Politics is smothering good Politicians

 The bodies weren’t even cold when the MAGA crowd started politicizing yesterday’s drone attacks by Iran-backed groups that killed three U. S. military in Jordan and wounded many others.  As expected, Trump immediately blamed Biden’s “weakness and surrender.”  Senator Tom Cotton (and Trump supporter) released the following statement almost immediately following the news of the attack:

 “Joe Biden emboldened Iran for years by tolerating attacks on our troops, bribing the ayatollahs with billions of dollars, and appeasing them to no end. He left our troops as sitting ducks and now three are dead and dozens wounded, sadly as I’ve predicted would happen for months. The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East. Anything less will confirm Joe Biden as a coward unworthy of being commander-in-chief.

 

“On behalf of Arkansans, I extend my deepest condolence to the families of our brave fallen warriors. May God comfort them as He welcomes their loved ones into His embrace. And may God quickly and completely heal their wounded comrades.” 

Nothing wrong with the second paragraph of Cotton's statement, but notice how it comes as almost an afterthought to the political rhetoric of the first paragraph, rhetoric characteristic of many MAGA supporters yesterday.  One would think that someone with Sen. Cotton’s distinguished military service would have more sense.  But no, in the ever-growing insanity of the MAGA cult, politics (i.e. electing Trump) is everything. 

As to retaliation against Iran, there must be a U.S. response, but this is really a very complex issue.  Iran denies it ordered the attack.  We need proof that it did before we respond directly against Iran for that attack.  And whatever action we take must be carefully considered in light of the already potentially explosive nature of the Middle East following the terrorist attack on Israel, Israel’s legitimate response, the prisoners held by Hamas, and the many questions about Gaza.  Just a blind return of fire could cause far worse problems than a delay in order to respond with well thought out action.

But, this inability to think beyond political posturing, rampant on all sides, actually defines the MAGA Republicans today.  Consider the bipartisan immigration bill that was on a likely path to passage until Trump urged Republicans to vote against the bill because he needs to be able to attack his rival Biden over the border crisis. The bipartisan bill would have provided money to Israel and Ukraine in return for Democrats agreeing to several Republican demands that address the border crisis and immigration laws.  As one senator put it, “[Trump] doesn’t want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame Biden for it.”

Oklahoma Republican Senator Lankford, who continues to negotiate with Democrats to try to save the bill stated on a Sunday TV news interview:

“It is interesting: Republicans, four months ago, would not give funding for Ukraine, for Israel and for our southern border because we demanded changes in policy. So we actually locked arms together and said: ‘We’re not going to give money for this. We want a change in[immigration] law.  And now, it’s interesting: A few months later, when we’re finally getting to the end, they’re like, ‘Oh, just kidding, I actually don’t want a change in law because of presidential election year,'” 

And what does Sen. Lankford get for his efforts at bipartisanship to solve our country’s problems?  The Oklahoma Republican Party approved a resolution censuring the Senator and attacking him for negotiating with Democrats on a potential border deal.  Just more proof that the Republican party cares little for people affected by the issues it campaigns on but rather simply uses those issues as political talking points to achieve its own power.

This is the new MAGA Republican party, and it has frightening authoritarian tendencies.  This party is led by the presumptive (but hopefully not actual) nominee Donald Trump.  While it is true that Trump’s 2016 presidency did much to improve the day to day lives of many Americans, it also had a dark side.   There is no question that Trump’s words were often acerbic and designed to get a response.  The response, beginning immediately upon his 2016 election was a series of never-ending attacks and allegations, many false and pursued out of seemingly pure hate for the man, but some with at least nuggets of truth to them.  While racial and perhaps other divisiveness became apparent during the Obama years, it increased during Trump’s presidency and continues to this day. 

Both parties have fanned the flames of this atmosphere of anger and overwhelming divisiveness since 2020.  The parties and their supporters have become true enemies of one another rather than simply political opponents and all seem ready if not eager to sue, impeach, censure, or otherwise fully attack anyone whose views or policy decisions they do not like.  This does little for the American people but seems to satisfy some political need within our current leaders. 

Since 2020, Trump and his MAGA supporters seem to be the most eager to stir up hatred and discord against any who are not 100% with them.  Since he lost the 2020 election, Trump has a track record of attacking our Constitution and our very form of government.  His claims of a fraudulent election, his actions leading up to and on Jan. 6 (which I believe disqualify him from holding office) and his unsubstantiated and continuing assertions that Joe Biden was not elected and is not our real president are now joined by his actions setting up the same claims for 2024 as he currently asserts that the only way he will lose is if the Democrats cheat.  These assertions are all attacks on our elections, our institutions, and our rule of law, core elements of our democracy and the America and Americans which these folks claim to love.

But beyond these election related tirades, Trump regularly debases, ignores, and encourages others to violate the Constitution and laws of the United States.  In his many ongoing court cases he consistently ignores the court processes, procedures, and rule of law.  He then verbally attacks the courts, attorneys, and jurors for simply doing their jobs when he does not obtain the outcome he seeks.  Moreover, he uses these serious judicial matters as opportunities for campaigning.  The disrespect (which is  encouraged by MAGA supporters who, for example, urge the Governor of Texas to disobey an order of Stay from the United States Supreme Court), if not violation, of both Constitution and Rule of Law are direct assaults on the core of our democracy.  These disregarders of the Constitution are the same folks who assert they believe in its every word – apparently that’s only when they like what it says.

The MAGA cult wants what it wants, and its political ambitions trump (excuse the pun) any concern for the American people.  Sometimes their needs or desires may benefit, but that is nothing more than coincidence. 

While Trump’s rhetoric has always been acerbic, it has taken an extremely dark and un-American turn. When he says that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” (spoken at a New Hampshire rally December 2023) and then doubles down on that statement when given an opportunity to offer some less repulsive explanation, one can’t help but hear the echo of Hitler asserting Jewish blood was poisoning Aryan German blood.  And when his Christmas message is a hope that his opponents rot in hell, one can see that he is not interested in working across the aisle or finding space for all Americans in this country. (Trump’s Christmas rant included the following: “World Leaders, both good and bad, but none of which are as evil and ‘sick’ as the THUGS we have inside our Country.” The message ended with, “MAY THEY (referring to Biden and Special Prosecutor Smith) ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!”) Such rhetoric, in my opinion, does not belong in America, and certainly not in the mouth of a presidential hopeful.

Trump’s exclusive and authoritarian tendencies are apparent as he tries to push out of the Republican Party any and all who do no swear allegiance to his MAGA regime.  He asserted that all Nikki Haley supporters are now permanently barred from the Republican party which he now refers to as the “MAGA community.”  (So much for the big tent where all are welcome!).  MAGA, in true fascist fashion, does not really care about the people, but only its power and its own ideology. 

And, lest we forget the Democrats, they too are often more likely to attack their opponents as totally evil individuals out to destroy America rather than attack the positions and policies of those with whom they disagree.  President Biden himself has given some pretty dark and angry speeches and his view of opponents as enemy is often apparent.  Expect these type of attacks to become more common as we approach the November election.  

We have a changing world fraught with many crises.  These are not the fault of one person or one party.  The problems and complex and often interconnected.   We need politicians who want to solve these problems, not just use them to blame others for their existence.

The primary political responses to the drone attack simply underscore the overwhelming and devastating role that politics itself has taken in our country.  There are good and bad and mediocre politicians, and we vote in or out those whose policies we do or do not agree with, giving those we choose the opportunity to represent us, the people.  But when it is politics itself that begins governing our country – when decisions are made based not on what is good for the American people but on what effect they will have on the enemy/other party, then we are in real trouble.   This politicization of almost everything smothers the opportunity for real dialog, debate, and solution to this country’s and the world’s problems.

We the people need to begin thinking like Americans who believe in our country and all of its people and who can work together to find solutions to our problems, and we need to demand that our politicians do the same.  We must no longer tolerate a politics that is synonymous with a blood-thirst against those holding opposing views.  And we need to elect politicians who will help us to stand united as one country rather than trying to divide us until we fall.

Here yesterday. Fading today. Gone tomorrow?

With a good third of this country still blind to the Left and current Administration’s effective fostering of its demise, there is little hope but in miracles for its continuance in anything but name only. 

America, once the shining star of democracy and freedom, a place where individuals could flourish as themselves, is fast becoming an authoritarian land of mediocrity.  This essay considers the past, present, and likely future of America.  Americans can sit by and watch this happen, or they can speak up and attempt to change the course of our future.

Here was America

This country was founded by people tired of government telling them what they could and could not think, say, believe.  It was founded by people who believe in individual responsibility and rights to make such decisions for themselves, based on an underpinning of Judeo-Christian values. 

These founders created two essential keys to America’s brilliant form of democracy.  The first is our Constitution.  The second, found within that Constitution, is a government divided into three coequal branches. 

The 3 branches of government

The three branches of the federal government provide checks and balances on one another.  They provide a voice to the people while ensuring that our Constitution and rule of law are not violated.

The Legislative branch is a political branch.  It consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate.  Both representatives and senators are the elected representatives of the people.  The number of members of the House of Representatives is based upon population – states with larger population will have more representatives.  Because having only the House would be unfair to citizens in smaller states whose voice could be overridden by larger states, we also have the Senate.  There are two senators for every state regardless of size or population.

The legislative branch’s primary duty is to make law.  These elected representatives are intended to be the voice of their constituents in what they will focus on and what laws they will create.  Because there are differing political views and because these representatives are elected, this is a political body.  If the people are dissatisfied with their representation, they can elect different representatives.

The second branch is also a political branch.  The Executive branch includes the President as well as most federal agencies, departments, and directorates.  The primary duties of the Executive branch are to enforce federal law, and to provide for the protection of the American people. 

The third branch is not political.  It is the Judicial branch and it’s function is to hear and decide controversies involving federal law, treaties, and the Constitution and to decide such cases in a way consistent with the Constitution and our rule of law.  The Judicial branch is led by the Supreme Court which consists of nine justices appointed for life.  Unlike the political branches which are intended to be guided by and responsive to the voices of their constituents, the Judicial branch is responsive not to popular opinion but to the Constitution and laws of the United States.  As a non-elected body, they can and should ignore political arguments as they interpret our Constitution and laws consistent with our Constitution and founding principles.

These three branches serve as checks and balances on one another.  For example, if the Legislative branch creates a law that is not Constitutional, the Judicial Branch can declare it to be such and render it ineffective.  If the Legislature is dissatisfied with a Judicial opinion, they can perhaps write a law that essentially creates a statutory remedy to what the court denied.  The legislature can designate agencies within the Executive branch to create regulations that enforce statutes. 

            Other key constitutional provisions

The U.S. Constitution limits the authority of the federal government.  Within the Constitution, the specific powers of each branch are enumerated.  The Bill of Rights makes clear that these outline the limits of the federal government’s power  with all else reserved to the States or to the people.

The Bill of Rights consists of the first 10 amendments to the constitution and were created by our founders to make absolutely clear that ours is a government of the people.  It asserts that the Constitution protects citizen rights from the government.  These rights belong to the people and the federal government may not remove or limit them except in the most exceptional circumstances.  That is, the government does not create and cannot give and take away the rights of the people.  These rights include freedom of speech, religion, peaceable assembly, the right to bear arms, the right to be secure in ones house and personal belongings from unreasonable search and seizure, the right to due process of law, the right to a speedy and fair trial, the right to trial by jury, freedom from excessive bail and from cruel and unusual punishment, and other, non-enumerated rights.

As a result of the wisdom of our Founders, we the people are able to govern ourselves in a civil and orderly fashion.  We, not the government, decide who we will be, what we will believe, and are free to share our opinions no matter how many or few may find them reasonable or even accurate.  The federal government is limited; because the states are closer to the actual citizenry those citizens are closer to their government.  States’ laws, while they must comply with the U.S. Constitution, can and will vary depending on the will, politics, and policies of the people living in each state.

Here is America today

The Left, with the blessing of the Biden Administration, is dismantling the core institutions of our democracy without which this democracy will die.  This attack on our democracy is multifaceted.  I will suggest just some of the ways in which it is being attacked.

Let’s begin with the rule of law.  Rather than enforce (or not enforce) laws equally, laws are enforced dependent upon the political views of those breaking the laws.  Consider the current example of the protests at homes of selected Supreme Court justices.  These attempts at intimidation and to cause the Justices to change their opinion are in violation of federal law, yet the Biden administration not only allows, but encourages them to continue.   

At the same time, Biden unleashes his law enforcement agencies – FBI, DOJ – on American citizens exercising their free speech rights.  For example, despite asserting that counterterrorism laws were not being used against Americans speaking their political opinions, recent emails and other documents have revealed that lie perpetrated by this country’s Attorney General (see THIS LINK  )

The Biden administration has created a Department of Disinformation led by someone who herself is no stranger to disinformation.  But that disinformation was directed at Biden’s political opponents, so it is allowed.  The disinformation that is not permitted is anything that counters the preferred Leftist narrative, even if that “disinformation” is in fact true and conforms to science as well as evidence.

The core right to speak one’s mind is being cancelled and where not cancelled an environment is created which intimidates one into not speaking.

Speaking of misinformation, facts, and science, consider what the Left, including Biden, his administration, and Democrat legislators, is perpetuating in their many falsehoods about Roe v. Wade and its possible overturn.  First, overturning Roe v. Wade would not outlaw abortion but would return decisions about its regulation to the states where it rightfully belongs under our constitution (see part one above).  There is nothing to support the assertions that women nationwide would be denied abortions, nor that they would die.  Similar lies spread by the Left about Roe v. Wade can be found HERE.  

The abortion arguments also do not accept science which acknowledges that human life begins at conception.  The forthright arguments for abortion would begin by acknowledging that abortion kills a unique human; then the pro-abortionists could make their arguments in favor of justifying that homicide and explain how a “woman’s right to choose” includes and extends to the right to choose death for another human being.

Speaking of science, the Left completely ignored science as it used Covid to further its political agenda.  And of course the Left apparently finds the scientific fact that there are two sexes – male and female – to be some form of disinformation.  Rather, they would have us believe that someone who pretends to be the opposite sex from that which they biologically are is indeed that opposite sex and they demand that we accept that as a fact.  They are now instilling this false narrative in the minds of our children.

The Left instills in public schools not only the above unscientific and false information, but rearranges history with distortion, omission, and replacement of fact with narrative.  Children are denied the ability to become the best they can be because, in the name of equity, things like advanced placement classes are removed. Teaching sexuality and Leftist policy has become at least equally important as math, science, and history and more important than teaching critical thinking.

The Left creates identity politics, dividing the citizens, yet its policies are most detrimental to those it claims to champion – transgender policy hurts women; economy and entitlement programs hurt blacks and people of color.  Making race and gender primary job qualifications demeans those races/genders that qualify, and “equity” pushes the entire country down from a standard of excellence to one of mediocrity.

There is no tolerance of views that oppose the official government narrative.  Our President calls all members of the opposing Republican party terrorists.  He and his administration encourage social media to silence all who disagree. 

The President neglects his sworn duties.  He does not protect American citizens here or abroad.  He has wrecked the economy, and instead of taking responsibility for his actions blames any and everyone else in sight.  He laughs about inflation.  As gas prices rise, in good Marie Antoinette form, he cuts off American oil production and tells the people to buy electric cars.  As the administration sends loads of baby formula to illegal immigrants at our border, it seems unconcerned about the citizens in this country who cannot obtain formula, blaming the shortage on a variety of Republicans.

In the first year of Biden’s presidency, migrants were encountered over 1 million times, the highest number of illegal crossings since at least 1960 (source NY Times).  Over 2 million are expected in 2022.  Single adult males continue to make up the largest percentage of illegal border crossers.  Biden now works to end the Title 42 border polices, effectively opening our borders and inviting anyone to enter with no regard for our immigration laws and policies, for the effect that the millions illegally in this country will have upon the current citizenry – their job prospects, their life style, their tax burdens. Great as America is, it cannot take in the entire world; what the Biden administration is doing is a threat to the way of life of American citizens whom he swore to protect.

The Left, with the support and assistance of the Biden administration and the Democrat party, are destroying our basic constitutional freedoms.  They are making a joke out of our laws.  They distort the roles of our three branches of government as they attempt to turn the Supreme Court into another political body, as the Executive branch flaunts its disregard of our laws and our Constitution, and, as they encourage the legislature to support their own power rather than the will of the people.

The Legislative Branch has been dysfunctional for some time; the Executive branch has been both dysfunctional and autocratic since Jan 20 2021.  And now the Judiciary has been dealt a near or perhaps actual fatal blow.  The Constitution and the roles of the various branches of government are severely misunderstood and we are well on our way to mob rule rather than the reasoned rule of law.  This administration, rather than slow down, is ramping up its apparent desire to punish Americans and destroy their country.   

We are in deep trouble.  

And the Future is….

Without her institutions, America cannot survive.  While under attack and seriously wounded and weakened, these core institutions are not yet dead and so, perhaps, neither is America.  But time is short in which to reverse the trend to total destruction. 

We the people seem to have lost both our minds and our voices.  We must regain them soon or they, along with our right to be the individual each of us is meant to be, will be gone forever.

Whose Side is Biden on?

 Supporting Putin's war with our oil money, negotiating to buy Venezuelan oil and thus help finance another dictatorship, joining Russia and China in a deal very favorable to Iran and its nuclear program, all while destroying American economy and culture – it sure looks like Biden has chosen to align with socialist dictatorships rather than democracy.

OIL

Let’s look at the oil aspect of this.  Under the previous administration (the one with the mean tweets that also actually did so much to make America and its economy great again) we were energy independent. 

As part of the numerous policy reversals that Biden took upon becoming President, actions seemingly simply taken out of spite and not based on thought or logical rationale, he halted pipelines, oil leases, and oil production in America.  We are no longer energy independent.

So, having made us dependent upon foreign oil, Biden has put this country in the position of funding Russia’s war against Ukraine.  This is a position that he could remove us from almost immediately simply by restarting American oil and gas production.  Not only would we once again be energy independent, we would be able to provide energy to European countries currently dependent on Russian oil.  We could cut off the supply of blood money to Russia.

That alone would be good.  The reopening of our internal energy production would provide jobs and income and would boost our economy.  It would help to fight Biden’s inflation including the daily price hikes at the gas pumps.

But Biden refuses to do this.  He does not want us to be energy independent.  He says we can help the Ukrainians by going green instead.  Do the environmental experts at the White House not understand that we cannot go green overnight? That just because we are not getting gas and oil from America does not mean that it is not being produced elsewhere, probably less cleanly than we do it here and with the additional environmental impact of transporting foreign oil to our country?

No, he apparently does not understand that (or chooses not to).  Instead, he is negotiating with Venezuela.  His secret oil meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was a huge PR boost for the socialist regime, a regime with notoriously outrageous human rights abuses.  Biden may be willing to trade our giving blood money to Russia for our giving it to Venezuela, but he is not willing to simply bring the money back home and produce the oil here.

Biden is also negotiating with Saudi Arabia and who knows what other countries; negotiations that are unnecessary when he could simply open U.S. oil production again.  (I’m wondering if North Korea has oil, maybe we could give them some blood money too.)

What kind of president acts so callously and so disregards his country’s own people?  Only one who is senile or simply hates his own country so much that he would perhaps enjoy seeing it destroyed.

WAR

Everyone needs to recognize that Russia’s war on Ukraine is a complicated situation with a long history leading to this Russian invasion and there are many who merit some blame.  Let’s also acknowledge that Putin does not see the world as we do, and at the moment he has a very destructive focus that is likely to go well beyond Ukraine.

But did this war have to happen?  Perhaps, and perhaps not.  But certainly, the actions of President Biden leading up to the Russian invasion were not wise, did nothing to prevent the attack, and likely provided encouragement to Putin.

Beyond removing sanctions, including sanctions on oil, that the prior administration had in place, Biden also failed in other ways that served to encourage Putin. 

Biden completely failed in the Afghanistan withdrawal last fall, something of which the Putin administration surely took note of.  As Putin then began increasing troops at Ukraine’s border, Biden did little more than wring his hands.  What little more he did was not helpful. 

Biden issued warnings to Putin, but never followed through.  He said we would not commit troops, which was an assurance to Putin that he would not have to face American soldiers.  Biden told Putin that “small incursions” would not warrant serious retaliation.  

Biden stated he would use sanctions as a deterrent at the right time.  Note to Biden:  deterrent means something that discourages someone from doing something.  If you want sanctions to deter an invasion, you need to use them before the invasion occurs.

After the invasion which Biden did nothing to deter, he announced sanctions while stating that sanctions never work, and it would be months before they could take any effect.  Did he not notice the Russian troops piling up at Ukraine’s border on which maybe sanctions imposed earlier might have been able to have a deterring effect?  Or did he just choose to let Putin move forward?

And now, Russia has invaded.  Biden bemoans the damage and destruction to Ukraine and imposes sanctions that are likely to have no effect whatsoever on Putin’s decisions to move forward and continue his attacks on Ukraine.  And the one sanction that might actually have some effect – cutting the purchase of Russian oil – Biden refuses to impose.

Again, I ask, what kind of president acts so callously and so disregards his country’s own people, not to mention the people of Ukraine? What kind of President seeks out countries that would like to destroy us as business partners from whom we will buy products we could easily produce ourselves? Again, the answer seems to be only a president who is senile or simply hates his own country so much that he would perhaps enjoy seeing it destroyed.

CHINA

There is so much bending to China’s will, primarily because we need much of what China provides to us.  Again, I note, that President Biden, while saying words like “buy American”, does nothing to encourage making that a reality and hence ending some dependence on China. 

China is not our friend.  Nonetheless, Biden provided our intelligence about the war, how he would handle sanctions, etc., to China.  Was Biden the only one to whom it was not obvious that China would immediately provide all that information to Russia?

But perhaps worse is his overlooking of the Chinese genocide of the Uyghur Muslims.  Biden talks a good talk about his concern for human rights, both in our country and abroad, but he certainly does not walk the walk. 

Again, I ask, what American who appreciates democracy can ignore so much that is undemocratic?

IRAN

The new Iran deal will be finalized in the coming days.  Iran is our sworn enemy, yet Biden has continued to negotiate with Russia, China, and Iran, all enemies of the United States.  The agreement will restore nuclear capability to Iran and, in the words of a Russian diplomat taking part in the talks, “Tehran got much more than anyone expected.”

BIDEN

So, again, I ask, what the heck is our President doing?  Certainly not conscientiously fulfilling his oath of office.  Certainly not competently carrying out his duties.  Certainly not doing what is best for America.  But yes, acting in any number of ways that are benefiting our enemies and those who are the enemies of democracy.    For an American president this is simply unacceptable.

Tails a-Wagging

“Wagging the Dog” is an expression, made popular during the Clinton administration. Generally it is “the act of creating a diversion from a damaging issue.”  In politics it means “to distract attention away from a political scandal, often through military action.”

A 1997 movie “Wag the Dog” involved a fictional political spin doctor (Robert De Niro) who distracted the electorate from a fictional presidential sex scandal by hiring a Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) to create a fake war.  Less than a month after the movie was released, the Clinton-Lewinsky affair became headline news. Clinton, seeming to follow the movie script, then engaged the country in three military actions:  Operation Desert Fox, a three-day bombing campaign in Iraq, which took place at the time when the House of Representatives debated articles of impeachment against Clinton; Operation Infinite Reach, a pair of missile strikes against suspected terrorist targets in Sudan and Afghanistan, just three days after Clinton admitted in a nationally televised address that he had indeed had an inappropriate relationship with Lewinsky; Operation Allied Force, a months-long NATO bombing campaign against Serbia that began just weeks after Clinton was acquitted in his Senate impeachment trial.  These events distracted somewhat from the ongoing and politically damaging Clinton sex scandal.

Fast forward to 2022 and the multi-front incompetency of President Biden. That incompetence itself is a scandal, but from it evolve more problems and scandals in nearly every area.  

So, what do you do when you find the economy in tatters, supply chain disasters, border issues and illegal immigrations at record levels, the Afghanistan debacle still destroying lives, crime at all time highs and murders of police rising, Covid never-ending, record high inflation effectively reducing income and significantly harming low and middle class families, race relations and general animosity getting worse by the day, lack of energy independence, poll numbers plummeting to all-time lows, international presence and respect questionable at best, your party losing important voting groups including Black and Hispanic voters, a general malaise of dissatisfaction throughout the country?  You wag the dog.

When you have ruined everything you can touch and people are beginning to realize that you really are destroying America, what do you do?  Wag the Dog.  Wag and wag and wag and hopefully the people will all be sufficiently distracted to forget about what you are really doing and have done.  Wag, and wag, and wag, and wag.  The good thing is that the mainstream media will follow the lead and divert attention from the damaging stories to the new diversions.

So, wag number 1:  Leak the story that Justice Breyer is retiring, forcing him to announce now rather than at the end of the current term.  Announce that you will have a nomination by the end of February and that all males and all women who are not Black need not apply, for the President will appoint a Black Female.  This should (you think) please the Black voters (perhaps brings them back into the fold),  and the news should focus on the nomination and confirmation process instead of America’s problems.

That backfires.  Most of the country notices that this limitation of consideration to Black Females is racist and sexist and goes against everything this country stands for.  Too many questions.  You need another distraction.

Wag number 2:  Russia and the Ukraine.  Russia is rattling its swords on the Ukrainian border.  Let’s just get all hysterical about that (even though the president of Ukraine suggests that war is not imminent, and that the U.S. hysteria is most likely to cause a war rather than prevent one).  Nonetheless, continue the hysterics, leak negotiations and letters sent to Vladimir Putin in an attempt to show how tough you are, and send troops to the area.

It becomes more and more credible and evident that you want a war – that would certainly fill the news, distracting from failure after failure  Meanwhile you make it clear that Americans cannot count on their country to assist them should conflict develop (shades of Afghanistan!). 

This isn’t working.  Putin is perhaps more patient than you thought and has not invaded.  Send more troops.  Beat your chest a little more and try to raise hysteria about this conflict.  Not working.

Wag number 3:  Kill a Syrian terrorist.  This in itself is not bad, but what hurts is that along with the terrorist you kill at least 13 civilians, many of whom are children.  The description of the event does not show our execution of such assassinations at their skillful best and the death of innocents recalls the botched drone strike during the last days of Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of America-friendly civilians and children. 

News of this morning’s strike  in Syria is still coming out, and as usual Biden makes a statement but refuses to answer questions.  But some early reports from the area include the following:

• “Omar Saleh, a resident of a nearby house, told the Associated Press he was asleep when his doors and windows started to rattle to the sound of low-flying aircraft at 1:10 a.m. local time. He ran to open the windows with the lights off and saw three helicopters. He then heard a man, speaking Arabic with an Iraqi or Saudi accent through a loudspeaker, urging women to surrender or leave the area. This went on for 45 minutes. There was no response. Then the machine gun fire erupted.”
•  “Residents and activists told the AP that there were multiple deaths near the home that was raided, which included civilians. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said nine people were killed, including two children. The White Helmets, a civil defense group in the country, tweeted that 13 people, including six children and four women, were killed. Our teams rushed an injured child to the hospital. The child's entire family was killed in the operation. The teams also rushed another person to the hospital who was injured in the clashes when he approached the scene to witness what was happening."
• “The suicide vest detonation caused some civilian casualties, but the number of civilian deaths reported on the ground do "not correspond with what U.S. officials say occurred on the ground last night," two U.S. officials stated.

This should be a distraction for awhile at least, but probably not long enough.  So, just in case, we have potential Wag number 4:  the cancer cure.  Wednesday Biden announced his renewed launch of the “Cancer Moonshot” which he promises will end cancer (unlike his promises to end Covid and perhaps a distraction from that failed promise).  His plans include “mobilizing the entire government” against cancer and forming a “Cancer Cabinet.”

Just more show to distract us from the real news, the news that, if heard, will make it undeniable that this President is a total failure who is driving this country full speed ahead toward its destruction. 

This can get dangerous.  Let’s not forget that about a year ago Biden broke his foot while playing with his dog. 

If this were the movie sequel to Wag the Dog, we would be rolling in the aisles with laughter wondering how the author came up with such an incompetent president with so many damaging issues needing so many distractions.  We’d think it a great story.  But this is real, and it is not very funny.

Think Now or Forever Lose Your Mind

 It is not the opposing views but the lack of real thought about them that is destroying our country.

We seem to be living in a time of superficiality and unthinking acceptance, as if cowed into abject obedience by powers beyond our control.   But the only reason such powers become beyond our control is that we relinquish our control over them to those who would control us.

Sergei Dovlatov was a writer unpublished in and expelled by the Soviet Union.  He was a colleague of Joseph Brodsky who later, after his expulsion from the USSR, became the poet laureate of this country.  They, along with writers, artists, and other brave souls, had the courage to think and to stand for what they believe is right, despite every effort by their government to suppress them and their individuality.  We have people with that courage today – Senators Sinema and Manchin come to mind, and we see the hell that their own party is putting them through for having the courage to think rather than just blindly follow.

In authoritarian countries, one is officially punished for not speaking or behaving as told.  Thoughts and beliefs contrary to the official ones are kept secret to oneself.  But in this country we do still have the ability and the right to think, to question popular and party beliefs.  Yet we are allowing more and more control over our thoughts, relinquishing more and more of our individuality to others.

Perhaps we’re so conditioned by being able to google or ask Alexa, get an immediate answer and move on, that we have forgotten how to question anything. 

We used to use our minds:  if we were concerned about the upcoming weather we might have gone outside and looked at the sky, seen a storm coming, deduced that it was likely to rain this afternoon.  Now we just ask Alexa: “Will it rain this afternoon?”, accept her answer, and move on.

But the bigger issues in our society are not subject to such simple, one-word answers.  Whether we should improve America’s existing structure and cultural core or completely dismantle and then re-envision it is a question that is not subject to a simple yes or no response.  Yet that is what we are doing when we simply align with Left or Right without truly understanding the concept or consequences of their ideologies.

What are the opposing Ideologies?

During his long, meandering news conference last week Pres. Biden, while trashing Republicans once again, asked “what are Republicans for?”  The Republican Party of New Mexico answered that question.   Here is their response:

What we generally learn from the above is that the Republicans essentially are for improving the existing constitutional democratic republic structure of America.

What the Democrats are for is nowhere stated as succinctly as the Republican statement above.  Their national website (democrats.org) relies on the 2020 lengthy anti-Trump platform to describe who they are and what issues are important to them.

Reading the Democrat platform, one will be met with many lofty and lovely words, but little detail and no real specifics.  However, one can read the lengthy platform in the context of the actions of the President and his party over the last year to arrive at some concrete ideas of what the Democrats are for.

Based on their platform and actions, the Democrats are for:  

Essentially, the Democrats are for completely dismantling and then re-envisioning America as we know it.   They would alter, reinterpret, or ignore the Constitution.  Their weakening of individual and state rights while expanding federal government control over all aspects of existence is a process which is essentially creating an authoritarian power structure.

The existence of opposing views is not the problem 

These two views (improve vs. remake America) are in opposition.  That is OK; indeed, in America the idea of competing positions on issues is fundamental to our democratic system.   Strongly held opposing views need to be openly and civilly debated in depth.

What is not OK is:

1. When someone supports one or the other platform without fully understanding what it means or entails; and,
2. When those in charge of one or the other platform achieve their goals by intimidation and silencing of those with opposing views.

When either of these two problems exist, democracy is in peril.  Today, in America, we see both. 

We as individuals are fully in charge of averting the first.  We do not have to follow blindly after nice sounding words.  We have both the ability and the right to enquire further into the meaning of those words, to use our minds and think about what they mean, not only immediately but in the future.

Too many people are not doing this, but are rather following and accepting without question what they are told as true, right, and what they must do.  That is what people do in a totalitarian society.  That is not what we should be doing in America.

Of course, and this is also a key to American democracy, we must have access to relevant information to do the necessary thinking.  This is where the second part comes in, and this part is not fully in the individual’s control.

Let’s look at some of the tactics of the Democrats.  First, they have learned that a safe way to survive controversy is to blame someone else.  We hear the Democrats as well as those who support their agenda blame not only former President Trump, but Republican policies and law makers, and even the American people themselves for any and everything that is wrong with our country. 

Moreover, the Left loves to accuse its opponents of everything that they themselves are actually doing.  (Best example of this is racism and its use to divide the country.)  They repeat unfounded attacks over and over until they become commonly accepted.

Of their own people the Left demands unquestioning loyalty to their views and severely punish those who do not fall in line.  They ban opposing voices and remove all influences that do not support their narrative including literature, history, arts, and, most importantly, facts.  They are decidedly unprincipled as they see no problem with their continual hypocrisy and repeated lies.  The list of Biden lies alone reaches several pages and he may have a record for receiving the most “4 Pinocchio” ratings in fact checks.

Without actual facts, with only lies and narrative, it becomes more and more difficult to find, let alone understand, the truth underlying our issues.  We become conditioned to simply accept what we are told, either because it is easier, or because there is no other option.

This is a dangerous place for our country to be:  acceptance without question.  That is the making of an authoritarian society.  One where opposing views are suppressed, where facts are  omitted or manufactured, where the narrative is more important than the truth. 

 The silencing is all around us and is growing

Why do so many not see this happening around us?  Censorship of minority or unpopular views exists not just on social media.  The mainstream media is no longer objective or interested in mere reporting.  When was the last time a reporter asked a difficult follow-up question?  It was when they were using their admittance to press conferences to attack President Trump.  But for the last year the Democrats, from President Biden down, have not been held to account.  Meanwhile, the President weaponizes the DOJ and its hunt for “domestic terrorists” to silence those common citizens who disagree.

When a person in power makes a statement and it is accepted with no questions asked, that leaves the person in power the opportunity to create or omit facts as he or she sees fit simply to further a particular narrative – usually one designed to retain power.  And beyond simply restating the narrative without question, the Left-leaning media often actively attempts to construct it. 

Consider NPR’s respected Supreme Court reporter who created an argument between Justices Sotomayor and Gorsuch about masks, and then, even when presented with the actual facts by those two justices as well as the Chief Justice, refused to retract or correct her false allegations.  Because, for the Left, it has become OK to create narratives and the facts be damned.

Consider the continual overplayed horror and prosecution of Trump and others’ questioning of the 2020 election as some sort of coordinated anti-democratic attack upon our country.   Meanwhile, downplayed if not ignored by the media are the very same assertions by Democrats (Stacey Abram’s claim and belief that she won the Georgia governor election; Hillary Clinton’s claim that the 2016 election was illegitimate; and President Biden’s assertion and prediction that if the Democrats “voting rights” bill was not passed the 2022 elections will be illegitimate, at least in red states, thus giving Democrats a green light to challenge as illegitimate all 2022 results they do not like). 

At least in the case of the 2020 election there is evidence, if not of fraud, of the strong and possibly swaying effect that social and mainstream media had on the voters and thus the outcome of the election, not to mention Zuckerberg’s actual funding of liberal groups to infiltrate election offices in key swing states, effectively taking over governmental roles. Indeed, this was celebrated by that media following the election, including in Time Magazine which bragged and rejoiced about “the conspiracy behind the scenes” that gave us President Biden.  

If it works for the narrative, then the Left will continue to assert it as true, whereas if it is not part of the narrative, they will ignore and deny.  Consider the filibuster, a core democratic safeguard within our government that helps protect us from mob rule.  The Democrats at one time, until they wanted to pass their far-Left agenda, supported and defended the filibuster.  They even used the Senate filibuster earlier this month to block a bill by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) that would have sanctioned companies associated with Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The bill had 55 votes.  Democrats for some unknown reason did not want the bill to pass so used the filibuster to stop it.  Yet when they cannot pass their “voting” bill they call those who support the filibuster and its important protections the equivalent of segregationists. 

The Left, concerned with its own power more than the well-being of the country or its people, will use any means necessary to achieve its goals.

Think before relinquishing your power to do so

We have rival ideologies in this country.  That is nothing new.  What is new is the extent to which the Left would use any means whatsoever to silence opposition and award to themselves full power over life in these United States.  

Those who are old enough may remember the words from the opening of the Patty Duke show: “[Y]ou'll find they laugh alike, they walk alike, at times they even talk alike - You can lose your mind.”  

That is actually what the Left would like to see:  all of us walking, talking, and thinking alike in accordance with the mandates of the Left.  No individual thought.  No individual mind – at least not that one is willing to speak.  This is a totalitarian authoritarian existence, and it is where we are headed. 

We must use our minds now, or we will indeed lose them.

The words of Davlatov are as relevant today as they were in 1970s Soviet Russia.  

May we all be heroes!

Ideology & Acceptance or Inquiry & Freedom

In 2004, NCSU Emeritus History Professor R. Slatta created a chart that captures the contrasts between Ideology and Inquiry:

As one can see from the above, the characteristics of ideology and inquiry are mutually exclusive opposites.  Nonetheless, most of humanity entertain characteristics of each, as does society and its politicians.  Yet, while in different situations we may emphasize more of one or the other,  when one becomes exclusively dominant problems arise.

When ideology completely takes over and blots out critical thinking as well as the values and principles that allow us to navigate the opposing forms of behavior and thought, then we are in trouble – we lose the ability to navigate, to keep both in check as needed, and to understand when ideology rather than those core values are guiding us.

When a country’s politicians become ideologues rather than representatives and issue solvers, then our country is in severe peril.

Politicians have always stood for certain issue or policy positions.  Their attempts to resolve issues according to their preferred policy perspective has always required navigation between the ideological and the rational.  Yet underlying the persuasive acts in favor of their particular issue resolution, there was a touchstone built on the history, core values and beliefs of the country.  That touchstone allowed the partisan politicians to find ways of coming together to further the best interests of the country as well as to prevent them from becoming blinded by pure ideology.

Not so much today.  Today we have not partisan politicians but ideologues.  You can recognize them by their hypocrisy as well as the polarization they (usually intentionally) create.  When a partisan politician cares about his or her country, he or she will be willing to compromise positions for the good of the country.  But an ideologue is “someone who theorizes; an often blindly partisan advocate of a particular ideology.”  The typical ideologue is uncompromising and dogmatic.

The ideologue’s goal is to implant a particular ideology in everyone.  Yes, everyone.  That goal outweighs all else, including facts and rational thought and Truth.  The narrative becomes all important as the narrative is used to assimilate everyone into the ideologue’s ideology and to demean and create enemies of those who will not be swayed – those who choose to think for themselves. 

This is how today we so often see politicians and their followers to be inconsistent and hypocritical in their statements and actions, why the positions of the Left actually contradict many traditional liberal positions and values.  Ideologues do not have a solid issue position but rather a position that those who are not with them are always wrong (even if they hold a position that the ideologue has advocated for, the ideologue will now take the opposite stand). 

The ideologue politicians of today have lost sight of who and what a politician is.  They have lost sight of their role as simply a go-between for the people and their government.  Having lost sight of that touchstone built upon an understanding of our country, its values, and its democracy,  absolute and complete installation of their ideology has become their primary if not their only goal.  And their own power becomes imperative to them because they believe only they can keep the ideological order that they choose to implement.

What the successful ideologue ultimately does is destroy freedom.  If one is going to create and control a successful ideology then one must keep those whom one controls from thinking for themselves.  In the ideal ideological world, everyone must be the same in every way (the Left’s equity which is in no way equality).   Except of course those in power who make the decisions for everyone else.

That is not the structure upon which America was created and which has allowed her to become the great country that she has become.  That is the structure that will destroy America (and already is doing so as the ideologues gain more and more control). 

An ideologue is both more and less than a partisan.  More, because they are often more passionate and more persuasive, and even often receive more misplaced applause for their inability to bend and compromise.  Yet they are less than a partisan because their advocacy has no valid or constructive goal other than to advance their own ideology and power.

Ideologues exist on both sides of the political aisle.  Today, the rightist ideologues mostly push the traditional American ideology.  This is certainly far less dangerous to America than the progressive and socialist ideology of the Left, but it is not totally benign.

Anyone or group that pushes ideology rather than issue and problem solving is furthering an effort that avoids the individuality of thought.  It polarizes people until they become completely incapable of acting even in their own best interests let alone in the best interests of their community and country.  Worst of all, ideology destroys individual freedom.

Freedom requires thought, intellectual inquiry, critical thinking, creativity.  And these activities require freedom.  The ideologues would destroy both – the freedom and the activities upon which it thrives and which require freedom to thrive.  Ideology requires a uniformity void of individual thought and freedom.

America has created a place where Freedom and Intellectual Inquiry thrive.  This environment has allowed America to evolve and grow, to become a world power and a shining example to the rest of the world.  Right now, the ideologues on the Left are working to destroy all that. 

The Leftist ideology can be quite persuasive but, before giving in, the people of this country need to be sure they have exercised those skills of intellectual inquiry that we all possess.  Partisanship is a part of this country, but blind ideology is not.  The one helps us to grow, the other will kill us all.

This is the End

Biden is not a competent president (and maybe not even a legitimate one).  But he is presiding over the end of America as we know Her.

Too many seem to have given up on Her honor and Her soul.
(Do I need to remind you of the details of how Biden and the Left have sullied these?  I have been warning you since this blog began over 4 years ago.  If you remain unaware you are blind, deaf, dumb and fully brainwashed by the soulless Left.)

            “Your eyes are open but you can't see
            Your mouth is moving but you don't speak"
                        -from “This is the End (For You My Friend”), full lyrics below

But what is currently happening in Afghanistan ought to wake you up.  Biden has betrayed our allies and deserted our American citizens; he has put a permanent stain on America’s honor and credibility around the world.  And he has overnight made the world a much more dangerous place.  This is not the behavior of a President (or of anyone) who has any love for or belief in America and Her ideals. It is a complete dereliction of presidential duty and responsibility.

Those of you who are silent, if you have any independent spirit left, at least say farewell to all you know.

It may not happen overnight (though it might), but this is the end, for you my friend and our country.

 

Some of my notes from today:
        Some of today’s Afghanistan headlines:          

      ·        US military starts withdrawing from Afghanistan as Americans remain trapped
·        Americans Abandoned in Afghanistan
·        Biden Decides Against Extending Evacuation Timeline After Taliban Threatens ‘Consequences’
·        Biden Admin Confirms 4,000 Americans And Their Families Have Been Evacuated, Potentially Thousands Still In Afghanistan
·        House Dems: It Is ‘Not Possible’ To Evacuate Americans And Afghan Allies From Afghanistan By August 31st, ‘Deadline Must Be Extended’
·        Afghanistan debacle upends Biden's upcoming summit with Israel's Bennett
·        Pelosi praises spending bill advancing as ‘great day of pride’ for US amid Afghanistan crisis
·        Why President Biden Just Made The Next 9/11 More Likely
·        The Biden Administration's Descent Into Unreality
·        8 Months In, Biden's Cascade of Failure
·        Biden pours salt into wounds of relations with Europe at G7 meeting
·        Can the U.S. Recover From the Afghanistan Debacle?

       ·        Biden reveals admin relying on bloodthirsty Taliban sticking to its word on crucial deadline

       ·         Arizona AG warns of potential border threat from terrorists freed by Taliban in Afghanistan    

       Notes made while listening to Biden speech this afternoon:

      ·        Begins with infrastructure and voting bills, praising those who are furthering the Left's socialist agenda, before turning to Afghanistan.  Praises himself. 
·        “If the Taliban cooperates, we will continue til Aug. 31” (does he really think the Taliban is cooperative when it beats Americans trying to get to the airport, goes house to house to find and “take action” against American collaborators?) 
·        “We are continuing our efforts.” Does he understand that “our efforts” are too little too late? 
·        Then he justifies (again!) his decision to pull out but does not address the disaster his failure to have a plan or to listen to experts has created for Americans, Afghans, and the world. 
·        Leaves without taking any questions.

This Is The End (For You My Friend) Lyrics

from album: For Blood And Empire (2006) by Anti-Flag
Songwriters: Christopher Lee Barker / Patrick C. Bollinger / Justin Cathal Geever / Christopher Mark Head
This Is the End (for You My Friend) lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Music video:  LINK 

Seems every station on the tv
Is selling something no one can be
If every page was torn from the magazine
Would cash still drive the media machine?
The products, damage and pursuit are endless
Identity can leave you selfless

We will not witness this anymore
This is the end for you my friend
I can't forgive, I won't forget
On and on, we sing our songs and
On and on, the wars wage on and
On and on, we sing our songs for more
For more

Your eyes are open but you can't see
Your mouth is moving but you don't speak
A blitzkrieg of images to break your will
I hope you choke on every pill

We will not witness this anymore
This is the end for you my friend
I can't forgive, I won't forget
On and on, we sing our songs and
On and on, the wars wage on and
On and on, we sing our songs for more

We will not witness this anymore
This is the end for you my friend
I can't forgive, I won't forget...

This is the end for you my friend
I can't forgive, I won't forget
On and on, we sing our songs and
On and on, the wars wage on and
On and on, we sing our songs and
On and on, the wars wage on and
On and on, we sing our songs and
On and on, your wars wage on and
On and on, we sing our songs for more
We sing our songs for more