What's in a name?

Immigration is a hot topic and I don't know enough to render any comments with confidence.  One thought I have is that the driving forces of earlier European immigration such as wars, poverty, and religious or political oppression are no longer in play.  It is possible that Europe, as a whole, has become prosperous enough that there is no longer a need to seek opportunities elsewhere.  But aren't those folks from the shirt-hole countries driven by the same forces as the earlier European immigrants?  Like I said, I don't know enough.  I do remember, though, that post-uprising Hungarian immigrants were called DPs (displaced persons), and not always fondly.

It seems possible to me that all the hubbub about immigration is a distraction from a possible greater threat, that being the ownership of US assets by foreign companies.  Mr. Beagles mentioned the role of the Chinese government in the ownership of Chinese companies, and that is correct to the best of my understanding; they have a piece of everything.  And those companies have deep pockets, investing in or outright purchasing American factories, banks, insurance companies, entertainment companies, and even farmland.  I don't want to beat up on the Chinese for this, as there are many foreign companies doing the same thing but what happens when their governments start yanking their chains?  Is the US for sale, being sold out under our feet?

Or maybe turnabout is fair play, and now it's our turn in the barrel.  The US has a shady record of corporate greed, interfering with sovereign nations to the extent that governments have been toppled.  Oh, we were fighting Communism, too, as if that matters much nowadays.  The system is rigged, with everyone's hands in each others pockets; Capitalism at its finest.

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Speaking of fact bending, I saw where the secretary of homeland security, Neilson (a Norwegian surname as CNN helpfully pointed out)...

Possibly more fake news from CNN, according to Wikipedia.  The name is Danish, the most common surname in Denmark and it is Nielsen (son of Niels), not Neilson.  It is used in Norway, but Nelsen and Nilsen are more common.  Nilsson is used in Sweden.  It is very uncommon in Finland, probably originating from Danish immigrants.

This is why facts are important, you can't have a good liberal discussion if they change from day to day.

Maybe the lady is Norwegian, after all.  Or a "herring choker," if you prefer.  Those Scandinavians are known for their friendly rivalries.  Even the Germans like to get in on the act.  An old German guy from my childhood church referred to black people as "sunburned Swedes."   At least he didn't use the N-word.