are taught to children in their school years, but the teaching is clearly inadequate. This inadequacy is not necessarily the fault of the teacher or the school system or the curriculum, although all three can be at fault to some degree. More likely the inadequacy is due to parents not practicing thinking at home.

This kind of generational non-thinking used to be the norm, back when most of us were serfs. Those were the days when a few traditional skills sufficed in meeting life goals. A serf served his/her lord—the duke, earl, or even the king—who made his expectations clear. A woodsman was to cut and haul wood. A farmer was to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops.

As explained in Wikipedia:

Serfdom is the forced labor of serfs in a feudal society. In medieval Europe, serfs were peasant farmers who worked without pay for a lord. In exchange, they got to live and work on the lord’s manor. They also got the lord’s protection. Serfs had more rights than slaves (for example, serfs could own property). However, they were not completely free. They could not move, marry, or leave the manor without the lord’s permission. In most serfdoms, serfs were legally part of the land. If the land was sold, they were sold with it. Serfs worked in their lord’s fields. They sometimes did other things related to agriculture, like forestry and transportation (by both land and river). Some also worked in craft and manufacturing … like the village blacksmith, miller or innkeeper. Serfdom developed from agricultural slavery in the Roman Empire. It spread through Europe around the 10th century. During the Middle Ages, most European people lived in serfdoms.

Serf children grew up learning about life from their parents, a life that followed the rules set down by their lord’s demands. The sawyer’s sons were sawyers. The tanner’s sons were tanners. Owned by their fathers as girls, females were handed over to their husbands to serve as wives and mothers, subject to his absolute control.

Those rules made it easy to decide what to do without having to think about it.

https://americanantiquarian.org/millgirls/files/original/8a8abec89136208b78c319d282bac1e1.jpg

Ah, those were the days. There were established rules about not only what work to do each day, but what to wear (same homespun garments as the day before), what to eat (same basic gruel and bread as the day before), what to believe (acceptance of one’s humble place in life because the Bible said so), and so forth. Even a free man could become a serf if he owed a large debt. He would make an agreement with the lord of the land. The lord would keep him safe, give money to pay his debt, and give him land to work on. In return, he would work for the lord. All his children would become serfs.

So while our early ancestors arrived in the American colonies fresh from their peasantry, only a few of them brought with them the practice of thinking. This is the resistant strain of human nature, to do what the parents did, to blindly accept a set of rules to follow, to spend our days laboring to satisfy our lord and master. The goal has shifted only slightly in that we labor in the belief that if we work hard enough, we too can be a lord. This is the fantasy that controls so many, that someday when we’re lords, we won’t want the government to tax us. This is the thinking that allows the rich to pay taxes at the same rate as the rest of us, when their incomes surpass by billions the amounts we earn. Meanwhile, we bow down (at least mentally) to the lords who have achieved ‘greatness’ through wealth or power.

After all, peasants believe, how could lowly persons such as ourselves manage to decipher the intricacies of big business or political process much less discern the many aspects of personality and manipulation employed by the lords? How are we supposed to know what is true? We must believe what our chosen leaders tells us. Never mind what news source may or may not employ actual journalists, or who provide ‘news’ instead of ‘entertainment.’ It’s all a lie anyway, they say, throwing up their hands, disheartened.

Well, yes, these are difficult mental tasks for people who never learned how to research or reason. Besides, we’re busy trying to keep a roof over our head and food on the table.

A full 34% of the voting-eligible population did not vote in 2020, which saw the highest voter turnout since 1914. Even more concerning is the popularity of wannabe dictators like Donald Trump whose supporters openly ridicule education, basking in the praise of a man who “loves the poorly educated.” It should be no surprise that Democrats control 77% of the U.S.’s most highly educated Congressional districts (107 districts) while Republicans control 64% of districts where the fewest people went to college (107 districts).[1]

There is no controlling force that coerces individuals into peasant thinking. Such a role is heavily influenced by tradition and hardly mitigated by many educational opportunities. Community plays a role as well, either offering role models who use thought and action to move beyond peasantry, or by warning of negative results for those who try to move beyond their family traditions of non-thinking. It is often easier to remain in the trenches than to climb out, especially when one has failed to grasp the tools which make climbing possible. Plus, who wants the responsibility of stepping up to the plate? I might swing and miss.

Our society and especially our educational systems are failing to penetrate the mental laziness of lingering peasantry enticing us to depend on lists of rules handed down by lords. Curriculum for all schools, public, private or religious, should provide the methods of rational thinking in order to protect malingering peasants from their self-destructive (and democracy-destroying) behavior. Curriculum requirements should include debate where fact-based points are presented on a chosen topic. A thorough understanding of civics and history should form the core of classes that also teach language arts and mathematics/logic. At strategic points in those school years, there should be lessons in conflict resolution as well as introduction to introspection.

The answer is stepping up to our human potential, NOT to install a wannabe king.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/us/politics/trump-presidential-campaign-voters.html

[1] https://www.politico.com/interactives/2022/midterm-election-house-districts-by-education/

The Continuing Israeli-Palestinian Agony

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/01/16/after-over-100-days-of-war-palestinians-fight-hard-hit-areas-of-gaza-and-fire-rockets-israel.html

Many Israelis and Jewish people worldwide recognize the futility of Netanyahu’s relentless attack on Gaza under the excuse of protecting Israel from Hamas. The United States is caught up in a tangle of its historical sympathy and generosity toward Israel and the current reality of Israel’s genocidal violence against Palestinians. The truth is, the more Palestinian deaths, the more certainty that Hamas will never die. Every bomb dropped recruits more support for Hamas.

The U. S. and President Biden’s situation is a classic Catch 22. Should we take a hard line with Netanyahu and his rightwing government, setting down an unequivocal rule that no more financial or military support will be forthcoming if Israel does not step back and reorient its Palestinian policies? The logical (and fair) solution would be the formation of a Palestinian state and returning the Israel/Palestine borders to the 1967 boundaries.

[My personal view is that the attempt to create a state of Israel was a mistake from the start. The fond dream of Zionists, this effort to reestablish a Jewish state after 2,000-plus years, was absurd and unnecessary. No other religion has its own ‘state.’ Religion is a personal choice, not appropriate justification for the establishment of a nation. Imagine if we forced a partition of England as a homeland for Methodists!]

Back to the Catch 22. If Biden takes such a step, he risks losing political support from American Jews and evangelicals. This comes at a critical time in American politics as the extreme right wing hopes to bring Trump into a second term as president, which in itself could spell the end of our democracy.

For Biden, evangelicals won’t be much of a loss, since most are already lined up for Trump in the deluded belief he is a “flawed vessel” for the hand of God. This is a form of religious schizophrenia. Historically, Christians hate Jews because they killed Jesus. BUT THAT WAS GOD’S PLAN, right? Creating then sacrificing his “son” in order to provide forgiveness for humans? So logically, Christians should LOVE Jews for the crucifixion as a manifestation of God’s plan.

In reality, Christian ‘love’ of Israel is a self-serving strategy. “American evangelicals are among Israel’s most ardent advocates, compelled in part by their interpretation of scripture that says God’s ancient promise to the Jewish people designating the region as their homeland is unbreakable.”[1] American evangelical support for Israel has exacerbated conflict along Israel’s boundaries in encouraging settler expansion.[2]

“For many “Christians Zionists,” and particularly for popular evangelists with significant clout within the Republican Party, their support for Israel is rooted in its role in the supposed end times: Jesus’ return to Earth, a bloody final battle at Armageddon, and Jesus ruling the world from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In this scenario, war is not something to be avoided, but something inevitable, desired by God, and celebratory.”[3]
BUT: “When it comes to anti-Semitism the Religious Right falls under two great clouds of suspicion. First, contemporary anti-Semitism originated in and was nourished for millennia by Christian condemnation of Jews for the crucifixion of Christ and for their continued rejection of Christ as the Messiah. Second, political anti-Semitism has most frequently and disastrously arisen from right-wing governments and ideologies from the Czarist pogroms to Hitler’s Final Solution. …Historically, the strong and traditional religious beliefs of evangelicals and fundamentalists have both engendered religious particularism that makes them critical of followers of other faiths … and encourages antipathy toward Jews for rejecting Christ now and in the past.[4]

https://worshipleader.com/leadership/awakening-prayer/

The right also loves to use the phrase “Judeo-Christian values” to promote a conservative Christian agenda that conveniently erases the several thousand years during which “Christian values” included beating, forced conversion and murder of Jewish people. …Christian philosemitism, especially on the political right, is often linked to support for Israel. Evangelical conservatives have long embraced Israel in part because many believe it’s important for fulfilling end times prophecies (in which Jews convert or go to hell). Evangelicals also have a strong connection with Israel and the holy sites located there. Israel’s oppression of Palestinian people and its conflicts with its Muslim neighbors also feed into right-wing ideology, specifically Islamophobia.[5]
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Protestant Christian denomination in the U.S., has explicitly rejected suggestions that it should back away from seeking to convert Jews, a position which critics have called anti-Semitic, but a position which Baptists believe is consistent with their view that salvation is solely found through faith in Christ. In 1996 the SBC approved a resolution calling for efforts to seek the conversion of Jews “as well as the salvation of ‘every kindred and tongue and people and nation.'” …Most Evangelicals agree with the SBC’s position, and some of them also support efforts which specifically seek the Jews’ conversion. Additionally, these Evangelical groups are among the most pro-Israel groups. (For more information, see Christian Zionism.) One controversial group which has received a considerable amount of support from some Evangelical churches is Jews for Jesus, which claims that Jews can “complete” their Jewish faith by accepting Jesus as the Messiah.^[6]

Without doubt, for Joe Biden facing the November 2024 election, he must temper his choices of policies toward Israel in consideration of the American Jewish vote, which has traditionally aligned with Democrats.

For most of the 20th century since 1936, the vast majority of Jews in the United States have been aligned with the Democratic Party. During the 20th and 21st centuries, the Republican Party has launched initiatives to persuade American Jews to support their political policies, with relatively little success.[7]

Are enough American Jews outraged by the Palestinian death toll and allied threat to Israel’s future to vote for Biden even if he places firm conditions on the continuance of U.S. financial and military aid? As reported January 8, 2024 in the Jerusalem Post, “Gallup’s tracking of Americans’ views on Netanyahu since 1997 indicates a recent negative shift, with a 47% unfavorable rating against a 33% favorable rating. Notably, Republicans maintain a more positive view of Netanyahu, with 55% favorability, in contrast to 14% among Democrats and 30% among independents.”[8]

Whether this shift in opinion would hold if the U.S. no longer supplied Israel with 2000-pound bombs and other weapons in its relentless attack on Gaza remains an open question. But world opinion increasingly demands a change of U.S. policy toward Israel, and the U. S. is the only entity with sufficient leverage—the threat of withholding all U.S. aid—to force Israel to make changes that Netanyahu and his cohort adamantly oppose.

The so-called two-state solution is unquestionably an important first step, with boundaries between the Palestinian state and the Israeli state established along the fraught 1967 lines (with updated adjustments). Additional terms would include U.N. peacekeeping troops in place to enforce demilitarization on both sides as well as U.N. and mandatory Israeli funding in restoration of Gazan infrastructure.

Solutions rely on the Arab world’s acceptance of Israel’s existence in their midst and on Israel’s acceptance of its new boundaries without any expansion. If ARab states expect to hold a respected position in world affairs, it’s past time for the Arab world to embrace modern social norms—no more cutting off fingers, heads or other body parts, no more burning people alive or other bloody jihad. The savagery of Arab attacks on its ‘enemies’ is contrary to their own best interests, just as is Israel’s genocide against Gazans.

It’s time for Israel to live up to its religion with its idea that Jews are “God’s chosen people” not in order to believe themselves above any laws or superior in some way, but in order to fulfill the mission of proclaiming his truth among all the nations of the world.[9] Contrary to the “buy my ticket to heaven” ideas of the evangelical Christians in its support for Israel as a nation, it seems the message preserved in the 2,000 to 2,500 year-old-writings of Jews is that anyone embracing the Jewish faith must serve as a messenger “to make God known to the world.”

https://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog/2014/07/joint-jewish-muslim-fast-against-violence.html

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/15/us/american-evangelicals-israel-hamas.html

[2] See https://theconversation.com/us-giving-to-israeli-nonprofits-how-much-jews-and-christians-donate-and-where-the-money-goes-201920

[3] https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/truth-many-evangelical-christians-support-israel-rcna121481

[4] Smith, Tom W. “The Religious Right and Anti-Semitism.” Review of Religious Research 40, no. 3 (1999): 244–58. https://doi.org/10.2307/3512370.

[5] https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/christian-led-caucus-protecting-jewish-values-no-thanks-ncna1287802

[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism_in_Christianity

[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Jews_in_politics

[8] https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-781227

[9] See, for example, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-quot-chosen-people-quot

2024

Joe Biden wanted to do the right thing, make a bold move, and so he promised to make his vice president a woman. While, as a woman myself I applaud the sentiment, I now see that he has painted himself into a corner. I have nothing personal against Kamala Harris—I’m sure she’s intelligent, skilled in her profession, and has all the right motivations in her heart.

BUT – and you knew a ‘but’ was coming, right? But she has zero charisma. And in a job where it’s not cool to upstage the president with policy ideas or championing big issues, she can only come across as a silly token. With a younger president, this wouldn’t carry as much punch, but with Biden’s age already past the average life expectancy for men in the United States (77.28 years), it’s relevant that observers on either side of the aisle would be concerned about Harris as a potential president.

This is why so many Democrats (not to mention everyone else) are voicing concerns about the current Biden/Harris ticket for 2024. It’s not just that Kamala Harris seems less than forceful or skilled—we really haven’t seen her shine because that’s not the role of a VP. It’s that these are terrifying times we live in, and it’s human nature to look for a strong leader especially in such times. This alone accounts for much of Trump’s appeal. Despite the fact that he understands virtually nothing about the job of a president or the many important aspects of the United States in world affairs, he comes across as a strong leader. This is all smoke and mirrors, of course—the fake tan, architectural comb-over, and elevated shoes make him appear to some as if he’s a healthy sportsman; the loud authoritative voice (well, mostly, until his words trail off into a familiar whine); and the positive spin he puts on his daily tribulations, obviously wishful thinking coming out as fake news.

Biden, on the other hand, is often speaking in public in a whispery voice. His footsteps across a stage, up or down stairs, or anywhere else, are slow and careful. His haircut somehow manages to look unkempt with that little layer of hair that sticks out around his back collar—he needs to give up some of his hair for a closer cut. These are visual/auditory obstacles to any hope of showing him as a vital, strong man. In a perfect world, we would not be misled by these obstacles. Instead, we would pay attention to his abilities and accomplishments—unquestionably major achievements that result from his long career as a statesman dedicated to a just society.

Sadly, I’m worried that no matter how well the campaign might illuminate those accomplishments, many voters will judge on appearances.

One solution would be to replace Kamala Harris with a more dynamic vice-presidential candidate. I can think of several experienced Democrats who would reassure voters of competent leadership in the circumstances of Biden’s incapacitation. I floated this idea on a Facebook post and was immediately excoriated by some of my female friends. Harris, they say, deserves more respect. Well, yes, of course she does, but you’re living in a dream world if you don’t see that the General Public does not share that opinion.

In short, it is my opinion that no amount of touting Biden’s accomplishments or respecting Kamala Harris is going to reassure voters that this is the leadership they want or need. By default, the most horrific possible candidate has a chance of winning a second term, and the nation will never recover from that.

Never.

The forces driving public anxiety are greater than ever before. It’s not just the conservative-progressive debate, burn books versus read more, cut government programs or continue working toward a more just culture, leave-it-all-to-God versus progress and evolve as humans, etc.

It’s that this was the hottest summer on record, evidence of the long-heralded advance of climate change.[1]

It’s that right now, Russia is led by an autocratic psychopath who dares the world to stop him from a) taking over neighboring nations, b) using nuclear weapons, c) enabling Kim Jong Un, d) murdering any domestic opposition, and e) blockading international waterways.[2]

It’s that Artificial Intelligence technology has arrived at the threshold of independent thought and action that could threaten human existence.[3]

It’s that the majority of Americans don’t understand the scientific method, or how science works, meaning that technologies we all use—Internet for example, or cell phones, or GPS, or targeted chemotherapy—are mysterious useful toys but not compelling enough for us to respect the science that has created them.

It’s that a significant portion of the population is too lazy to read or learn beyond their set prejudices and ignorance, thus remaining easy prey to rumor, fake news, and magical thinking (God will take care of us). A select few power brokers take advantage of these deficiencies by using hot button issues (abortion, gay marriage, racism) to instigate fear-driven voting.

It’s that the core of conservative voters are facing statistics showing that the nation is moving inexorably toward a non-white and non-Christian majority. “Remember, the predicted and projected end of a white Christian majority in this country is what’s driving most of our worst political trends right now. It’s not ‘economic anxiety’. It’s the arrival of minority-majority America.”[4]

The Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/fox-news-spins-lies-in-the-service-of-greed/

Worst and most tragic of all, now in the United States of America, there is not an accepted source of factual news. As famously remarked by Trump’s press secretary, there are facts and then there are “alternative facts.”[5] FOX News is the mainstay for conservative audiences, even though court judgments have confirmed that the network lies repeatedly, and more such cases are in the pipeline.”[6] FOX itself has defined their “news” as “entertainment,” not a source offering factual information by any journalistic standard. Yet despite losing nearly $800 million in penalties in one case and expected to lose even more in upcoming trials, FOX continues its campaign of fake news. One wonders about the motivation of FOX owner Rupert Murdoch; the New York Times reports on Murdoch’s accomplishment with Trump’s presidency which, “cemented Murdoch’s global influence.”

What Murdoch expects to accomplish aside from his “global influence” remains a mystery. Is $5 billion not enough? He’s built a family empire that has resulted in animosity between his children. He’s created a crisis in the United States not only in politics but in the growing chasm between segments of the society which has led to the current level of daily gun violence.

In the 22-year history of the network, the Fox News Effect had never been more pronounced. A March study by Navigation Research, a Democratic firm, found that 12 percent of Fox News viewers believe that climate change is mostly caused by humans, compared with 62 percent of all other Americans. At the same time, 78 percent of Fox viewers believe that Trump has accomplished more than any president in American history, compared with 17 percent of other Americans.[7]

Meanwhile, the Biden/Harris White House lists its achievements and the world pays little attention, or in the case of Republicans, outright deny the veracity of the list.

Lowering Costs of Families’ Everyday Expenses
More People Are Working Than At Any Point in American History
Making More in America
Rescued the Economy and Changed the Course of the Pandemic
Rebuilding our Infrastructure
Historic Expansion of Benefits and Services for Toxic Exposed Veterans
The First Meaningful Gun Violence Reduction Legislation in 30 Years
Protected Marriage for LGBTQI+ and Interracial Couples
Historic Confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Federal Judges of Diverse Backgrounds
Rallied the World to Support Ukraine in Response to Putin’s Aggression
Strengthened Alliances and Partnerships to Deliver for the American People
Successful Counterterrorism Missions Against the Leaders of Al Qaeda and ISIS
Executive Orders Protecting Reproductive Rights
Historic Student Debt Relief for Middle- and Working-Class Families
Ending our Failed Approach to Marijuana
Advancing Equity and Racial Justice, Including Historic Criminal Justice Reform
Delivering on the Most Aggressive Climate and Environmental Justice Agenda in American History
More People with Health Insurance Than Ever Before
Lowering Costs of Families’ Everyday Expense
The Inflation Reduction Act Infographic

For each item on this list, there’s a link to a greater explanation of these efforts.[8] But who is reading this?

Really, who reads? The public is conditioned to pay attention for maybe a 15-second sound bite.

The truly alarming reality is that our primal instincts are engaged in this time of unprecedented crisis, personal, national and global. We want a strong leader we can believe in. It seems extremely risky to depend on an enlightened element of our population to do the reading and thinking necessary to continue to support Joe Biden when there is a dedicated segment swept up in mindless support of a man who presents himself as a strong man.

We can always hope for quick justice on any of Trump’s many indictments and/or a firm ruling on the 14^th Amendment which states, in part, that any American official who takes an oath to uphold the US Constitution is disqualified from holding future office if they “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” or have “given aid or comfort” to insurrectionists.

We can also hope that ole Sleepy Joe and Ms. Harris somehow figure out how to sell themselves as a dynamic duo, but I wish there was a Plan B waiting in the wings.

[1] https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-announces-summer-2023-hottest-on-record

[2] https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/psychologist-putin-is-a-psychopath-and-loves-bloodshed-3606460

[3] https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/06/02/the-15-biggest-risks-of-artificial-intelligence/?sh=29f9a17b2706

[4] https://twitter.com/axios/status/1703223852539474292

[5] “’Alternative facts’” was a phrase used by U.S. Counselor to the President, Kellyanne Conway, during a Meet the Press interview on January 22, 2017, in which she defended White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s false statement about the attendance numbers of Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States. When pressed during the interview with Chuck Todd to explain why Spicer would “utter a provable falsehood”, Conway stated that Spicer was giving “alternative facts”. Todd responded, “Look, alternative facts are not facts. They’re falsehoods.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_facts

[6] https://www.axios.com/2023/02/27/rupert-murdoch-admits-fox-news-hosts-peddled-election-lies

[7] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/03/magazine/new-fox-corporation-disney-deal.html

[8] https://www.whitehouse.gov/therecord/

Academic AND Vocational Education

Sidetracking traditional education and leaning into vocational training at an early age will only exacerbate cultural division in the U.S. Much of what currently upsets under-educated Americans is that they do not understand much of what they have to deal with on a daily basis. It’s not news that people fear the unknown.

The anti-vaxxers are a perfect example—people who know nothing about viruses or how they function in the human body or how vaccines work to provide a level of immunity. So there’s all this pressure from the educated (scientists, doctors) and the government (tasked with protected public health) for people to get vaccinated, and the anti-vaxxers just feel pushed around and outraged. Conspiracy theories substitute for knowledge, that health spokespeople are on the take, that they create the virus to make money, that it’s better to take horse wormer than listen to the doctors.

Meanwhile, the virus finds unprotected human bodies to infect and starts happily mutating, a standard activity of viruses and other invisible meanies. Pretty soon the old vaccine doesn’t work against the new variant, and the anti-vaxxers say, “Ha! See?” without realizing that they are the weak link in allowing the virus to gain the upper hand. If the virus has no hosts in which to breed and mutate, the virus dies.

And so it goes.

The know-nothings dismiss all journalism because they don’t know the difference between legitimate journalism and fake news from ‘announcers’ who could care less about the principles of professional journalism.
The know-nothing avidly embraces sensational claims of wannabe tough guys like Trump whose records clearly reveals his lifelong failure in business and his bankrupt character.
The know-nothing passionately puts forth ad hominem arguments without understanding the principles of legitimate fact-based debate.
The know-nothing votes only for president because it’s the most high profile without understanding that every level of political office is essential to healthy function of our government.
The know-nothing hoards arms and joins with likeminded know-things in fantasizing about civil war when they can get rid of the ‘enemy’ without having any awareness of the real tragedy of civil war.
Worst of all, the know-nothing is defenseless against propaganda.

Living in the modern world requires that people are educated not only in math (yes, even algebra, which is not so much about remembering theorems as it is training the brain in logic) and English (grammar, spelling, literature, and essay writing all contribute to a person’s ability to read and understand as well as his/her ability to communicate with others), but also in biology, speech, civics, and history. Our young people also need full access to learning in the arts whether music or visual arts; for some, these are the only pathways to a fruitful future. We must provide these many facets of a nourishing preparation for life.

So we need to be very careful about any ‘reforms’ to the education system or required curriculum. Yes, vocational skills are great for a significant portion of the population in terms of future jobs. There will always be a need for plumbers, electricians, carpenters, welders, car mechanics, and so forth, and these can be lucrative careers. But that alone does not equip the population to succeed in these times.

We do not need to make a choice, either/or, with our educational system. We must have both.