Malinowski tries to smear opponents of human trafficking

Tom Malinowski is at it again.  Blaming labor unions and working people.  Calling them haters because they fail to adopt his globalist vision of cheap labor, child labor, and slave labor.  In his latest “note from Tom” he insults every working stiff concerned about globalist off-shoring and outsourcing.  

But shilling for the very worst forms of corporate globalism is nothing new for Malinowski, a Democrat congressman from Somerset County.  He’s done it all before.

We’ve all heard about the outrages perpetrated by human trafficker Nike sportswear.  For at least twenty years, Nike has been criticized for its labor practices – including the offshoring of jobs to sub-contractors who use child labor and who practice human trafficking or modern day slavery to help Nike turn a very handsome profit.

Yes, Nike has been caught…

According to Wikipedia and numerous other sources, “Nike has been criticized for contracting with factories (known as Nike sweatshops) in countries such as China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Mexico… The company has been subject to much critical coverage of the often poor working conditions and exploitation of cheap overseas labor employed in the free trade zones where their goods are typically manufactured.”

“Nike has faced criticism for the use of child labor in Cambodia and Pakistan… Nike continues to contract their production to companies that operate in areas where inadequate regulation and monitoring make it hard to ensure that child labor is not being used.  A BBC documentary uncovered occurrences of child labor and poor working conditions in a Cambodian factory used by Nike.  The documentary focused on six girls, who all worked seven days a week, often 16 hours a day.”

“As of July 2011, Nike stated that two-thirds of its factories producing Converse products still do not meet the company's standards for worker treatment. A July 2011 Associated Press article stated that employees at the company's plants in Indonesia reported constant abuse from supervisors.”

Sources for this criticism include Naomi Klein's book No Logo and Michael Moore documentaries… including the clips from the one below…

Enter Congressman Tom Malinowski who labels as “racist” or “anti-Semite” any working man or woman who objects to such globalism. According to Tom Malinowski, if you oppose the exploitation of children, that makes you a dangerous “white supremacist”. Since when did standing up to slavery make you a racist?  Who – besides Congressman Malinowski – equates opposing globalism with “anti-Semitism”?   

Of course, Tom Malinowski has been shilling for globalism’s worst of the worst for years.  In 2015, when Tom Malinowski was a top State Department appointee (supposedly charged with protecting human rights), he put corporate interests before principle and in an effort to broaden the markets included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, tried to cover-up and reclassify Malaysia’s human trafficking problem.  Unfortunately for Tom Malinowski, the attempt to downgrade the human trafficking crisis in that country came just as hundreds of bodies of trafficking victims were discovered, buried in a forest.

160 members of Congress – a bi-partisan outpouring – condemned the Malinowski State Department for ignoring the plight of victims of modern day slavery.  Here are some headlines…

State Department Watered Down Human Trafficking Report

Senators: State Department ‘Heartless,’ Lacks ‘Integrity’ After Politicized Human Trafficking Report

Lawmakers threaten to subpoena all information about inflated grades for countries that have failed to crack down on forced labor, prostitution

Earlier in May, 139 graves in camps for human trafficking victims were found near Malaysia’s northern border with Thailand.

160 Members of Congress Call on State Department to Not Upgrade Malaysia Ranking in 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report

Those headlines are from May 2015.  In June 2015, then Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Tom Malinowski testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and claimed that it was all about the trade and passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  Malinowski argues:

“I am convinced that, on balance, TPP will greatly aid the effort to advance human rights in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Slavery is Freedom… so long as some corporate pig makes a buck (and screws the workers).  It’s like something out of Orwell.  A nightmare… straight from Tom Malinowski’s lips. 

In July 2015, Ranking Democrat Congressman Lloyd Doggett sent a letter to the State Department chastising Tom Malinowski and others responsible for the State Department’s policies.  Congressman Doggett wrote:

“Once again trade is being prioritized over trafficking enforcement.  Bending the standards to reward a country that accepts trade in women, children and forced laborers is wrong.  Malaysia adopting some new provision that will not be consistently enforced is no substitute for effective prosecution… It is easier to lower the standard than to insist that Malaysia protect trafficking victims… this (is) another indication that the Trans-Pacific Partnership is not being used to bring about meaningful change on critical issues.”

Congressman Malinowski should quit trying to stifle debate by calling it names. The only hateful act is Tom Malinowski’s… he plans to end the debate by criminalizing it and sending in men with guns… and dogs (Bull Connor style).  A true liberal, upon considering the crap that flows out of Tom Malinowski’s brain, would never stop throwing up. 

Congressman Gottheimer's dilemma

Newly elected Democrat congressman Josh Gottheimer is in one heck of a pickle. 

Gottheimer represents a Republican-leaning district in which Donald Trump got more votes than he did.  And the economy in his district -- as well as the whole state -- has lagged behind much of the country, with persistent unemployment and underemployment, a high rate of foreclosure, record child poverty, and low job creation.  It is exactly the kind of district that will benefit from President Trump's plans to create jobs -- good, well-paid, union jobs -- rebuilding the nation's infrastructure. 

Unfortunately for Congressman Gottheimer, his base has gone nuts.  They demand that Democrats like Gottheimer reject EVERYTHING Trump.  They want leaders who sound like this:

But aside from the bad poetry, what is the policy agenda here?  Where are the jobs?  With an estimated net worth of $22 million, jobs for working class Americans isn't a concern that keeps Ms. Judd up at night.

Then there's the violence.  Just one example:  Pollster Frank Luntz was attacked by members of Congressman Gottheimer's base on Friday and he talked about the incident on Sunday’s Fox & Friends:

“A woman walked up to me in the Marriott Marquis and she shouted, ‘You fascist --’ and then two other words that would get me fired from your network [as Luntz tweeted later, the words were "mother f*cker"]. And she threw this red confetti glitter right in my eyes and she picked up another handful and she was no more than 6 inches away and I was covered with this stuff.” 

“Since when do you have the right or just the ability to attack people in a private setting, in a private matter?” Luntz asked the Fox hosts rhetorically. “I'm gonna tell you something. These protests are out of control. The language is out of control. There are 8-, 9-, 10-year-olds watching this, they read these horrible words from these signs... And to have to face this personally? 

"I never thought this would be America," he concluded. "I never thought this would happen in this country.”

Instead of calling out the juvenile antics of these super-rich "activists" (like Michael Moore, estimated net worth $50 million and Madonna, estimated net worth $560 million), the new congressman sounded apologetic when he recently explained to an audience at Ramapo College that he was attending the inauguration out of "respect for the office" as opposed to the man chosen to serve as President.  This is a hypocritical position for a fellow like Gottheimer who, after all, is someone who worked for President Bill Clinton -- and who has never been known to criticize his former boss for the disrespect he heaped upon the office.

Congressman Gottheimer was reckless when he recently told the media that he would fight against "President-elect Trump, the alt-right, or anyone else for that matter."  Linking President Trump to the so-called "Alt-Right" will only serve to inflame the passions of some of the nutcases we saw carrying on last Friday. 

Warren County Freeholder Jason Sarnoski, a conservative Republican, noted: 

"Congressman Gottheimer claims to understand why his fellow Democrats aren’t going to the Inauguration and says he respects their decision to peacefully protest.  Understanding and respecting this choice is tantamount to agreeing with it and taking part in it.

Last night I was dismayed to see a young boy on the news starting a fire in the middle of a riot on a street because, using his words, 'Screw the President.'  This is far from peaceful and far from constructive protesting.  When leaders such as Josh Gottheimer support and encourage this type of protest, it undermines the foundation on which this country was built."

The Congressman's rhetoric about Trump and the Alt-Right plays directly to the most violent elements within Gottheimer's base.  After all -- if you really, really do believe that Donald Trump is Adolf Hitler -- there is a logical course of action that is both chilling and insane (as well as illegal).  And that is why Congressman Gottheimer needs to stop beating around the bush.  That is why he needs to tell the members of his base who are prone to violence that they are over-the-line.

If he truly wants to be part of the Problem Solver's Caucus then he needs to ditch the rhetoric of hate.  Quit feeding the base and focus on the district.