There is blood in the water. As can be expected, the intellectually deficient, factually inaccurate, and politically partisan swamp sharks are in a feeding frenzy. Obscure, no-named hack ‘bloggers’ (and I use that term loosely) are coming out of the depths to bring down the upstart Congressman from Michigan who dared voice his dissent against the conduct of the party leader and President Donald J. Trump. While they believe they are moving in for the kill, they are really being caught in a very broad net of contradictions.
As the attacks seem to be similar and can be reduced to three main bullet points, one can almost hear the Russian accents in the accusations (circa 2016). The attacks are as follows: ethnicity, political position and financial.
The Racial Element: Justin Amash is a Palestinian member of the Muslim Brotherhood who has been supported by Hamas to infiltrate Congress.
Because Justin has a dark complexion and is of middle-eastern decent, it is assumed that he is Muslim. His father being a Palestinian, the conclusion is drawn that Hamas would naturally support “one of their own.” However, Amash is keen to point out his father, Attallah Amash, immigrated (legally) to the United States as a Christian refugee through a sponsorship program.
1956 was a pivotal moment in Palestinian history. Egypt took control of the Suez Canal, and they were insinuating themselves in Palestinian politics. No wonder Attallah would seek refuge with an American pastor and his family. He likely would not have survived long with his faith. Not only would Hamas repudiate a Christian Palestinian, their particular brand of extremism was likely the reason he fled to America in the first place. So much for the Muslim Brotherhood ties.
Why should the swamp sharks want to leave this subject alone? There are currently Christians in the middle-east being persecuted and killed for their faith. Looking back on a time in our nation’s history when we were compassionate toward the plight of the downtrodden and welcomed them in, we will see with sharp relief how public sentiment has shifted to a sharply nationalistic view under this administration. Only the extremely ill-informed or intentionally deceptive would redefine an Orthodox Christian son of middle-eastern Christian refugees into a Muslimian Candidate with designs on imposing Shari’a Law on Americans through subversion of our Constitution.
Political Ideology: He is a shill for Leftists and Democrats.
First of all, hahahahaha…uh…hahahaha…I peed a little on that one. Conservative Review, dedicated to rating Congressmen and Senators based solely on the voting record in their respective legislative chambers, has given him an A rating. Never mind that Mark Levin (a recent convert to the GOP religion) is the chief editor. It saddens me to acknowledge that such a bulwark of conservatism as Mark Levin has lashed himself to a caravan carrying Trump’s water. He should be thankful he wasn’t delegated to carry the fertilizer which is available aplenty in said caravan.
The Liberty Score has specific criteria based on Constitutionality of laws and their effects on individual liberty. It should be noted that conservative warriors such as Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Mike Lee held much higher ratings prior to Trump taking office. I have to ask, what changed? The scoring system hasn’t. If it had, then Amash would be hovering in the D range, and the aforementioned would maintain their hero status.
Why should the swamp sharks avoid this subject? One by one, the Tea Party favorites have demonstrated their willingness to capitulate for a slice of the Republican Pie, dished out and served by Ryan and McConnell (both of which Justin Amash has opposed for the RINOs they are). They have cashed in their political capital for standing and influence in the undead DC party. They have succumbed to establishment pressure and lent their votes to the powerbrokers they once stood in opposition to. Can they really be so short sighted? Can they really not see the part they are playing in killing the movement they once championed? Trump will not be in office much longer. What do we look like in the aftermath?
What Justin Amash stands for now is the same thing he stood for in 2009 — his Michigan constituents. Along the way, he has gained favor with a much broader base of the American people. Those same people will propel him to the status of a historical figure in the annals of America…if it survives. Call him a liberal or a Leftist but facts and your own past positions will demonstrate that your judgment is compromised and unreliable. If this article offends you, by all means, grab your bump stock and take me out…oh wait. In the meantime, I can utilize the presidentially endorsed Red flag law submitted by Rubio, to declare you a threat and have those guns confiscated. Too soon? I rest my case.
Chinese Business: He opposes Trump because his family is feeling the financial impact of doing business with China under the recently imposed tariffs.
Mr. Amash has, indeed, challenged the president’s trade war with “Jina.” I say it is a trade war ‘with’ China because Donald Trump has initiated an economic attack on the country that we buy most of our goods from. They will suffer no ill effects from it. Having no domestic competition to produce the goods we rely on China to provide, they will go on, business as usual, because we still need toilet paper, seasonings, clothing, steel, rice, and those plastic hooks you use to hang your shower curtains.
It is a pathetic position we as American consumers have been put in, but it was the American consumer that disregarded the slogan of the 80s “Buy American, the Job You Save May Be Your Own.” The appeal of cheap, low quality goods made by Chinese workers for $5.00 per month was worth the compromise. Now, no American company can compete with the prices set by a Communist regime in a country that recognizes all individual rights are afforded at the discretion of the state. We supply our ideological enemies with an abundance of wealth, a permission slip to continue their draconian treatment of their labor force so we can obtain affordable goods.
Why should the swamp sharks avoid this subject? Justin Amash knows that government tampering in the free market nullifies the word free from the term. It becomes a regulated market. The great negotiating prowess of the Commander In Chief yet to be demonstrated to benefit America is about to be publicly demolished. He has entered this trade war with absolutely no leverage. This economic “hot war” has Trump launching an attack on the supplier of our ammunition/products. Not only that, but he is charging the American people a fee/tariff to buy the ammunition/goods to fight this impromptu war. In the meantime, no American munitions manufacturer can meet the demand for a sustained economic battle.
Furthermore, our own retail sector is siding with the enemy by announcing a sharp increase in prices due to the recently imposed tariffs. Before those tariffs were implemented, we warned about the impact they would have on the American consumer. We knew prices would increase. However, the products being sold in these retail outlets are not taken from a cargo ships fresh in from China to the store shelves. The current products we are purchasing were sitting in distribution facilities months before the tariffs had any effect. That means American businesses are taking advantage of the people for personal enrichment. If Trump had not anticipated this exploitation of his policy, what else has he not considered? China raises prices. The treasury takes a cut of the transaction. The retail store increases prices prematurely. The American people are left to compensate for all of the above. Taxes, tariffs. and tribulation seem to be the MAGA formula.
Ask Ivanka about the capability of Chinese children to produce her high end clothing line. Just don’t ask her about the tariffs. Her father made sure they wouldn’t impact her.
On the surface, which is where swamp sharks are most active, these appear to be scathing attacks and might give one pause in lending their support to such a nefarious character. Beneath the shallow surface, which is where his supporters operate, Justin’s consistency has real substance. The man has an impeccable record in Congress. He has erred on the side of liberty regardless of where the bill comes from. If he appears to vote against a bill packaged with the right catch phrases, it is a guarantee that there were strings attached that have made it more damaging to liberty. If you are not sure, just read his explanation for how he voted. He makes a case for every vote he casts and posts it to social media so it is readily available to the public.
- He votes Pro-Life
- He votes Pro-Gun
- He votes to Limit Government
- He votes for Fiscal Restraint
- He votes to Deregulate.
You know…all those things that Republicans claim to hold so dear. BUT…he has the votes to back up his claims to such positions, even when the legislation he opposes is penned by his own party. If you want to measure your conservative credentials against a standard, you have no further to look than his own consistent position.
To understand where we are in relationship to our government, you have to understand how they have gradually shifted us from former positions. They keep moving the argument away from liberty and hammer out the details of how much or how little socialism the people will tolerate. To DC, liberty is a quaint foreign concept. The reason Representative Amash draws such criticism from both sides of the aisle is because his actions are dictated by Liberty, the Constitution, and conscience, not by some staffer in the halls of power. Justin Amash not only carries the standard of liberty, he sets it…planting it firmly on the hill he chooses to die on (even if that happens to be Capitol Hill).
As he has taken his stand, I believe he has earned our respect and support. If we want to initiate real change in our country, I think it is time to stand on that hill with him.
Eric Buss is an avid reader and studies history, military, philosophy and politics.
He considers himself a Christian Conservatarian
