And what of our “other” illegal immigration problem? Our exposed vulnerabilities enhanced by lax immigration enforcement might become a national security issue from a different direction.

In the mood of the “reset," we have allowed droves of eastern Europeans / Russians to overstay their visas.  Missing from the discussion and mislead by the media, the illegal immigration issue perpetually presented as a Latino one. Unmentioned is that nearly half of illegals are NOT Latino.

Perhaps you have unwontedly heard cell phone conversers speaking eastern European dialects and wondered where the concept of assimilation was lost.  Maybe there is a Russian “nightclub” in your hometown. 

In Brad Thor’s book “The State of the Union”, the story is woven with the premise that the Russian mob presence in the United States is partially FSB (successor to the KGB) sponsored.  A network, if you will. An interesting notion for a fictional plot, yet steeped in possibility. A cautionary interest arises with a certain plausibility.

Coincidentally, much of the hacking and credit card fraud of late has been tracked back to eastern European driven activities.  Imagine a US economy where credit cards become obsolete due to repeated and countless fraudulent activities.  Retail commerce in the country would come to a halt.  The Federal Reserve would dial up their stimulus again and the dollar would continue its decline.  Some would be delighted.

Perhaps this is just a further exercise in fiction. Yet how far fetched just a decade ago the thought of our inability to put a man in orbit, and that we would be relying on the Russians for such a service at $70 million a seat?  Fiction then becomes reality now.

 In short, we have been irresponsible and overly trusting. Our eyes have been off the “other” illegal immigrants.  Those who wish us harm have waltzed into our country.  Those with close ties to a country with which we are at growing odds walk among us.

This is not fiction.

James Longstreet