Darrell Castle talks about the status of the U.S. border and immigration at the end of 2018.

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Transcription/Notes:

2018 IN REVIEW PART ONE-- THE BORDER

Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today’s Castle Report.  Today is Friday, December 14, 2018, and in the time I have with you today I want to at least begin the process of our year end review by looking at what has happened, and is happening, with the border of the United States.

First of all, I will tell you that I have explored in conversation with people, and paid attention to various members of what is usually referred to as the "MSM" or main stream media regarding President Trump, what they don’t like about him, etc., and I think that many people miss the point entirely.  For example, the other day I was in my doctor’s office lobby bright and early waiting for my check up.  The TV was on and my seat was very close so I had no choice but to listen.  Senator Bob Corker, Republican from Tennessee, who is retiring this term and being replaced by Marsha Blackburn, a Republican who campaigned almost entirely on her support of President Trump as a positive thing, was being interviewed.

Bob Corker was interviewed by a fawning reporter who appeared grateful to talk to him because he knew the Senator had problems with President Trump.  "What is your opinion of him?" he asked.  "He is loose with the truth", the senator replied, and then he went on to add that the only thing voters want to know is are you with Trump, no issues just are you with Trump.

That exchange illustrates my point better than anything I could bring you from my own memory. Senator Corker’s answer says it all, that smug arrogance of the elite. The election of Donald Trump, despite his problematic personality, and the recent yellow vest riots in Paris and other European cities have something in common. They both represent an uprising of the ordinary voter, the deplorable, the resident of flyover country, Mr. and Mrs. Middle America the common man, if you will, who are all sick of the smug elitists such as Senator Corker, who have been running the world for the past few decades or so.

Even if Mr. Trump is a billionaire, they see him as the anti-elite person who finally speaks for them.  When President Trump is crude, or when he mocks and laughs at the high and mighty, his supporters love him even more.  They love him for all the reasons the smug Democrats and Republicans hate him.  The people still think they have the ability to influence what happens to them through voting.  Whether that’s still true or not is another question because the election of Donald Trump indicates it is true, but the continuing coup against him indicates it is not true.

Thinking people, and most of us are, at least to some degree, know that most of what government tells us is a lie.  Senator Corker said the President is loose with the truth but that is the very essence of government.  If government, or anyone who is in charge of it, actually told us the truth we would see behind the curtain and know that the emperor has no clothes.  We are constantly under threats that only government with more money, more power, and more invasive control over our lives can solve for us.  Here in America we elect Donald Trump, but in France they go into the streets for violent riots.

President Trump has disappointed his followers, or they should be disappointed, with his lack of progress on the border and immigration front.  What progress has been made in 2018; not very much I’m afraid.  Let me just review a few areas where I had hoped to see improvement and where there has been little or none.  The biggest disappointment is no wall to speak of.  This was a foundation issue in his campaign and the reason many people voted for him.  "I will build a wall and make Mexico pay for it", remember that?