LET'S FIGHT BACK

LET'S FIGHT BACK
GOD BLESS AMERICA

Sunday, July 31, 2016

California to proclaim August “Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month”

California to proclaim August “Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month”

France: Church of priest murdered by jihadis donated land for mosque; “relations are normally very good”

France: Church of priest murdered by jihadis donated land for mosque; “relations are normally very good”

Remembrance march for Nice, France jihad slaughter banned for fear of more attacks

Remembrance march for Nice, France jihad slaughter banned for fear of more attacks

Malta: Bacon left in Qur’an next to photo of priest slain by jihadis

Malta: Bacon left in Qur’an next to photo of priest slain by jihadis

State Dept spends $16 million on totally ineffective program to dissuade jihadis

State Dept spends $16 million on totally ineffective program to dissuade jihadis

Germany: “Because I am a Muslim”: Media cover-up as Afghan smashes up church

Germany: “Because I am a Muslim”: Media cover-up as Afghan smashes up church

Turkey: 7,000 armed police in heavy vehicles surround NATO air base after huge rally accuses US of role in failed coup

Turkey: 7,000 armed police in heavy vehicles surround NATO air base after huge rally accuses US of role in failed coup

Robert Spencer in the New York Post: The most dangerous anti-American force isn’t ISIS, it’s Iran

Robert Spencer in the New York Post: The most dangerous anti-American force isn’t ISIS, it’s Iran

UK: Muslim cleric tells Muslims that taking sex slaves is “permissible in Islam”

UK: Muslim cleric tells Muslims that taking sex slaves is “permissible in Islam”

Judge Jeanine 7/30/16 Full: Hillary's America Documentary, RNC vs DNC, D...

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Muslim who beheaded priest to France: “We are going to destroy your country”

Muslim who beheaded priest to France: “We are going to destroy your country”

Jihad Watch – Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Jihad Watch – Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Mumbai police: Zakir Naik has been paying people to convert to Islam

Mumbai police: Zakir Naik has been paying people to convert to Islam

Father of slain Muslim soldier rebukes Trump at DNC

Father of slain Muslim soldier rebukes Trump at DNC

General who issued groveling apology for alleged Qur’an desecration says Hillary will beat ISIS

General who issued groveling apology for alleged Qur’an desecration says Hillary will beat ISIS

North African team sent home after molesting girls in Sweden at world youth football tournament

North African team sent home after molesting girls in Sweden at world youth football tournament

Dealing with Islamic supremacists: Italy expels imam who named daughter “Jihad”

Dealing with Islamic supremacists: Italy expels imam who named daughter “Jihad”

In featuring grieving Muslim parents, WaPo, DNC imply all resistance to jihad is bigotry

In featuring grieving Muslim parents, WaPo, DNC imply all resistance to jihad is bigotry

WE WANT FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY FOR CUBA NOW

Will Hillary Condemn Trump's Cuban Hotel Venture?

Will Hillary Condemn Trump's Cuban Hotel Venture?

How Remittances Are Funneled in Cuba

How Remittances Are Funneled in Cuba

Cuban Dissident Leader Hospitalized Pursuant to Hunger Strike #juntoacoco

Cuban Dissident Leader Hospitalized Pursuant to Hunger Strike #juntoacoco

Hannity 7/29/16 - Aftermath of Democratic National Convention, Donald Tr...

Judge Jeanine Pirro Slams Anti-Police Behavior at DNC and More - July 29...

Full Speech: Donald Trump Rally in Denver, Colorado (July 29, 2016) Dona...

The Savage Nation- Michael Savage- July 29, 2016 (Full Show)

Full Show - The Hillary Steal, Obama’s SJW Army, and The War With Global...

Rush Limbaugh - July 29, 2016 Full Podcast

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Friday, July 29, 2016

GOD BLESS AMERICA

PROOF THAT GOD DOES EXIST...

Hugh Fitzgerald: Pope Francis and Jihad: Credo Quia Absurdum, And How

Hugh Fitzgerald: Pope Francis and Jihad: Credo Quia Absurdum, And How

Islamic State says London is next, UK churches put on terror alert

Islamic State says London is next, UK churches put on terror alert

Mom says of Islamic State jihadist son who murdered priest: he’s a good Frenchman, I didn’t produce a devil

Mom says of Islamic State jihadist son who murdered priest: he’s a good Frenchman, I didn’t produce a devil

After spate of Muslim migrant jihad massacres, Merkel refuses to reverse Muslim migrant policy

After spate of Muslim migrant jihad massacres, Merkel refuses to reverse Muslim migrant policy

Ex-Muslim: Muhammad enticed his men to fight jihad by promising them blonde female sex slaves

Ex-Muslim: Muhammad enticed his men to fight jihad by promising them blonde female sex slaves

Hungary PM blisters EU elites, says Muslim migration “increases terrorism and crime” and “destroys national culture”

Hungary PM blisters EU elites, says Muslim migration “increases terrorism and crime” and “destroys national culture”

Will Hillary Condemn Trump's Cuban Hotel Venture?

Will Hillary Condemn Trump's Cuban Hotel Venture?

The Real 'Talks' That Need to Take Place in Cuba

The Real 'Talks' That Need to Take Place in Cuba

Day 9 of Cuban Dissident Leader's Hunger Strike #juntoacoco

Day 9 of Cuban Dissident Leader's Hunger Strike #juntoacoco

One Woman’s Struggle for Freedom in Castro’s Cuba

One Woman’s Struggle for Freedom in Castro’s Cuba

#Fox News - #Hannity (July 28, 2016) #Trump: A Lot Of Lies Are Being Tol...

FULL EVENT: Donald Trump Rally in Davenport, Iowa (July 28, 2016) Trump ...

Donald Trump Delivers Scathing Response To Hillary Clinton, DNC at Press...

The Savage Nation- Michael Savage- July 28, 2016 (Full Show)

AJ Show (FULL VIDEO Commercial Free) Thursday 7/28/16: Dinesh D'Souza, T...

Rush Limbaugh - July 28, 2016 Full Podcast

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Somalia: Muslims murder at least 13 people with jihad car bomb attack near Mogadishu airport

Somalia: Muslims murder at least 13 people with jihad car bomb attack near Mogadishu airport

“Islamophobia” horror! Episode of UK’s “Fireman Sam” withdrawn, apology issued after character steps on Qur’an page

“Islamophobia” horror! Episode of UK’s “Fireman Sam” withdrawn, apology issued after character steps on Qur’an page

‘Violent explosion’ outside German office for migration — ‘Arab men’ fled scene

‘Violent explosion’ outside German office for migration — ‘Arab men’ fled scene

Homeland Security chief promoting past wrongs over jihadism and homeland security

Homeland Security chief promoting past wrongs over jihadism and homeland security

Erdogan tightens iron grip on power: Turkey shuts down over 130 media outlets, dismisses 2,400 military personnel

Erdogan tightens iron grip on power: Turkey shuts down over 130 media outlets, dismisses 2,400 military personnel

WE WANT FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY FOR CUBA NOW

The Real (Concerning) Reason Behind Obama's Cuba Policy

The Real (Concerning) Reason Behind Obama's Cuba Policy

Brazil Investigates Corrupt Financing of Cuba's Port

Brazil Investigates Corrupt Financing of Cuba's Port

Obama's Cuba Policy Represents Worst of 20th Century

Obama's Cuba Policy Represents Worst of 20th Century

Full Speech: Donald Trump Rally in Toledo, Ohio (July 27, 2016) Donald T...

#Fox News (July 27, 2016)__Hannity, The Kelly File, O'Reilly, Fox & Frie...

The Savage Nation- Guest Host John DePetro- July 27, 2016 (Full Show)

AJ Show (FULL VIDEO Commercial Free) Wed. 7/27/16: DNC, Roger Stone, Mat...

Rush Limbaugh - July 27, 2016 Full Podcast

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

I have returned to the church I truly love, so I leave you with a preaching from one of its pastors... May God bless you all...

MOSES & Exodus part 3

Robert Spencer in Breitbart: Does Islam Convert Social Losers into Time Bombs?

Robert Spencer in Breitbart: Does Islam Convert Social Losers into Time Bombs?

BBC, Reuters paint jihad suicide bomber as “Syrian Migrant Killed in German Blast”

BBC, Reuters paint jihad suicide bomber as “Syrian Migrant Killed in German Blast”

Raymond Ibrahim: Eject Western Traitors, Beat Islamic Terrorists

Raymond Ibrahim: Eject Western Traitors, Beat Islamic Terrorists

Why Jihadists Beheaded Fr. Jacques Hamel — on The Glazov Gang

Why Jihadists Beheaded Fr. Jacques Hamel — on The Glazov Gang

Coptic bishop: Egypt’s Christians attacked ‘every two or three days’

Coptic bishop: Egypt’s Christians attacked ‘every two or three days’

France: Muslims who beheaded priest were screaming “Allahu akbar”

France: Muslims who beheaded priest were screaming “Allahu akbar”

France: Church where priest was beheaded was on jihadi hit list of Catholic churches

France: Church where priest was beheaded was on jihadi hit list of Catholic churches

Democrats never mentioned ISIS, jihad, or terrorism on Day One of DNC

Democrats never mentioned ISIS, jihad, or terrorism on Day One of DNC

Germany: Sharia patrol threatens nude bathers with “extermination”

Germany: Sharia patrol threatens nude bathers with “extermination”

How do news outlets from around the world identify jihad murder in their headlines?

How do news outlets from around the world identify jihad murder in their headlines?

WE WANT FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY FOR CUBA NOW

Obama's Policy Permits Expansion of Cuba's Military

Obama's Policy Permits Expansion of Cuba's Military

Tweet of the Day: 17 Cuban Dissidents Join Hunger Strike #juntoacoco

Tweet of the Day: 17 Cuban Dissidents Join Hunger Strike #juntoacoco

Menendez Asks Obama to Protect Cuban Dissidents on Hunger Strike

Menendez Asks Obama to Protect Cuban Dissidents on Hunger Strike

The Cuban Regime’s Ongoing Violations of the Right to Life

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Versión en español abajo.
The Cuban Regime’s Ongoing Violations of the Right to Life
Oral testimony by Cuba Archive´s Executive Director
for the Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House
of Representatives, Washington, D.C., July 13, 2016.*
Today I will focus on the Cuban government’s continuing violations to the right to life. To illustrate the extreme contempt for human life the Castro regime has displayed from its inception, we need just recall three of its flagrant atrocities that occurred on the month of July of different years.
In 1994, on a day like today, July 13th, a group of sixty-eight, including many children, boarded a tugboat to escape to the U.S. Three boats were waiting for them -- alerted by infiltrators. With high-pressure water jets, they began ripping children from their parents’ arms and sweeping terrified passengers off to sea. Finally, they rammed and sunk the fleeing tugboat, drowning all those who had taken refuge in the cargo hold. With survivors clinging to pieces of wreckage, the pursuing boats circled around them, seeking to drown them with wave turbulence. Thirty-seven perished, including eleven children.
Fourteen years earlier, on July 6th 1980, Cuban Navy boats and an Air Force plane had attacked an excursion boat that toured the Canímar River of Matanzas loaded with passengers and tried fleeing to the U.S. The exact number of victims is unknown, but numbers in the dozens and included children.
Among hundreds of July victims of the Castros, two stand out. On July 22nd 2012, Oswaldo Payá, arguably Cuba’s leading opposition figure, and Harold Cepero, a young activist from his organization, were killed in a car accident believed to have been caused by state agents.
These are just samples of the large-scale and growing tragedy the Cuba Archive project, which I head, is documenting and for which the Cuban regime has not been held accountable. To date, we’ve recorded over 6,100 deaths and disappearances caused by the Castro regime not from combat situation. Each has a detailed record. The victims include infants, pregnant women, the elderly, human rights’ defenders, protestant pastors, Jehovah’s Witnesses, political prisoners, young men objecting to military service, and anyone who gets in the way of the Castros. Also on the list are 21 U.S. citizens executed, assassinated, or disappeared and 6 killed in terrorist attacks sponsored or supported by Cuba. We know, sadly, that this count is woefully lacking; what’s more, for it to be comprehensive, it would have to include many more Cubans who’ve perished and extended to many countries where Cuba has created, supported, and promoted war, subversion, and terrorism, as today in nearby Venezuela and Colombia. The human toll of the Castro dynasty is easily, in my view, several hundred thousand and counting.
Things are not much better since Raúl Castro, until ten years ago the No. 2 man, assumed supreme command in Cuba, replacing his brother Fidel. Since then and until last December 31st, Cuba Archive has documented 264 cases of death and disappearance, a count we know is very incomplete.
A particularly troubling aspect of the ongoing crimes of the Cuban regime relates to the grave abuses committed by Cuban authorities against persons attempting to escape the country. The attacks appear to have declined, in part because Cuba has perfected a highly lucrative business from exporting people that welcomes most departures. Yet, killings, beatings, torture, and other abuses perpetrated on those fleeing have not stopped. To take just one example, on December 16th 2014, the day before President Obama made his surprise announcement of normalized relations with Cuba, 32 year-old Liosbel Díaz disappeared after Cuban Boarder Guards sunk, reportedly in international waters, the boat in which he was escaping with 31 other passengers, including women and children.
What’s perhaps more egregious is the aberration of a tropical “Berlin Wall” at Guantánamo, altogether overlooked by the free world. 26 years after the fall of the infamous Berlin Wall, a deadlier replica now lasting twice longer stands in Communist Cuba: barbed wire, minefields, watchtowers, ferocious dogs, sharpshooters… all to prevent escapes to the U.S. base in Guantánamo. It has a sordid extension -- a sea wall in the bay added in the mid-1990s to prevent swimmers from reaching the U.S. base.
Cuba Archive has documented several dozen individuals killed or disappeared while attempting to flee to our base in Guantanamo, but we believe that hundreds, perhaps thousands, have paid with their lives, limbs, eyes, or years of prison for attempting the crossing in the last five and a half decades.  Our government is well aware of the land mines on the Cuban side and that Cuban guards stationed around our base have orders to shoot to kill “fence-jumpers.”
Let me finish with an important clarification. Our work is not primarily about lists or statistics. Each number or name on from these lists --or victims missing from them-- is a story, a stolen life, a circle of loved ones left behind in grief and, to date, without foreseeable justice. We try to honor each person by gathering as much information as possible and dedicating an individual record of our database to each one, but it is impossible to have a full tally of the magnitude of this tragedy and much less convey the loss and suffering connected to each story or to this overall calamity --at times, it overwhelms. I urge you to visit our website CubaArchive.org and familiarize yourself with this story, at least see some of the faces, as we have pictures of many victims.
The Cuban regime is guilty of egregious, extensive, and ongoing crimes against humanity. This is an amply documented fact that reputable governments and institutions or principled individuals can only ignore at will. I firmly believe that continuing to afford the Castro government impunity and engaging it on in its own terms only produces more victims and provides resources for its tyrannical ways. That is not just bad for the Cuban people; the imprint of this regime is exported globally with the help of rogue allies, and that is to the detriment of our security and of global freedom and peace.
See all hearing proceedings and documents at:
https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-hearing-castro-regimes-ongoing-violations-civil-political-rights/
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
*Maria C. Werlau, President of Free Society Project and Executive Director of Cuba Archive, at the hearing “The Castro Regime’s Ongoing Violations of Civil and Political Rights” of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.
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Las Continuas Violaciones del Régimen Cubano al Derecho a la Vida
Testimonio oral de la Directora Ejecutiva de Archivo Cuba ante el
Comité de Asuntos Exteriores de la Cámara de Representantes de
los Estados Unidos de América, Washington, D.C., 13 de julio de 2016.*
Hoy voy a centrar mi intervención en las continuas violaciones del derecho a la vida que perpetra el gobierno de Cuba. Como ejemplos del extremo menosprecio hacia la vida humana que el régimen de Castro ha mostrado desde sus inicios, basta recordar tres atrocidades flagrantes ocurridas en el mes de julio, en tres años diferentes.
Un día como hoy, el 13 de julio de 1994, un grupo de 68 personas, entre las que había muchos niños, subieron a bordo de un remolcador para escapar de la isla con rumbo a Estados Unidos. Tres barcos les aguardaban, avisados por una delación. Con mangueras de agua a presión, comenzaron a arrancar a los niños de los brazos de sus padres y lanzaron al mar a los aterrados pasajeros. Por último, embistieron y hundieron el remolcador, ahogando a todos los que se habían refugiado en el interior de la embarcación. Luego, mientras los náufragos se aferraban a los restos del naufragio, los barcos atacantes navegaron en círculo a su alrededor, tratando de ahogarlos con las olas que levantaban. Murieron 37 personas, entre ellas 11 niños.
Catorce años antes, el 6 de julio de 1980, naves patrulleras de la Armada de Cuba y un avión de la Fuerza Aérea atacaron en el río Canímar, en la provincia de Matanzas, a un barco de turismo cargado de pasajeros que trataban de huir hacia Estados Unidos. Se desconoce el número exacto de víctimas, pero se sabe que fueron varias docenas, entre las que figuraban algunos niños.
Entre los cientos de víctimas de los hermanos Castro en el mes de julio, hay dos de especial prominencia. El 22 de julio de 2012, Oswaldo Payá, que probablemente era entonces el dirigente opositor más destacado de Cuba, y Harold Cepero, un joven activista de su organización, fallecieron en un accidente de automóvil que se entiende haber sido causado por agentes de la seguridad del Estado.
Estos son algunos ejemplos de una tragedia creciente y de gran escala que documenta el proyecto que dirijo, Archivo Cuba, y por los cuales la comunidad internacional no ha exigido responsabilidad al gobierno de Cuba. Hasta la fecha, hemos registrado más de 6.100 muertes y desapariciones causadas por el régimen de Castro en tiempos de paz. Para cada una de estas víctimas existe un expediente pormenorizado. Entre ellas figuran niños, mujeres embarazadas, ancianos, defensores de derechos humanos, pastores protestantes, testigos de Jehová, presos políticos, jóvenes objetores del servicio militar y cualesquiera otras personas que se hayan interpuesto en el camino de los hermanos Castro. En la lista figuran además 21 ciudadanos estadounidenses ejecutados, asesinados o desaparecidos y otros seis fallecidos en ataques terroristas auspiciados o apoyados por Cuba. Estamos conscientes de que, por desgracia, la lista está incompleta; aún más, para que fuera una relación exhaustiva, tendría que incluir a muchísimos cubanos que han sido víctimas del regimen; asimismo tendría que abarcar a numerosos países en los que Cuba ha creado, apoyado y promovido la guerra, la subversión y el terrorismo, como ocurre hoy en Colombia y Venezuela. En mi opinión, el costo humano de la dinastía de los Castro supera varios cientos de miles de y sigue en aumento.
Esta situación no ha mejorado mucho desde que hace diez años el entonces número dos del régimen, Raúl Castro, asumió el mando supremo de Cuba en sustitución de su hermano Fidel. Desde ese momento hasta el 31 de diciembre del año pasado, Archivo Cuba ha documentado 264 casos de muertes y desapariciones, un cómputo que, en nuestra opinión, está muy lejos de ser exhaustivo.
Un aspecto especialmente inquietante de los delitos que perpetra el régimen cubano tiene que ver con los graves abusos que cometen las autoridades de la isla contra quienes tratan de huir del país. Al parecer, estos ataques han disminuido, en parte porque Cuba ha perfeccionado un lucrativo negocio de exportación de seres humanos que se beneficia de la mayoría de esas fugas. Pero los asesinatos, las palizas, las torturas y otras violaciones de derechos humanos que se comenten contra los prófugos no han cesado del todo. Por sólo mencionar un ejemplo: el 16 de diciembre de 2014, un día antes de que el Presidente Obama sorprendiera al mundo con el anuncio de que se disponía a normalizar las relaciones con Cuba, un joven cubano de 32 años, Liosbel Díaz, desapareció cuando los guardacostas de la isla hundieron la embarcación en la que intentaba escapar con otros 31 pasajeros, entre los que había mujeres y niños. Según los informes recibidos, el hecho ocurrió en aguas internacionales.
Quizá más indignante aún sea la aberración de que exista un “Muro de Berlín Tropical” en Guantánamo, del que el mundo libre hace caso omiso. Transcurridos 26 años de la demolición del infame Muro de Berlín, una réplica mortal de esa barrera, que ha durado el doble de años que la versión original, sigue instalada en Cuba comunista: alambradas de púas, campos de minas antipersonales, torres de vigilancia, perros de presa, francotiradores… todo ese dispositivo existe para evitar que los cubanos huyan hacia la base naval de Guantánamo. Esa barrera cuenta ahora con una sórdida extensión: un dique construido en la bahía en los años noventa para impedir que los fugitivos lleguen a nado a la base naval estadounidense.
Archivo Cuba ha documentado docenas de muertes y desapariciones de personas que trataban de escapar de Cuba hacia nuestra base de Guantánamo, pero creemos que cientos de víctimas, tal vez miles, han pagado con sus vidas, sus miembros, sus ojos o con años de prisión por haber intentado cruzar hacia la base en los últimos 55 años. Nuestro gobierno conoce de sobra la existencia de las minas antipersonales colocadas en el lado cubano y el hecho de que las tropas destacadas en torno a la base tienen órdenes de tirar a matar contra quienes intenten saltar la verja.
Permítanme concluir con una importante aclaración. Nuestra labor primordial no consiste en compilar listas o estadísticas. Cada número o cada nombre en una de estas listas –o cada víctima que no figura en ellas– es una historia, una vida robada, un círculo de seres amados sumidos en la angustia y a quienes, hasta ahora, no se les ha dado acceso a la justicia. Nosotros tratamos de honrar a cada una de estas personas acopiando la mayor cantidad posible de información y consagrándoles un expediente individual en nuestra base de datos, pero no es posible establecer el cómputo completo de la magnitud de esta tragedia y, aún menos transmitir el sentimiento de pérdida y el sufrimiento que entraña cada una de esas historias o esta calamidad en su conjunto –es una labor que por momentos resulta abrumadora. Les exhorto a que visiten nuestro sitio web en ArchivoCuba.org para que conozcan algo más de esta historia y vean al menos algunos de sus rostros, porque disponemos de fotos de numerosas víctimas.
El régimen cubano es culpable de crímenes de lesa humanidad, delitos notorios, múltiples y continuos. Este es un hecho que ha sido ampliamente documentado y del que gobiernos e instituciones respetables, y personas de principios, sólo pueden hacer caso omiso de manera deliberada. Creo firmemente que si se sigue otorgando impunidad al régimen de Castro y se le permite continuar dictando los términos para relacionarse con otras naciones, eso sólo redundará en un número mayor de víctimas y en más recursos para financiar su tiranía. Esas consecuencias no sólo son nocivas para el pueblo de Cuba; la influencia de este régimen se extiende a escala internacional con la ayuda de sus aliados y este fenómeno es perjudicial tanto para nuestra seguridad como para la libertad y la paz en el mundo entero.
Todos los resúmenes y documentos de la comparecencia, así como el texto íntegro del testimonio de María Werlau, pueden consultarse en:
https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-hearing-castro-regimes-ongoing-violations-civil-political-rights/
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
*María C. Werlau, Presidenta de Free Society Project y Directora Ejecutiva de Cuba Archive/Archivo Cuba, en la audiencia sobre “Las continuas violaciones de derechos civiles y políticos que comete el régimen de Castro” ante el Subcomité sobre África, Salud y Derechos Humanos en el Mundo y Organizaciones Internacionales.
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Archivo Cuba Proyecto de Verdad y Memoria documenta la pérdida en vidas causada
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The Folly of a Mandated Minimum Wage**



NOTE: The following article represents the authors' views and not necessarily the views of the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies or the Cuba Transition Project. 


 


Focus on

Cuba


Issue 301 
July 25, 2016 

  

The Folly of a Mandated Minimum Wage**by José Azel*


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When it comes to a mandated minimum wage, politicians irrationally trip over themselves in a classic case of good intentions, bad policy. President Obama has called for raising the minimum wage to USD $10.10 an hour. Hillary Clinton favors a $12.00 minimum wage, and Mr. Sanders supports the labor union call to raise the wage to $15.00 an hour.
Many believe that minimum wage laws are necessary to insure that low-skilled workers, especially new entrants, teens and minorities earn a living wage and are not exploited by greedy capitalists. But do minimum wage laws produce the desired results? The cruel and unspoken irony is that minimum wage laws do the most harm to the segments of our society that we seek to help: the unskilled poor and the inexperienced youth.
Intuitively, we all understand the fundamental principle of economics that when the price of anything increases, the quantity demanded of that good or service will decrease. The wage rate is the price of labor; if the cost of labor is increased via a government command, the quantity of labor demanded will decrease. Simply put, with other things constant, the number of jobs offered will decrease when the minimum wage is artificially increased. The case against minimum wage decrees is straightforward: increasing the cost of job creation will decrease job creation.
Even worse, the resulting decrease in employment becomes permanent as employers shift to labor-saving production technologies or to outsourcing abroad. True, those who keep their jobs will earn more, but others will lose their jobs or fail to get one when new jobs are not created. Many who live in poverty are unemployed and thus will not benefit from an increase in the minimum wage. In fact, their prospects for employment will diminish.

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 When it comes to a mandated minimum wage, politicians irrationally trip over themselves in a classic case of good intentions, bad policy. 


Let’s be clear, enacting a higher-than-market minimum wage does not result in a higher income for all workers, only for those who retain their jobs. This increase will be at the expense of those who will become or will remain unemployed. We know this and yet minimum wage laws remain popular with public officials, editorial boards and voters who want to express their compassion for the working poor.
A more cynical reason is that advocating for an increase in the minimum wage is a way of making political points without having to account for an increase in government expenditures since the cost is presumably borne by employers. Unlike government, however, employers cannot print money and the increased costs will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices, or will be shouldered by those that will not be able to find a job because their skills do not command a wage level theatrically dictated by government fiat.
When government policy prices low-skilled workers and the inexperienced young out of the job market, skills atrophy, hope fades and tragically, unemployment becomes a way of life. Our current persistent unemployment levels among the disadvantaged may very well be the lagging effect of our unreflective support of minimum wage laws. Sixty years ago, the unemployment rate of 16- to 19-year-olds was less than eight percent. Today, after many rounds of minimum wage increases, youth unemployment is over 24 percent and close to 40 percent for black teenagers. Are minimum wage laws responsible for creating this new norm?
The idea that government can diminish poverty by making it more expensive for businesses to hire young and low-skill workers is illogical and worse, it is dishonest. If government can diminish poverty by enacting a $10.00 to $15.00 minimum wage, why stop there? Let’s raise the minimum wage to $90.00 an hour and eliminate poverty altogether. This is, of course, nonsense and so are minimum wage laws. We will not get good results from implementing a bad idea. Advocating for a higher minimum wage mandate is equivalent to advocating for higher unemployment.


**Previously published in the PanAm Post on June 28, 2016. 

*José Azel is a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami and the author of the book Mañana in Cuba.
Follow José Azel on Twitter @JoseAzel

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Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, 
University of Miami.


ICCAS is a non-profit, non-partisan institution established in 1999. 

Since, ICCAS has been the foremost resource for Cuba’s educational programs, cultural activities, research, outreach, and much more at the University of Miami.

Casa Bacardi is our cultural center where events, classes and presentations are held. If you wish to rent Casa Bacardi please call (305) 284-2822. 

ICCAS also offers a Certificate Program in Cuban Studies taught by world-recognized experts, a DVD about Cuba narrated by Andy Garcia, and several books on Cuba. 

We depend on support from the community; any contribution is welcomed and appreciated.

 





Books available at ICCAS 

Cuba: From Columbus to Castro and Beyond, by Jaime Suchlicki, provides a detailed and sophisticated understanding of the Cuba of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

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Mañana in Cuba, by Jose Azel, is a comprehensive analysis of contemporary Cuba with an incisive perspective of the Cuban frame of mind and its relevancy for Cuba's future.

Death of a Dream: History of Cuba Elusive Quest for Freedom, the twenty one chapters are explicitly historical, strongly analytical, concisely written and closely argued; the result is a brilliant narrative that spanned over five centuries of Cuba's history.

For a list of more books available and to purchase them call ICCAS (305) 284-2822.