By Ray Cardello for February 13, 2023 Season 16 / Post 17

They seem so harmless. After all, how dangerous can a group of letters be? Well, these acronyms represent some of the most radical political groups or corrupted intelligence agencies that are focused on changing the mindset of Americans and the course of America. The entities that hide behind their moniker do not like America and what she stands for and will transform America if left unchecked.

Over 900 known hate groups operate in nearly every state in our Union. Many of these groups are nothing more than gangs with a mission of violence in the name of the people they follow or despise. We could go back to the KKK or The Weather Underground, but the organized groups of today are more focused on political change than violence. Unfortunately, two agencies of the government have gone rogue and now target sectors of our population on behalf of politicians. The FBI has been working on derailing Donald Trump for years and is used by the DOJ to harass parents who disagree with Woke policies of school boards. This week, it was uncovered that the FBI labeled certain Catholics as domestic terrorists. Who could forget the IRS and Lois Lerner targeting Tea Party groups to eliminate their threat to Democrat candidates? Lerner is retired with a full government pension. It seems nobody who goes off the grid in government ever faces accountability.

Black Lives Matter (BLM) was born out of the George Floyd killing in Minnesota. The group became instantly powerful, calling for reparations, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) in every corner of American life. Schools, local and state governments, private companies, and sports leagues were pressured to buy into the philosophy or be destroyed. BLM was embraced by big cities like Washington, New York, and Los Angeles, which renamed streets and painted BLM logos on main roads. They got members elected to office or placed on school boards. They had a two-year run, and money flowed in from individuals and corporations until it was found that a few of the organizers were getting rich by siphoning donations into their personal accounts. They proved to be nothing more than a money laundering operation, but the damage is done. Their members and philosophies are entrenched in government positions.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is more subtle but just as powerful. They are determined to push their thinking onto Americans of every age group. These movements began brewing in the background during the Obama administration. They are patient but committed to influencing our future. ESG is a dangerous collaboration of Government, Industry, and Finance that promotes clean energy and equity. Some of the biggest banks, pension funds, tech companies, insurance, investment companies, and globalist institutions make up this Cabral that exerts intense pressure on companies to yield to their beliefs or pay the consequences. Those consequences may be more costly financing, manipulation of stock value, negative publicity, or increased regulations. This Cabral has too much power for a healthy country and capitalist economy.

People need to be educated about the dangers of ESG and urged to use the power of their dollars to impact this movement and the companies they support. People need to be advised to ask tough questions of their investment advisors to know where their money is invested. Finally, people need to be cognizant of where they are spending their dollars. These movements can be defeated. But it will take knowledge, work, and sacrifice from all Americans.