Since this country’s founding, newly arrived immigrants wanted to become Americans, and did just that, conforming to our culture and values. Why is it that now, over the past several decades, we don’t expect the same conformity from our “adopted refugees?” How is it considered racist to expect newly arrived immigrants (legal or illegal) and refugees to become “Americanized”? 

Early 1993, I deployed to Somalia to support Operation Restore Hope. If you saw the 2001 movie Black Hawk Down, the Mogadishu of 1993 was worse than portrayed in that movie. Somalia was never what one could call a “successful country.” However, by the time that President Bush sent U.S. troops in 1992-1993, it had collapsed into complete failure. To say Somalia was a typical third-world or regular failed country is an insult to “run-of-the-mill” failed countries. It was, and remains, the most impoverished, dysfunctional, undeveloped, backwards, failed (Throw in your own adjective.) country on the planet. Why is that? 

Instead of answering why Somalia failed, in our lack of wisdom, we decided to bring the very people who failed and their failed ideology into our country. Even worse, we’ve told them. “Because things worked so splendidly back home, don’t bother assimilating.” Of all the stupid ideas this country has ever advanced, (and we’ve advanced many) bringing uneducated third-world refugees with no skills into this country, giving them endless government freebies, insisting they not assimilate, while encouraging them to remain faithful to their failed Islamic ideology and culture is perhaps our dumbest yet. 

In the early 1990s, Somalia collapsed for many reasons, corruption being a major one, leading to civil war between various clan warlords. Tens of thousands were killed in the fighting and multiple times more died from famine and disease. Smith Hempstone, former ambassador to Kenya, warned Bush against sending troops to Somalia. He said, “If you liked Beirut (of the 1980s), you’re going to love Mogadishu.” He was spot-on. Somalia and “the Dish” were multiple times worse than Beirut. In that region of Africa, there has not been a functioning government for decades. Warlords rule with arms and force. Bribes, graft, and human rights violations are the norm. Corruption is completely expected. From that chaos, the United States brought tens of thousands of refugees/immigrants to live here.

In Somalia, there is no national identity or loyalty to country. Society is based on family and clan. Loyalty goes to family, then to clan, and that’s it. It’s above everything. That loyalty says, “When in a position to do so, get what you can, get all that you can.” So, if a Somali gets a government position, they are expected to hand out freebies to family and fellow clan members. Such corruption is not frowned upon; it’s expected and demanded. Never, ever betray one’s family or clan. And family/clan loyalty means not reporting such corruption. Understand that and you’ll understand why Somalia is third world, and always will be. Somalia is only slightly different than any other third-world country. Most failed countries, the corruption is family deep; in Somalia, it’s family and clan deep -- meaning many more levels of corruption.

Last month, a welfare scandal erupted in Minnesota among the Somali community. Over 480 Department of Human Services (DHS) employees warned Governor Tim Walz that Somali refugees were scamming the government/taxpayers of $$$Billions in welfare funds and sending $$$Millions to families back in Somalia. (The welfare fraud is so large that, in recent years, between 25% to 40% of Somalia’s GDP derives from remittance payments from Somali refugees to families back home.) Walz did absolutely nothing. DHS whistleblowers released the following statement, “Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota. We let Walz know of fraud, early on, hoping for partnership in stopping fraud but no, we got the opposite response. Tim Walz systematically retaliated against whistleblowers using monitoring, threats, repression, and did his best to discredit fraud reports.” Congressman James Comer (R-KY), chairman of the Oversight Committee, is warning that this welfare fraud is just the “tip of the iceberg” and is looking into widespread welfare fraud, nationwide. He claims this fraud is one reason “blue states” refuse to turn over SNAP/food-stamp data. (What are they hiding?)

After several decades of Somali refugees living here, we’ve learned how correct Hempstone’s assessment was. In America, Somalis continue to dwell in their failed clan-based culture, and have successfully taken over the city of Minneapolis. At a recent political rally, Somalis readily admit that they have no interest in assimilating, they don’t care about the people of Minnesota or America. Their only allegiance is to whatever clan they’re from, and to their Muslim culture. Ilhan Omar, at a June political rally, told fellow Somalis said that her allegiance is to Somalia (meaning her clan) as they spoke in Somali and waved Somali flags.

The Dems’ obsession with “multiculturalism” has created a sitting member of Congress (Ihan Omar) who took an oath to support the U.S. Constitution, yet happily admits her loyalties lie with Somalia and pledges allegiance to a foreign nation. These failed refugees have no interest in becoming American, no appreciation for America or contributing whatsoever, because they don’t see themselves as Americans. They despise Americans. Somalis have refused to assimilate. Again, loyalty is to their Somali clan, then to Islam, first and always. If you have doubts, watch the short YouTube video “Somalis have taken over Minneapolis.”

Unlike previous generations of European and Asian immigrants who yearned to “go to America” and to become Americans; Somali and other Muslim refugees’ view Islam as a superior religion and 100% convinced their culture is supreme; and all other cultures and religions are inferior. That is completely false. Islam is not a religion; it’s an authoritarian ideology that uses the cloak of religion to subjugate, dominate, and oppress others, especially Muslim women. Several Islamic countries only allow a bare education to women, restrict their work, restrict their movement, restrict what they wear, and force girls as young as 12 years old into marriages.

President Trump was completely accurate when he noted that many Somali refugees/illegals contribute very little benefit to the United States. He noted that Ilhan Omar and her Somali community complain and bad-mouth America while happily accepting our freebies all while espousing the virtues of Somalia. (Note -- Over 80% of all Somali refugee households, and 89% of those with children receive government freebies of some sort.)

If America is so bad, and Somalia is so great, nothing is preventing Somalis from returning. Americans don’t want ungrateful riffraff. 

Image: U.S. Army