Another week and we find more signs of incompetence destroying confidence in our institutions. Indeed many of our institutions are crumbling. A group of mounted border patrol agents just doing their job of turning back Haitians illegally entering the U.S. found themselves vilified and suspended. The president, vice-president, and the DHS secretary all have accused them of abusing the lawbreakers. The president promised, “they will pay.” Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer tweeted, “The images of inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants by Border Patrol—including the use of whips—are unacceptable.” Arizona Republic columnist Greg Moore went so far as to say, “Haitians flee a disaster-stricken island for the promise of stability in Texas, but they’re attacked by white men on horseback like slaves who don’t know their place.”

Of course, these agents never did whip anybody. They never had whips. Most of the Haitians came from South America and hadn’t been in Haiti for a decade. Hispanics, not whites, are the largest ethnic group in the Border Patrol, and likely, the horse patrols reflect this composition. An ugly rush to judgment that can only cast the Border Patrol in an unflattering light. Just how were they supposed to stop people from illegally entering our country?

Forgotten are the lessons of the similar Nick Sandmann circus. Pictures can appear to show one thing when the opposite is true, especially when it fits your political narrative. Blasted for harassing a Native American, it turned out high school student Sandmann was entirely innocent. Several news organizations reluctantly contributed to young Nick’s financial future. 

By throwing the mounted officers under the bus instead of having their backs, the Border Patrol joins law enforcement and our military as increasingly unattractive occupations. To function, Civilized Society needs protection against those foreign or domestic who would take advantage of us. By necessity, the job is demanding and .dangerous. We always need good people to fill the ranks.

Nobody wants to work for an organization where those at the top don’t have their back. Worse are leaders putting you in a position of dishonor. 

When political and law enforcement leaders failed to fully back a police officer doing his job in Ferguson, Mo., other cities and towns followed, what we now call the Ferguson effect was born. Those cities and towns found they couldn’t retain their officers. Good recruits became hard to find. The cops still on the force became less aggressive. Everyone was less safe.

Esprit de Corps is a necessity in any military organization. Trust and honor are essential. Leaders removing the troops before civilians besmirch the force’s nobility. Putting them in an indefensible position ruins trust. Yet, those responsible for the Afghan fiasco have suffered zero consequences. People die, and no one pays the price. Joint Chief of Staff Milley is even toasted by some for telling negative stories about his boss. These aren’t the images you want on recruiting posters.

Protection of our citizens also extends to their health. Our permanent health agencies, the NIH, FDA, and CDC, have failed miserably in this pandemic. The U.S. still lags the world in testing. The NIH may have funded the lab responsible for the outbreak. We know its leaders, Dr. Collins and Dr. Fauci, have been less than timely with information on their actions. Project Warp Speed gave us a plan which put us near the top in world vaccinations. Under the present leadership, we have fallen entirely out of the top group. Communication with the public has been confusing at best. These failures cost lives. 

The public has every reason to lose faith in these institutions. Our leaders have significant screw-ups but pay no price. Those we charge with our safety have lost sight of why we hired them. Protecting your citizens, not politics or social engineering, is your job. Civilized society depends on it.

Starting tomorrow in New York State, vaccine mandates will start creating havoc. With the U.S. already suffering a severe labor shortage, these mandates by the Federal and some state governments will only add to the problem. Prices are already rising due in part to the labor shortage. Things are now bound to get worse. We don’t know how many people will refuse the shot and not be on the job, but any not showing up will add to an already bad situation. 

A big part of this problem should’ve been avoided simply by recognizing natural immunity from a previous infection. As I’ve pointed out, these people have immunity as good or better than the vaccinated. Up to half of those blocked from work are immune and are no more significant threat than the vaccinated. The mandates then are essentially self-inflicted wounds. 

 In any case, the ‘crisis” underlying all these mandates looks as if it’s dying out. By not recognizing natural immunity, so many of our “experts’ missed the predicted topping out of the Delta variant surge. (see below) Remember, I and others who figured in natural immunity said the Delta wave would top out by fall. By the time the mandates fully take effect, the need will be gone—all the strife and dislocation for nothing. 

The New York Times worried widespread booster shots would rob the poorer world of vaccines prolonging the pandemic in its Sunday editorial. Nowhere did they recognize forcing shots on the already immune might deprive the highly at risk worldwide of the vaccines. This myopia isn’t “following the Science,.” It’s inept. It appears incompetence is also approaching epidemic proportions.