But Graham, McConnell, and their ilk can’t make millions off their defense contractor stock without new, trillion dollar boondoggles with high cost overruns on the taxpayer dime.
They could care less about dead soldiers and airmen when there’s fortunes to be made.
“The story continues to get worse. Both @NCNationalGuard and Title 10 federal forces have been pulled from #WNC, compared to the 15,000+ troops deployed in Houston, New Orleans, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. A @fema spokesman told me that WNC is “the worst disaster I’ve ever seen, times 10.” At its peak, the largest military presence in WNC was only 3,150 troops. Now, there are none—just in time for Thanksgiving and the winter’s cold. Both @NC_Governor and @POTUS need to answer for this.
And yes, @NCNationalGuard’s pinned X post says, “this mission is no fail, and we’ll continue to work around the clock until it’s complete.” However, they are not there and are currently posting old photos as if their operations are current. (Go there, see for yourself. They’ve posted photos just today that show full green and colorful leaf foliage on trees. Those leaves are now brown or fallen.) “
—-
“The neglect by @fema and @NC_Governor in WNC continues to reveal itself. @theblaze confirmed yesterday that all National Guard troops have been pulled from WNC. Cooper has 12,000 Guard troops, including 3 battalions of Guard engineers, available, but none are currently deployed.”
Because as always, a certain bunch of Rs are disloyal, and could care less about America, the party, or anything but making themselves filthy rich. This is reality.
“FEMA is ONCE AGAIN LYING about relief for Western North Carolina, saying that nobody is living in tents
There are literal TENT CITIES that Hurricane victims are being forced to live in while snow is falling, while FEMA workers are staying in nice cozy hotels
To make it worse, basic aid requests are being CONSTANTLY DENIED by FEMA.
“TRAITOR: The Republican who wrote the Biden/Harris border bill we heard about throughout the campaign, @SenatorLankford, is signaling he will oppose @TulsiGabbard’s appointment – implying she’s a Russian agent.”
—-
And where did the “Tulsi is a Russian agent” smear come from….?
Republican “leadership” in Congress and the Senate is trash. This is who they just put as the new head of the Appropriations Committee, one of the most powerful committees in the Senate.
This is BS.
—–
“She’s a Democrat. Votes Democrat 80% of the time. Facing election in 2025. Fire her!”
As always, God is sovereign. Despite what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears on these appointments, we must above all keep our eyes and hearts focused on Him and what He alone can do in the process of transformation.
We walk by faith and not by sight . .
Remembering how He saved Trump from the assassination attempt by a miracle that only He could have provided. Also it seems a miracle to me that the fraud that was set to occur from illegals voting was not allowed. We have been given miracle upon miracle. I am still believing more strongly in His miracles than in what I hear.
It looks like the Israeli war is moving towards a cease fire deal. This is wonderful news and I hope for their sake it holds. I hope and pray for a spiritual breakthrough for Israel and her neighbors.
“Israel and Lebanon have agreed to the terms of a ceasefire agreement to end the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, a senior U.S. official told Axios on Monday. The parties have not yet announced an agreement.
Why it matters: More than 3,500 Lebanese have been killed and more than 15,000 injured in more than a year of fighting. The agreement would also allow hundreds of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border to gradually return home….”
Senator Calls for Immediate Removal of Democrat Mayor Amid Insurrection Claims
Rand Paul vs. Denver’s Sanctuary City Policies
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) recently took a strong stance against Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Face the Nation. He warned that there could be serious consequences if Johnston continues to ignore federal immigration laws and President Trump’s plans for deportation. Paul accused the mayor of engaging in what he called a “form of insurrection” by declaring Denver a sanctuary city and resisting federal enforcement.
Mayor Johnston has proposed an unusual plan where he wants to mobilize local police officers and thousands of residents to form human barricades. This would block federal agents from deporting illegal immigrants, including those with criminal records. Although Johnston later softened some of his harsh words, his overall strategy hasn’t changed, leading to pushback from Republicans like Senator Paul.Targeting Violent Offenders
Paul made it clear that he is all for going after violent offenders. He stated, “I’m 100% supportive of going after the 15,000 murderers, the 13,000 sexual assault perpetrators, [and] rapists.” His message is simple: let’s send these criminals either back to prison or out of our country entirely. However, he strongly opposes using the U.S. Army for enforcing immigration laws at home because he sees it as unconstitutional.
“We’ve had a long-standing distrust of putting the Army into our streets,” Paul explained further. “The police understand the Fourth Amendment; they go to judges, get warrants, and ensure specificity.” He believes in removing illegal immigrants through standard policing methods rather than military intervention.The Legal Consequences for Defiance
When discussing the potential legal fallout from Johnston’s actions, Paul didn’t hold back: “The mayor of Denver, if he’s going to resist federal law… it will go all the way to the Supreme Court,” he said confidently. He suspects that this could lead to Johnston being removed from office and hinted at possible criminal prosecution for anyone who defies federal law.
The mayor seems unfazed by these warnings. In an interview with 9NEWS, Johnston declared that he’s willing to face jail time if necessary: “If I believe that our residents are having their rights violated… I would certainly protest it.” He insists his actions align with moral principles despite facing significant backlash.
Those Cdn police were so nice to let the man speak to his friends for over a minute after he was arrested and they took his ear pods out and put them away for him.
He went across the street to agitate and disrupt a demonstration that he didn’t like. The man, Ezra Levant, is well known for these types of stunts. We only have his and his supporters word for what was being said on the other side of the street. All I see is Palestinian flags. Palestinian flags on one side and Israeli flags on the other side — I see free speech. Now if you cross the street to disturb the other side, then it’s disturbing the peace. According to the X tweet he was arrested for breach of peace — which means he’s been warned before not to do exactly what he did. He’s been treated fairly here.
I also love the complaining of “Trudeau’s Canada” — Trudeau has condemned Hamas and said a person could be a Zionist and a Canadian at the same time.
I like Gabbard but the Oklahoma senator is being consistent here. He opposed illegal migration as a threat to the country and he sees Gabbard as a threat to the country’s security. I disagree with him but he is being consistent.
Murkowski and Collins will never catch a break. In every election, Maine vote more Democrat, Collins needs to thread a needle to survive. If Republicans want to lose a Senate seat in the mid term, purity testing Collins is a good way to lose.
States’ rights gets interesting when its used by people who you oppose.
Although any sign of cease fire is encouraging, I don’t think any peace agreement from the Israeli side can be taken seriously as long as Bibi is in charge.
Drone technology has made air power on a limited budget possible but militarily there’s still some use for a F-35. The Ukraine war has shown how quickly movement gets bogged down when both sides are well equipped with the latest weapons. It’s a lesson not lost on NATO, Russia and China. You need F-35, B-52s etc in mass quantities at the initial start of hostilities to clear the way for ground operations or you will get bogged down by drones, landmines, etc — the cheap stuff. For China this means Taiwan isn’t a good idea — anti-missile and anti-aircraft is all high end.
That still leaves me puzzled why Russia is wasting a fortune on ballistic missiles on targets a drone could easily hit for a fraction of the price tag. Yes, it could be a warning to the west but the west has the tech to stop it and is probably going through bombing sites and footage looking for a weakness to the Russian missiles. Risk and exposure for what a drone could have done.
7:12 is exactly the type of attitude that has Canada lost. Free speech means nothing to Canadians apparently, although they protect the vile speech of the antisemites they’ve imported.
From 11/25 7:12 pm: Now if you cross the street to disturb the other side, then it’s disturbing the peace.
HRW, crossing the street is not disturbing the peace if all you’re doing is standing on the public sidewalk on the other side with a camera. Ezra Levant had just as much right to be there as anyone else. If that’s all he did, then the arrest does not seem just.
Oh yes let’s see how that bipartisan canvas group works for this recount. With Jena at the helm we know it will be fair (sarcasm)! Passwords anyone??!!
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) – On Monday, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold ordered a recount of the House District 16 race.
District 16 is in El Paso County, and the race was between Republican Rebecca Keltie and Democrat Steph Vigil.
Griswold said the District 16 race was between .5 percent of the winner’s total – meaning a recount is required according to Colorado Law.
Griswold said House District 16 will work with the bipartisan canvass board to complete a logic and accuracy test on the equipment needed for the recount. Once the test is complete, El Paso County would begin to recount the votes.
After hearing something on the Jay Sekulow podcast today about news viewership I looked up the subject and found this. The numbers look much smaller than I had imagined. Are these accurate numbers? Makes me realize, that if true, the people have really left the TV news behind. I still love to watch our local Fox 5 Atlanta news.
I file this under the category of ‘News we could see coming from a mile away–or from years away’ (that’s probably too long to fit on anyone’s index tab, but true nonetheless). So what am I blithering on about? Just this, war is in the air, so businesses should be prepared for it.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A top NATO military official on Monday urged businesses to be prepared for a wartime scenario and adjust their production and distribution lines accordingly, in order to be less vulnerable to blackmail from countries such as Russia and China….
Levant is a known agitator who deliberately inserts himself into situations claims journalist privilege and then fund raises off the supposed persecution.
Debra – the European media has been far more aware of the Russian threat and the insecurity in Ukraine. Warnings from NATO regarding adjusting production and supply lines have happened before. NATO is well aware that many European firms are not adhering to the sanctions levied on Russia and are sending products mostly via Turkey and these products make their way to the Ukrainian war.
The Dutch admiral in your link is more blunt and alarmists than most but the warning is the same. We need economic independence from the Eurasia alliance.
And from the folks at Tangle: (“log off, and look away”) 🙂 From the news, that is.
~ Dear Tangle community,
The 2024 election season is over. Here in the U.S., Thanksgiving arrives tomorrow, which means most people — from our highest elected official down to your run-of-the-mill American — are going to get a brief respite from work, the news, or politics to spend some time with their families. As President-elect Trump continues with his transition process, members of Congress are dispersing for the holiday and the firehose of news across the country is getting turned off for a brief moment of calm.
As the founder and CEO of Tangle, I get an opportunity to set the tone for my colleagues and our readers about how we should handle moments like this. Here’s what I’ve told them, and what I’m now telling you:
Log off.
Go spend some time with family or friends. Break bread with loved ones, or do some volunteer work. If that isn’t in your plans, take a long walk, touch some grass, turn off the TV, enjoy a break, hit the reset button. Rest. Check in with the “real world” that surrounds you — your neighbors, your place of worship, your family, your community — not the one that lives online or in the front pages.
Here at Tangle, we just had a year straight of one of the longest, wildest, most unpredictable campaign seasons I’ve ever witnessed. From two assassination attempts on Donald Trump to the shocking first debate to Joe Biden dropping out to Kamala Harris’s coronation as top Democrat and everything that happened after that and in between. If you are reading this newsletter, you are either a voracious news consumer or someone who is at least spending a few minutes a day trying to stay informed.
We’ll keep an eye on things while you take a break, and we’ll update you on what you missed when we return (which will be Tuesday, December 3rd — I’ve ordered my team to take off tomorrow through Monday).
For now, I’m doing something very few media outlets tend to do: I’m telling you to look away. Just for a few days. It’s okay. It’ll all be here when you’re back, and if you genuinely take a break you’ll feel refreshed and ready to return when it’s time. We’re going to take a break, too, and I’m planning to recharge.
I have 5 whole days off, so I’ll be catching up with lots of things. Some of those things will be politics and some won’t. We won’t be having extended family for any of the holidays, but they’re visiting in between.
However war isn’t taking a day or weekend off for any holiday. And the destruction caused on the other 364 days of the year can never be undone for many people, ever. Perhaps we should do more than be thankful for our own peace and prosperity, but should insist that those who are elected to represent us stop promoting war and unrest here and abroad.
Good morning, all. A beautiful day here. Happy Thanksgiving! My dad is enjoying the great grandchildren, says they are very quiet. But I put his hearing aids in anyway. And the dog jumped up on his lap, which surprised him but also delighted him.
Most of all, I am thankful for my salvation. Also thankful for the family that God has blessed me with and so many other things, like my dog, my home, and my books.
What I was thinking about yesterday – and thanking God for – is the blessing to be able to physically do the housecleaning and extra things that need to be taken care of before a holiday. I wore myself out on Monday, but was still grateful to have had the needed strength and determination to keep going even when I felt that I was “out of gas”.
Many people complain about housecleaning chores, but it really is a blessing to have the ability to do it, and of course, to have a home (owned or rented) to clean.
Thankful for God and his loving provision, in seasons that are full and those that maybe aren’t for various reasons. For his grace to us, for his calling us back to Him when that’s needed in our lives. For his Word.
And I’m thankful for my cousins and for the modest meal “out” we have planned today — we’ve always been a tiny clan and we’re now getting smaller.
And I am thankful for Abby as my in-house companion now that I’m working from home and sometimes feeling a bit isolated after losing a few of my closest friends in recent years as well. She’s such a big, sweet dog.
Thankful for the nation in which we live.
The sun is shining today but it’s very cool (I have memories of a 97-degree Thanksgiving Day several years ago). A good day to rejoice and reflect.
~ … Let’s remember these truths and surrender to Christ’s person and lordship in every circumstance. Then we’ll find that our life is made beautiful by his faithfulness and loving embrace. We’ll be truly thankful because true thanksgiving is rooted in the gospel. It’s an expression of faith that God is good, that what he chooses is best, and that the truly good life is found only in him.
I am thankful for all the blessings of becoming a Christian as an adult, able to fully realize (as much as we can know as a human) what we are saved from and to.
Thankful to make plans for today that required good weather which we had despite initial storm predictions.
Thankful to not spend a large portion of today in the kitchen.
Thankful for hearing good medical reports from numerous people I know who are hospitalized.
Thankful, for the first time in maybe twenty years, that we have a small little flocked lit Christmas tree up in our entryway window that can be seen from the front of our home from the street. Most of our trees have been only seen from the backside of the house, if at all, by a few neighbors behind us (there are numerous trees back there so not sure what is seen by backyard neighbors).
I’m thankful for God’s grace that is manifested in my life and all around me in countless ways. I’m thankful for a serene day…no chaos, no sirens, no bombs. Just peace. I’m also thankful that God hears the cries of those who are in distress. He sees and hears, and he doesn’t forget, even when I do.
I’m thankful for a few good hours with our older daughter and her family, and that our younger daughter is driving in this afternoon. Thankful that everyone is healthy, and that in spite of limited sleep (with weird sleeping patterns the last few months) I’ve gotten nearly enough. I’m thankful that the warm season lasted well into November (we still haven’t had a killing frost, and only one light snow, though this weekend the temperatures will stay below freezing); in less than a month days will be getting longer again.
I’m thankful that my mother-in-law survived this week’s episode and seems not to have “lost” much function, from what we can tell. (She’s 88, past her familial life expectancy, and she’d still been walking a couple miles a day, and weekly playing Scrabble and other game with others in her care home–still winning–and also baking them cookies and other treats. She may need a walker now, and shouldn’t drive, but we really have to see what all happens. For now, she is staying with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.)
I have been very thankful that the election is over and without incident. The actual transition to a new president hasn’t happened yet, but everyone seems relatively calm and accepting. I’m hopeful that better things are on the horizon. And keeping a spirit of thanksgiving alive within nurtures the hope, for we know to whom we give thanks and from where our hope comes.
Well, that didn’t take long! Less than a day after President-elect Trump threatened to slap a 25% tariff on Mexican goods, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is suddenly all-in on stopping those infamous migrant caravans from reaching the U.S.-Mexico border. Coincidence? Hardly. This is the kind of quick action you get when someone like Trump is about to take the reins.
It must be post-Thanksgiving Friday already 🙂 The thread of gratitude was nice while it lasted, though, wasn’t it? Thanks for suggesting that, Cheryl (I say with gratitude) 🙂
Let’s not forget our president elect’s inclusive Thanksgiving wish:
“Happy Thanksgiving to all, including to the Radical Left Lunatics who have worked so hard to destroy our Country, but who have miserably failed, and will always fail, because their ideas and policies are so hopelessly bad that the great people of our Nation just gave a landslide victory to those who want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
And in further news and politics not meaning to disrupt thankfulness or anything…
A Family Moment or Distraction?
Sure, we can all agree that the Frasier fir looks beautiful and having a tree at the White House is nice—but let’s not kid ourselves into thinking this is some great act of goodwill. The Bidens took away the only surviving tree from a family still reeling from disaster! If that doesn’t show how tone-deaf this administration can be, then what will?
Nothing symbolizes the Biden admin better than cutting down a tree that survived a disaster. Why are people living in tents
When Jill Biden said, “The Cartner family lost thousands of trees in the storm, but this one remained standing,” she did not mean it was their only remaining tree. Cartner’s is a large tree farm that lost thousands of small trees not ready for market, but still have many mature trees.
Far from having anything to do with the hurricane, the choice of Cartner’s was determined over a year ago when they were named by the National Christmas Tree Association as the 2024 Grand Champion Grower. The winner of that honor traditionally supplies the White House Christmas tree.
The only choice the White House made was which of Cartner’s trees to use.
Littleton, CO – (August 10, 2023) – The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) hosted the 2023 National Christmas Tree and Wreath Contest in conjunction with the Minnesota Christmas Tree Association summer meeting August 4, 2023 at Wolcyn Tree Farms & Nursery, Cambridge, MN.
The 2023 and 2024 Grand Champion and Reserve Champion growers were selected. These growers will continue the 58-year-old tradition of presenting farm-grown Christmas trees to the White House (Grand Champion growers) and Vice President’s Residence (Reserve Champion growers) …
2024 Grand Champion Grower David, Jim & Sam Cartner, Cartner Christmas Tree Farm Newland, NC Native True Fir
Thanks Kevin. I understood that but thought the writer’s words were rather poignant considering many victims are still living in tents and dealing with harsh realities of this administration not caring for them. That is a fact as I know many volunteering in that area, boots on the ground seeing the realities of the situation. They seem to be the forgotten while they should not. It rather seems like show boating of this administration once again trying to portray that they care.
Maybe not “everything” is political (as in everything “bad” must be the other side, everything “good” is our side)?
I seem to be losing my partisan illusions about politics – which is probably a good thing? At least I count it as good. lol
But, in other news, I was out running around today and everything has exploded with … Christmas! Such a happy and pretty time of year. Saw many who had bought their Christmas trees carrying them home on the tops of their SUVs, some with cute dogs peeking out the open windows. 🙂
~ Euthanasia may be with us for a while but the kind of politics that’s giving us euthanasia – a limp secularism, half-despairing while still claiming Progress’s mantle, half-abandoning Christianity while clinging to rhetoric of “compassion” – is unlikely to survive the century. ~
Losing partisan illusions is a good thing in my opinion. It’s more important to care about issues and let the research take you where it takes you. And it could take you across party lines at times. Not everyone is willing to make the same compromises; I suppose that’s why they say politics makes strange bedfellows—- like a Republican administration with people like RFK, Jr, and Tulsi Gabbard.
The past few days Trudeau and Zuckerberg have met with President Trump. That old adage rings true I suppose. Hold your friends close and your enemies closer. Perhaps there will be some headway made after all..
It sounds like someone doesn’t understand that the institutions themselves are inheritently corrupt, and desperately need to be reformed or eradicated. We need a government of, by and for the people, and if it takes a populist movement to make it happen, then so be it.
Sounds about right. So to some populist is a dirty word 🫤 “ordinary”people are being ignored by the corrupt now in charge. No more….there’s a new sheriff in town again😊
a person, especially a politician who strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.”he ran as a populist on an anticorruption platform”
The last attempt to take down President Trump through legal means is about to fail spectacularly. Reports indicate that the Georgia Supreme Court is likely to dismiss Fani Willis’s RICO case against him, as noted by The New York Post.
It’s clear there will be some ongoing division among conservatives moving forward that speak to some basics of candidate temperament/character, along with what are best practices in government and governing. (Not always or necessarily differences on at least some of the issues, however.)
It’ll be a process to work through. And things will change as they invariably do, especially in the political world and environment, some for the better, some not so much.
History will be left to determine after many of us are gone.
I often think how cool it would be to read a history book from the future, say 50 or 100 years from now.
@6:41 I have often thought that as well, DJ. I try to see all things through a biblical perspective as much as I can—righteous/unrighteous or just/unjust, rather than a political left/right or conservative/liberal or even establishment/non-establishment—although these terms currently can be, to varying degrees, a useful shorthand for specific things. At any rate, the political definitions seem to change or shift more than biblical definitions and I .don’t feel compelled to adhere to the political stances of conservative or liberal or left or right as such. That’s partially what I meant when I said the issues important to me sometimes cross party lines. And that may also be why I am okay with being ‘politically homeless’. In fact, I have assumed it for most of my life.
Debra, true that the parties are always in flux to one degree or another.
There are some built-in differences that are pretty steady, however — (conservative: smaller government, less regulation, close adherence to the Constitution, lower taxes, stress on individual responsibility, traditional social morals).
But both parties experience headwinds and situations/world events and personalities that can pull them onto a different course for a season.
I’ve been registered “independent” for quite a few years now and feel at home with that. In my parents’ day, belonging to a political party was the accepted choice and I “get” that, too.
(One downside of not being registered under a party is that your choices — at least in California where Republicans, at least, retain a “closed” primary option — are limited in the run-up to presidential elections.)
Kash Patel, the FBI and Retribution — The country doesn’t want or need a GOP version of the Comey bureau.
~ … Former national security adviser Robert O’Brien praises Mr. Patel, who worked with him. But it’s notable that John Bolton, Mr. O’Brien’s predecessor, compares Mr. Patel to a Soviet police chief and says the Senate should reject him 100-0. The Senate will have to explore those contrasting views.
The main concern is Mr. Patel’s stated desire to use power in a second Trump term to seek revenge against Mr. Trump’s opponents. Speaking on provocateur Steve Bannon’s podcast in 2023, Mr. Patel said he’d follow “the facts and the law.”
But he also said “we will go out and find the conspirators not just in government, but in the media. Yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections. We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly.”
Mr. Bannon brings out the worst in people, but the Senate has an obligation to explore if this is what Mr. Patel really intends. As damaging as the FBI of Mr. Comey, Andrew McCabe and Peter Strzok was, special counsel Durham investigated the FBI actions and largely decided not to prosecute. Does Mr. Patel still want to unleash the FBI on Democrats and media critics—a la Hoover?
Down that road lies no end of political trouble for Republicans and the Trump Presidency, as the effort is sure to backfire. Voters didn’t re-elect Mr. Trump to practice lawfare the way his opponents have. The country wants a bureau it can trust, not a Republican version of the Comey FBI.
Presidents deserve deference on the advisers they want, but the Senate plays a crucial role in weeding out bad choices. GOP Senators did Mr. Trump a favor by warning him about Matt Gaetz as AG. Law enforcement and security posts with their vast power deserve particular scrutiny, Mr. Patel included. ~
“Former national security adviser Robert O’Brien praises Mr. Patel, who worked with him. But it’s notable that John Bolton, Mr. O’Brien’s predecessor, compares Mr. Patel to a Soviet police chief and says the Senate should reject him 100-0. The Senate will have to explore those contrasting views.”
I think it was one of Trump’s very worst mistakes to elevate John Bolton to NSA in 2018. Bolton’s public remarks reveal that he’s very proud of his participation in the destabilization of other countries. In my opinion, Bolton is an evil warmonger and people like him should be kept far far away from the levers of power.
The FBI obviously needs to be cleaned out, and it will take someone with a real focus to do it. I hope someone with that kind of focus is confirmed to the position.
President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden,after the first son was convicted in two separate federal cases earlier this year.
The announcement was made by the White House on Sunday night.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” Biden wrote in a statement. “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.”
I can’t say I’m surprised at the Hunter Biden pardon. What father would not pardon his only remaining son? If I were in his position I would probably do it too. The really bad part about it was that he staunchly maintained that he would NOT do it. But is anyone really surprised that he lied?
I look forward to seeing the J6 political prisoners released, sentences commuted and/or entirely pardoned. All of them.
Now this is very interesting, from Cheryl’s link below:
“The president’s sweeping pardon covers not just the gun and tax offenses against the younger Biden, but also any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.””
From the time period stated, it looks like the pardon may cover wrongdoing in Ukraine as well. I wonder if that means Hunter can’t use the 5th amendment exemption from self incrimination to avoid testifying about what was going on in Ukraine. It could be helpful in bringing corruption to light even if he can’t be prosecuted. Very interesting.
I will say Biden has not and continues to not do his son any favor in excusing his bad behavior. He enables his lawless and moral failings.
A parent should want to support their children but not relieve them of consequences of bad decisions.
When one of ours decided to live lawless and engage in drug dealings she ended up in jail. We did not bail her out. Her resolve was to never walk that path again. Sadly the decision was not from a brokenness to lean in to our Saviour but one of distaste of her consequence. Even though we are estranged we continue to pray. Biden should have made the tougher decision for his son. But he did exactly what we thought he would…cry foul that his son was persecuted.
It is disgusting and an admission that his son did criminal activities during the time period, IMO.
It is a slap in the face all this failure to pay taxes, whether by Hunter Biden or all the people who work for the IRS or those in office who don’t bother to pay them.
That does pale in comparison to the buying of political advantage, however, the Biden’s seemed to be selling.
There will be a final judgement, however, and God is not impressed by anyone. Nor is he partisan.
That is all true, but I’m afraid Hunter learned his bad behavior closer to home, from his father. So what do we expect. My only question was when he would be pardoned, not if. I would not be surprised if Biden pardons his brother too, as it was a family business apparently.
I am very curious as to how this could positively affect an investigation into the Ukraine connection. I suspect there is some pretty bad corruption being hidden there, and much of it may involve government funded activities. For example, we know there are bio-labs in Ukraine that have been doing research similar to Wuhan. At this point it’s not about prosecution, but rather stopping the activities that may bring more damage. And as we saw in 2020, the damages can be catastrophic.
This is an interesting appointment. Trump has just appointed Charles Kushner as ambassador to France. He is Trump’s daughter’s father in law—Jared Kushners father.
And he was one of the people Trump pardoned in 2020—for multiple counts of tax evasion , witness tampering and illegal campaign donations .
I hope that makes Jared happy. I’ll be happy if Jared is kept far from the president’s ear during Trump’s next term. He was a disaster last time around.
~ … Mr. Biden’s change of heart after the November election was predictable, and neither political party has clean hands on questionable clemency. If Hunter is now on the straight and narrow, good for him. Many people have enough experience of addiction to sympathize with what the Biden family went through. But we can’t let the President explain away the political ramifications of his pardon by rewriting what actually happened.
“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. He added that “raw politics has infected this process.” He cited the no-jail plea agreement that Hunter was offered last year by prosecutor David Weiss, before it fell apart in court. Those terms “would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases,” the President said.
That might arguably be true about the gun charges, though the context matters. In June a jury convicted Hunter of three firearm crimes, including lying about his illegal-drug use when he bought a Colt revolver. Rarely is this prosecuted. On the other hand, most people don’t write memoirs all but confessing, as Hunter did. He owned the gun for 11 days before his then-girlfriend threw it in the trash at a grocery store across from a high school.
As for the tax charges, two IRS whistleblowers testified that Hunter was singled out—for favorable treatment. The handling of his investigation “was very different from any other case in my 14 years at the IRS,” Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley told Congress. “At every stage, decisions were made that benefited the subject.” Special Agent Joseph Ziegler cited evidence of willfulness, saying Hunter approved alleged false business deductions in 2020, after he was supposedly sober.
What killed Hunter’s plea deal wasn’t politics but federal Judge Maryellen Noreika. When the two sides got to her courtroom, they didn’t agree on whether the terms would immunize Hunter from other possible charges. They also wanted to insulate Hunter by putting Judge Noreika in the position of determining whether a future prosecutor could charge Hunter for failing to comply with the deal. The judge wasn’t sure if that was constitutional.
President Dad has now granted Hunter the broad protection he wanted. The unconditional pardon covers any and all offenses Hunter may have committed from Jan. 1, 2014, through this past weekend. This is an effort to shield Hunter from prosecution under President Trump. The 2014 date is significant because it’s about when Hunter went into business with Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company that paid him money he failed to pay taxes on.
Legal experts are saying they’ve never seen a pardon so open-ended, other than maybe Gerald Ford’s for Richard Nixon. Add this to the list of democratic norms broken by Mr. Biden, who claims to stand up for them. …
Mr. Trump is already citing it to justify the next bad precedent. He has pledged clemency for the crowd that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. This is an awful idea, especially if Mr. Trump includes anybody who hit a cop that day. But get ready for the MAGA mantra: What about Hunter? Already Mr. Trump is linking this pardon with leniency for “the J-6 Hostages,” as he put it on Truth Social.
“I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” Mr. Biden said. As a father? Yes. But what a pitiful end to his Presidency. ~
I’m pretty sure there are people with less expensive lawyers in jail for the things Hunter Biden was found guilty of, so it’s hard to view the case as a political prosecution. The world is an unfair place and the best we can do is try to make it a little better, or at least try not to make it worse than it has to be. But the pardon was as expected.
And no, I can’t see how it shields him from anything he may do in the future. Hope he stays on the straight and narrow… or gets on the straight and narrow and stays there.
Oddly enough, I don’t even begrudge him the pardon. All I can think of is the much greater pardon I have received — for much worse offences. I really do hope he turns his life around.
“I give you my word as a Biden, I will NOT pardon my son Hunter.”
Thus cementing the legacy of the most treasonous, corrupt administration ever.
A vague, blanket pardon for everything that Hunter may have done since 2014. Why so far back? Because he was on the Board of Burisma, contributing half of his ill-gotten gains to the Biden crime family. Joe thinks that he is pardoning himself, too, but Kash Patel has a very different take on that…
What really went down is that H. Biden’s lawyer has been threatening Joe with “spilling the beans” about Ukraine (inc. passing on classified info), etc. unless Hunter got the pardon.
There are many Dems upset over that 10 year blanket pardon. Even Michael Bennett from my blue state issued a critical post … worst “President” in our history.
I just heard a lawyer explain that Hunter can no longer plead the Fifth Amendment rights against testifying and can be compeled to testify. If he refuses he can be held in contempt of court and be locked up. Never sure if what I hear is accurate, but it seemed logical as explained.
~ Trump Mulls Replacing Pete Hegseth With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisThe president-elect is discussing replacing the current Pentagon nominee as the former Fox News host faces mounting scrutiny over allegations about his personal life ~
~ President-elect Donald Trump is considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Pete Hegseth, his pick to run the Pentagon, according to people familiar with the discussions, amid Republican senators’ concerns over mounting allegations about the former Fox News host’s personal life.
Picking DeSantis, a 2024 GOP primary rival for the presidency, would amount to a stunning turn for Trump. But he would also find in the governor a well-known conservative with a service record who shares Trump’s—and Hegseth’s—view on culling what they see as “woke” policies in the military.
Trump allies increasingly think Hegseth may not survive further scrutiny, according to people close to the president-elect’s team, which considers the next 48 hours to be crucial to his fate. … ~
Others possibly under consideration: Joni Ernst, Bill Hagerty.
~ … Trump and DeSantis both attended a Tuesday memorial service for fallen law enforcement officers in Palm Beach County, Fla. The idea has been presented to DeSantis in recent days, according to a person familiar with the discussions. ~
I found this opinion on Biden’s pardon interesting. Samuel in the OT comes to mind as a father who also refused to acknowledge or stop his sons from acting in sin.
I’m sorry Kathaleena, I was listening to the talking heads so I thought we just elected President Hitler. MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough has assured us that if we can’t see the similarities we’re “stupid”. Obviously I’ve been listening to too much media. 🙂
Only an LA Times reporter could be so delusional…. Well perhaps not just him! Sheesh the American story??!😳Honestly I have a hard time believing this convicted little snot is getting off scott free with a smirk on his face!
Alluding to Biden’s journey from lawyer to lobbyist to crack addict to right-wing whipping boy, Berges concluded that “Hunter Biden’s story was the American story.”
NJ, So being a drug addict is part to the ‘American story”?! They are delusional. It’s interesting that they now openly admit Hunter Biden was lobbying. I do not think he ever registered as a lobbyist although his business partners did. And now there is no consequence for those activities. However, there is no immunity for any future activities so he should watch his step. A presidential pardon is a once in a lifetime bonus, I hope he’s smart enough not to squander it.
Oh Canada!!! Is this coming to a town near us!!?? Nah….
A Canadian town is facing a fine of $10,000 for refusing to participate in Pride Month and fly the “LGBTQ2 rainbow flag” outside its municipal building.
The town of Emo, Ontario, which has a population of about 1,300 and is situated near the border with Minnesota was found to have violated the Ontario Human Rights Code by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario for refusing to proclaim June as Pride Month, according to a report from the National Post.
The town was also issued a citation for its failure to fly “an LGBTQ2 rainbow flag,” the report notes, despite Emo not having an official flag pole
Kathaleena, not sure if you can get Rumble but Eric Metaxas speaks a bit about the movie you recently saw that is NOT based on his book as I had thought. I did not realize the movie was made by liberals. Realizing how liberals have compared Trump to Hitler, now I better understand the timing of the release of the movie.
~ Though Tim Keller wrote a generous introduction for Bonhoeffer in 2011, things changed by 2022. In a recent tweet (link in the original article), Metaxas expressed approval for this rhetorical question: “What if Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, and Tim Keller are Hitler’s favorite kinds of pastors?” This is exactly the kind of slander and careless speech that fuels the fracturing of American evangelicalism.
And on Bonhoeffer — whom many of us have read and admire — but there is a mix in his theology that is good for us to realize for discernment … (One source indicates he was a universalist, a position that is very appealing to our humanness but is not biblical):
~ In sum, Bonhoeffer’s theology was neo-orthodox, and his position was even more liberal than Barth’s. ~ (Christian Research Institute)
From Banner of Truth:
~ Conclusion: While Bonhoeffer is often quoted today many of his statements meant to him something quite different from what evangelicals think. His books are often read without discernment, which is dangerous. His Letters and Papers from Prison reveal his views more clearly than some of his other works. It is not for us to judge any man; the Lord does that. However let us beware of being led into heretical neo-orthodoxy by statements which appear sound. ~
Janice – This is pure speculation on my part, but I have wondered if Luther may have had the beginnings of a form of dementia as he grew older. People with dementia often grow angry and/or paranoid, which could explain his turn in how he referred to the Jewish people. Dementia, in the beginning stages, is often not recognized as such until things get worse. And back then, they may not have known what we know today about it.
This was included in The Morning Dispatch’s Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories on Monday:
~ “Right-wing political commentator Dinesh D’Souza on Sunday published an apology to Mark Andrews, the Georgia man he wrongly identified as being a “ballot mule” in 2000 Mules, D’Souza’s debunked 2022 film alleging mass voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. “We recently learned that surveillance videos used in the film may not have actually been correlated with the geolocation data. I know that the film and my book create the impression that these individuals were mules that had been identified as suspected ballot harvesters based on their geotracked cell phone data,” D’Souza wrote. “I apologize to Mr. Andrews. I make this apology not under the terms of a settlement agreement or other duress, but because it is the right thing to do, given what we have now learned.” Andrews had sued D’Souza for defamation in 2022, alleging the film had falsely accused him of illegally transferring ballots. Salem Media, which published the book and film, also apologized to Andrews earlier this year and halted distribution of the film.” ~
At the conference I attended in Nashville in October, we saw a fascinating (and horrifying) history of anti-semitism in the church. It began circa 300 and was aimed at “divorcing” Jews from any influence on the New Testament. This was the beginning of replacement theology.
My guess–this is a guess–is that Luther was responding to the antisemitism of his time common in the church.
“Create the impression” — how careful we need to be right now with these edited clips (when editing is not evident) that create a false narrative to push a theory. Then there’s also AI.
When we like or agree with those theories, we’re inclined to believe (and spread) them.
Check and re-check; if it’s not clear, don’t post. Can’t confirm w/other trusted sources? Leave it out.
We’re all living in an age of temptation when it comes to “information.” Scary.
It’s good to remind ourselves that we not only have the opportunity but the responsibility to weigh these things for ourselves. We can’t demand that our pastors have all the answers, though they can be insightful touchstones. And we all have to follow our conscience. If someone wants to call you a Hitler sympathizer then shame on them .
In other news, Fani Willis’ team just lost the longest running trial in Georgia’s history. It was a RICO case involving Young Thug, a rapper. What a grand waste of taxpayers dollars on top of the J6 case against Trump. And all those poor inmates have been put on hold for their trials in Fulton County (where Trump had his famous mug shot taken).
I’m afraid the church has had a problem with both judaizers and antisemitism. It’s good not to fall into the ditch on either side of the straight and narrow.
There are those who hate the Jews so much, they want to erase the fact that Jesus was one . And there are others who are so enthralled with all things Jewish, they have seemed to divorce them from the true way of salvation—Jesus. There’s only one way, and he’s it.
Years ago some friends and I went to a Jews for Jesus event demonstrating the Passover feast. It did feel like some were overly enamored and it was encouraged that Christians could celebrate this feast as part of their own faith — it is a fascinating story and history, how we are linked; but the church is uniquely God’s people (doing away with some of those practices) though many Jews — as is promised in scripture — will come to the true faith (and we will always feel a biblical connection that is a sweet one).
Did dispensationalism — which was so popular for some time — somewhat confuse and combine the two in an unbiblical way maybe? I’m not an expert on this.
~ … One of the sites I visited defines replacement theology this way:
Replacement theology (also known as supersessionism) essentially teaches that the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan. Adherents of replacement theology believe the Jews are no longer God’s chosen people, and God does not have specific future plans for the nation of Israel.
I’m not sure that I’ve ever met anyone who actually believes that “the church replaces Israel” and I’m sure I’ve never met anyone who believes that “God does not have specific future plans for the nation of Israel.”
What an odd way of putting things.
… Jesus Christ is the ultimate focus and referent for the promises of God to Israel! The promises do not land finally on a nation but on a person! The glory and climax of God’s redemptive purpose is not “Israel in the land” but “Christ on the cross”! That’s Christianity 101 the last time I checked. Jesus is the hero and focus of the Bible – not the Jewish people as a whole and all of the blessings won by Jesus are shared equally with all believing people regardless of their ethnicity, gender or class.
… I don’t know of any Christians who believe that God has no specific future plans for the nation of Israel, but I do know that good Christians disagree on what those plans are likely to be. The key text in that discussion is Romans 11:26 where Paul says: “And in this way all Israel will be saved.”
What does he mean by that? He has already said that ‘not all are Israel who are of Israel’ (9:6) so what exactly does he mean and what exactly does God have planned? There are two main answers commonly given to that question.
(1) He means that the full elect of God, Jew and Gentile, will all be gathered into Christ according to God’s perfect will. …
God has very specific plans to save a great many people from every tribe, tongue and nation, including the nation of Israel. ‘All Israel’ thus refers to all the elect and redeemed Jews and all the elect and redeemed Gentiles collectively. The Gentiles do not replace the Jews but are gathered into Christ alongside.
(2) He means that shortly before the return of Jesus the Jewish people en mass will turn to faith in Christ
This option was dominant among my spiritual ancestors …
However they may differ over the specifics, the vast majority of Bible believing Christians over the ages have in fact believed that God has specific plans for the Jewish people. … ~
Ah, I’ve attended 18 different churches, now, in all four corners of the US and Hawai’i. I’ve run into replacement theology many times.
The pastor of our church in CT was a “completed Jew.” Born Jewish, he became a Christian and went on to pastor the church (he also was a General in the Army reserves, and didn’t get the part of Freddie Einzvitz Hill in My Fair Lady because Julie Andrews was taller than he was).
A total character.
We always had a seder dinner on Maudy Thursday to celebrate the Last Supper. It was a very moving service–and we got to eat a potluck dinner to boot.
I love connecting the dots between the Old and New Testament–this devotional I’m reading by Chad Bird shows those parallels all the time.
I have lived many places and the churches we’ve attended have almost all be dispensationalist churches—including the one we attend now. It’s how I learned Christianity from infancy, and was not really aware of it. I had heard the word without digging into the meaning until recently. Now I have become aware that it is woven tightly into the very fabric of my understanding of the Bible. I don’t like being in that uncomfortable position, and it’s been difficult separating the strands of what I would call fulfillment theology and covenant theology from dispensationalism. It’s a long, sometimes frustrating process.
The only reason I mention it here is because it has real world political implications regarding our policy in the middle east.
This is a travesty. He should be thanked yet his life is changed in an instant by those viewing what is good is wrong and what is wrong is good, Praying for this young man and for the vileness of those now attacking him will be thwarted.
Daniel Penny didn’t wake up that morning planning to restrain a dangerous man. But when Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old with a history of violent attacks, started threatening passengers, Penny acted decisively. Neely shouted that someone would “die today” and made it clear he had no regard for the consequences. Subway passengers were understandably terrified. Penny intervened, applying a restraint to protect innocent lives.
This wasn’t an act of recklessness or malice. It was an act of courage. Yet, Penny now faces charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide—charges that could land him in prison for up to 15 years. For what? For defending his fellow citizens? For preventing what could have been yet another senseless tragedy on New York City’s broken subway system?The DA’s Radical Agenda
The Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, has made his priorities clear: he’s more interested in prosecuting those who defend themselves than those who terrorize the public. Under his leadership, violent criminals walk free under the guise of “restorative justice,” while law-abiding citizens like Daniel Penny are dragged through politically motivated show trials.
Assistant DA Dafna Yoran, prosecuting Penny, is no stranger to controversial decisions. A recently unearthed video revealed her celebrating the reduced sentence of Matthew Lee, a man who killed an elderly professor during a robbery. Instead of felony murder, Lee was convicted of manslaughter, thanks to a lenient policy embraced by Yoran. Yet, Penny—who restrained a known threat to public safety—is treated as a criminal. How does this make sense?
This would be laughable if it weren’t for the fact that so many people get their news from the networks. And the fact that it worked before with the 50 former CIA officials that thought the Hunter laptop story was Russian disinformation. Now one hundred former NSA officials are alarmed that Tulsi Gabbard has been selected to head the department. It seems they’re afraid she might not be a warmonger. Well, I ask, what can you expect from a supposed “Putin puppet”. :eyeroll:
“Nearly 100 former national security officials signed a letter criticizing President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and called for closed-door Senate hearings to review any government information about her.
In the letter obtained by NBC News, the officials urged the Senate to “carefully evaluate” whether Gabbard is “equipped” for the position, which requires Senate confirmation.
“Several of Ms. Gabbard’s past actions call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus,” the letter said. “Following her trip to Syria, for example, Ms. Gabbard aligned herself with Russian and Syrian officials.” ”
Debra, thanks for specifying “which media” you were referring to (“the networks”) — but do very many get their news there now? I think that’s most definitely not true anymore (that people get their news from “the networks”) — “the media” (an incredibly imprecise term nowadays) has long since expanded into a plethora of outlets that we are all influenced by now. There is no “The Media” as a single thing anymore, and we should probably just drop the term as it’s so imprecise and takes in everything from podcasts to X to ‘social’ media to — name it.
From a “Current” article someone shared with me this week:
~ … Sometimes when we are talking about “the media,” we are really ranting about particular outlets. Not uncommonly we are ranting from a position that considers the media outlet in question to be partisan. “The media” has become a kind of code rather than a useful descriptor. This is why you can rant about Fox News as “the media,” while Fox News can also rant about “the media.” Despite the network’s legal protestations, most people would agree that Fox News is some form of media. “The media” has become whatever influences other people rather than yourself.
Ranting about the media is increasingly silly, because we all know you mean some media, not all media. Current is the media. The podcast you love is the media. The podcast you host is media. The Daily Wire is media. No one really hates “the media,” they just hate some of it.
A word which has become especially unhinged from its original meaning has to be “mainstream media.” The “MSM” is what so many people love to hate, but what are they even talking about? Is the New York Times mainstream media? …
The way we speak about it, yes. And it has about 11 million subscribers. In contrast, we describe Joe Rogan’s podcast as being outside MSM, while it has about 14.5 million listeners. That seems fairly mainstream. It certainly has more than a fringe population of listeners. Ben Shapiro does great in the charts, too.
… It is also true that complaints about the media are sometimes so cherry-picked that you could never get an accurate sense of the publication in question from the criticisms of it. The New York Times is like the elephant described by group of blind men. For one thing, the paper is often raked through the coals for its op-eds, even though they are only accepted by the editors not written by them. They have been in trouble for publishing op-eds “too liberal” and “too conservative” in recent years. …
… It’s time for us all to stop complaining about “the media,” because the entire conversation has become meaningless. Whenever we say “the media” we really mean something else—so let’s say whatever it is we mean and stop clouding our vocabulary. To some extent, we can all do better by being more specific. We are often only complaining about specific outlets. Some of those complaints are entirely legitimate. But if we are complaining about practices that are occurring everywhere in the media ecosystem but are only bothering us in some outlets… then we aren’t complaining about media at all. If your echo chamber is insufficiently insulated, that is a personal problem. … ~
And on it goes. The “media” landscape has completely changed, we news consumers just haven’t caught up with it yet.
Andre Zachary, the estranged father of mentally ill criminal Jordan Neely is suing Daniel Penny in civil court. The jury was deadlocked on the manslaughter charge and it was dismissed by the judge. He faces other charges however…
When a criminal ends up dead by the heroics of a standby citizen all of a sudden that criminal is such a loved nice boy with problems. Now the estranged Dad desires to have a pay day at the death of his son.
And in further news: sure…”sort of the same thing”! Delusional
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson making a bold claim. During the recent hearing for United States v. Skrmetti, she equated bans on child sex change procedures to racial discrimination. She went so far as to say that this ban is “sort of the same thing” as the 1967 Loving v. Virginia case, which struck down laws against interracial marriage
DJ, I think many people still get their news from network or cable channels. I think when people criticize the MSM, they are largely talking about conglomerates or even privately owned outlets that tend to pump out the same propaganda. A show that offers a two or three hour unscripted interview like Joe Rogan (or even Tucker Carlson since he left Fox) definitely does not qualify as MSM because it tends to highlight first hand sources which is more in depth at least for that source. That leaves the listener with something to think about.
Syria has fallen! It’s been about 10 years since the US invaded Syria in an effort to assist rebels overthrowing the government there. Now what?
“Russia says Assad has left Syria, silent on his future and that of military bases
Russia said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had left office and departed his country after giving orders for a peaceful transfer of power.
But it did not say where he was now or whether the Russian military planned to stay in Syria.
Assad flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination earlier on Sunday, two senior army officers told Reuters. His current whereabouts were unknown.
“As a result of negotiations between B. Assad and a number of participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he decided to resign from the presidency and left the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Russia did not participate in these negotiations.”
There were unconfirmed media reports that Assad had been visiting Moscow, where his elder son studied, when rebels reached Aleppo late last month, before returning to Syria. The Kremlin declined to comment on the matter at the time and it is unclear whether Russia has offered him refuge now.
Moscow, a staunch backer of Assad whom it intervened to help in 2015 in its biggest Middle East foray since the Soviet collapse, is scrambling to salvage its position with its geopolitical clout in the wider region and two strategically-important military bases in Syria on the line.
”
“BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian government fell early Sunday in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family after a sudden rebel offensive sprinted across government-held territory and entered the capital in 10 days.
Syrian state television aired a video statement by a group of men saying that President Bashar Assad has been overthrown and all detainees in jails have been set free.
The man who read the statement said the Operations Room to Conquer Damascus, an opposition group, called on all opposition fighters and citizens to preserve state institutions of “the free Syrian state.”
The statement emerged hours after the head of a Syrian opposition war monitor said Assad had left the country for an undisclosed location, fleeing ahead of insurgents who said they had entered Damascus following the remarkably swift advance across the country.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and turn its functions over to a transitional government.
“I am in my house and I have not left, and this is because of my belonging to this country,” Jalili said in a video statement. He said he would go to his office to continue work in the morning and called on Syrian citizens not to deface public property.
He did not address reports that Assad had fled.
Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told The Associated Press that Assad took a flight Sunday from Damascus.
State television in Iran, Assad’s main backer in the years of war in Syria, reported that Assad had left the capital. It cited Qatar’s Al Jazeera news network for the information and did not elaborate.
There was no immediate statement from the Syrian government.”
I’m a fan of populism but in most cases populism is easily turned “false” by its leadership. I do think we (will) see this with Trump.
The richest cabinet ever, plenty of billionaires and seven contributors to Project 2025 — not exactly populist material, esp Musk hanging out in the background.
The amount of money in US politics is absolutely astounding. On both sides. The cyrpto types have really poured the money into it. I liked bitcoin and its ilk as beanie babies for older men — or simply a casino and confidence game but apparently that’s what qualifies as economics now.
I don’t blame Biden for pardoning his son. I think any father would do the same. And lets face it, if he wasn’t the president’s son, he would have been left alone.
As for those who say he might be enabling his son; that’s a sold working class comment. We think we need to toughen our kids as they become adults so they face the world. The rich never worry about “enabling”, they have money to face the world.
AJ’s been gone for a while — hope everything is alright
hrw — the last post was mine too — but who else gives links to the guardian?
Hegseth continues to have trouble. I didn’t like him for his “crusader” mentality — not the type of thinking which is needed to lead the world’s largest military. However, it seems his treatment of women, drinking, and mismanagement of vet groups is getting more attention. Anything to eliminate from the post, I suppose. DeSantis would probably enact the same policies but be better at it.
I find it hugely ironic that Hegseth once mocked millennials for taking their parents to job interviews now has his mother on FOX defending him. If you’re applying to head the military, needing your mother to vouch for you is not a good look.
Hesgeth also stated he would stop drinking for the “deployment”. He’s trying to create analogy between his sober time in Afghanistan and the behaviour he will show in Defense. However, staying sober in Afghanistan is relatively easy — its completely “dry”
To add to the Hesgeth situation — it appears Joni Ernst is the key. Trump Jr and Vance are accusing her of being reluctant due to her disappointment in not getting the job. If Ernst is the key then I imagine the ladies from Alaska and Maine have already said no. This looks to become a pattern – Murkowski and Collins will be on the outside of the party. For Collins it’s probably political survival. Her term is up in 2026 and the Democrats are the majority in Maine.
This points to problems Trump will have for the next two years — he’s only one senate vote away from a no to anything in his agenda (assuming Collins and Murkowksi say no). And the House is as shaky as it was prior to the election — probably even more actually. Officially its 220 to 215 but with at least two resignations its 218.
All this points to the margin in Trump’s win. Although slightly stronger than 2016, its still narrow with the final count at 49.9 to 48.4 or 1.5%. Plus he wasn’t able to pull Senate seats in Wisconsin and Michigan which he himself won. With Musk running around tweeting silly stuff like he’s going to defund Social Security — 2026 could get ugly.
HRW, we passed election reform law but the conservatives in the Supreme Court gutted it unnecessarily. So I guess we’re stuck with obscenely expensive elections for the time being (and legalized influence from only God knows who).
As for the wealth of Trump’s cabinet picks, I’m not sure having money is disqualifying. However, if they start to say stupid things like “I’m just a working woman” or the middle class starts at about 5 million dollars like Whoopi Goldberg or John McCain, it would be a serious red flag.
As for Musk, he’s been known to throw gobs of money into very risky rprojects if he believes in them. The well being of America may be one such project. Time will tell .
I grew up in an auto city. The supply lines that keep the assembly plants moving are incredibly complicated. Trucks act as moving warehouses bringing parts to Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan and Ontario – one misstep and the line stops. If you read the article, you’ll notice it’s impossible to separate Canadian and American auto production — the data is too complicated to keep separated. Introducing tariffs into this will mess up the supply lines worse than Covid. Unlike most economists, I think tariffs have a role but the North American auto industry is the last place to use it. Also on interest; Toyota trucks are more American than the Ford F-150.
Israel has taken advantage of the chaos in Syria to seize Syrian territory.
/”Israel’s Army Radio reported Sunday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had seized the peak of Mount Hermon, the highest mountain in the region, as a precaution against the advance of Syrian rebels as the Assad regime collapsed….”
To clarify, I’m not saying Israel is wrong to take Mt Hermon. It’s probably a sufficiently defensive action given the uncertainty in Syria now that the government has fallen, I think.
HRW, I don’t think we have to be too worried about Trump’s use of tariffs. He did alright the last time and it worked out well. He threatens much but acts sparingly. I’m very willing to be patient while his team works through it.
However I do think the Trump is inheriting a much different situation than he had last time. The Ukraine war has prompted a much stronger alliance of countries who are willing to reduce or forego trade with the US, and has reduced the use of the US dollar as the world currency. I think this has long term effects, and I don’t know how or if it can be undone. Peace in Ukraine might not be sufficient to undo the damage.
I was on Mt. Hermon in 2022–Israel has a lot of listening devices up there. It provides a sweeping view of Lebanon and Syria–the three nations meet there–but we were not allowed up high enough to look.
It belonged to Israel when we were there and for the above reasons, I doubt Israel will move–in any direction.
It may be considered to be in the Golan Heights area–and Israel announced yesterday they were moving in to keep the peace, lest Syrians flee into that area. Turkey is said to be ready to send home the 2 million Syrians who have taken refuge in their country over the last few years.
In other news which I just read on Twitter–so be careful of the source–those who have taken over have announced Sharia law is coming.
If true, that’s bad news–particularly if you are among the 2% of the population who are Christians.
Interesting times for sure. We’ve been following the Middle East situation for quite some time now at our house.
I’ve been quite critical of Israeli’s policy for the last few years — it’s genocidal in Gaza. However, the creation of a buffer zones in Syria does make sense as long as they don’t intrude.
Ironically their war with Hezbollah led to a weakening of Assad support in Syria. So Israeli actions helped create yet one more unstable border region.
Questions but no answers
Will the Russians leave their air and naval bases? Will the Americans leave their air base? Will the Islamic groups try to push either group out? Will the Islamists, Kurds and secular groups actually get along enough to form a coherent government? Who has Assad’s poison gas? Will Erdogan move into Syria to establish a “buffer zone”? Will he go after the Kurds while doing it?
No answers — my only guess is this is just a transition to another phase of the civil war
Debra — agreed with the tariffs — a lot of it will be bluster. You can’t enact punitive tariffs without retaliation or disrupting the supply lines. In the case of Canada, its almost impossible to tell what and how much is being traded in certain sectors. I do remember his tariffs in the first administration leading to retaliation by China that affected Midwestern farmers — I believe it was soybeans but I may be wrong.
Slurring and stumbling through his short, six-minute speech, and repeatedly clearing his throat, Biden claimed credit for Syria’s collapse. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” President Cabbage bragged, adding “We now see new opportunities.” I’ll bet they do.
Then, Biden confirmed the Proxy War link I’ve been suggesting, in his patented circumloqutious style: “This is a direct result of the blows that Ukraine, Israel delivered upon their own self defense with unflagging support of the United States.”
Biden said U.S. forces started airstrikes in Syria yesterday —an exciting new conflict!— hitting any holdout enemies opposing the loosely named, ill-defined, and mysteriously provenanced “rebel groups,” many of whom currently occupy slots on U.S. terror group lists. Corporate media has not explained or even expressed any curiosity about how the U.S. could so quickly tell the good guys from the bad guys with sufficient clarity to start dropping bombs on people.
Biden then launched the big announcement: the United States —not the U.N., the World Bank, or for Hades’ sake, not the BRICS— would help “the Syrian people” create an independent —Joe started coughing uncontrollably right when he said “independent,” presumably to cover his laughter— an independent new government and a spanking new democratic constitution that would be just “for them,” the people. And it will be so progressive; just wait and see.
Now, when Biden promised that the United States would “help the Syrian people” create a new government for them, the people, he meant just the Syrians we’re not bombing into the stone age, of course. The good ones, in other words. Those other ones are dead men.
On Saturday, as Syria fell and Bassad fled, Trump tweeted, “This is not our fight!”and urged the US to stay out of the conflict. Amusingly, the article quoted Jake Sullivan saying the U.S. would not get involved — one day before Biden announced U.S. airstrikes there and our intent to “help” build a brave new Syrian government for the right people.
And there is rejoicing in Lebanon over the release of several Christians who have been in Syrian prisons for decades. God is merciful.
“Christians in Lebanon are celebrating the release of several prisoners who were abducted by the Syrian regime over several decades of occupation and who are now, finally, free after the sudden collapse of the Assad regime on Sunday….
I think almost everyone in Syria is celebrating regardless of religion or lack of.
In the meantime, the players are changing and the civil wars continue
Russian went from calling HTS terrorists to armed opposition to recognise them diplomatically. The head turn here is almost as fast as the Moltov Ribbentrop pact in the 40s. Amazing how cynical you can get when you want to keep your air and naval bases
Israel is taking full advantage of the chaos — not only did they set up a buffer zone, they are bombing anything that might be heavy weapons storage and or biological weapons. They are even bombing infrastructure — a Mediterranean port. The aim is simple — eliminate any chance that Syria will ever pose a threat.
Meanwhile Turkey is bombing the Kurdish/SDA alliance to promote its proxy the SFA and the US is bombing ISIS to help the Kurds. I wonder if Trump will abandon the US air base — its probably the one which he used to launch his own strikes against ISIS leadership, so I doubt it. Its also conveniently located in the desert along the Jordan/Saudi/Syrian border — easy for anyone to leave it alone.
Meanwhile the new leader in Damascus who still has a price on his head as an Islamic terrorists is giving interviews on western television including CNN. He’s trying to rehab his image and all the foreigners – Turkey, Russia, and the West are working furiously to do it for him. Only Iran and Israel are still treating him as a pariah.
It will be interesting to see what happens when the dust settle — if I lived that long, and I plan to live at least 40 more years.
Hmm-well we know about the plans of mice and men. I may not make it through today. Or I may live into my 100’s as my uncle did. He was a month shy of 101.
I think we have been backing terrorist groups there in Syria. And I also read there are Ukrainian weapons there as well–probably ours given to Ukraine and sold there. Oh what a tangled web we weave….
The West clearly wanted to push Russia out of Syria – to force them out of their last foreign base. Thus, we aligned ourselves with dubious characters to destabilise the Assad regime. Assad was an issue but sometimes the replacement devil isn’t much better.
During the cold war we destablized pro Soviet Muslim regimes in Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq etc and then continue when the name changed from USSR to Russian Federation. Yet clearly not learning from the regimes we left behind — its been rinse/repeat.
It remains to be seen what type of Syria will emerge but for the Kurds, Shia, Ismaili, Alawite, Chrisitan and Druze groups al-Jolani’s attempt at re-imaging needs to be sincere.
Israel has completely destroyed former Syria army equipment — naval, air force, missile sites etc., very little is left
Turkey is supporting the FSA (Free Syrian Army) or the SNA (Syrian National Army) with air power as they fight against the Kurdish SDF pushing the Kurds eastward across the Euphrates. The Turks want to end any Kurdish autonomy.
The US air force nominally supports the SDF but usually only against ISIS. It remains to be seen if the US will intervene to keep the Kurds as a viable player in Syria. Trump abandoned the Kurds in his first term, something Kurds I taught did not forget.
Although the SDF is mostly Kurdish, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians usually ally or are protected by the secular (and leftist) Kurdish.
Russian troops/air force were seen to be evacuating toward the coast. The Russian navy has pulled out but is staying near the coast. A Russian naval vessel was seen leaving the Baltic sea and is thought to be on its way to the Mediterranean, probably to take heavy equipment home. At the same time, Russia is negotiating with Turkey to not only use Turkish airspace but maybe use land routes to bring troops back to Russia — a bit bizarre Russia negotiating with a NATO country to return home.
And i haven’t even mentioned the provisional rulers — the HTS….
~ Are liberals still in their McCarthyite phase? The ugly criticism of Tulsi Gabbardas a “likely Russian asset” (Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz) might convince Trump supporters that she is being maligned, as President Trump was, because she’s on board with his agenda.
The truth, which has Republican Senators concerned, is the opposite: Ms. Gabbard is on ample record as a dogmatic opponent of the policies that made Mr. Trump’s first-term foreign policy a success and that Democrats resisted. The former Democrat would be a risky fit as director of national intelligence (DNI).
It’s sweet that the WSJ’s editorial board is concerned that Trump’s foreign policies might be thwarted, but personally, I love it that our prospective DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, leans a little more dovish and will be less inclined to policing the world. It is refreshing. And it’s very much aligned with Trump’s foreign policy.
The WSJ emphasizes that Gabbard was a Democrat as recently as 2022. But this is exactly what I meant when I said that issues are more important than party. I wouldn’t care if she were still a Democrat. She is a nice counterbalance to Trump’s DoD pick, Pete Hegseth who is not nearly so peaceable–at least as far as middle east policy is concerned.
“They seem ready to act when they take office,” said Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. “This time, they have experience and the right people in place, like Tom Homan.”
Homan, now border czar, and Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff, have been vocal about their immigration strategy. They’ve appeared frequently on television to lay out their plans.
Miller told Fox News on Sunday that a budget reconciliation bill could be ready for Trump by late January or early February.
The bill would fund ICE for mass deportations, increase border technology, and hire more border agents. It wouldn’t need Democratic support.
Trump also plans to issue executive orders on his first day, including one that, according to Miller, would “seal the border.”
The WSJ editorial makes Gabbard sound appealing. And Debra is right — she will be a good counter balance to Hesgeth whose “crusader” mentality and other issues are worrisome. Flexibility for anything is always important but the WSJ has frequently used similar editorials to question leftist politicians like Sanders.
As Syria continues its civil war, I wonder if Trump will maintain the air force base. And how he will support or not support the Kurds. They have always been the “sane” ones in an insane situation and he abandoned them in his last presidency.
Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine is entering a “hurry up” phase as both sides seek to make gains prior to Trump’s arrival. The uncertainty has led both the Russians and Ukrainians to launch offensives. A strange butterfly effect — 220 000 vote difference in the rust belt leads to increased causalities half the world away.
And following up on foreign policy, again from the WSJ commentary pages:
_______________
The Wrong Lessons From the Iraq War: The U.S. made foolish mistakes, but withdrawing from the world would be the worst of them all.
By
Tony Abbott
~ JD Vance is tired of Washington lawmakers who believe they can “remake the entire world in America’s image.” So he said in an October podcast with Joe Rogan, adding that the Iraq war was America’s “biggest world-historical catastrophe.” This came after insights into issues as diverse as climate and energy, immigration and assimilation, and the clash between the right to autonomy and the right to life. It is to Donald’Trump’s credit that he chose a running mate capable of handling such topics so adeptly.
Messrs. Trump and Vance are right that it’s past time for American allies to pay their bills. That’s true of Britain and Australia too, the nations least inclined to shirk their obligations. Americans are also right to feel underappreciated, given that the long Pax Americana has mostly been better for the world than for America itself. Still, thanks to America’s blood and treasure, the world has been freer, fairer, safer and richer for more people than at any time in history.
As a weary titan, America’s reluctance to be the main guardian of the universal decencies of mankind is understandable. But the incoming administration should understand that this would be the worst time for the indispensable nation to step aside. An axis of dictatorships—a militarist one in Moscow, an Islamist one in Tehran and a communist one in Beijing—are united by a hatred of the West and a desire to undo history. Without America’s active engagement, the dictators will create a much bleaker and more dangerous world. …
… It is a tragedy that so many Americans have perished in recent wars. But the best way to honor their memory is to be smarter about future conflicts, not to surrender the ideals for which they died. Allies can pick up the slack. Australia and others should swiftly move to spend 3% of gross domestic on their armed forces. Britain and Europe should take a stronger lead on Ukraine. The West’s military-industrial base must be rebuilt.
Effectively managing this transition is the great challenge Messrs. Trump and Vance must meet. Much hangs on their success. ~
Mr. Abbott served as prime minister of Australia, 2013-15.
Stopping ‘Endless Wars’ Is Easier Said Than Done: Trump will need to overcome four foreign-policy fallacies to resolve entrenched conflicts.
By
John Spencer
~ Donald Trump’s promise to “put an end to endless wars” resonates with an American public fatigued by decades of military entanglements. His calls for efficient, clear objectives and reduced U.S. involvement abroad reflect a pragmatic approach to the nation’s challenges.
But Mr. Trump’s ambitions also underscore the enduring complexity of war. Wars are rarely resolved on convenient timelines or with numerical or technological superiority alone. As 19th-century Prussian general and military strategist Carl von Clausewitz famously warned, the first act of a statesman is to recognize the type of war he is in. Clausewitz described war as a contest of wills in which human determination outweighs material advantages. Misunderstanding the character of a conflict can lead to unintended consequences.
To reach his goals, Mr. Trump must heed Clausewitz’s advice. Achieving global success requires understanding the human and ideological dimensions of war and seeing past at least four common foreign-policy fallacies. …
… the fourth error, the “peace table fallacy”— the belief that all wars end in negotiations. This approach isn’t always feasible. Simple calls for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia or for Israel to seek peace with Hamas ignore ideological and political stakes. Wars don’t end simply because one side desires peace; they end when one side achieves its objectives or both reach a stalemate. …
… The will of the Ukrainian people and their leadership prevented Russia from achieving its unlimited strategic goals. Despite Russia’s larger army and extensive resources, Ukraine’s resolve to defend its sovereignty galvanized international support and sustained its war effort. Ukraine’s initial success surprised the Biden administration, which hadn’t prepared for the war and made the misguided choice to provide arms incrementally to Ukraine within a cautious political-risk paradigm. Similarly in Gaza, misinformation on Israel’s conduct in the war increased Hamas’s resolve and caused the Biden administration to adopt unrealistic expectations and withhold arms from Israel. American political leadership also believed that there could be a quick solution to the war despite overwhelming evidence indicating that wouldn’t be possible.
Mr. Trump’s desire to simplify U.S. foreign policy and focus on achieving clear goals is admirable. But the complexity of war demands a careful and nuanced approach. Clausewitz’s reminder to recognize the type of war being waged remains vital. Wars are not contests of spreadsheets but struggles of will, shaped by leadership, morale and adaptability. To be successful, Mr. Trump must resist the allure of quick fixes and instead embrace strategies that reflect the unique nature of each conflict.
Mr. Spencer is chair of urban warfare studies at West Point’s Modern War Institute.
______________________
Much debate over these issues, as there should be, and opinions can change depending on circumstances. The point, though, is that flexibility, wisdom, nimbleness — and principles — will determine where these conflicts go or don’t go (and how the U.S. can best respond).
I supose one can’t blame a former prime minister from down under for believing that America is in danger of giving up the ghost and retreating from the world. But the WSJ knows better. Thumbs up for Mr. Abbot’s essay. Thumbs down for the title the WSJ put on it .
Care and nuance are not qualities that Trump seems to possess. Merkel, in her new book, said Trump approached foreign affairs like a real estate deal — there could be only winners and losers and he wanted to win. The wrong approach.
As someone who’s almost always been against American adventurism in the middle east and elsewhere (esp in Latin America), I view isolationism as an equally drastic policy. A pendulum swing that solves nothing.
The US is part of the liberal democracy bloc . This includes the different variations from the nordic model on the left to the anglo-american model on the right. Walking away from the bloc encourages the authoritarians (or illiberal democracies to use Orban’s term). Even on that basis alone, the US needs to stay involved in the world especially in Ukraine. Authoritarians are less stable, personality driven and will ignore rules and consenus for personal advantage or self-aggrandization.
On the self-interested level, for economic reasons the US needs to maintain the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. A retreat to isolationism will encourage the BRICs to set up their own reserve currency (the USSR attempted to have the ruble as a reserve currency but it failed due to a lack of cooperation from other nations). As the reserve currency things like oil, air fares, international trade and exchanges etc are all priced in US dollars. This often results in cheaper products and services for Americans while at the same time giving its government more flexibility than other countries. It appears Trump or at least those around know this so it may motivate them to keep an active foreign policy.
The WSJ on “endless wars” looks interesting and I will try to read it more fully later at home. But the first thing that jumps out is the suggestion to recognize the type of war we’re in. And at this point it seems to me important to rule out that our primary adversaries are not at home.
The four circumstances are well explained. The question I think you’re asking is whether the US should have anything to do with any of it in the first place. That’s an isolationist position but it seems to be re-emerging in popularity, now on the right.
I just don’t think that works. It’s a small world.
Foreign policy needs to be fluid — but we have no way to see the future, so there will always be some risks, whether we sit on our hands or decide there is a role America needs to play when the weak are being oppressed and other nations are being threatened.
Nothing easy about any of us and wisdom is needed.
So we can choose to do nothing (which is popular currently among the maga side of conservatism); but that has consequences as well.
DJ, that’s apparently the question you wish I would ask, but haven’t. Neither has Trump, fwiw. And since I’m not interested in arguing for a position I don’t in fact hold, I’ll pass .
The problem is that those who are eager to swagger into wars rarely have an honest and intelligent plan about where we’re going, how much it will cost, what are we gaining or losing, what’s the end result, and most important of all, how is it righteous or just in light of our own conduct leading up to the proposed conflict.
This is a very good example of one reason some people wonder if we might not be our own worst enemy. At least it’s something to consider. From First Things:
America’s Atheist Diplomacy
by Michael T. McCaul
December 2024
For the last two years, a little-watched congressional investigation has been exploring the nature of religious freedom and, specifically, whether the United States is an effective steward of that cause when it funds ideologically charged foreign aid projects overseas. After obtaining information the Department of State tried to keep hidden, my colleagues and I have learned that some members of our nation’s diplomatic corps consider the concept of “religious freedom” to be as malleable as clay, even entailing, in some cases, government promotion of nonbelief. Regardless of one’s faith tradition or political allegiances, this distortion is cause for concern….
Janice, my wife had also heard a few days ago that Time Magazine was likely to name Donald Trump Person of the Year.
Everyone should understand, though, that it is not inherently an honor. It is recognition of a person who “for better or for worse … has done the most to influence the events of the year.” Both really good people and really bad people have been chosen in the past.
So President Trump shouldn’t get too big a head about it, nor should his detractors be appalled. He certainly was a big newsmaker this year.
It was Biden’s second record-setting pardon. The first was the breadth and scope of Hunter’s pardon, which was arguably the broadest pardon in history, competing with Ford’s pardon of former president Richard Nixon. Biden had also promised he would never ever pardon Hunter, because no one is above the law, but then blamed changing his mind on the country’s politicized justice system. But that is a side issue.
The bottom line: get ready for lots more record-breaking Biden pardons. To prepare yourself, just imagine the shocking kind of pardons that could be excreted by a president lacking moral or ethical guardrails, who can’t think clearly, and who doesn’t care about the optics, historical precedent, or whether it hurts his political party. The hopeful thought is, why would Biden bother pardoning Fauci? I mean, what’s in it for Biden?
Whatever happens, it will probably be stomach-turning. But the silver lining is all these record-setting, eye-watering Biden pardons will nicely tee up Trump’s pardons. Biden just set the new bar, pardoning fifteen hundred fellow criminals in one day.
Kevin, your link said he’s already got over $30,000 in donations for legal fees. One donor said: “Denying healthcare coverage to people is murder, but no one gets charged with that crime,” one donor wrote, calling the killing a “justifiable homicide.”
And they’re making a folk hero of him:
In New York, “Wanted” posters with the faces of CEOs have appeared on walls. Websites are selling Mangione merchandise, including hats with “CEO Hunter” printed across a bullseye. And some social media users have swooned over his smile and six-pack abs….”
I’m hope that RFK can bring changes to HHS that will help people who feel disenfranchised from the healthcare system.
The left side of the internet has been off the charts since the shooting. Celebratory fireworks would be putting it mildly. Given the horror stories I’ve heard from Americans, I’ve always been glad to be on the north side of the Great Lakes especially when it comes to health care. Insurance adds nothing to one’s care other than supposedly mitigating risks. If RFK is to do anything to fix the issue, joining the rest of the developed world with some type of universal coverage would be the right way. Perhaps similar to only Nixon could go to China, maybe Trump is the only one who could provide universal care. Anything is possible these days.
The justification given for his death — his adoption of AI and algorithms to reach a 30% denial rate led to countless deaths is similar to what many of my daughter’s friends used to justify shoplifting food — excess profiteering makes theft a moral choice. For me its hard to argue with the logic but one can argue against the conclusion.
For many on the left, they feel the right and the media should have no legitimate complaints for the current adoration and funding for Luigi. After all they supported Kyle Rittenhouse who killed someone because he was scared. A video now making the rounds uses FOX commentary on Luigi (too lazy to check last name spelling) while showing images of Rittenhouse.
Debra — love the swagger term — very accurate description of the Reagan/Bush/Cheney era. Not that Clinton or Obama were much better
Biden’s pardons – America has way too many people in jail. Even on a per capita basis America has more prisoners than any country in the world (although I think El Salvador has temporarily eclipsed this). A lot of the commuted sentences were given to those who were out of prison early during Covid and have had no issues with the law since. Seems legitimate to save money and time there. Should probably commute more – all drug possession, federal death row, Pelitier, etc
Time Person of the Year – Trump’s a good pick – too bad he will take it as a compliment. His head is big enough already. He also tops the Google Most Searched person list — Trump, Musk, Swift, Grande, Drake. In a non-election year; Swift would be a candidate for person of the year. Her Eras tour was historic — and I have no idea of any of her old songs I’m just an old punk.
Lol. You could cover a Trump rally and use it there, DJ. No lack of swagger there . Of course, you’d run out of synonyms trying not to be repetitious. :–)
Unfortunately, today I’m working on a nice holiday-by-the-sea wrap and I can’t figure out a place for “swagger.” Santa surely doesn’t swagger. Perhaps some of his elves do?
______________-
I do appreciate Kim Strassel’s take on RFK (“Welcome to the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. nomination, one of the more counterproductive Washington charades in recent history.”)
I’d say Trump was the clear obvious choice for “Person of the Year.” (And, as has been pointed out, it’s more about influence and even notoriety — good or not so much — that these folks represent to get that news title).
One good rule of thumb I like to keep in mind is to question myself if I find myself completely agreeing (or disagreeing) with “everything” a particular politician says or does.
There should be enough nuance in our critical thinking that we’ll sometimes agree, sometimes disagree with all of them depending on the issue.
Pfft! Time’s “Person of the Year” indeed. I’m waiting for the memorial. Something modest tucked into the landscape of the National Mall between the Washington and Lincoln memorials. Perhaps a bridge across the Reflecting Pool with a statue of Trump holding it up. Overlaid with gold, of course.
Kizzie — I missed or forgot that. Demonstrates the importance i attach to the award.
Debra — would a golden toilet at the Smithsonian be a sufficient memorial? Or maybe move the entire gold apartment from the Trump Tower to the Smithsonian?
Fascinating 1 hour 22 minute podcast looking at the political, religious, and military situation in the Middle East. I met Boskey at a conference we attended this fall in Nashville where he gave a fascinating presentation on anti-semitism in the church (which began circa 300 AD).
He’s an American who has lived in Israel for 25 years–in Hebron, “just down the street from Abraham’s tomb.”
We discuss the latest news every night at our house! My Bible teaching/military guy has a lot of interesting things to say–and enjoyed this conversation himself.
~ For 97 years, the editors of TIME have been picking the Person of the Year: the individual who, for better or for worse, did the most to shape the world and the headlines over the past 12 months. In many years, that choice is a difficult one. in 2024, it was not … On the cusp of his second presidency, all of us — from his most fanatical supporters to his most fervent critics — are living in the Age of Trump. …
… Tump has remade American politics in the process. He won by enlarging his base, seizing the frustration over rising prices and benefiting from a global turn against incumbents. …
The carousel of Trumpworld characters spins anew. This time, we think we know what to expect … Today, we are witnessing a resurgence of populism, a widening mistrust in the institutions that defined the last century, and an eroding faith that liberal values will lead to better lives for most people. Trump is both agent and beneficiary to all of it.
For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political alignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering Amerca’s role in the world, Donald Trump is TIME’s Person of the year. ~
hrw, interesting — ~ They’re confused because they still believe the dominant divide in US politics is liberalism v conservatism. It’s not, and it hasn’t been for some time. Increasingly, even if they lack the exact language to explain it, voters do not identify foremost as Democrats or Republicans, progressives or traditionalists, or even left or right. They identify as pro-system or anti-system. As put byJeet Heer in The Nation: “Pro-system politics is the bipartisan consensus of establishment Democrats and Republicans: It’s the politics of Nato and other military alliances, of trade agreements, and of deference to economists (as when they say that price gouging isn’t the cause of inflation).” Anti-system politics, he continues, is “a general thumbing of the nose at this consensus”. —
anyway, parts of it resonated with some of the themes I read today in a Ross Douthat NYT column:
_____________
*It’s Going to Be Normal to Have Extreme Beliefs*
~ I promise not to make every installment of this newsletter a further elaboration on what it means to live after the post-Cold War liberal order, in a world where a certain kind of neoliberal consensus politics has dissolved without any new consensus sweeping in to take its place. But I’ll go once more to the well for the case of Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, and who has become a source of general fascination and, to some, a peculiar kind of outlaw hero.
Last week, trying to describe what American politics looks like now and going forward, I wrote that “whatever form of extremism or bigotry or paranoia you fear most will probably have greater representation in our debates than you would like.”
In the wake of Thompson’s violent death, a seeming 21st-century analog to the “propaganda of the deed” favored by some late 19th- and early 20th-century anarchist assassins, we have a clear example of this representation. The extreme view that the health insurance pigs had it coming is out there percolating in online spaces for everyone to see, while the less extreme but still manifestly illiberal conceit that murder is wrong, but public enthusiasm for the murder of an executive in a deplorable industry reflects the understandable anger of people pushed too far has been taken up by mainstream politicians, including notable tribunes of the left like Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
… the idea that the American model of private insurance is uniquely evil and engaged in acts of social violence because it denies people too much treatment is an evasion of the reality that every system denies people treatment, because the potential forms of care are always larger than the budget — public or private or both — that’s available to pay for them. Maybe it feels better when the dirty work of denial is handled by a bland government bureaucrat rather than a private company, but the effect, broadly speaking, is the same. …
… The Covid-19 era has soured more Americans on the health care system but the majority of Americans still report themselves at least somewhat content with their health care, and if anything some of the online reaction to Thompson’s killing seems linked to a growing sense of futility around left-wing politics, not its untapped strength. With the stalling-out of the Medicare for All push, the pressure of inflation and the triumph of Donald Trump, the idea of a socialist revolution — led by Bernie Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez or anyone else — receded over some distant horizon, awaiting a very different economic and political dispensation.
So if you’re horrified or just unsettled to find yourself sharing a culture with kinda-sorta apologists for violence against health insurance executives, just be aware that such expressions of extremism could be with us for a long time — but without ever necessarily gathering themselves into a mass movement.
… Which is a crucial thing to understand in general about our era. Whatever faction you fear most — socialists or reactionaries, cranks or racists — is likely to persist as an influence on one or both political coalitions to a degree that would have seemed quite alarming 20 years ago. But that persistence doesn’t prove that the extreme elements are destined to fully achieve their wildest dreams or worst intentions. Instead, the fate of many of these groups is probably to coexist somewhat chaotically rather than to dominate and rule. …
… Having spent a lot of time, because of that experience (a battle with Lyme disease), in communities stamped by disillusionment with medical authority, I’ve seen people start from that kind of disillusionment and end up — well, all over the map, with all sorts of worldviews, all kinds of enemies and scapegoats.
And that phrase, all over the map, is as good a way as any of thinking about our wider moment — suggesting a landscape with no certain ruling power and lots of places to get lost. ~
~ … (re) the technocratic complaint about the “murder is wrong, but …” discourse. The more urgent and non-technocratic complaint, meanwhile, is that adding a “but …” seems to tiptoe toward justifying assassination even if you insist that you’re disavowing violence. And having leading politicians doing this kind of tap-dance illustrates how easily toxic elements can slip into mainstream politics right now.
Understanding our larger political situation, however, also requires keeping both toxicity and radicalism in perspective. Despite what some have implied, it’s not at all clear that the creepily enthusiastic online discourse about a health care executive being gunned down reflects a systemic discontent that might yield a New New Deal or a left-populist groundswell – were it only adequately harnessed … ~
Wandering Views 
But Graham, McConnell, and their ilk can’t make millions off their defense contractor stock without new, trillion dollar boondoggles with high cost overruns on the taxpayer dime.
They could care less about dead soldiers and airmen when there’s fortunes to be made.
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1860574377013838033?t=6RiZYZlHLJTRagOEH1lsBg&s=19
“Meanwhile, some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35 🗑️ 🫠”
LikeLiked by 3 people
Facts.
https://x.com/michaelrulli/status/1860711989867155822?t=JGpLbVzD0CVaG6fLZr80YQ&s=19
“Pete Buttigieg will leave his post as Transportation Secretary having spent $7.5 BILLION to build 8 EV charging stations.
His legacy will be squandering billions on something nobody wants, while millions struggle to afford the things they need.”
LikeLiked by 4 people
America last, that’s the Biden legacy.
https://x.com/TPC4USA/status/1860832917288591654?t=6lTFki2No4XLi6feGYI7vw&s=19
“The story continues to get worse. Both @NCNationalGuard and Title 10 federal forces have been pulled from #WNC, compared to the 15,000+ troops deployed in Houston, New Orleans, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. A @fema spokesman told me that WNC is “the worst disaster I’ve ever seen, times 10.” At its peak, the largest military presence in WNC was only 3,150 troops. Now, there are none—just in time for Thanksgiving and the winter’s cold. Both @NC_Governor and @POTUS need to answer for this.
And yes, @NCNationalGuard’s pinned X post says, “this mission is no fail, and we’ll continue to work around the clock until it’s complete.” However, they are not there and are currently posting old photos as if their operations are current. (Go there, see for yourself. They’ve posted photos just today that show full green and colorful leaf foliage on trees. Those leaves are now brown or fallen.) “
—-
“The neglect by @fema and @NC_Governor in WNC continues to reveal itself. @theblaze confirmed yesterday that all National Guard troops have been pulled from WNC. Cooper has 12,000 Guard troops, including 3 battalions of Guard engineers, available, but none are currently deployed.”
https://x.com/TPC4USA/status/1860766662460362996?t=xWnLq9aezEkgprGMlvhdvg&s=19
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Because as always, a certain bunch of Rs are disloyal, and could care less about America, the party, or anything but making themselves filthy rich. This is reality.
https://x.com/pvtjokerus/status/1860731339680723157?t=GciH04svNjXy0pR-UIadPQ&s=19
“When Democrats had a Senate majority OF ONE, they got everything they wanted done.
Including the Green New Deal.
We’ve got the majority by three and worried about simply getting cabinet nominees confirmed.”
—–
Note also that some of those same disloyal Rs voted for Biden’s economy killing Green Debacle.
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As always with Dem run disasters, the things they insistvarent happening are, in fact, happening.
https://x.com/nicksortor/status/1860807149128995150?t=FZrkFsNY6cSibC7LAydRVA&s=19
“FEMA is ONCE AGAIN LYING about relief for Western North Carolina, saying that nobody is living in tents
There are literal TENT CITIES that Hurricane victims are being forced to live in while snow is falling, while FEMA workers are staying in nice cozy hotels
To make it worse, basic aid requests are being CONSTANTLY DENIED by FEMA.
They’re doing NOTHING!
WHAT IS GOING ON @FEMA?”
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Just another useful idiots for Democrats.
https://x.com/amuse/status/1860719844544454920?t=Y9OU_2DQyoMcbT9NO5mfwA&s=19
“TRAITOR: The Republican who wrote the Biden/Harris border bill we heard about throughout the campaign, @SenatorLankford, is signaling he will oppose @TulsiGabbard’s appointment – implying she’s a Russian agent.”
—-
And where did the “Tulsi is a Russian agent” smear come from….?
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before….
https://x.com/JackPosobiec/status/1860760210723262519?t=j6OP6H6aqU8NngclfpceTw&s=19
“The ‘Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian asset’ smear was created by Hillary Clinton when Tulsi endorsed Bernie over her and then ran herself in 2020
It’s always been a neoliberal hoax attempted to block populists – just another arm of the general Russiagate hoax”
—-
Lather, rinse, repeat…
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Republican “leadership” in Congress and the Senate is trash. This is who they just put as the new head of the Appropriations Committee, one of the most powerful committees in the Senate.
This is BS.
—–
“She’s a Democrat. Votes Democrat 80% of the time. Facing election in 2025. Fire her!”
https://x.com/kalyx2020/status/1860729976112214337?t=jGcuFaCznXMleC79at2wwQ&s=19
—-
“Senator Susan Collins has been picked to Chair the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
Just as I knew would happen, Thune is filling these powerful positions with obstructionist RINOs.”
https://x.com/Mashburn4NC/status/1860786521877463453?t=c4tPy4Ub57EtuSvCdkyqaA&s=19
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As always, God is sovereign. Despite what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears on these appointments, we must above all keep our eyes and hearts focused on Him and what He alone can do in the process of transformation.
We walk by faith and not by sight . .
Remembering how He saved Trump from the assassination attempt by a miracle that only He could have provided. Also it seems a miracle to me that the fraud that was set to occur from illegals voting was not allowed. We have been given miracle upon miracle. I am still believing more strongly in His miracles than in what I hear.
We walk by faith and not by sight.
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But muh narrative…..
https://x.com/DefiyantlyFree/status/1860820079278973256?t=wNjuh-xVj6EP1C3kbDE77Q&s=19
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Imagine being so insane that you think you’re the good guy while telling people to shun and disown family members over politics.
MSNBC can’t die quickly enough.
https://x.com/ggreenwald/status/1860832085075726694?t=IJp5sT-nt5qbI9KXDKov1w&s=19
“There’s some crazy lady who keeps trying to convince everyone to break off from their family members if they voted differently.
Encouraging families to break up over political differences is not just mentally deranged but evil.”
—-
https://x.com/JeffnClownWorld/status/1860188318509727835?t=wPM3TN4VMOsfaj7VU7HF7w&s=19
“Joy Reid: Stay away from pro Trump family members since they ENDED democracy, may turn you in 😂”
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Yet another case of the dems and their propagandist media telling you that something isn’t happening, while it keeps happening.
https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1861081952759287863?t=cfd-BemrRYAD2Fn61pfglg&s=19
“Tren de Aragua gang members who are in our country illegally are recruiting children in NYC to join their gang.
They’ve taken over the streets are committing violent crime across the city.
But Democrats told me this wasn’t happening…”
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Exactly.
Sit down and STHU.
https://x.com/DefiyantlyFree/status/1860771738230919616?t=2pVSr20zKxtndbxOglZlfA&s=19
“The current Secretary of Defense promotes this in the navy. Please spare me your lectures on qualifications. We are laughing at all of you.”
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Canada, much like the UK, is lost.
https://x.com/AriGoldkind/status/1860785193763684773?t=ge1VGrh85WKn-ilHGXiK_A&s=19
“I cannot believe what I just watched. I cannot.
At 6:30 the Toronto police confirm, that Hamas, the religion of peace, can stand in a Jewish neighbourhood and yell for the death of Jews. No crime.
A Jew (Levant) stands on a public road and films it. Crime of breach of peace.”
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This is the way. Put the cost for their idiotic policies on the voters who elected them. Watch how quickly mayor’s in Denver and Boston fall in line.
https://x.com/ResisttheMS/status/1861075371497771250?t=DLXjbUP6LXBlNlrOGibzLw&s=19
“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says sanctuary cities and states should lose their federal funding.”
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It looks like the Israeli war is moving towards a cease fire deal. This is wonderful news and I hope for their sake it holds. I hope and pray for a spiritual breakthrough for Israel and her neighbors.
“Israel and Lebanon have agreed to the terms of a ceasefire agreement to end the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, a senior U.S. official told Axios on Monday. The parties have not yet announced an agreement.
Why it matters: More than 3,500 Lebanese have been killed and more than 15,000 injured in more than a year of fighting. The agreement would also allow hundreds of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border to gradually return home….”
https://www.axios.com/2024/11/25/israel-lebanon-near-hezbollah-ceasefire-deal
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I need to move from here!
Or Polis and Johnston need to go to prison!
Senator Calls for Immediate Removal of Democrat Mayor Amid Insurrection Claims
Rand Paul vs. Denver’s Sanctuary City Policies
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) recently took a strong stance against Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Face the Nation. He warned that there could be serious consequences if Johnston continues to ignore federal immigration laws and President Trump’s plans for deportation. Paul accused the mayor of engaging in what he called a “form of insurrection” by declaring Denver a sanctuary city and resisting federal enforcement.
Mayor Johnston has proposed an unusual plan where he wants to mobilize local police officers and thousands of residents to form human barricades. This would block federal agents from deporting illegal immigrants, including those with criminal records. Although Johnston later softened some of his harsh words, his overall strategy hasn’t changed, leading to pushback from Republicans like Senator Paul.Targeting Violent Offenders
Paul made it clear that he is all for going after violent offenders. He stated, “I’m 100% supportive of going after the 15,000 murderers, the 13,000 sexual assault perpetrators, [and] rapists.” His message is simple: let’s send these criminals either back to prison or out of our country entirely. However, he strongly opposes using the U.S. Army for enforcing immigration laws at home because he sees it as unconstitutional.
“We’ve had a long-standing distrust of putting the Army into our streets,” Paul explained further. “The police understand the Fourth Amendment; they go to judges, get warrants, and ensure specificity.” He believes in removing illegal immigrants through standard policing methods rather than military intervention.The Legal Consequences for Defiance
When discussing the potential legal fallout from Johnston’s actions, Paul didn’t hold back: “The mayor of Denver, if he’s going to resist federal law… it will go all the way to the Supreme Court,” he said confidently. He suspects that this could lead to Johnston being removed from office and hinted at possible criminal prosecution for anyone who defies federal law.
The mayor seems unfazed by these warnings. In an interview with 9NEWS, Johnston declared that he’s willing to face jail time if necessary: “If I believe that our residents are having their rights violated… I would certainly protest it.” He insists his actions align with moral principles despite facing significant backlash.
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Those Cdn police were so nice to let the man speak to his friends for over a minute after he was arrested and they took his ear pods out and put them away for him.
He went across the street to agitate and disrupt a demonstration that he didn’t like. The man, Ezra Levant, is well known for these types of stunts. We only have his and his supporters word for what was being said on the other side of the street. All I see is Palestinian flags. Palestinian flags on one side and Israeli flags on the other side — I see free speech. Now if you cross the street to disturb the other side, then it’s disturbing the peace. According to the X tweet he was arrested for breach of peace — which means he’s been warned before not to do exactly what he did. He’s been treated fairly here.
I also love the complaining of “Trudeau’s Canada” — Trudeau has condemned Hamas and said a person could be a Zionist and a Canadian at the same time.
hrw
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Project 2025 is well represented in Trump’s cabinent
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/22/trump-russ-vought-budget
I like Gabbard but the Oklahoma senator is being consistent here. He opposed illegal migration as a threat to the country and he sees Gabbard as a threat to the country’s security. I disagree with him but he is being consistent.
Murkowski and Collins will never catch a break. In every election, Maine vote more Democrat, Collins needs to thread a needle to survive. If Republicans want to lose a Senate seat in the mid term, purity testing Collins is a good way to lose.
States’ rights gets interesting when its used by people who you oppose.
hrw
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Although any sign of cease fire is encouraging, I don’t think any peace agreement from the Israeli side can be taken seriously as long as Bibi is in charge.
Drone technology has made air power on a limited budget possible but militarily there’s still some use for a F-35. The Ukraine war has shown how quickly movement gets bogged down when both sides are well equipped with the latest weapons. It’s a lesson not lost on NATO, Russia and China. You need F-35, B-52s etc in mass quantities at the initial start of hostilities to clear the way for ground operations or you will get bogged down by drones, landmines, etc — the cheap stuff. For China this means Taiwan isn’t a good idea — anti-missile and anti-aircraft is all high end.
That still leaves me puzzled why Russia is wasting a fortune on ballistic missiles on targets a drone could easily hit for a fraction of the price tag. Yes, it could be a warning to the west but the west has the tech to stop it and is probably going through bombing sites and footage looking for a weakness to the Russian missiles. Risk and exposure for what a drone could have done.
hrw
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7:12 is exactly the type of attitude that has Canada lost. Free speech means nothing to Canadians apparently, although they protect the vile speech of the antisemites they’ve imported.
Disgusting.
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Free speech — Palestinian supporters on one side of the street and Israeli supporters on the other side of the street. Free speech for both sides.
hrw
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Will miss your posts here, AJ, during your recovery time.
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https://wng.org/opinions/no-arrogance-no-cowardice-1732621567?mkt_tok=NzEwLVFSUi0yMDkAAAGXB4ndbrDbU-xSaLCPG9rPnRCrDFKT2pisLH9hytWGMa7G0UYZc2KSdffahLJB8CGoS5Y1VU9nmXo-xVtPn0V4cBVBAYpMS11tk0t86GhVIOYd6w
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From 11/25 7:12 pm: Now if you cross the street to disturb the other side, then it’s disturbing the peace.
HRW, crossing the street is not disturbing the peace if all you’re doing is standing on the public sidewalk on the other side with a camera. Ezra Levant had just as much right to be there as anyone else. If that’s all he did, then the arrest does not seem just.
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Oh yes let’s see how that bipartisan canvas group works for this recount. With Jena at the helm we know it will be fair (sarcasm)! Passwords anyone??!!
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) – On Monday, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold ordered a recount of the House District 16 race.
District 16 is in El Paso County, and the race was between Republican Rebecca Keltie and Democrat Steph Vigil.
Griswold said the District 16 race was between .5 percent of the winner’s total – meaning a recount is required according to Colorado Law.
Griswold said House District 16 will work with the bipartisan canvass board to complete a logic and accuracy test on the equipment needed for the recount. Once the test is complete, El Paso County would begin to recount the votes.
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After hearing something on the Jay Sekulow podcast today about news viewership I looked up the subject and found this. The numbers look much smaller than I had imagined. Are these accurate numbers? Makes me realize, that if true, the people have really left the TV news behind. I still love to watch our local Fox 5 Atlanta news.
https://www.the-express.com/news/politics/155837/msnbc-cnn-fox-viewership-2024-election
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I file this under the category of ‘News we could see coming from a mile away–or from years away’ (that’s probably too long to fit on anyone’s index tab, but true nonetheless). So what am I blithering on about? Just this, war is in the air, so businesses should be prepared for it.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A top NATO military official on Monday urged businesses to be prepared for a wartime scenario and adjust their production and distribution lines accordingly, in order to be less vulnerable to blackmail from countries such as Russia and China….
https://news.yahoo.com/top-nato-official-calls-business-112939965.html
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Kevin – I had wondered if the law concerning disturbing the peace is different in Canada.
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I meant to say “stricter,” not merely “different”.
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Disturbing the peace is up for interpretation.
Levant is a known agitator who deliberately inserts himself into situations claims journalist privilege and then fund raises off the supposed persecution.
Debra – the European media has been far more aware of the Russian threat and the insecurity in Ukraine. Warnings from NATO regarding adjusting production and supply lines have happened before. NATO is well aware that many European firms are not adhering to the sanctions levied on Russia and are sending products mostly via Turkey and these products make their way to the Ukrainian war.
The Dutch admiral in your link is more blunt and alarmists than most but the warning is the same. We need economic independence from the Eurasia alliance.
hrw
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https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/companies-roll-back-dei-policies?taid=674702c7876e820001f71646&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter
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According to staffers of K. Harris, internal polls revealed that Harris never led Pres. Trump. They were raising money based on total lies.
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And from the folks at Tangle: (“log off, and look away”) 🙂 From the news, that is.
~ Dear Tangle community,
The 2024 election season is over. Here in the U.S., Thanksgiving arrives tomorrow, which means most people — from our highest elected official down to your run-of-the-mill American — are going to get a brief respite from work, the news, or politics to spend some time with their families. As President-elect Trump continues with his transition process, members of Congress are dispersing for the holiday and the firehose of news across the country is getting turned off for a brief moment of calm.
As the founder and CEO of Tangle, I get an opportunity to set the tone for my colleagues and our readers about how we should handle moments like this. Here’s what I’ve told them, and what I’m now telling you:
Log off.
Go spend some time with family or friends. Break bread with loved ones, or do some volunteer work. If that isn’t in your plans, take a long walk, touch some grass, turn off the TV, enjoy a break, hit the reset button. Rest. Check in with the “real world” that surrounds you — your neighbors, your place of worship, your family, your community — not the one that lives online or in the front pages.
Here at Tangle, we just had a year straight of one of the longest, wildest, most unpredictable campaign seasons I’ve ever witnessed. From two assassination attempts on Donald Trump to the shocking first debate to Joe Biden dropping out to Kamala Harris’s coronation as top Democrat and everything that happened after that and in between. If you are reading this newsletter, you are either a voracious news consumer or someone who is at least spending a few minutes a day trying to stay informed.
We’ll keep an eye on things while you take a break, and we’ll update you on what you missed when we return (which will be Tuesday, December 3rd — I’ve ordered my team to take off tomorrow through Monday).
For now, I’m doing something very few media outlets tend to do: I’m telling you to look away. Just for a few days. It’s okay. It’ll all be here when you’re back, and if you genuinely take a break you’ll feel refreshed and ready to return when it’s time. We’re going to take a break, too, and I’m planning to recharge.
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It’s a great time to give thanks!
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I have 5 whole days off, so I’ll be catching up with lots of things. Some of those things will be politics and some won’t. We won’t be having extended family for any of the holidays, but they’re visiting in between.
However war isn’t taking a day or weekend off for any holiday. And the destruction caused on the other 364 days of the year can never be undone for many people, ever. Perhaps we should do more than be thankful for our own peace and prosperity, but should insist that those who are elected to represent us stop promoting war and unrest here and abroad.
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How about this: For 24 hours this is the Thanksgiving thread? What are you thankful for?
That in a few hours I will see my grandchildren for the first time in a year!
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Good morning, all. A beautiful day here. Happy Thanksgiving! My dad is enjoying the great grandchildren, says they are very quiet. But I put his hearing aids in anyway. And the dog jumped up on his lap, which surprised him but also delighted him.
mumsee
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27 for dinner. I just have to roast vegetables and bring “child-friendly” appetizers for the 10 kids in attendance.
I’m thankful for friends, prayer, travel, food, husband, kids, Jesus, God, Holy Spirit, and so on. 🙂
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Most of all, I am thankful for my salvation. Also thankful for the family that God has blessed me with and so many other things, like my dog, my home, and my books.
What I was thinking about yesterday – and thanking God for – is the blessing to be able to physically do the housecleaning and extra things that need to be taken care of before a holiday. I wore myself out on Monday, but was still grateful to have had the needed strength and determination to keep going even when I felt that I was “out of gas”.
Many people complain about housecleaning chores, but it really is a blessing to have the ability to do it, and of course, to have a home (owned or rented) to clean.
Happy Thanksgiving! God bless you all!
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Thankful for God and his loving provision, in seasons that are full and those that maybe aren’t for various reasons. For his grace to us, for his calling us back to Him when that’s needed in our lives. For his Word.
And I’m thankful for my cousins and for the modest meal “out” we have planned today — we’ve always been a tiny clan and we’re now getting smaller.
And I am thankful for Abby as my in-house companion now that I’m working from home and sometimes feeling a bit isolated after losing a few of my closest friends in recent years as well. She’s such a big, sweet dog.
Thankful for the nation in which we live.
The sun is shining today but it’s very cool (I have memories of a 97-degree Thanksgiving Day several years ago). A good day to rejoice and reflect.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
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From The Gospel Coalition (thanksgiving in all circumstances, thanksgiving means surrender):
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/go-beyond-gratitude/
~ … Let’s remember these truths and surrender to Christ’s person and lordship in every circumstance. Then we’ll find that our life is made beautiful by his faithfulness and loving embrace. We’ll be truly thankful because true thanksgiving is rooted in the gospel. It’s an expression of faith that God is good, that what he chooses is best, and that the truly good life is found only in him.
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I am thankful for all the blessings of becoming a Christian as an adult, able to fully realize (as much as we can know as a human) what we are saved from and to.
Thankful to make plans for today that required good weather which we had despite initial storm predictions.
Thankful to not spend a large portion of today in the kitchen.
Thankful for hearing good medical reports from numerous people I know who are hospitalized.
And so much more!
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Thankful, for the first time in maybe twenty years, that we have a small little flocked lit Christmas tree up in our entryway window that can be seen from the front of our home from the street. Most of our trees have been only seen from the backside of the house, if at all, by a few neighbors behind us (there are numerous trees back there so not sure what is seen by backyard neighbors).
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I’m thankful for God’s grace that is manifested in my life and all around me in countless ways. I’m thankful for a serene day…no chaos, no sirens, no bombs. Just peace. I’m also thankful that God hears the cries of those who are in distress. He sees and hears, and he doesn’t forget, even when I do.
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I’m thankful for a few good hours with our older daughter and her family, and that our younger daughter is driving in this afternoon. Thankful that everyone is healthy, and that in spite of limited sleep (with weird sleeping patterns the last few months) I’ve gotten nearly enough. I’m thankful that the warm season lasted well into November (we still haven’t had a killing frost, and only one light snow, though this weekend the temperatures will stay below freezing); in less than a month days will be getting longer again.
I’m thankful that my mother-in-law survived this week’s episode and seems not to have “lost” much function, from what we can tell. (She’s 88, past her familial life expectancy, and she’d still been walking a couple miles a day, and weekly playing Scrabble and other game with others in her care home–still winning–and also baking them cookies and other treats. She may need a walker now, and shouldn’t drive, but we really have to see what all happens. For now, she is staying with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.)
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I am thankful for so much. I am thankful to be able to see a couple of grands we have not seen for a while and our great granddaughter.
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I am thankful the current administration is going out! This still is news and politics .
Thankful for glimmers of hope in restoring a nation of laws and order. Praying for revival.
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Amen to that, NJ.
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I have been very thankful that the election is over and without incident. The actual transition to a new president hasn’t happened yet, but everyone seems relatively calm and accepting. I’m hopeful that better things are on the horizon. And keeping a spirit of thanksgiving alive within nurtures the hope, for we know to whom we give thanks and from where our hope comes.
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Well, that didn’t take long! Less than a day after President-elect Trump threatened to slap a 25% tariff on Mexican goods, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is suddenly all-in on stopping those infamous migrant caravans from reaching the U.S.-Mexico border. Coincidence? Hardly. This is the kind of quick action you get when someone like Trump is about to take the reins.
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It must be post-Thanksgiving Friday already 🙂 The thread of gratitude was nice while it lasted, though, wasn’t it? Thanks for suggesting that, Cheryl (I say with gratitude) 🙂
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Let’s not forget our president elect’s inclusive Thanksgiving wish:
“Happy Thanksgiving to all, including to the Radical Left Lunatics who have worked so hard to destroy our Country, but who have miserably failed, and will always fail, because their ideas and policies are so hopelessly bad that the great people of our Nation just gave a landslide victory to those who want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
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And in further news and politics not meaning to disrupt thankfulness or anything…
A Family Moment or Distraction?
Sure, we can all agree that the Frasier fir looks beautiful and having a tree at the White House is nice—but let’s not kid ourselves into thinking this is some great act of goodwill. The Bidens took away the only surviving tree from a family still reeling from disaster! If that doesn’t show how tone-deaf this administration can be, then what will?
Nothing symbolizes the Biden admin better than cutting down a tree that survived a disaster. Why are people living in tents
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NJ,
When Jill Biden said, “The Cartner family lost thousands of trees in the storm, but this one remained standing,” she did not mean it was their only remaining tree. Cartner’s is a large tree farm that lost thousands of small trees not ready for market, but still have many mature trees.
Far from having anything to do with the hurricane, the choice of Cartner’s was determined over a year ago when they were named by the National Christmas Tree Association as the 2024 Grand Champion Grower. The winner of that honor traditionally supplies the White House Christmas tree.
The only choice the White House made was which of Cartner’s trees to use.
National Christmas Tree & Wreath Contest Winners Selected for 2023 | National Christmas Tree Association
Littleton, CO – (August 10, 2023) – The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) hosted the 2023 National Christmas Tree and Wreath Contest in conjunction with the Minnesota Christmas Tree Association summer meeting August 4, 2023 at Wolcyn Tree Farms & Nursery, Cambridge, MN.
The 2023 and 2024 Grand Champion and Reserve Champion growers were selected. These growers will continue the 58-year-old tradition of presenting farm-grown Christmas trees to the White House (Grand Champion growers) and Vice President’s Residence (Reserve Champion growers) …
2024 Grand Champion Grower
David, Jim & Sam Cartner, Cartner Christmas Tree Farm
Newland, NC
Native True Fir
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Thanks Kevin. I understood that but thought the writer’s words were rather poignant considering many victims are still living in tents and dealing with harsh realities of this administration not caring for them. That is a fact as I know many volunteering in that area, boots on the ground seeing the realities of the situation. They seem to be the forgotten while they should not. It rather seems like show boating of this administration once again trying to portray that they care.
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Maybe not “everything” is political (as in everything “bad” must be the other side, everything “good” is our side)?
I seem to be losing my partisan illusions about politics – which is probably a good thing? At least I count it as good. lol
But, in other news, I was out running around today and everything has exploded with … Christmas! Such a happy and pretty time of year. Saw many who had bought their Christmas trees carrying them home on the tops of their SUVs, some with cute dogs peeking out the open windows. 🙂
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Ross Douthat on X:
~ Euthanasia may be with us for a while but the kind of politics that’s giving us euthanasia – a limp secularism, half-despairing while still claiming Progress’s mantle, half-abandoning Christianity while clinging to rhetoric of “compassion” – is unlikely to survive the century. ~
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Losing partisan illusions is a good thing in my opinion. It’s more important to care about issues and let the research take you where it takes you. And it could take you across party lines at times. Not everyone is willing to make the same compromises; I suppose that’s why they say politics makes strange bedfellows—- like a Republican administration with people like RFK, Jr, and Tulsi Gabbard.
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The past few days Trudeau and Zuckerberg have met with President Trump. That old adage rings true I suppose. Hold your friends close and your enemies closer. Perhaps there will be some headway made after all..
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https://x.com/VicAntHol/status/1861569125342204130
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It sounds like someone doesn’t understand that the institutions themselves are inheritently corrupt, and desperately need to be reformed or eradicated. We need a government of, by and for the people, and if it takes a populist movement to make it happen, then so be it.
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Sounds about right. So to some populist is a dirty word 🫤 “ordinary”people are being ignored by the corrupt now in charge. No more….there’s a new sheriff in town again😊
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The Collapse of Fani Willis’s Case Against Trump
The last attempt to take down President Trump through legal means is about to fail spectacularly. Reports indicate that the Georgia Supreme Court is likely to dismiss Fani Willis’s RICO case against him, as noted by The New York Post.
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It’s clear there will be some ongoing division among conservatives moving forward that speak to some basics of candidate temperament/character, along with what are best practices in government and governing. (Not always or necessarily differences on at least some of the issues, however.)
It’ll be a process to work through. And things will change as they invariably do, especially in the political world and environment, some for the better, some not so much.
History will be left to determine after many of us are gone.
I often think how cool it would be to read a history book from the future, say 50 or 100 years from now.
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We often don’t have much of a broader, informed perspective while history is still “unfolding.”
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@6:41 I have often thought that as well, DJ. I try to see all things through a biblical perspective as much as I can—righteous/unrighteous or just/unjust, rather than a political left/right or conservative/liberal or even establishment/non-establishment—although these terms currently can be, to varying degrees, a useful shorthand for specific things. At any rate, the political definitions seem to change or shift more than biblical definitions and I .don’t feel compelled to adhere to the political stances of conservative or liberal or left or right as such. That’s partially what I meant when I said the issues important to me sometimes cross party lines. And that may also be why I am okay with being ‘politically homeless’. In fact, I have assumed it for most of my life.
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Congratulations, Kash Patel! The new FBI Director is the kind of reform-minded advocate for truth that we need in such key positions!
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Debra, true that the parties are always in flux to one degree or another.
There are some built-in differences that are pretty steady, however — (conservative: smaller government, less regulation, close adherence to the Constitution, lower taxes, stress on individual responsibility, traditional social morals).
But both parties experience headwinds and situations/world events and personalities that can pull them onto a different course for a season.
I’ve been registered “independent” for quite a few years now and feel at home with that. In my parents’ day, belonging to a political party was the accepted choice and I “get” that, too.
(One downside of not being registered under a party is that your choices — at least in California where Republicans, at least, retain a “closed” primary option — are limited in the run-up to presidential elections.)
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Re Patel via WSJ Editorial Board:
Kash Patel, the FBI and Retribution — The country doesn’t want or need a GOP version of the Comey bureau.
~ … Former national security adviser Robert O’Brien praises Mr. Patel, who worked with him. But it’s notable that John Bolton, Mr. O’Brien’s predecessor, compares Mr. Patel to a Soviet police chief and says the Senate should reject him 100-0. The Senate will have to explore those contrasting views.
The main concern is Mr. Patel’s stated desire to use power in a second Trump term to seek revenge against Mr. Trump’s opponents. Speaking on provocateur Steve Bannon’s podcast in 2023, Mr. Patel said he’d follow “the facts and the law.”
But he also said “we will go out and find the conspirators not just in government, but in the media. Yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections. We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly.”
Mr. Bannon brings out the worst in people, but the Senate has an obligation to explore if this is what Mr. Patel really intends. As damaging as the FBI of Mr. Comey, Andrew McCabe and Peter Strzok was, special counsel Durham investigated the FBI actions and largely decided not to prosecute. Does Mr. Patel still want to unleash the FBI on Democrats and media critics—a la Hoover?
Down that road lies no end of political trouble for Republicans and the Trump Presidency, as the effort is sure to backfire. Voters didn’t re-elect Mr. Trump to practice lawfare the way his opponents have. The country wants a bureau it can trust, not a Republican version of the Comey FBI.
Presidents deserve deference on the advisers they want, but the Senate plays a crucial role in weeding out bad choices. GOP Senators did Mr. Trump a favor by warning him about Matt Gaetz as AG. Law enforcement and security posts with their vast power deserve particular scrutiny, Mr. Patel included. ~
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“Former national security adviser Robert O’Brien praises Mr. Patel, who worked with him. But it’s notable that John Bolton, Mr. O’Brien’s predecessor, compares Mr. Patel to a Soviet police chief and says the Senate should reject him 100-0. The Senate will have to explore those contrasting views.”
I think it was one of Trump’s very worst mistakes to elevate John Bolton to NSA in 2018. Bolton’s public remarks reveal that he’s very proud of his participation in the destabilization of other countries. In my opinion, Bolton is an evil warmonger and people like him should be kept far far away from the levers of power.
The FBI obviously needs to be cleaned out, and it will take someone with a real focus to do it. I hope someone with that kind of focus is confirmed to the position.
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We knew it would happen. Corrupt to the end….
President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden,after the first son was convicted in two separate federal cases earlier this year.
The announcement was made by the White House on Sunday night.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” Biden wrote in a statement. “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.”
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Yep, I came on here to post about the pardon: https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
Disgusting!
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I can’t say I’m surprised at the Hunter Biden pardon. What father would not pardon his only remaining son? If I were in his position I would probably do it too. The really bad part about it was that he staunchly maintained that he would NOT do it. But is anyone really surprised that he lied?
I look forward to seeing the J6 political prisoners released, sentences commuted and/or entirely pardoned. All of them.
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Now this is very interesting, from Cheryl’s link below:
“The president’s sweeping pardon covers not just the gun and tax offenses against the younger Biden, but also any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.””
From the time period stated, it looks like the pardon may cover wrongdoing in Ukraine as well. I wonder if that means Hunter can’t use the 5th amendment exemption from self incrimination to avoid testifying about what was going on in Ukraine. It could be helpful in bringing corruption to light even if he can’t be prosecuted. Very interesting.
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I will say Biden has not and continues to not do his son any favor in excusing his bad behavior. He enables his lawless and moral failings.
A parent should want to support their children but not relieve them of consequences of bad decisions.
When one of ours decided to live lawless and engage in drug dealings she ended up in jail. We did not bail her out. Her resolve was to never walk that path again. Sadly the decision was not from a brokenness to lean in to our Saviour but one of distaste of her consequence. Even though we are estranged we continue to pray. Biden should have made the tougher decision for his son. But he did exactly what we thought he would…cry foul that his son was persecuted.
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It is disgusting and an admission that his son did criminal activities during the time period, IMO.
It is a slap in the face all this failure to pay taxes, whether by Hunter Biden or all the people who work for the IRS or those in office who don’t bother to pay them.
That does pale in comparison to the buying of political advantage, however, the Biden’s seemed to be selling.
There will be a final judgement, however, and God is not impressed by anyone. Nor is he partisan.
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That is all true, but I’m afraid Hunter learned his bad behavior closer to home, from his father. So what do we expect. My only question was when he would be pardoned, not if. I would not be surprised if Biden pardons his brother too, as it was a family business apparently.
I am very curious as to how this could positively affect an investigation into the Ukraine connection. I suspect there is some pretty bad corruption being hidden there, and much of it may involve government funded activities. For example, we know there are bio-labs in Ukraine that have been doing research similar to Wuhan. At this point it’s not about prosecution, but rather stopping the activities that may bring more damage. And as we saw in 2020, the damages can be catastrophic.
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This is an interesting appointment. Trump has just appointed Charles Kushner as ambassador to France. He is Trump’s daughter’s father in law—Jared Kushners father.
And he was one of the people Trump pardoned in 2020—for multiple counts of tax evasion , witness tampering and illegal campaign donations .
I hope that makes Jared happy. I’ll be happy if Jared is kept far from the president’s ear during Trump’s next term. He was a disaster last time around.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/11/30/trump-selects-charles-kushner-to-serve-as-ambassador-to-france/
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So, has Biden preemptively pardoned Hunter for other crimes? Is that even allowable? Does that make Biden like God, in some sense?
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WSJ Editorial Board:
~ … Mr. Biden’s change of heart after the November election was predictable, and neither political party has clean hands on questionable clemency. If Hunter is now on the straight and narrow, good for him. Many people have enough experience of addiction to sympathize with what the Biden family went through. But we can’t let the President explain away the political ramifications of his pardon by rewriting what actually happened.
“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. He added that “raw politics has infected this process.” He cited the no-jail plea agreement that Hunter was offered last year by prosecutor David Weiss, before it fell apart in court. Those terms “would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases,” the President said.
That might arguably be true about the gun charges, though the context matters. In June a jury convicted Hunter of three firearm crimes, including lying about his illegal-drug use when he bought a Colt revolver. Rarely is this prosecuted. On the other hand, most people don’t write memoirs all but confessing, as Hunter did. He owned the gun for 11 days before his then-girlfriend threw it in the trash at a grocery store across from a high school.
As for the tax charges, two IRS whistleblowers testified that Hunter was singled out—for favorable treatment. The handling of his investigation “was very different from any other case in my 14 years at the IRS,” Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley told Congress. “At every stage, decisions were made that benefited the subject.” Special Agent Joseph Ziegler cited evidence of willfulness, saying Hunter approved alleged false business deductions in 2020, after he was supposedly sober.
What killed Hunter’s plea deal wasn’t politics but federal Judge Maryellen Noreika. When the two sides got to her courtroom, they didn’t agree on whether the terms would immunize Hunter from other possible charges. They also wanted to insulate Hunter by putting Judge Noreika in the position of determining whether a future prosecutor could charge Hunter for failing to comply with the deal. The judge wasn’t sure if that was constitutional.
President Dad has now granted Hunter the broad protection he wanted. The unconditional pardon covers any and all offenses Hunter may have committed from Jan. 1, 2014, through this past weekend. This is an effort to shield Hunter from prosecution under President Trump. The 2014 date is significant because it’s about when Hunter went into business with Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company that paid him money he failed to pay taxes on.
Legal experts are saying they’ve never seen a pardon so open-ended, other than maybe Gerald Ford’s for Richard Nixon. Add this to the list of democratic norms broken by Mr. Biden, who claims to stand up for them. …
Mr. Trump is already citing it to justify the next bad precedent. He has pledged clemency for the crowd that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. This is an awful idea, especially if Mr. Trump includes anybody who hit a cop that day. But get ready for the MAGA mantra: What about Hunter? Already Mr. Trump is linking this pardon with leniency for “the J-6 Hostages,” as he put it on Truth Social.
“I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” Mr. Biden said. As a father? Yes. But what a pitiful end to his Presidency. ~
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I’m pretty sure there are people with less expensive lawyers in jail for the things Hunter Biden was found guilty of, so it’s hard to view the case as a political prosecution. The world is an unfair place and the best we can do is try to make it a little better, or at least try not to make it worse than it has to be. But the pardon was as expected.
And no, I can’t see how it shields him from anything he may do in the future. Hope he stays on the straight and narrow… or gets on the straight and narrow and stays there.
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Oddly enough, I don’t even begrudge him the pardon. All I can think of is the much greater pardon I have received — for much worse offences. I really do hope he turns his life around.
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“I give you my word as a Biden, I will NOT pardon my son Hunter.”
Thus cementing the legacy of the most treasonous, corrupt administration ever.
A vague, blanket pardon for everything that Hunter may have done since 2014. Why so far back? Because he was on the Board of Burisma, contributing half of his ill-gotten gains to the Biden crime family. Joe thinks that he is pardoning himself, too, but Kash Patel has a very different take on that…
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What really went down is that H. Biden’s lawyer has been threatening Joe with “spilling the beans” about Ukraine (inc. passing on classified info), etc. unless Hunter got the pardon.
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There are many Dems upset over that 10 year blanket pardon. Even Michael Bennett from my blue state issued a critical post … worst “President” in our history.
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What? Worse than Hitler? Never say. 🙂
I have trouble believing they’re surprised.
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I just heard a lawyer explain that Hunter can no longer plead the Fifth Amendment rights against testifying and can be compeled to testify. If he refuses he can be held in contempt of court and be locked up. Never sure if what I hear is accurate, but it seemed logical as explained.
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Hitler was not one of our presidents. I think that was the meaning.
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~ Trump Mulls Replacing Pete Hegseth With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisThe president-elect is discussing replacing the current Pentagon nominee as the former Fox News host faces mounting scrutiny over allegations about his personal life ~
WSJ
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~ President-elect Donald Trump is considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Pete Hegseth, his pick to run the Pentagon, according to people familiar with the discussions, amid Republican senators’ concerns over mounting allegations about the former Fox News host’s personal life.
Picking DeSantis, a 2024 GOP primary rival for the presidency, would amount to a stunning turn for Trump. But he would also find in the governor a well-known conservative with a service record who shares Trump’s—and Hegseth’s—view on culling what they see as “woke” policies in the military.
Trump allies increasingly think Hegseth may not survive further scrutiny, according to people close to the president-elect’s team, which considers the next 48 hours to be crucial to his fate. … ~
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Others possibly under consideration: Joni Ernst, Bill Hagerty.
~ … Trump and DeSantis both attended a Tuesday memorial service for fallen law enforcement officers in Palm Beach County, Fla. The idea has been presented to DeSantis in recent days, according to a person familiar with the discussions. ~
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I found this opinion on Biden’s pardon interesting. Samuel in the OT comes to mind as a father who also refused to acknowledge or stop his sons from acting in sin.
https://wng.org/opinions/president-bidens-unpardonable-pardon-1733248566
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I’m sorry Kathaleena, I was listening to the talking heads so I thought we just elected President Hitler. MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough has assured us that if we can’t see the similarities we’re “stupid”. Obviously I’ve been listening to too much media. 🙂
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Only an LA Times reporter could be so delusional…. Well perhaps not just him! Sheesh the American story??!😳Honestly I have a hard time believing this convicted little snot is getting off scott free with a smirk on his face!
Alluding to Biden’s journey from lawyer to lobbyist to crack addict to right-wing whipping boy, Berges concluded that “Hunter Biden’s story was the American story.”
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NJ, So being a drug addict is part to the ‘American story”?! They are delusional. It’s interesting that they now openly admit Hunter Biden was lobbying. I do not think he ever registered as a lobbyist although his business partners did. And now there is no consequence for those activities. However, there is no immunity for any future activities so he should watch his step. A presidential pardon is a once in a lifetime bonus, I hope he’s smart enough not to squander it.
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Oh Canada!!! Is this coming to a town near us!!?? Nah….
A Canadian town is facing a fine of $10,000 for refusing to participate in Pride Month and fly the “LGBTQ2 rainbow flag” outside its municipal building.
The town of Emo, Ontario, which has a population of about 1,300 and is situated near the border with Minnesota was found to have violated the Ontario Human Rights Code by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario for refusing to proclaim June as Pride Month, according to a report from the National Post.
The town was also issued a citation for its failure to fly “an LGBTQ2 rainbow flag,” the report notes, despite Emo not having an official flag pole
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Kathaleena, not sure if you can get Rumble but Eric Metaxas speaks a bit about the movie you recently saw that is NOT based on his book as I had thought. I did not realize the movie was made by liberals. Realizing how liberals have compared Trump to Hitler, now I better understand the timing of the release of the movie.
https://rumble.com/v5vtzob-eric-apologizes-for-recent-characterization-he-used-during-the-glenn-beck-i.html
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Eric said it is a very good movie, btw.
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Metaxis does come with some cautions.
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https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/letter-american-church-eric-metaxas/
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Oh, I think that last comment/link hit the 100 mark.
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And from the link @1:07:
~ Though Tim Keller wrote a generous introduction for Bonhoeffer in 2011, things changed by 2022. In a recent tweet (link in the original article), Metaxas expressed approval for this rhetorical question: “What if Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, and Tim Keller are Hitler’s favorite kinds of pastors?” This is exactly the kind of slander and careless speech that fuels the fracturing of American evangelicalism.
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And on Bonhoeffer — whom many of us have read and admire — but there is a mix in his theology that is good for us to realize for discernment … (One source indicates he was a universalist, a position that is very appealing to our humanness but is not biblical):
~ In sum, Bonhoeffer’s theology was neo-orthodox, and his position was even more liberal than Barth’s. ~ (Christian Research Institute)
From Banner of Truth:
~ Conclusion: While Bonhoeffer is often quoted today many of his statements meant to him something quite different from what evangelicals think. His books are often read without discernment, which is dangerous. His Letters and Papers from Prison reveal his views more clearly than some of his other works. It is not for us to judge any man; the Lord does that. However let us beware of being led into heretical neo-orthodoxy by statements which appear sound. ~
https://banneroftruth.org/us/resources/articles/2016/bonhoeffer-reliable-guide/#:~:text=Dietrich%20Bonhoeffer%20grew%20up%20in,in%20the%20University%20of%20Berlin.
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The Christian Research Institute link:
https://www.equip.org/articles/troubling-truth-bonhoeffers-theology/#:~:text=In%20sum%2C%20Bonhoeffer's%20theology%20was,to%20so%20many%20contradictory%20constituencies?
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(recognizing in humility, also, that we all have twists, holes, flaws and personal ‘leanings’ in our own theology(ies))
* dj
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Interesting about Bonhoeffer, Dj. His change reminded me somewhat of the change in Luther over time. Unexpected. Is that a German thing?
I did not read the whole article but what I read was good to consider.
Speaking of Luther, a friend asked me what verses inspired him so I looked it up and found this:
https://www.ligonier.org/posts/justification-faith-alone-martin-luther-and-romans-117?srsltid=AfmBOoqeYs-CEJxteMocbTqXmEUnb7N-J-6n8cE1RlMa2E9DCCn4iECg
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Good to watch the video to see the beloved teacher.
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Janice – This is pure speculation on my part, but I have wondered if Luther may have had the beginnings of a form of dementia as he grew older. People with dementia often grow angry and/or paranoid, which could explain his turn in how he referred to the Jewish people. Dementia, in the beginning stages, is often not recognized as such until things get worse. And back then, they may not have known what we know today about it.
Then again, I could be completely wrong on this.
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This was included in The Morning Dispatch’s Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories on Monday:
~ “Right-wing political commentator Dinesh D’Souza on Sunday published an apology to Mark Andrews, the Georgia man he wrongly identified as being a “ballot mule” in 2000 Mules, D’Souza’s debunked 2022 film alleging mass voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. “We recently learned that surveillance videos used in the film may not have actually been correlated with the geolocation data. I know that the film and my book create the impression that these individuals were mules that had been identified as suspected ballot harvesters based on their geotracked cell phone data,” D’Souza wrote. “I apologize to Mr. Andrews. I make this apology not under the terms of a settlement agreement or other duress, but because it is the right thing to do, given what we have now learned.” Andrews had sued D’Souza for defamation in 2022, alleging the film had falsely accused him of illegally transferring ballots. Salem Media, which published the book and film, also apologized to Andrews earlier this year and halted distribution of the film.” ~
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At the conference I attended in Nashville in October, we saw a fascinating (and horrifying) history of anti-semitism in the church. It began circa 300 and was aimed at “divorcing” Jews from any influence on the New Testament. This was the beginning of replacement theology.
My guess–this is a guess–is that Luther was responding to the antisemitism of his time common in the church.
This is not the presentation I heard, but it’s on the same topic: https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/understanding-christian-roots-antisemitism
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“Create the impression” — how careful we need to be right now with these edited clips (when editing is not evident) that create a false narrative to push a theory. Then there’s also AI.
When we like or agree with those theories, we’re inclined to believe (and spread) them.
Check and re-check; if it’s not clear, don’t post. Can’t confirm w/other trusted sources? Leave it out.
We’re all living in an age of temptation when it comes to “information.” Scary.
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It’s good to remind ourselves that we not only have the opportunity but the responsibility to weigh these things for ourselves. We can’t demand that our pastors have all the answers, though they can be insightful touchstones. And we all have to follow our conscience. If someone wants to call you a Hitler sympathizer then shame on them .
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In other news, Fani Willis’ team just lost the longest running trial in Georgia’s history. It was a RICO case involving Young Thug, a rapper. What a grand waste of taxpayers dollars on top of the J6 case against Trump. And all those poor inmates have been put on hold for their trials in Fulton County (where Trump had his famous mug shot taken).
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At the same time Fani is hit with this:
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5021659-georgia-fani-willis-trump-case/
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I’m afraid the church has had a problem with both judaizers and antisemitism. It’s good not to fall into the ditch on either side of the straight and narrow.
There are those who hate the Jews so much, they want to erase the fact that Jesus was one . And there are others who are so enthralled with all things Jewish, they have seemed to divorce them from the true way of salvation—Jesus. There’s only one way, and he’s it.
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Years ago some friends and I went to a Jews for Jesus event demonstrating the Passover feast. It did feel like some were overly enamored and it was encouraged that Christians could celebrate this feast as part of their own faith — it is a fascinating story and history, how we are linked; but the church is uniquely God’s people (doing away with some of those practices) though many Jews — as is promised in scripture — will come to the true faith (and we will always feel a biblical connection that is a sweet one).
Did dispensationalism — which was so popular for some time — somewhat confuse and combine the two in an unbiblical way maybe? I’m not an expert on this.
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I did find this:
https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/anyone-actually-believe-replacement-theology/
~ … One of the sites I visited defines replacement theology this way:
Replacement theology (also known as supersessionism) essentially teaches that the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan. Adherents of replacement theology believe the Jews are no longer God’s chosen people, and God does not have specific future plans for the nation of Israel.
I’m not sure that I’ve ever met anyone who actually believes that “the church replaces Israel” and I’m sure I’ve never met anyone who believes that “God does not have specific future plans for the nation of Israel.”
What an odd way of putting things.
… Jesus Christ is the ultimate focus and referent for the promises of God to Israel! The promises do not land finally on a nation but on a person! The glory and climax of God’s redemptive purpose is not “Israel in the land” but “Christ on the cross”! That’s Christianity 101 the last time I checked. Jesus is the hero and focus of the Bible – not the Jewish people as a whole and all of the blessings won by Jesus are shared equally with all believing people regardless of their ethnicity, gender or class.
… I don’t know of any Christians who believe that God has no specific future plans for the nation of Israel, but I do know that good Christians disagree on what those plans are likely to be. The key text in that discussion is Romans 11:26 where Paul says: “And in this way all Israel will be saved.”
What does he mean by that? He has already said that ‘not all are Israel who are of Israel’ (9:6) so what exactly does he mean and what exactly does God have planned? There are two main answers commonly given to that question.
(1) He means that the full elect of God, Jew and Gentile, will all be gathered into Christ according to God’s perfect will. …
God has very specific plans to save a great many people from every tribe, tongue and nation, including the nation of Israel. ‘All Israel’ thus refers to all the elect and redeemed Jews and all the elect and redeemed Gentiles collectively. The Gentiles do not replace the Jews but are gathered into Christ alongside.
(2) He means that shortly before the return of Jesus the Jewish people en mass will turn to faith in Christ
This option was dominant among my spiritual ancestors …
However they may differ over the specifics, the vast majority of Bible believing Christians over the ages have in fact believed that God has specific plans for the Jewish people. … ~
*dj
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Ah, I’ve attended 18 different churches, now, in all four corners of the US and Hawai’i. I’ve run into replacement theology many times.
The pastor of our church in CT was a “completed Jew.” Born Jewish, he became a Christian and went on to pastor the church (he also was a General in the Army reserves, and didn’t get the part of Freddie Einzvitz Hill in My Fair Lady because Julie Andrews was taller than he was).
A total character.
We always had a seder dinner on Maudy Thursday to celebrate the Last Supper. It was a very moving service–and we got to eat a potluck dinner to boot.
I love connecting the dots between the Old and New Testament–this devotional I’m reading by Chad Bird shows those parallels all the time.
What a glorious God.
What a glorious Bible.
And a glorious Savior.
Plus, of course, the Holy Spirit. 🙂
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I have lived many places and the churches we’ve attended have almost all be dispensationalist churches—including the one we attend now. It’s how I learned Christianity from infancy, and was not really aware of it. I had heard the word without digging into the meaning until recently. Now I have become aware that it is woven tightly into the very fabric of my understanding of the Bible. I don’t like being in that uncomfortable position, and it’s been difficult separating the strands of what I would call fulfillment theology and covenant theology from dispensationalism. It’s a long, sometimes frustrating process.
The only reason I mention it here is because it has real world political implications regarding our policy in the middle east.
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https://tennesseestar.com/education/donald-trump-details-plan-to-create-the-american-academy-to-provide-free-higher-education-to-all-citizens/khousler/2024/11/13/
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This is a travesty. He should be thanked yet his life is changed in an instant by those viewing what is good is wrong and what is wrong is good, Praying for this young man and for the vileness of those now attacking him will be thwarted.
Daniel Penny didn’t wake up that morning planning to restrain a dangerous man. But when Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old with a history of violent attacks, started threatening passengers, Penny acted decisively. Neely shouted that someone would “die today” and made it clear he had no regard for the consequences. Subway passengers were understandably terrified. Penny intervened, applying a restraint to protect innocent lives.
This wasn’t an act of recklessness or malice. It was an act of courage. Yet, Penny now faces charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide—charges that could land him in prison for up to 15 years. For what? For defending his fellow citizens? For preventing what could have been yet another senseless tragedy on New York City’s broken subway system?The DA’s Radical Agenda
The Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, has made his priorities clear: he’s more interested in prosecuting those who defend themselves than those who terrorize the public. Under his leadership, violent criminals walk free under the guise of “restorative justice,” while law-abiding citizens like Daniel Penny are dragged through politically motivated show trials.
Assistant DA Dafna Yoran, prosecuting Penny, is no stranger to controversial decisions. A recently unearthed video revealed her celebrating the reduced sentence of Matthew Lee, a man who killed an elderly professor during a robbery. Instead of felony murder, Lee was convicted of manslaughter, thanks to a lenient policy embraced by Yoran. Yet, Penny—who restrained a known threat to public safety—is treated as a criminal. How does this make sense?
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This would be laughable if it weren’t for the fact that so many people get their news from the networks. And the fact that it worked before with the 50 former CIA officials that thought the Hunter laptop story was Russian disinformation. Now one hundred former NSA officials are alarmed that Tulsi Gabbard has been selected to head the department. It seems they’re afraid she might not be a warmonger. Well, I ask, what can you expect from a supposed “Putin puppet”. :eyeroll:
“Nearly 100 former national security officials signed a letter criticizing President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and called for closed-door Senate hearings to review any government information about her.
In the letter obtained by NBC News, the officials urged the Senate to “carefully evaluate” whether Gabbard is “equipped” for the position, which requires Senate confirmation.
“Several of Ms. Gabbard’s past actions call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus,” the letter said. “Following her trip to Syria, for example, Ms. Gabbard aligned herself with Russian and Syrian officials.” ”
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/nearly-100-former-national-security-officials-alarmed-gabbard-rcna183121
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Debra, thanks for specifying “which media” you were referring to (“the networks”) — but do very many get their news there now? I think that’s most definitely not true anymore (that people get their news from “the networks”) — “the media” (an incredibly imprecise term nowadays) has long since expanded into a plethora of outlets that we are all influenced by now. There is no “The Media” as a single thing anymore, and we should probably just drop the term as it’s so imprecise and takes in everything from podcasts to X to ‘social’ media to — name it.
From a “Current” article someone shared with me this week:
~ … Sometimes when we are talking about “the media,” we are really ranting about particular outlets. Not uncommonly we are ranting from a position that considers the media outlet in question to be partisan. “The media” has become a kind of code rather than a useful descriptor. This is why you can rant about Fox News as “the media,” while Fox News can also rant about “the media.” Despite the network’s legal protestations, most people would agree that Fox News is some form of media. “The media” has become whatever influences other people rather than yourself.
Ranting about the media is increasingly silly, because we all know you mean some media, not all media. Current is the media. The podcast you love is the media. The podcast you host is media. The Daily Wire is media. No one really hates “the media,” they just hate some of it.
A word which has become especially unhinged from its original meaning has to be “mainstream media.” The “MSM” is what so many people love to hate, but what are they even talking about? Is the New York Times mainstream media? …
The way we speak about it, yes. And it has about 11 million subscribers. In contrast, we describe Joe Rogan’s podcast as being outside MSM, while it has about 14.5 million listeners. That seems fairly mainstream. It certainly has more than a fringe population of listeners. Ben Shapiro does great in the charts, too.
… It is also true that complaints about the media are sometimes so cherry-picked that you could never get an accurate sense of the publication in question from the criticisms of it. The New York Times is like the elephant described by group of blind men. For one thing, the paper is often raked through the coals for its op-eds, even though they are only accepted by the editors not written by them. They have been in trouble for publishing op-eds “too liberal” and “too conservative” in recent years. …
… It’s time for us all to stop complaining about “the media,” because the entire conversation has become meaningless. Whenever we say “the media” we really mean something else—so let’s say whatever it is we mean and stop clouding our vocabulary. To some extent, we can all do better by being more specific. We are often only complaining about specific outlets. Some of those complaints are entirely legitimate. But if we are complaining about practices that are occurring everywhere in the media ecosystem but are only bothering us in some outlets… then we aren’t complaining about media at all. If your echo chamber is insufficiently insulated, that is a personal problem. … ~
And on it goes. The “media” landscape has completely changed, we news consumers just haven’t caught up with it yet.
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Gone are the days of Walter Cronkite 🫤
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Geriatric bird lays egg: https://apnews.com/article/oldest-bird-lays-egg-wisdom-hawaii-5e7867ba9c8a51373d4d570f73fa7c2d?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
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Andre Zachary, the estranged father of mentally ill criminal Jordan Neely is suing Daniel Penny in civil court. The jury was deadlocked on the manslaughter charge and it was dismissed by the judge. He faces other charges however…
When a criminal ends up dead by the heroics of a standby citizen all of a sudden that criminal is such a loved nice boy with problems. Now the estranged Dad desires to have a pay day at the death of his son.
And in further news: sure…”sort of the same thing”! Delusional
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson making a bold claim. During the recent hearing for United States v. Skrmetti, she equated bans on child sex change procedures to racial discrimination. She went so far as to say that this ban is “sort of the same thing” as the 1967 Loving v. Virginia case, which struck down laws against interracial marriage
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We need to be more specific when talking about ‘media’, IOW Logical thought!
“I get the news I need from the weather report . . .” as someone wrote in a song long ago. Those were the good old days.
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DJ, I think many people still get their news from network or cable channels. I think when people criticize the MSM, they are largely talking about conglomerates or even privately owned outlets that tend to pump out the same propaganda. A show that offers a two or three hour unscripted interview like Joe Rogan (or even Tucker Carlson since he left Fox) definitely does not qualify as MSM because it tends to highlight first hand sources which is more in depth at least for that source. That leaves the listener with something to think about.
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Syria has fallen! It’s been about 10 years since the US invaded Syria in an effort to assist rebels overthrowing the government there. Now what?
“Russia says Assad has left Syria, silent on his future and that of military bases
Russia said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had left office and departed his country after giving orders for a peaceful transfer of power.
But it did not say where he was now or whether the Russian military planned to stay in Syria.
Assad flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination earlier on Sunday, two senior army officers told Reuters. His current whereabouts were unknown.
“As a result of negotiations between B. Assad and a number of participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he decided to resign from the presidency and left the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Russia did not participate in these negotiations.”
There were unconfirmed media reports that Assad had been visiting Moscow, where his elder son studied, when rebels reached Aleppo late last month, before returning to Syria. The Kremlin declined to comment on the matter at the time and it is unclear whether Russia has offered him refuge now.
Moscow, a staunch backer of Assad whom it intervened to help in 2015 in its biggest Middle East foray since the Soviet collapse, is scrambling to salvage its position with its geopolitical clout in the wider region and two strategically-important military bases in Syria on the line.
”
https://www.reuters.com/world/syria-live-rebels-say-assad-gone-regime-toppled-2024-12-08/
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Here’s another article on the fall of Syria.
“BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian government fell early Sunday in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family after a sudden rebel offensive sprinted across government-held territory and entered the capital in 10 days.
Syrian state television aired a video statement by a group of men saying that President Bashar Assad has been overthrown and all detainees in jails have been set free.
The man who read the statement said the Operations Room to Conquer Damascus, an opposition group, called on all opposition fighters and citizens to preserve state institutions of “the free Syrian state.”
The statement emerged hours after the head of a Syrian opposition war monitor said Assad had left the country for an undisclosed location, fleeing ahead of insurgents who said they had entered Damascus following the remarkably swift advance across the country.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and turn its functions over to a transitional government.
“I am in my house and I have not left, and this is because of my belonging to this country,” Jalili said in a video statement. He said he would go to his office to continue work in the morning and called on Syrian citizens not to deface public property.
He did not address reports that Assad had fled.
Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told The Associated Press that Assad took a flight Sunday from Damascus.
State television in Iran, Assad’s main backer in the years of war in Syria, reported that Assad had left the capital. It cited Qatar’s Al Jazeera news network for the information and did not elaborate.
There was no immediate statement from the Syrian government.”
https://apnews.com/article/syria-assad-sweida-daraa-homs-hts-qatar-7f65823bbf0a7bd331109e8dff419430
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I’m a fan of populism but in most cases populism is easily turned “false” by its leadership. I do think we (will) see this with Trump.
The richest cabinet ever, plenty of billionaires and seven contributors to Project 2025 — not exactly populist material, esp Musk hanging out in the background.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/06/trump-us-cabinet-billionaires
The amount of money in US politics is absolutely astounding. On both sides. The cyrpto types have really poured the money into it. I liked bitcoin and its ilk as beanie babies for older men — or simply a casino and confidence game but apparently that’s what qualifies as economics now.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/07/campaign-spending-crypto-tech-influence
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I don’t blame Biden for pardoning his son. I think any father would do the same. And lets face it, if he wasn’t the president’s son, he would have been left alone.
As for those who say he might be enabling his son; that’s a sold working class comment. We think we need to toughen our kids as they become adults so they face the world. The rich never worry about “enabling”, they have money to face the world.
AJ’s been gone for a while — hope everything is alright
hrw — the last post was mine too — but who else gives links to the guardian?
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Hegseth continues to have trouble. I didn’t like him for his “crusader” mentality — not the type of thinking which is needed to lead the world’s largest military. However, it seems his treatment of women, drinking, and mismanagement of vet groups is getting more attention. Anything to eliminate from the post, I suppose. DeSantis would probably enact the same policies but be better at it.
I find it hugely ironic that Hegseth once mocked millennials for taking their parents to job interviews now has his mother on FOX defending him. If you’re applying to head the military, needing your mother to vouch for you is not a good look.
Hesgeth also stated he would stop drinking for the “deployment”. He’s trying to create analogy between his sober time in Afghanistan and the behaviour he will show in Defense. However, staying sober in Afghanistan is relatively easy — its completely “dry”
hrw
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To add to the Hesgeth situation — it appears Joni Ernst is the key. Trump Jr and Vance are accusing her of being reluctant due to her disappointment in not getting the job. If Ernst is the key then I imagine the ladies from Alaska and Maine have already said no. This looks to become a pattern – Murkowski and Collins will be on the outside of the party. For Collins it’s probably political survival. Her term is up in 2026 and the Democrats are the majority in Maine.
This points to problems Trump will have for the next two years — he’s only one senate vote away from a no to anything in his agenda (assuming Collins and Murkowksi say no). And the House is as shaky as it was prior to the election — probably even more actually. Officially its 220 to 215 but with at least two resignations its 218.
All this points to the margin in Trump’s win. Although slightly stronger than 2016, its still narrow with the final count at 49.9 to 48.4 or 1.5%. Plus he wasn’t able to pull Senate seats in Wisconsin and Michigan which he himself won. With Musk running around tweeting silly stuff like he’s going to defund Social Security — 2026 could get ugly.
hrw
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HRW, we passed election reform law but the conservatives in the Supreme Court gutted it unnecessarily. So I guess we’re stuck with obscenely expensive elections for the time being (and legalized influence from only God knows who).
As for the wealth of Trump’s cabinet picks, I’m not sure having money is disqualifying. However, if they start to say stupid things like “I’m just a working woman” or the middle class starts at about 5 million dollars like Whoopi Goldberg or John McCain, it would be a serious red flag.
As for Musk, he’s been known to throw gobs of money into very risky rprojects if he believes in them. The well being of America may be one such project. Time will tell .
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HRW, I didn’t see Musk say he was going to defund Social Security. Do you have a link?
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Two more guardian links
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/07/far-right-activists-from-germany-spent-us-election-day-at-trumps-mar-a-lago
The Afd is quite far right in a way that the Republican party is not — and like most far right European parties, they have interesting members.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/dec/07/trumps-tariffs-auto-industry-ford
I grew up in an auto city. The supply lines that keep the assembly plants moving are incredibly complicated. Trucks act as moving warehouses bringing parts to Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan and Ontario – one misstep and the line stops. If you read the article, you’ll notice it’s impossible to separate Canadian and American auto production — the data is too complicated to keep separated. Introducing tariffs into this will mess up the supply lines worse than Covid. Unlike most economists, I think tariffs have a role but the North American auto industry is the last place to use it. Also on interest; Toyota trucks are more American than the Ford F-150.
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Israel has taken advantage of the chaos in Syria to seize Syrian territory.
/”Israel’s Army Radio reported Sunday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had seized the peak of Mount Hermon, the highest mountain in the region, as a precaution against the advance of Syrian rebels as the Assad regime collapsed….”
https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/12/08/israel-seizes-strategic-peak-of-mount-hermon-from-syria/
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To clarify, I’m not saying Israel is wrong to take Mt Hermon. It’s probably a sufficiently defensive action given the uncertainty in Syria now that the government has fallen, I think.
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HRW, I don’t think we have to be too worried about Trump’s use of tariffs. He did alright the last time and it worked out well. He threatens much but acts sparingly. I’m very willing to be patient while his team works through it.
However I do think the Trump is inheriting a much different situation than he had last time. The Ukraine war has prompted a much stronger alliance of countries who are willing to reduce or forego trade with the US, and has reduced the use of the US dollar as the world currency. I think this has long term effects, and I don’t know how or if it can be undone. Peace in Ukraine might not be sufficient to undo the damage.
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I was on Mt. Hermon in 2022–Israel has a lot of listening devices up there. It provides a sweeping view of Lebanon and Syria–the three nations meet there–but we were not allowed up high enough to look.
It belonged to Israel when we were there and for the above reasons, I doubt Israel will move–in any direction.
It may be considered to be in the Golan Heights area–and Israel announced yesterday they were moving in to keep the peace, lest Syrians flee into that area. Turkey is said to be ready to send home the 2 million Syrians who have taken refuge in their country over the last few years.
In other news which I just read on Twitter–so be careful of the source–those who have taken over have announced Sharia law is coming.
If true, that’s bad news–particularly if you are among the 2% of the population who are Christians.
Interesting times for sure. We’ve been following the Middle East situation for quite some time now at our house.
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I’ve been quite critical of Israeli’s policy for the last few years — it’s genocidal in Gaza. However, the creation of a buffer zones in Syria does make sense as long as they don’t intrude.
Ironically their war with Hezbollah led to a weakening of Assad support in Syria. So Israeli actions helped create yet one more unstable border region.
Questions but no answers
Will the Russians leave their air and naval bases? Will the Americans leave their air base? Will the Islamic groups try to push either group out? Will the Islamists, Kurds and secular groups actually get along enough to form a coherent government? Who has Assad’s poison gas? Will Erdogan move into Syria to establish a “buffer zone”? Will he go after the Kurds while doing it?
No answers — my only guess is this is just a transition to another phase of the civil war
hrw
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Debra — agreed with the tariffs — a lot of it will be bluster. You can’t enact punitive tariffs without retaliation or disrupting the supply lines. In the case of Canada, its almost impossible to tell what and how much is being traded in certain sectors. I do remember his tariffs in the first administration leading to retaliation by China that affected Midwestern farmers — I believe it was soybeans but I may be wrong.
hrw
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Oh and a good commentary on the Syria civil war
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/08/bashar-al-assad-syria-middle-east
hrw
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Jeff Childers:
Slurring and stumbling through his short, six-minute speech, and repeatedly clearing his throat, Biden claimed credit for Syria’s collapse. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” President Cabbage bragged, adding “We now see new opportunities.” I’ll bet they do.
Then, Biden confirmed the Proxy War link I’ve been suggesting, in his patented circumloqutious style: “This is a direct result of the blows that Ukraine, Israel delivered upon their own self defense with unflagging support of the United States.”
Biden said U.S. forces started airstrikes in Syria yesterday —an exciting new conflict!— hitting any holdout enemies opposing the loosely named, ill-defined, and mysteriously provenanced “rebel groups,” many of whom currently occupy slots on U.S. terror group lists. Corporate media has not explained or even expressed any curiosity about how the U.S. could so quickly tell the good guys from the bad guys with sufficient clarity to start dropping bombs on people.
Biden then launched the big announcement: the United States —not the U.N., the World Bank, or for Hades’ sake, not the BRICS— would help “the Syrian people” create an independent —Joe started coughing uncontrollably right when he said “independent,” presumably to cover his laughter— an independent new government and a spanking new democratic constitution that would be just “for them,” the people. And it will be so progressive; just wait and see.
Now, when Biden promised that the United States would “help the Syrian people” create a new government for them, the people, he meant just the Syrians we’re not bombing into the stone age, of course. The good ones, in other words. Those other ones are dead men.
On Saturday, as Syria fell and Bassad fled, Trump tweeted, “This is not our fight!”and urged the US to stay out of the conflict. Amusingly, the article quoted Jake Sullivan saying the U.S. would not get involved — one day before Biden announced U.S. airstrikes there and our intent to “help” build a brave new Syrian government for the right people.
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good!!!
The jury in the Daniel Penny high profile trial has returned and has found the former Marine not guilty in the death of Jordan Neely.
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rejoicing with you, Nj.
Jo
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And there is rejoicing in Lebanon over the release of several Christians who have been in Syrian prisons for decades. God is merciful.
“Christians in Lebanon are celebrating the release of several prisoners who were abducted by the Syrian regime over several decades of occupation and who are now, finally, free after the sudden collapse of the Assad regime on Sunday….
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/12/09/lebanese-christians-rejoice-freed-after-decades-in-assads-prisons/
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I think almost everyone in Syria is celebrating regardless of religion or lack of.
In the meantime, the players are changing and the civil wars continue
Russian went from calling HTS terrorists to armed opposition to recognise them diplomatically. The head turn here is almost as fast as the Moltov Ribbentrop pact in the 40s. Amazing how cynical you can get when you want to keep your air and naval bases
Israel is taking full advantage of the chaos — not only did they set up a buffer zone, they are bombing anything that might be heavy weapons storage and or biological weapons. They are even bombing infrastructure — a Mediterranean port. The aim is simple — eliminate any chance that Syria will ever pose a threat.
Meanwhile Turkey is bombing the Kurdish/SDA alliance to promote its proxy the SFA and the US is bombing ISIS to help the Kurds. I wonder if Trump will abandon the US air base — its probably the one which he used to launch his own strikes against ISIS leadership, so I doubt it. Its also conveniently located in the desert along the Jordan/Saudi/Syrian border — easy for anyone to leave it alone.
Meanwhile the new leader in Damascus who still has a price on his head as an Islamic terrorists is giving interviews on western television including CNN. He’s trying to rehab his image and all the foreigners – Turkey, Russia, and the West are working furiously to do it for him. Only Iran and Israel are still treating him as a pariah.
It will be interesting to see what happens when the dust settle — if I lived that long, and I plan to live at least 40 more years.
hrw
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Hmm-well we know about the plans of mice and men. I may not make it through today. Or I may live into my 100’s as my uncle did. He was a month shy of 101.
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Replacing al-Assad with a wanted terrorist is not very reassuring. Christians there certainly have reason to be concerned.
Please pray for Syria.
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I think we have been backing terrorist groups there in Syria. And I also read there are Ukrainian weapons there as well–probably ours given to Ukraine and sold there. Oh what a tangled web we weave….
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Man makes plans, and God laughs.
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The West clearly wanted to push Russia out of Syria – to force them out of their last foreign base. Thus, we aligned ourselves with dubious characters to destabilise the Assad regime. Assad was an issue but sometimes the replacement devil isn’t much better.
During the cold war we destablized pro Soviet Muslim regimes in Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq etc and then continue when the name changed from USSR to Russian Federation. Yet clearly not learning from the regimes we left behind — its been rinse/repeat.
It remains to be seen what type of Syria will emerge but for the Kurds, Shia, Ismaili, Alawite, Chrisitan and Druze groups al-Jolani’s attempt at re-imaging needs to be sincere.
The rehab work continues for al Jolani
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/10/syria-new-leader-two-identities-ahmed-al-sharaa-abu-mohammed-al-jolani
hrw
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Kathleena — good point about mice and men and plans; never know when the proverbial bus comes down the road.
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Yes, so we all must be ready!
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Syria continues to spiral
Israel has completely destroyed former Syria army equipment — naval, air force, missile sites etc., very little is left
Turkey is supporting the FSA (Free Syrian Army) or the SNA (Syrian National Army) with air power as they fight against the Kurdish SDF pushing the Kurds eastward across the Euphrates. The Turks want to end any Kurdish autonomy.
The US air force nominally supports the SDF but usually only against ISIS. It remains to be seen if the US will intervene to keep the Kurds as a viable player in Syria. Trump abandoned the Kurds in his first term, something Kurds I taught did not forget.
Although the SDF is mostly Kurdish, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians usually ally or are protected by the secular (and leftist) Kurdish.
Russian troops/air force were seen to be evacuating toward the coast. The Russian navy has pulled out but is staying near the coast. A Russian naval vessel was seen leaving the Baltic sea and is thought to be on its way to the Mediterranean, probably to take heavy equipment home. At the same time, Russia is negotiating with Turkey to not only use Turkish airspace but maybe use land routes to bring troops back to Russia — a bit bizarre Russia negotiating with a NATO country to return home.
And i haven’t even mentioned the provisional rulers — the HTS….
hrw
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Missing AJ’s news posts!
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WSJ editorial board:
~ Are liberals still in their McCarthyite phase? The ugly criticism of Tulsi Gabbardas a “likely Russian asset” (Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz) might convince Trump supporters that she is being maligned, as President Trump was, because she’s on board with his agenda.
The truth, which has Republican Senators concerned, is the opposite: Ms. Gabbard is on ample record as a dogmatic opponent of the policies that made Mr. Trump’s first-term foreign policy a success and that Democrats resisted. The former Democrat would be a risky fit as director of national intelligence (DNI).
Consider her views on Israel, Syria and Iran. … ~
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/tulsi-gabbard-director-of-national-intelligence-donald-trump-foreign-policy-syria-israel-iran-b37aa3de?st=tqwRG8&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
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It’s sweet that the WSJ’s editorial board is concerned that Trump’s foreign policies might be thwarted, but personally, I love it that our prospective DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, leans a little more dovish and will be less inclined to policing the world. It is refreshing. And it’s very much aligned with Trump’s foreign policy.
The WSJ emphasizes that Gabbard was a Democrat as recently as 2022. But this is exactly what I meant when I said that issues are more important than party. I wouldn’t care if she were still a Democrat. She is a nice counterbalance to Trump’s DoD pick, Pete Hegseth who is not nearly so peaceable–at least as far as middle east policy is concerned.
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Good!
“They seem ready to act when they take office,” said Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. “This time, they have experience and the right people in place, like Tom Homan.”
Homan, now border czar, and Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff, have been vocal about their immigration strategy. They’ve appeared frequently on television to lay out their plans.
Miller told Fox News on Sunday that a budget reconciliation bill could be ready for Trump by late January or early February.
The bill would fund ICE for mass deportations, increase border technology, and hire more border agents. It wouldn’t need Democratic support.
Trump also plans to issue executive orders on his first day, including one that, according to Miller, would “seal the border.”
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There will be some challenges ahead regarding foreign policy.
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Being rigidly “dogmatic” in those changing and unpredictable situations — as the WSJ rightly points out and cautions — will be a mistake.
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The WSJ editorial makes Gabbard sound appealing. And Debra is right — she will be a good counter balance to Hesgeth whose “crusader” mentality and other issues are worrisome. Flexibility for anything is always important but the WSJ has frequently used similar editorials to question leftist politicians like Sanders.
As Syria continues its civil war, I wonder if Trump will maintain the air force base. And how he will support or not support the Kurds. They have always been the “sane” ones in an insane situation and he abandoned them in his last presidency.
Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine is entering a “hurry up” phase as both sides seek to make gains prior to Trump’s arrival. The uncertainty has led both the Russians and Ukrainians to launch offensives. A strange butterfly effect — 220 000 vote difference in the rust belt leads to increased causalities half the world away.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/11/ukraine-biden-trump-us-policy
I hope AJ is alright but I must admit I don’t miss the “X” posts. “X” is slowly becoming a right wing echo chamber as others desert it for Bluesky.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/dec/11/from-x-to-bluesky-why-are-people-abandoning-twitter-digital-town-square
hrw
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Well, I admittedly don’t miss “X” either …
And following up on foreign policy, again from the WSJ commentary pages:
_______________
The Wrong Lessons From the Iraq War: The U.S. made foolish mistakes, but withdrawing from the world would be the worst of them all.
By
Tony Abbott
~ JD Vance is tired of Washington lawmakers who believe they can “remake the entire world in America’s image.” So he said in an October podcast with Joe Rogan, adding that the Iraq war was America’s “biggest world-historical catastrophe.” This came after insights into issues as diverse as climate and energy, immigration and assimilation, and the clash between the right to autonomy and the right to life. It is to Donald’Trump’s credit that he chose a running mate capable of handling such topics so adeptly.
Messrs. Trump and Vance are right that it’s past time for American allies to pay their bills. That’s true of Britain and Australia too, the nations least inclined to shirk their obligations. Americans are also right to feel underappreciated, given that the long Pax Americana has mostly been better for the world than for America itself. Still, thanks to America’s blood and treasure, the world has been freer, fairer, safer and richer for more people than at any time in history.
As a weary titan, America’s reluctance to be the main guardian of the universal decencies of mankind is understandable. But the incoming administration should understand that this would be the worst time for the indispensable nation to step aside. An axis of dictatorships—a militarist one in Moscow, an Islamist one in Tehran and a communist one in Beijing—are united by a hatred of the West and a desire to undo history. Without America’s active engagement, the dictators will create a much bleaker and more dangerous world. …
… It is a tragedy that so many Americans have perished in recent wars. But the best way to honor their memory is to be smarter about future conflicts, not to surrender the ideals for which they died. Allies can pick up the slack. Australia and others should swiftly move to spend 3% of gross domestic on their armed forces. Britain and Europe should take a stronger lead on Ukraine. The West’s military-industrial base must be rebuilt.
Effectively managing this transition is the great challenge Messrs. Trump and Vance must meet. Much hangs on their success. ~
Mr. Abbott served as prime minister of Australia, 2013-15.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-wrong-lessons-from-the-iraq-war-middle-east-isolationism-foreign-policy-national-security-e38f36aa?mod=hp_opin_pos_2#cxrecs_s
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HRW – AJ has been in the hospital due to having a couple surgeries. But he is finally home and resting.
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https://www.wsj.com/opinion/stopping-endless-wars-is-easier-said-than-done-trump-second-term-2cab9c7a?st=xoiV8S&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Stopping ‘Endless Wars’ Is Easier Said Than Done: Trump will need to overcome four foreign-policy fallacies to resolve entrenched conflicts.
By
John Spencer
~ Donald Trump’s promise to “put an end to endless wars” resonates with an American public fatigued by decades of military entanglements. His calls for efficient, clear objectives and reduced U.S. involvement abroad reflect a pragmatic approach to the nation’s challenges.
But Mr. Trump’s ambitions also underscore the enduring complexity of war. Wars are rarely resolved on convenient timelines or with numerical or technological superiority alone. As 19th-century Prussian general and military strategist Carl von Clausewitz famously warned, the first act of a statesman is to recognize the type of war he is in. Clausewitz described war as a contest of wills in which human determination outweighs material advantages. Misunderstanding the character of a conflict can lead to unintended consequences.
To reach his goals, Mr. Trump must heed Clausewitz’s advice. Achieving global success requires understanding the human and ideological dimensions of war and seeing past at least four common foreign-policy fallacies. …
… the fourth error, the “peace table fallacy”— the belief that all wars end in negotiations. This approach isn’t always feasible. Simple calls for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia or for Israel to seek peace with Hamas ignore ideological and political stakes. Wars don’t end simply because one side desires peace; they end when one side achieves its objectives or both reach a stalemate. …
… The will of the Ukrainian people and their leadership prevented Russia from achieving its unlimited strategic goals. Despite Russia’s larger army and extensive resources, Ukraine’s resolve to defend its sovereignty galvanized international support and sustained its war effort. Ukraine’s initial success surprised the Biden administration, which hadn’t prepared for the war and made the misguided choice to provide arms incrementally to Ukraine within a cautious political-risk paradigm. Similarly in Gaza, misinformation on Israel’s conduct in the war increased Hamas’s resolve and caused the Biden administration to adopt unrealistic expectations and withhold arms from Israel. American political leadership also believed that there could be a quick solution to the war despite overwhelming evidence indicating that wouldn’t be possible.
Mr. Trump’s desire to simplify U.S. foreign policy and focus on achieving clear goals is admirable. But the complexity of war demands a careful and nuanced approach. Clausewitz’s reminder to recognize the type of war being waged remains vital. Wars are not contests of spreadsheets but struggles of will, shaped by leadership, morale and adaptability. To be successful, Mr. Trump must resist the allure of quick fixes and instead embrace strategies that reflect the unique nature of each conflict.
Mr. Spencer is chair of urban warfare studies at West Point’s Modern War Institute.
______________________
Much debate over these issues, as there should be, and opinions can change depending on circumstances. The point, though, is that flexibility, wisdom, nimbleness — and principles — will determine where these conflicts go or don’t go (and how the U.S. can best respond).
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I supose one can’t blame a former prime minister from down under for believing that America is in danger of giving up the ghost and retreating from the world. But the WSJ knows better. Thumbs up for Mr. Abbot’s essay. Thumbs down for the title the WSJ put on it .
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Care and nuance are not qualities that Trump seems to possess. Merkel, in her new book, said Trump approached foreign affairs like a real estate deal — there could be only winners and losers and he wanted to win. The wrong approach.
As someone who’s almost always been against American adventurism in the middle east and elsewhere (esp in Latin America), I view isolationism as an equally drastic policy. A pendulum swing that solves nothing.
The US is part of the liberal democracy bloc . This includes the different variations from the nordic model on the left to the anglo-american model on the right. Walking away from the bloc encourages the authoritarians (or illiberal democracies to use Orban’s term). Even on that basis alone, the US needs to stay involved in the world especially in Ukraine. Authoritarians are less stable, personality driven and will ignore rules and consenus for personal advantage or self-aggrandization.
On the self-interested level, for economic reasons the US needs to maintain the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. A retreat to isolationism will encourage the BRICs to set up their own reserve currency (the USSR attempted to have the ruble as a reserve currency but it failed due to a lack of cooperation from other nations). As the reserve currency things like oil, air fares, international trade and exchanges etc are all priced in US dollars. This often results in cheaper products and services for Americans while at the same time giving its government more flexibility than other countries. It appears Trump or at least those around know this so it may motivate them to keep an active foreign policy.
hrw
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Thanks kizzie
Hopefully AJ avoids “X” and gets the rest he needs.
Apparently recent events mean private insurers are more generous?
hrw
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The WSJ on “endless wars” looks interesting and I will try to read it more fully later at home. But the first thing that jumps out is the suggestion to recognize the type of war we’re in. And at this point it seems to me important to rule out that our primary adversaries are not at home.
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The four circumstances are well explained. The question I think you’re asking is whether the US should have anything to do with any of it in the first place. That’s an isolationist position but it seems to be re-emerging in popularity, now on the right.
I just don’t think that works. It’s a small world.
Foreign policy needs to be fluid — but we have no way to see the future, so there will always be some risks, whether we sit on our hands or decide there is a role America needs to play when the weak are being oppressed and other nations are being threatened.
Nothing easy about any of us and wisdom is needed.
So we can choose to do nothing (which is popular currently among the maga side of conservatism); but that has consequences as well.
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DJ, that’s apparently the question you wish I would ask, but haven’t. Neither has Trump, fwiw. And since I’m not interested in arguing for a position I don’t in fact hold, I’ll pass .
The problem is that those who are eager to swagger into wars rarely have an honest and intelligent plan about where we’re going, how much it will cost, what are we gaining or losing, what’s the end result, and most important of all, how is it righteous or just in light of our own conduct leading up to the proposed conflict.
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This is a very good example of one reason some people wonder if we might not be our own worst enemy. At least it’s something to consider. From First Things:
America’s Atheist Diplomacy
by Michael T. McCaul
December 2024
For the last two years, a little-watched congressional investigation has been exploring the nature of religious freedom and, specifically, whether the United States is an effective steward of that cause when it funds ideologically charged foreign aid projects overseas. After obtaining information the Department of State tried to keep hidden, my colleagues and I have learned that some members of our nation’s diplomatic corps consider the concept of “religious freedom” to be as malleable as clay, even entailing, in some cases, government promotion of nonbelief. Regardless of one’s faith tradition or political allegiances, this distortion is cause for concern….
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This is the link for the first things article.
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2024/12/americas-atheist-diplomacy
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Just because inquiring minds want to know: Is it true?
https://x.com/TrumpBaroon/status/1866921347047362729?t=8Wi_9hj2VvMLjkibI-h3xg&s=19
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Swagger, there’s a word! 🙂
I like First Things, don’t see it much these days but thanks for the reminder.
Well, war and peace, to be discussed another day, it will be an interesting 4 years ahead, one that may go by fast.
But it probably won’t be boring.
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DJ, thanks for linking the WSJ articles. It’s good to think about different perspectives. :–)
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Janice, my wife had also heard a few days ago that Time Magazine was likely to name Donald Trump Person of the Year.
Everyone should understand, though, that it is not inherently an honor. It is recognition of a person who “for better or for worse … has done the most to influence the events of the year.” Both really good people and really bad people have been chosen in the past.
So President Trump shouldn’t get too big a head about it, nor should his detractors be appalled. He certainly was a big newsmaker this year.
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Here’s a really disturbing headline:
Luigi Mangione was charged with murder – then donations started pouring in | Reuters
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Before Biden, the biggest group pardon by any president was Obama’s, when he pardoned 330 people on one day in 2017. Yesterday the AP ran a story headlined, “Biden commutes roughly 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people in biggest single-day act of clemency.” They were probably all good friends, too.
It was Biden’s second record-setting pardon. The first was the breadth and scope of Hunter’s pardon, which was arguably the broadest pardon in history, competing with Ford’s pardon of former president Richard Nixon. Biden had also promised he would never ever pardon Hunter, because no one is above the law, but then blamed changing his mind on the country’s politicized justice system. But that is a side issue.
The bottom line: get ready for lots more record-breaking Biden pardons. To prepare yourself, just imagine the shocking kind of pardons that could be excreted by a president lacking moral or ethical guardrails, who can’t think clearly, and who doesn’t care about the optics, historical precedent, or whether it hurts his political party. The hopeful thought is, why would Biden bother pardoning Fauci? I mean, what’s in it for Biden?
Whatever happens, it will probably be stomach-turning. But the silver lining is all these record-setting, eye-watering Biden pardons will nicely tee up Trump’s pardons. Biden just set the new bar, pardoning fifteen hundred fellow criminals in one day.
How many J6ers remain in jail?
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Kevin, your link said he’s already got over $30,000 in donations for legal fees. One donor said: “Denying healthcare coverage to people is murder, but no one gets charged with that crime,” one donor wrote, calling the killing a “justifiable homicide.”
And they’re making a folk hero of him:
In New York, “Wanted” posters with the faces of CEOs have appeared on walls. Websites are selling Mangione merchandise, including hats with “CEO Hunter” printed across a bullseye. And some social media users have swooned over his smile and six-pack abs….”
I’m hope that RFK can bring changes to HHS that will help people who feel disenfranchised from the healthcare system.
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The left side of the internet has been off the charts since the shooting. Celebratory fireworks would be putting it mildly. Given the horror stories I’ve heard from Americans, I’ve always been glad to be on the north side of the Great Lakes especially when it comes to health care. Insurance adds nothing to one’s care other than supposedly mitigating risks. If RFK is to do anything to fix the issue, joining the rest of the developed world with some type of universal coverage would be the right way. Perhaps similar to only Nixon could go to China, maybe Trump is the only one who could provide universal care. Anything is possible these days.
The justification given for his death — his adoption of AI and algorithms to reach a 30% denial rate led to countless deaths is similar to what many of my daughter’s friends used to justify shoplifting food — excess profiteering makes theft a moral choice. For me its hard to argue with the logic but one can argue against the conclusion.
For many on the left, they feel the right and the media should have no legitimate complaints for the current adoration and funding for Luigi. After all they supported Kyle Rittenhouse who killed someone because he was scared. A video now making the rounds uses FOX commentary on Luigi (too lazy to check last name spelling) while showing images of Rittenhouse.
hrw
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Debra — love the swagger term — very accurate description of the Reagan/Bush/Cheney era. Not that Clinton or Obama were much better
Biden’s pardons – America has way too many people in jail. Even on a per capita basis America has more prisoners than any country in the world (although I think El Salvador has temporarily eclipsed this). A lot of the commuted sentences were given to those who were out of prison early during Covid and have had no issues with the law since. Seems legitimate to save money and time there. Should probably commute more – all drug possession, federal death row, Pelitier, etc
Time Person of the Year – Trump’s a good pick – too bad he will take it as a compliment. His head is big enough already. He also tops the Google Most Searched person list — Trump, Musk, Swift, Grande, Drake. In a non-election year; Swift would be a candidate for person of the year. Her Eras tour was historic — and I have no idea of any of her old songs I’m just an old punk.
hrw
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I want to use “swagger” in a story now.
Debra @10:14, thanks, and I agree, I like to see different perspectives.
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Food for thought:
https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/why-i-was-wrong-about-the-dallas-cowboys/
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Lol. You could cover a Trump rally and use it there, DJ. No lack of swagger there . Of course, you’d run out of synonyms trying not to be repetitious. :–)
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That would fit, Debra (@5:19)!
Unfortunately, today I’m working on a nice holiday-by-the-sea wrap and I can’t figure out a place for “swagger.” Santa surely doesn’t swagger. Perhaps some of his elves do?
______________-
I do appreciate Kim Strassel’s take on RFK (“Welcome to the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. nomination, one of the more counterproductive Washington charades in recent history.”)
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-great-rfk-jr-charade-health-secretary-nominee-trump-administration-senate-confirmation-0d2147d7?st=rF68SJ&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
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HRW – Taylor Swift was Time’s Person of the Year in 2023.
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I’d say Trump was the clear obvious choice for “Person of the Year.” (And, as has been pointed out, it’s more about influence and even notoriety — good or not so much — that these folks represent to get that news title).
One good rule of thumb I like to keep in mind is to question myself if I find myself completely agreeing (or disagreeing) with “everything” a particular politician says or does.
There should be enough nuance in our critical thinking that we’ll sometimes agree, sometimes disagree with all of them depending on the issue.
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Pfft! Time’s “Person of the Year” indeed. I’m waiting for the memorial. Something modest tucked into the landscape of the National Mall between the Washington and Lincoln memorials. Perhaps a bridge across the Reflecting Pool with a statue of Trump holding it up. Overlaid with gold, of course.
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Kizzie — I missed or forgot that. Demonstrates the importance i attach to the award.
Debra — would a golden toilet at the Smithsonian be a sufficient memorial? Or maybe move the entire gold apartment from the Trump Tower to the Smithsonian?
hrw
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Fascinating 1 hour 22 minute podcast looking at the political, religious, and military situation in the Middle East. I met Boskey at a conference we attended this fall in Nashville where he gave a fascinating presentation on anti-semitism in the church (which began circa 300 AD).
He’s an American who has lived in Israel for 25 years–in Hebron, “just down the street from Abraham’s tomb.”
We discuss the latest news every night at our house! My Bible teaching/military guy has a lot of interesting things to say–and enjoyed this conversation himself.
This was really helpful to me, FYI:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s5e50-syria-damascus-jihad-and-global-shifts-with/id1530272784?i=1000680157356
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Time Magazine:
~ For 97 years, the editors of TIME have been picking the Person of the Year: the individual who, for better or for worse, did the most to shape the world and the headlines over the past 12 months. In many years, that choice is a difficult one. in 2024, it was not … On the cusp of his second presidency, all of us — from his most fanatical supporters to his most fervent critics — are living in the Age of Trump. …
… Tump has remade American politics in the process. He won by enlarging his base, seizing the frustration over rising prices and benefiting from a global turn against incumbents. …
The carousel of Trumpworld characters spins anew. This time, we think we know what to expect … Today, we are witnessing a resurgence of populism, a widening mistrust in the institutions that defined the last century, and an eroding faith that liberal values will lead to better lives for most people. Trump is both agent and beneficiary to all of it.
For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political alignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering Amerca’s role in the world, Donald Trump is TIME’s Person of the year. ~
So there we have it, we’ll see what happens next.
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I found this interesting
Luigi Mangione is the median American voter | Peter Rothpletz https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/13/luigi-mangione-american-voter?CMP=share_btn_url
hrw
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hrw, interesting — ~ They’re confused because they still believe the dominant divide in US politics is liberalism v conservatism. It’s not, and it hasn’t been for some time. Increasingly, even if they lack the exact language to explain it, voters do not identify foremost as Democrats or Republicans, progressives or traditionalists, or even left or right. They identify as pro-system or anti-system. As put byJeet Heer in The Nation: “Pro-system politics is the bipartisan consensus of establishment Democrats and Republicans: It’s the politics of Nato and other military alliances, of trade agreements, and of deference to economists (as when they say that price gouging isn’t the cause of inflation).” Anti-system politics, he continues, is “a general thumbing of the nose at this consensus”. —
anyway, parts of it resonated with some of the themes I read today in a Ross Douthat NYT column:
_____________
*It’s Going to Be Normal to Have Extreme Beliefs*
~ I promise not to make every installment of this newsletter a further elaboration on what it means to live after the post-Cold War liberal order, in a world where a certain kind of neoliberal consensus politics has dissolved without any new consensus sweeping in to take its place. But I’ll go once more to the well for the case of Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, and who has become a source of general fascination and, to some, a peculiar kind of outlaw hero.
Last week, trying to describe what American politics looks like now and going forward, I wrote that “whatever form of extremism or bigotry or paranoia you fear most will probably have greater representation in our debates than you would like.”
In the wake of Thompson’s violent death, a seeming 21st-century analog to the “propaganda of the deed” favored by some late 19th- and early 20th-century anarchist assassins, we have a clear example of this representation. The extreme view that the health insurance pigs had it coming is out there percolating in online spaces for everyone to see, while the less extreme but still manifestly illiberal conceit that murder is wrong, but public enthusiasm for the murder of an executive in a deplorable industry reflects the understandable anger of people pushed too far has been taken up by mainstream politicians, including notable tribunes of the left like Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
… the idea that the American model of private insurance is uniquely evil and engaged in acts of social violence because it denies people too much treatment is an evasion of the reality that every system denies people treatment, because the potential forms of care are always larger than the budget — public or private or both — that’s available to pay for them. Maybe it feels better when the dirty work of denial is handled by a bland government bureaucrat rather than a private company, but the effect, broadly speaking, is the same. …
… The Covid-19 era has soured more Americans on the health care system but the majority of Americans still report themselves at least somewhat content with their health care, and if anything some of the online reaction to Thompson’s killing seems linked to a growing sense of futility around left-wing politics, not its untapped strength. With the stalling-out of the Medicare for All push, the pressure of inflation and the triumph of Donald Trump, the idea of a socialist revolution — led by Bernie Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez or anyone else — receded over some distant horizon, awaiting a very different economic and political dispensation.
So if you’re horrified or just unsettled to find yourself sharing a culture with kinda-sorta apologists for violence against health insurance executives, just be aware that such expressions of extremism could be with us for a long time — but without ever necessarily gathering themselves into a mass movement.
… Which is a crucial thing to understand in general about our era. Whatever faction you fear most — socialists or reactionaries, cranks or racists — is likely to persist as an influence on one or both political coalitions to a degree that would have seemed quite alarming 20 years ago. But that persistence doesn’t prove that the extreme elements are destined to fully achieve their wildest dreams or worst intentions. Instead, the fate of many of these groups is probably to coexist somewhat chaotically rather than to dominate and rule. …
… Having spent a lot of time, because of that experience (a battle with Lyme disease), in communities stamped by disillusionment with medical authority, I’ve seen people start from that kind of disillusionment and end up — well, all over the map, with all sorts of worldviews, all kinds of enemies and scapegoats.
And that phrase, all over the map, is as good a way as any of thinking about our wider moment — suggesting a landscape with no certain ruling power and lots of places to get lost. ~
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/13/opinion/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting.html
* dj
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Another point from the same piece:
~ … (re) the technocratic complaint about the “murder is wrong, but …” discourse. The more urgent and non-technocratic complaint, meanwhile, is that adding a “but …” seems to tiptoe toward justifying assassination even if you insist that you’re disavowing violence. And having leading politicians doing this kind of tap-dance illustrates how easily toxic elements can slip into mainstream politics right now.
Understanding our larger political situation, however, also requires keeping both toxicity and radicalism in perspective. Despite what some have implied, it’s not at all clear that the creepily enthusiastic online discourse about a health care executive being gunned down reflects a systemic discontent that might yield a New New Deal or a left-populist groundswell – were it only adequately harnessed … ~
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I see you are almost at two hundred.
mumsee
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Testing #1
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Testing #2
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