A Secure Border a Country Makes

This story from Taiwan News shows Taiwan treating it's borders as if they were the borders of a country. Nothing here about getting Beijing's approval or help. Borders, language, and culture are considered to be minimal characteristics of a country. The native Taiwanese (85% of population) have a distinct language and culture apart from the Chinese. Treating Taiwan's border as something to be secured and making reciprocal visa-free agreements with other governments shows that the government of Taiwan is acting like the government of a country.

NIA, the gatekeeper of national borders

Following in footsteps of England, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada, the European Union is reported to see the visa-free treatment for Taiwan clear its floor recently, a move commonly seen as a shot in the arm for substantial exchanges between Europe and Taiwan.

In response to growing demand from tourists to visa-waived countries and an array of problems following the exemption, including smuggling and human-trafficking, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) has stepped up its efforts to cement the guard of national borders with a series of seminars, forums and staff training since its establishment on Jan. 2, 2007.

Click here to read the full story.

My Hail Mary Message to Sen. Nelson

On 12/23/2009, in the midst of taking my wife and children from Pflugerville over the hills and through the woods to Grandmother's house in Birmingham, AL we stopped in Tyler at a Subway to eat a late lunch (while tornado warnings were being broadcast). I had the impending Senate Obamacare vote on my mind being quite upset with what the Obamabots were doing up there in Harry Reid's twisted chamber. So I faxed Ben Nelson a simple message that I later revised a bit and faxed to the following (including Senator Nelson) the next day (Christmas Eve):

Sen. Michael F Bennet, Colorado DC Fax Number: 202-228-5036

Sen. Ben Nelson, Nebraska, DC Fax Number: 202-228-0012

Sen. Mary Landrieu, Louisiana, DC Fax Number: 202-224-9735

Sen. Mark Pryor, Arkansas, DC Fax Number: 202-228-0908

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas, DC Fax Number: 202-228-1371

Sen. Robert Byrd, West Virginia, DC Fax Number: 202-228-0002

Sen. Jim Webb, Virginia, DC Fax Number: 202-228-6363

Sen. Mark Warner, Virginia, DC Fax Number: 202-224-6295

Sen. Jon Tester, Montana, DC Fax Number: 202-224-8594

Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut, DC Fax Number: 202-224-9750

Sen. Mark Begich, Alaska, DC Fax Number: 202-224-2354

Sen. Evan Bayh, Indiana, DC Fax Number: 202-228-1377

I named the MS Word doc file that I sent the efax from, Hail Mary.doc. Here is my Hail Mary message to Sen. Nelson:

The Honorable Senator Ben Nelson

720 Hart Senate Office Building

United States Senate

Washington,

DC 20510

Tel: 1-202-224-6551 | Fax: 1-202-228-0012

Dear Senator Nelson,

PLEASE, FOR YOUR OWN
POLITCAL SAKE, FOR THE SAKE OF THE NATION AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE SAKE OF THE
UNBORN,

VOTE AGAINST
THE HEALTHCARE BILL THIS WEEK.

IT WILL ONLY TAKE AWAY OUR
FREEDOM AND WILL DISTROY THE GOOD HEALTH CARE MOST AMERICANS CURRENTLY HAVE
ACCESS TO.

AMERICANS WILL
NOT FORGET WHEN THEY VOTE IN THE NOV 2010 GENERAL ELECTION. REPUBLICANS WILL
TAKE OVER THE U.S. SENATE AND HOUSE AS A RESULT!

A Concerned American Citizen,

Timothy E. Bradberry

P.S. Though I am sending this FAX independently of any other citizen, my views reflect those of most Americans according to scientific polling results (Rasmussen, etc.).

Well, Sen. Nelson didn't heed the warning and now he is paying the political price.

Click below to read John Fund's editorial, "Ben Nelson's Purgatory":

The Nebraska senator's health-care vote has killed him politically.

And here are a few more stories illustrative of the Senator's apparent political demise:

Nebraskans so disgusted with Ben Nelson they can’t even eat around him

The the "Cornhusker Kickback" termed the biggest blunder in modern history in this story:

Anatomy of Anger

And here is Sen. Nelson, the seller-out of the unborn, for 30 pieces of silver, so to speak:

Both parties must re-evaluate divisive health care reform