Although the number of responses has not yet picked up, the number of comments has. Last week we asked the question, "A growing number of refugees are illegally entering the US via the Mexican border. What is the best way to solve this problem?" One third of respondents favored closing the border, one half preferred intervening in Mexico, and the balance fell into the "other" category, with divided answers; no one chose opening the borders more widely. Here are some sample comments:

• "...It should be a scandal, the number of illegals coming across our porous border, but politicians and the media give it a wink, a nod and a shoulder shrug...."
• "Between widespread poverty and assaults by ruthless terrorist groups, the Mexican people are left with no solution to their troubles...."
• "...it might be possible, with sufficient effort, to accomplish it [sealing the border] in the rather near future. To accomplish (2) [intervening in Mexico] will require vast public education and changes in Washington...."
• "Again what is needed is firm and decisive action — an ability we seem to no longer possess. The borders must be sealed..."

Factual Background:
Originally, the US-Mexico border needed little or no guarding, and no immigration problem existed. But between 1910 and 1940, Communist revolution nearly plunged Mexico into total anarchy and a Soviet-style system; the crisis was mitigated by anti-Communist peasant rebellions and by the gradual development of limited capitalism, mostly under American economic influence. Nevertheless, Communist forces have remained deeply entrenched throughout Mexican government and society, steadily pushing socialism in an ongoing attempt to bankrupt the economy, destabilize the system, and ignite a full-blown Communist revolution.

Violent Communist organizations backed by Cuba tried to overthrow the government during the late 1960s and 1970s, but were ultimately crushed. The immigration problem began largely since then, when the heavily Marxist government nationalized industries and sent the economy spiraling downward through aggressive socialism. Famine broke out in many regions, with millions of impoverished Mexicans reduced to eating wild cactus simply to survive. Increasingly desperate, the poorest elements of the population began pouring across the US border by the millions. This growing wave of refugees shows no sign of abating anytime soon, and is likely to become vastly worse as the government launches new socialist assaults on the small amount of remaining industrial capitalism in Mexico.

Now for over a decade, Cuban-backed terrorists of the Zapatista movement have controlled areas of southern Mexico, imposing a brutal Communist regime on the helpless Indian peasants. Other Communist terror groups are now becoming increasingly active, both violently and in taking control of local political machinery. The Fox administration, despite earlier claims of being "conservative," contains "former" Communists who actively collaborate with their Party comrades, and Fox himself has strong ties to the Marxist left. If the Communists succeed in imposing a Soviet-style dictatorship in Mexico, complete with mass murder and concentration camps, the tide of refugees to America can be expected to increase drastically, becoming overwhelming and totally unmanageable (aside from the obvious problem of Soviet or Red Chinese nuclear and conventional forces being stationed all across the US-Mexican border, from which they could strike at will anywhere inside the US).

Relevant Torah Principles:
1) As mentioned in previous issues, Americans have a responsibility to uphold law and order within this country, as required by the Noachide Law of establishing justice.

2) Although Torah law apparently prohibits gentiles from conquering other nations merely for the sake of building empires, it does allow (or even require) nations to launch pre-emptive wars — and even to conquer other lands, if necessary — for the sake of protecting its citizens or national security (i.e., law and order).

3) Some rabbinical opinions hold that gentiles are required to give tzedaka (charitable assistance of various types) to the poor and distressed; others hold this is an optional, but commendable, thing to do. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, drawing on Chasidic principles, has reconciled these opinions by explaining that, while gentiles are not obligated to give in the same absolute way that Jews are, they are certainly required, without question, to give tzedaka whenever, wherever, and to whatever extent is required for the maintenance of law and order (i.e., by solving social problems that could otherwise destabilize the system).

4) Chasidic principles also teach that Americans have been blessed by the Creator with wealth only for the sake of using that wealth to uplift the downtrodden throughout the world. When people use their wealth to assist those less fortunate (even in other countries), G-d responds with further blessings of productivity and wealth; when people jealously guard that wealth and ignore the problems of others, G-d responds with severe judgment. The Torah teaches that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed primarily for their unwillingness to give to the poor.

Analysis:
The immigration problem is the result of the recent crisis in the Mexican system, and may well become a full-blown emergency in the near future. Opening the border without restriction is, of course, suicidal; but any attempt to spend more resources guarding the border while Mexico plunges into revolution is like trying to plug holes in the dam while the rising water comes over the top. In other words, there is no solution but to deal with the problem head-on. Anything else is a distraction, a deluded fantasy that we still have time or options.

It will be much easier for US forces to invade Mexico now, and to secure its system, before Communist Bloc forces are able to move in and establish themselves. The Mexican political system, schools, and other social institutions must be purged of all Communists and their sympathizers; Zapatistas and other terrorists must be crushed and executed; and law and order must be restored throughout Mexico.

That will then clear the way for unhindered assistance by Americans directly to Mexicans, including charitable relief for the hungry, religious education for all, and secure economic investment to develop Mexican capitalism to the point that Mexico is as wealthy as the US is now — when, obviously, there will no longer exist any refugee problem.

And now for this week's survey question:

Only one answer per e-mail address will be accepted; only e-mail addresses on our subscription list are eligible. Please send your input by Tuesday, August 23, 2005, 12pm PST.

This week's example:

X

We have removed the text, because this rabbi has since endorsed the proclamation.

This week's example:
Rabbi Shmuel Segal, Oholei Torah Yeshiva, Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Segal saw the anti-PLO proclamation on May 26, when it was shown to him by a JAHG-USA volunteer, and he immediately signed it. He was one of several teachers at Oholei Torah (a major Lubavitch school for boys) who saw the proclamation that day, and not one of those rabbis objected to it. In fact, they all signed unhesitatingly. Perhaps that's because they don't have to worry about recriminations from Rabbi Cunin, who has no authority in New York.

In any case, it's obviously that only political and/or financial considerations would stop an orthodox rabbi from endorsing such an obvious campaign. Which is also the reason we've never yet heard a serious reason from any rabbi — even the "refuseniks" — saying that there's anything incorrect about the proclamation.

With so many earnest but badly misguided Jews now wasting their time, money, and energy on futile, distracting protests to save small areas in Israel, the time for the "Campaign to Stop Funding the PLO!" has arrived. It's time for everyone to get on board without any more excuses.

What do you think about Jewish leadership on PLO defunding? Send us your comments at [address withheld].

For a complete listing of all rabbis who have received our proclamation, the up-to-date status of their responses, and how you can get help the campaign, visit ATTAC Report at http://www.attacreport.com/plo/.

This week's edition of our sister site, ATTAC Report, presents:

• Audio excerpts from an exclusive radio broadcast the day after 9/11, during which a PLO agent tried to stop author Boruch Ellison from naming the terrorist groups behind the attacks on America
• The historical timeline tracing the infiltration of medieval Europe by Amalek's secret societies
• A map of 120 concentration camps (including more than a dozen death camps) in modern Kazakhstan

• (Regarding last week's discussion about Soviet Russian violation of nuclear disarmament treaties):
"Trust Russia? Ask those who have seen the corruption within the system and they will say NO. Look how many Jews were lost to the system, how many died, how many souls were corrupted. Don't forget most of those in power were brought up in an agnostic atheistic state..." — JR.

• (An anti-Semitic response opposing the campaign to defund the PLO):
"The Congress should INCREASE the foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority, by simply virtue of the fact that the PA is an enemy of the criminal, terroristic 'state of Israel.'... we should support our natural Palestinian allies against the wicked, evil, disgusting Jews, whether in 'Israel' or around the world. Heil Hitler!" — KRO, identifying himself in his e-mail address as a "National Socialist" (i.e., a Nazi).

Our response: It's perfectly obvious why this demented individual opposes defunding the PLO. What is not understandable is the opposition by some "refusenik" rabbis to sign on. Rabbi Cunin and his fellow refuseniks should really give some serious thought to what kind of company they are placing themselves with — and should reconsider their stance.

What about it, Rabbi Cunin?

Send your letter to the editor to [address withheld].

Be sure to visit our Web site, Noahide.com.