Category: Soapbox

Kidnapped and Missing!

Posted on by Pete Schloss

 

On October 14, 1987, infant Jessica McClure fell into a well in her aunt’s backyard. For 56 hours heroic efforts were undertaken to save the child. The tragedy garnered worldwide attention. Then President Ronald Reagan said, “Everybody in America became godmothers and godfathers of Jessica while this was going on.” Those who remember breathed a communal sigh of relief when she was brought to the surface, alive. She was later a guest of President George Bush in the White House.

This is but one example of our nation pausing to feel vicarious fear and loss at the plight of a helpless soul in peril of loss of life. Mine disasters, airline crashes, vessels sinking…  We feel for the victim, the victim’s family, and for each other at daring to imagine, “That could be one of us”.

On March 15, 2025, the United States forcibly removed 29-year-old Kilmar “Abrego” Garcia from the United States to an El Salvador prison. Abrego held legal status to be in the United States as conferred upon him by a US Immigration Court in 2011. His expulsion and imprisonment occurred without being advised of the cause, without an opportunity to be heard, and without Judicial Review, otherwise known as Due Process of Law.

At the time of his confinement Abrego was married and was the father of their 5-year-old child. Both his wife and child are US citizens. He was employed as a Union apprentice sheet metal worker (SMART International Union, Local 100).

  Abrego’s wife has subsequently pursued relief through Federal Court. The US District Court found, “”Defendants (the United States) seized Abrego Garcia without any lawful authority; held him in three separate domestic detention centers without legal basis; failed to present him to any immigration judge or officer; and forcibly transported him to El Salvador in direct contravention of [immigration law].” She also said that while there were previous assertions that Abrego Garcia was a member of MS-13, the government has presented “no evidence” Abrego Garcia was a member of MS-13 and had essentially abandoned that argument in her court.

The Government appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. In its unanimous opinion it stated: “[The Government] has no legal authority to snatch a person who is lawfully present in the United States off the street and remove him from the country without due process … The Government’s contention otherwise, and its argument that the federal courts are powerless to intervene, are unconscionable.”

The Government then appealed to the US Supreme Court which found: “”The United States acknowledges that Abrego Garcia was subject to a withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador, and that the removal to El Salvador was therefore illegal.”  In a concurring opinion Justice Sotomayor observed, “The Government’s argument, moreover, implies that it could deport and incarcerate any person, including U.S. citizens, without legal consequence, so long as it does so before a court can intervene.

Although abandoning its identification of Abrego as a gang member, the taint remains as a “bullseye” on his back making him a target for violence at the hands of various gangs where he is incarcerated. The U.S. is paying El Salvador $6 million per year to jail American deportees at the Terrorism Confinement Center (Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, CECOT).

El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center

CECOT is one of the largest prisons in the world. Abrego, if he is still alive, finds himself in a 57-acre facility designed to house 40,000 inmates in 8 cell blocks. Each of the 32 cells per block can house 156 inmates. The cells are equipped with four-level metal bunks with no mattresses or sheets, with two toilets and two washbasins for the 156 detainees. Each prisoner is thus allocated 6.5 square feet of floor space.

Upon remand of the case to the US District Court the Trump administration has failed and/or refused to seek Abrego’s return, arguing that he is alive, but “He is detained pursuant to the sovereign, domestic authority of El Salvador.”

Having people “disappear” has long been associated with 3rd world despots and dictators. If there is one victim, then there can be more. If this can occur to legally present non-citizens, then (as noted by one Supreme Court Justice) it can occur to citizens. If this becomes just another news story to be forgotten in favor of the next news story, then we give our approval by silence.

Instead, these events should be given the exposure and deep emotional impact that the plight of Jessica McClure received in 1987. It is only through echoing outrage that outlives the “news-cycle” that restorative action will occur.

 
“There can be no peace in the World unless there is Justice” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Peter Schloss

 

The Emperor‘s Clothes

Posted on by Pete Schloss

I recently read a brief essay by an apologist for our President. He argued that people were only losing “built up equity” in their investments and not “actual money” in the rapid downturn of the markets. It got me to thinking:

We have assets in which we have no expectation of growth. We accept that they “depreciate“. Cars, furniture, and all sorts of stuff. Occasionally, one of these assets becomes a collectible, and the value can actually rise. Art, a rare coin, or an antique automobile. If that asset is lost, destroyed, or stolen, the asset’s owner is deemed to have lost the increased value, and not just the original investment. Similarly, there are assets we acquire that we are hopeful will increase in value. A home is the most common example. Again, if the asset is destroyed, it is the increased value and not the original investment that is deemed the lost value. Insurance is typically purchased to cover the actual value of these assets and not just the original investment.

With regard to financial investments, FDIC insurance covers the original deposit AND accumulated interest in most bank and savings accounts, up to a certain limit. Rating agencies (like Standard and Poor) publicly evaluate bonds for risk to principal AND interest, from investment grade to “junk”. Publicly traded stocks and mutual funds are required to publish information to enable investors to evaluate the risk to principal AND gain.

It is a fiction to distinguish loss as somehow being less painful if it is interest, gain, or “equity”. If the loss was within the ambit of known or knowable risk then the investor is presumed to have accepted that risk. These can include natural disasters, general economic downturns, bankruptcy, and even war. The investor may also rely upon the factors that weigh in favor of the assumption of the risk. Such factors may include the stability of the company, the stability of the government, its leaders, and its institutions.

As the President said within the last 24 hours, he is being guided by his “gut feelings” and “instincts“. He is not being guided by experts or government institutions. That one man can by his whims influence markets in such a dramatic way is not a typical risk assumed by investors. The shock and distress that the President’s “instinct“ driven decisions are causing are not limited to the unsophisticated investor, but extend to the most sophisticated of investors.

People are rightly fearful that the institutions they have relied on in making their money decisions are failing them. Yes, we see that the Emperor has no clothes. We also see that the Emperor doesn’t care.

Peace Everyone. Pete

Both Sides of the Island

Posted on by Pete Schloss

“…Women and children dying in the streets
And we’re still at it in our own place
Still trying to reach the future through the past
Still trying to carve tomorrow from a tombstone…

…Up here we sacrifice our children
To feed the worn-out dreams of yesterday
And teach them dying will lead us into glory…”

(From The Island, a song by Paul Brady)

In 2018, Christine and I were in Belfast, Northern Ireland. We had heard about the (unadvertised) “Black Taxi tours“. We were able to book one through the clerk at our small hotel.

Arranging for the tour felt a bit “cloak and dagger”. The cab driver would be first name only and no fee was quoted, “Pay at the end what you think it was worth”. Cash only.

At the arranged time, a taxicab (not black) pulled up to the front of the hotel. The driver was pleasant, extending his hand in greeting, and ushered us into the rear of the cab. He provided us with his first name, but no other details.

For the better part of the afternoon, he drove us to many of the locations and sites relevant to “The Troubles”, along with a knowledgeable running commentary.

His narrative was matter of fact and dispassionate. This was in stark contrast to the subject matter which included terrorist bombings, assassinations and judicially sanctioned executions.

Earlier in our trip: The spot at Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin where most of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rebellion were executed by firing squad.

One of the efforts to whitewash the protest murals.

At the end of the tour we were emotionally drained. As I peeled off British Pound notes for payment he asked us, “Do you think that my loyalties rest with the Republic (of Ireland) or the Unionists (United Kingdom)?” Christine and I looked at each other and said that we didn’t know. “Then I have done my job.” He accepted our payment with gratitude and left.

Reflecting on the experience I am struck by the cab driver’s ability to express the facts of the cataclysm known as “The Troubles”, shorn of personal opinion and emotion.

I wonder if I could do the same for a foreign visitor in describing the current situation in our country.

Peace Everyone. Pete

PS. Upon further reflection I believe that on some issues I could follow the example of the cab driver. I believe that I could set out an even-handed narrative of the competing arguments regarding: Immigration, Border Security, Health Care, Wealth Distribution, Abortion, Education, the Federal Debt… to name a few. Not because I believe in the rightness of both sides, but because I have listened to both sides. Unlike the “Black Cab” driver, on some issues I feel morally bound not to allow an expression of neutrality be misunderstood as acceptance of that which I do not believe.

The images are of huge murals, a form of protest in Belfast.

Christine standing in front of the mural, “The Woman’s Quilt

“The Island” a song about “The Troubles” by Paul Brady

The Winds of Change

Posted on by Pete Schloss

 

Recently, Christine and I were travelling across Kansas on Interstate Highway 70. It is a mind-numbing drive that once had a recently arrived German exchange student remarking to me, “So, when does this Kansas end?”

Along the way I became aware of the forest of towering electric wind generators extending to the horizon in all directions.

A rare sight just a decade or two ago, now they extend for miles, slowly turning to the prevailing winds. I say “slowly”, but that is an illusion. The three blades on each turbine were spinning about 15 revolutions per minute. Given that these land-based towers are typically 260 feet high, and the blades 130 feet in length (for a total sweeping diameter of 260 feet), the blade tips are moving at approximately 140 miles per hour (224 kph)!

To appreciate the relative scale, that is our car and camping trailer to the left of the wind generator blade.

There was a time that these were a focus of the “culture wars” in the United States. Like so many “dog whistles” issues, media attention moves on and the susceptible population turns its attention elsewhere, forgetting the indignation that was once so directed. We are species with short attention spans.

Each tower generates approximately 1.5 megawatts, enough to power 150 average American homes. While the cost of fossil fuel generated electricity has remained constant, wind (and solar) generated electricity is now not only less expensive but becoming cheaper year-after-year as the economics and efficiencies of scale have their effect.

20 years ago, wind towers were a relatively rare sight in the United States. In 2000 they generated only 2.5 GW (gigawatts) of power. By 2020 US generation capacity grew to 113.4 GW and is projected to nearly double to 224 GW by 2030. Wind power eclipsed nuclear power for the first time in 2021, and coal powered generation in 2022. Coal generated power has declined 18% from 2023 to 2025 and is projected to continue this downward trend. It’s just a predictable function of economics.

At the beginning of the 20th Century automobiles were a curiosity with many believing that they could never replace the reliable horse and buggy. “They don’t start in the winter… Muddy roads are impassible to them… There are no places to buy fuel… They break down and are difficult to maintain… They are expensive…” All true in the earliest days of the automobile, but change was inevitable, just as it is in the marketplace of electric power generation.

Peace Everyone. Pete. Kansas City. February 26. 2025.

PS. The information obtained for this post came in part from US Government sources. A couple of additional interesting “tidbits”: Each wind generator has an average life expectancy of 20 years. The towers cause fewer avian deaths than fossil fuel fired powerplants, taking pollution into account.

Choosing Against Our Interests

Posted on by Pete Schloss

(I took the above picture during a 2018 protest in Santiago Chili. The government was using “non-lethal” bullets to suppress protests. However, the ammunition permanently blinded hundreds of people. This demonstration was led by very brave women.)

I’ve survived. The bunker door is mostly open now and peering out I see that life hasn’t really changed that much. I’ve tried watching the news again, but only local and in small bits. It will be a while before I again find Steven Colbert’s political commentary funny. My vote for President was among the 48.1% cast, not the “other” 50.1%.

First an acknowledgement that democracy works. Nearly 150 million Americans set aside their daily routines to make their voices heard. Second, gratitude to the thousands of nameless election workers that made voting possible.

The margin of victory was less than 3 million votes. That is approximately the population of Chicago. Once again, the Electoral College result, 312 to 226, discloses how disconnected this historic dinosaur is from the popular vote. I find further criticism with the length of United States political campaigns, the unconscionable amount of money spent on the campaigns, and the disproportionate influence given to wealth in selecting representation in this country. Those are perhaps subjects for posts at another time.

Another 2018 protest I was present for in Chili. This one focused on economic condition.

My self-imposed post-election introspection has given me an opportunity to seek understanding and peace with the outcome. During the weeks leading up to the election, Christine and I often found ourselves wondering, “How can they consider voting so contrary to their own interests!?!”

The answer is that I was applying my own understanding of what was important, not theirs. Perhaps their interests included elevating the voice of a contrarian. Shaking up a system that hasn’t worked for them. Expressing frustration with a government that to them favors “foreigners” over “Americans”. Declaring dissatisfaction with rising prices and tailing wages. And believing promises (real or not) that were addressed to them.

Just as I looked upon them in the pre-election weeks as being voters against their own interests, it occurs to me that in post-election America there may be 48.1 percent of the electorate now wishing against their own interests, just to say, “I told you so.”

100 percent of America should wish for a strong economy. An efficient and fair system of immigration. Price stability and wages that provide the possibility of upward mobility. Safe streets and safe schools. An efficient justice system that fairly punishes the guilty and quickly frees the innocent. Stability in the world order… All of this and more without regard for which candidate was successful in the election.

I have friends who count themselves among the 50.1%. When they voice complaints, criticisms, and worse about the 48.1%, I know that they are not thinking of me. I know that they would not apply those assertions to me personally. Conversely, as a friend I would never apply to them the complaints, criticisms, and worse often spoken about the 50.1% by those of the 48.1%.

Putting the face of a friend on “them” is one road to an understanding that “they” and “we” are often “us”.

Peace Everyone. Pete

PS. In 1995 we hosted 16-year-old Svetlana as a year-long exchange student from Slovakia. She remains in our hearts a daughter to us. In 1998 we arranged a reunion of our exchange students in Prague. Christine and I offered to pay the room and board of any of the students who could join us for the 5 days. What they did not know was that I had booked 3 large prison cells in the former Communist prison. $13 per person, per night, breakfast included!

Svetlana, along with her older brother Alex and 8 other students joined us. Her parents and little brother were there as was the mother of another of the students. They opted for more conventional (comfortable) lodgings.

In 2018 we enjoyed a wonderful visit with Svetla and her husband and children in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Yesterday, we spent a delightful afternoon here in Kansas City with Alex, his 12-year-old daughter Ellen, and his friend Dasha. Alex is an attorney practicing in Prague, the Czech Republic. He was also an exchange student in Kansas City, spending 1993 with the Harper family in North Kansas City. Alex came back for a visit to attend his host-brother’s wedding.

Earlier this year, our 1992 German exchange student son Andre and his family visited us.

They now reside in Washington DC where Andre is stationed at the German Embassy as an economist. We hope to have them join us next February in Colorado.

Later in 2025 we will be in Norway for a month. Our plans include traveling to Svalbard Island, the northernmost civilian settlement in the world, located about 650 miles from the North Pole. While in Oslo we will visit our Norwegian exchange student daughter (1994), Hege and her family.

Christine is fond of saying that a country is “foreign” until it has a face. These people and many others dear to us, are faces that have made the world smaller, more personal, and less foreign. We would do well within our country to do the same between the 48.1% and 50.1%