Reader George D. writes . . .
I am a naturalized U.S. citizen, originally born in Colombia. My family fled Colombia for the promise of America and I am so grateful for what my mother gave me through the sacrifices she made to get me here. I served in the Marine Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom and I am proud to have given back to the nation that has given me so much.
In recent weeks my family here has been in communication with family back in Colombia. The situation is dire. Roads are blocked, banks do not have currency to issue, and supplies are quickly being depleted due to civil unrest. All you need to do is search social media for #ColombiaAlertaRoja to get a first hand view of what is happening, but be warned, some of the videos and images are graphic.
Right now, today, Colombia is burning at the hands of its government. People are being killed for protesting against the government and for attempting to voice their grievances. Hundreds have been injured, dozens have been killed by the government. For a full explanation of what is happening there you can cite this piece.
Why should this matter to us here in the U.S.? Because Colombia isn’t some attempted socialist utopia like its neighbor, Venezuela. It’s not a communist stronghold like China. It was a thriving, peaceful democracy which had made great strides in the past twenty years towards strong freedoms. More importantly, this thriving democracy – and strong U.S. ally – is in our backyard.
While Colombians don’t enjoy the benefits of the Second Amendment, they are permitted to own small arms. The government, however, highly regulates gun ownership and all guns must be registered with the Colombian military, which has a monopoly in Colombia on the sale of firearms and issues all gun permits.
The people are angry at excessive taxation and government corruption. The protests initially had the effect of forcing the government to withdraw a controversial tax plan that sparked the protests.
However, that was quickly followed by violence. The internet has been shut down in some areas and police are shooting people. As the situation is still developing, it is impossible to determine exactly who is responsible for all of the violence. But one thing is clear: the government is not protecting its citizens and Colombians have huge hurdles to overcome to acquire the means to protect themselves.
Does this narrative sound familiar? Grievances against the government, corruption at the highest levels of government, protests against government unfairness. These are all things that most democracies deal with, but look how quickly Colombia has descended into anarchy.
Colombia is a cautionary tale to every citizen of a free society. Our democracy has provided us with such a high degree of freedom and independence that we have forgotten what the founding fathers understood they were creating, “a republic, if you can keep it.”
Share the news about what is happening. Start discussions with people about the importance of self-reliance. Colombia seemingly collapsed overnight and what is happening there can happen in any democracy.
Thomas Jefferson said, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Unfortunately for Colombians the tree is being refreshed by too many patriots and not enough tyrants.
Coming attractions for the U.S. You only have yourself and your neighbors to rely on.
Will Columbia become the next Mexico?
It’s already happening in Portland, OR!!
Sounds eerily like a place I live in at this time in history…, thanks to a administration out of control, & welcome home Marine…
Yes, Semper Fi brother.
An excellent essay letting people know what is going on in Colombia George D. The media is more interested in pronouns, cancel culture, and promoting the Narrative, so it it is doubly valuable that you are able to let us know in such a personal and first person prose. Thanks, it is a small world and Portland and Seattle look only a short way away from this tyranny. National tipping points are only 20-20 after they have happened.
Portland is not in threat of tyranny, it is threatened with total chaos. You have a few hundred of the black blocks who reign havoc on the city nightly. Just yesterday a large group just after noon decided they were going to stop cars and vandalize and harass the drivers. They broke out windows of the cars and slashed tires.
Here is where it gets bad, several of them (antifa) were armed and open carry. They had their guns out and leveled. One older guy got out of his car and was attacked. They beat him and stole his gun and other things from his truck. Luckily nobody was shot as this was a prime situation for something bad to happen. No arrest yet, and not likely.
For those of you who want to visit Portland or those who live here. Stay away or move, it is no longer safe.
“For those of you who want to visit Portland or those who live here. Stay away or move, it is no longer safe.”
Leave? Move? Surrender ground to the enemy?
Fvck that noise.
What you described is a call for the good people to respond and say *no more*… 🙁
Tough talkin’ Geoff will be the first to surrender, comply and then narc on the true patriots.
It’s not like any US citizen is using arms to stop them. What do Americans have them for if we tuck them away when actual bad guys are ruining entire cities? It’s sad to see everyone bend over and take it. All this talk of Columbia disarming, but we may as well be disarmed at this point, if we won’t stop gov’t corruption and literal commies in the atreet.
And yet the majority of voters in Portland and Multnomah County keep voting for people who not only let this happen, but put effort into *making* it happen. Either they’re too stupid to see the connection or they think it’s justice when random people get pulled out of their car and beaten for the crime of simply existing. Either way, there’s something seriously wrong with people over there.
The Portland socialists think that since they voted for their scum that they are immune to the chaos. Wait until they have the ” now they are knocking on my door ” realization.
Funny, not a single word about this from the lamestream media in America. Good luck, George, thank you for this vital information. Moreover, Colombians realized, en masse, that taxation is theft.
I agree that taxation is a form of theft.
I question if this is really what is going on in Colombia? Many of the populace uprisings in South America have been instigated and lead by socialist organizations. Obviously not in Venezuela, but Chile is a good example. Colombia has been fairly stable and even prospered lately. Much of the stability has been through the generosity of the U.S. tax payers. I just question who and what is really behind the unrest in Colombia.
Hegemon,
Not all taxation is theft.
If my taxes pay for services (including reasonable administrative costs) which benefit me, then I am getting something for my money and that is not theft. An example would be taxes which pay for the roads that I drive upon. Another example would be the fire department which comes to remove me from my car if I crash or extinguish a fire in my home.
Taxation also becomes theft when government spends the money for corruption or in grossly inefficient ways to provide those services for me. Note that I would categorize corruption to include “programs” where government gives my money away to other people who do nothing for me (e.g. welfare).
Politicians always offer a “blinder” benefit to justify their plunder. Actually, they see We The Little Peeps’ money as theirs to skim, scam, squander, and with which to buy votes. The more money in play, the more from which to skim, scam, squander, and with which to buy votes. Hence, Xiden’s multi-trillion dollar bills. No need to be “shovel ready.” Politicians will happily shovel our money themselves.
Uh… Everything I’m reading is tracking the protesters as Socialists and Marxists who are all backing Gustavo Petro for president.
The existing government is pretty conservative for a SA country, Petro would be a disaster and fully Chavez Columbia into a mini Venezuela…
Not sure who’s line I would be standing on if I were down there, but the situation is way more complex than whats implied in the story.
I took the opportunity over the last hour to learn about the situation. Seems it is antifa types that are causing almost all of the violence, including trying to (ala Portland) burn cops in police stations. Seems the cops have a little more leeway in dealing with the situation, and are employing vehicle mounted flashbang launchers and water cannon.
Just an idea, though. Right?
Load the water cannon with freezing brine, mixed with marker dye, and some CS powder as well.
Semper Fi, George D. All wars are different and all wars are the same. They end when enough people have died. My war was VN.
“So forever in the future,
Shall I battle as of yore,
Dying to be born a fighter,
But to die again, once more.” G. Patton
“They end when enough people have died.”
I’m a little concerned about the robitization of warfare nowadays .
“I’m a little concerned about the robitization of warfare nowadays.”
Same as it has always been since the introduction of the Maxim gun, it seems…
UH, GunnyGene, I’ll see your Patton and raise you one. I’m more of this take…..“Now, I want you to remember that no son of a bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb son of a bitch die for his country.” Gen. George Patton, circa 1943-1944.
At first, we thought these fools in D.C just didnt realize what they were doing. Look a little deeper and you’ll see what they’re doing is by design!! People from sh*thole countries try to warn us, but……
Dennis Sumner….it’s classic Saul Alinsky “Rules for Radicals.”
Damn, my plan was to move to a south American country( keep a U.S. residence) and stretch my social security check a little. Guess that’s out.
It might be best to join the rest of us and fight for what we have, instead.
Sounds like small unit tactics are being practiced down there right now. Those skills can be valuable up here, the way things are going…
Worked for the VC
A bigger social security check? Or no check at all?
I paid money in since I’ve been 16, they take that away and damned straight on fighting, that’d piss me off something fierce.
There’s still a few decent places down south, although they are fewer and farther between now than they were pre-covid, places where you can live comfortably for a grand a month or so. Start learning Spanish, or Portuguese if you want Brazil. There are a couple spots where English works. There’s even a large Amish & similar presence in Central America, mostly in Costa Rica, one of the safer countries.
I am sympathize with the people of Colombia in general and George D. in particular, since Colombia has returned to anarchy (if it ever really left anarchy behind). Anarchy is exactly what we expect of a narco state. Isn’t that the reason that George D. came here?
Expecting the country of Pablo Escobar, the Cali Cartel, FARC, the Office of Envigado, Los Paisas, and Los Rastrojos to ever be anything but a narco state is wishful thinking at its silliest.
Why, Colombia might as well be Chicago.
I agree with you 100% right up to that last line. Columbia has been a hell o fa lot worse than Chicago.
Columbia’s anti-gun laws for the common citizen are a disgrace. This does not change the fact the country has long been a hot bed of far left paramilitaries and narco warlord murder squads. Bombs and bullets have been killing politicians at every level, and police and citizens for generations.
Sounds this latest turn of events is just the same old thing with slightly different “Reasons” that the previous same old thing.
Oh and Columbia is a awash with guns. Hard for the typical citizen to get, easy as can be for evil minded.
The “business” of the narco state does not keep it from being an evil corrupt government. Legalizing drugs does not reform the evil in a drug dealers heart. You are a fool if you think so. And you are a liar when you use it as a reason in your legalization argument.
At one time England was a narco state. And the chinese didnt like it. It was legal. And wars where fought to stop the English narco state.
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