Biden foreign policy is an existential threat to America
There is much debate about the federal government expanding its authority beyond the scope of the Constitution – and even in violation of the Constitution. However, there are two responsibilities of the federal government that are clearly noted in the Constitution – the protection of America’s borders and the defense of American interests and security from the actions of foreign adversaries.
The Biden administration is failing in both these constitutional duties. We see the failure at the southern border daily as millions of people illegally enter the country – and arguably hundreds of thousands pursuing deadly activities, from the importing of illicit drugs to record numbers of individuals on the terrorist watch list. In addition to the known numbers, there have been hundreds of thousands of got-aways who evaded capture. It is safe to assume that they present a much higher percentage of bad and dangerous actors, such as MS13.
Though leftwing media would have us believe that the border crossers are women and children from oppressive Central and South American nations. The fact is that a growing percentage of coming from nations all over the globe – including adversarial nations.
The porous southern border is a major threat to the health, welfare, and security of the United States. It has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths from the illicit drug trade – which indirectly results in a range of related crimes, such as murders, robberies, and assaults. Failure to secure the border is a clear and present danger to the American people and a dereliction of the constitutional duty of the President of the United States. No previous President has failed the nation in this regard more than the incumbent, President Biden.
Sadly, as a threat to the United States world leadership and internal security, the situation at the border pales compared to the failure to defend the country from foreign enemies. The world is clearly becoming a more dangerous place for America – and American citizens, here and abroad. The State Department has had to issue advisories, telling Americans to stay out of – or not to travel to – a specified number of nations.
At the time of Biden’s surrender in Afghanistan, many political leaders and pundits (including this author) said that Biden’s unilateral withdrawal – against the advice of his own military advisors and the leaders of allied nations – would weaken America’s standing in the world. It would lead to greater recruitment by terrorist organizations. It would embolden efforts to bring down the United States from world leadership. It would increase terrorist aggressiveness. And all those fears have come to pass.
It should not be overlooked that the planning and equipping for the Hamas attack on Israel commenced two years ago in Iran – shortly after the surrender of Afghanistan. While the leaders in Tehran were working diligently on their jihadist war against the West, the Biden administration was attempting to placate Iran into a renewed Nuclear Deal – a deal that was seen by Iran as buying more time to enhance their strength in the Middle East and their influence in the world.
Iran used the time well. They built up their military forces — with the help money provided directly and indirectly by the United States. They were able to coalesce the divergent – and often adversarial — ragtag terrorist groups into organic military force – and then supplied them with sophisticated weaponry. Hezbollah, Hamas, al Qaeda, and others were no longer local terrorist militias fighting with machine guns off the back of pickup trucks.
As was the case with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Biden gave full throated unconditional support to Israel at the onset of aggression by Hamas. But Biden undermined his own firm resolve by playing into the Iran/Hamas public relations campaign to make Israel the villain – the pariah — by unnecessary demands that Israel be limited and cautious in its pursuit of justice and victory. Biden’s pressure to hold off the ground invasion of Gaza provided the terrorist world with time to mount a public relations propaganda campaign against Israel and America.
Unlike Ukraine, Biden did provide Israel with many of the necessary weapons in the American arsenal. Biden also provided direct American military involvement in conjunction with Israel’s war effort. Initially, it involved shooting down missiles being launched from sites in Syria and Iraq – and eventually attacking ground installations in those countries.
Biden’s reluctance to point the finger of guilt at Iran – and to draw the line in the sand over which America would respond militarily of crossed – provided Tehran with a free hand to promote and support terrorist attacks on Israel AND the United States.
In addition, the Biden administration failed to enforce its own sanctions on oil and providing weapons to Russia. There was no interdicting shipment. The sanctions on Iran tended to be limited to tough talk with no enforcement.
It was after the surrender of Afghanistan to the Taliban that Russian President Vladimir Putin began to fulfill his dream of a new Soviet empire – and began planning a bold attack on Ukraine. While Biden gave verbal support to Ukraine, his action reflected weakness. He crumbled in the face of Putin’s bully-like threat of launching nuclear weapons. He assured Putin that the United States would not put boots on the ground – and even withdrew military advisors that were stationed in Ukraine. Biden refused the request for a no-fly zone and warned Ukraine not to attack inside Russia. These all looked more like a green light for an invasion than a means of preventing one. Biden engaged in a “too little/too late” policy in terms of weaponry and sanctions.
Not only was the Biden policy inadequate to an early victory for Ukraine, but it has needlessly prolonged the War – causing more loses of life and treasure. In addition, America’s timid response to the invasion of Ukraine increased the perception of American weakness and lack of will.
America’s profound weakness is compounded because it is seen as the leader of NATO and the world’s democracies. Weakness by the United States results in less commitment from allies. We saw this in real time in Afghanistan. When Biden withdrew, other allied nations – such as France – had to also withdraw.
Ukraine and Israel are the hotspots, but they are not the only examples of the decline in American leadership and national security.
- North Korea has restated testing of an expanded nuclear weapons program.
- Kim Jong un engages in meetings with President Xi and President Putin.
- China has enhanced its spy programs – even flying reconnaissance over the United States without consequence.
- China and Russia have entered into an “unlimited partnership.”
- Once strong allies, such as India, have drifted into more neutral positions — ever ignoring American sanctions on Russia and China.
- There is an ongoing effort to undermine and replace the American dollar as the world currency.
If you want to see how badly American influence has waned across the world, you just need to focus on the recent action of the United Nations. The head of the UN recently said that the attack on Israel did not “happen in a vacuum” – intimating culpability by Israel. A recent anti-Israel UN resolution was supported by more than 140 nations – and opposed by the United States and 13 others. Allies, such as France and England, abstained.
The decline of America as THE world leader, did not begin with Biden, but his presidency has been the most damaging in failing to meet the rising challenges – many of which are the results of his own weak policies.
One may argue the matter of degrees, but it is irrefutable that America today is less trusted by allies and less feared by adversaries than in the past. To put the question in a different context: Is America better off today than it was four years ago? Only a blind partisan could give that a “yes.”
There is a Chamberlain mentality in Biden policies. He seems to pursue his vision of peace at any cost. The only problem it will not produce peace – and the cost is the leadership and security of the United States and the American people.
So. There ‘tis.
Where does the Constitution say the President is responsible for protection of our borders and the defense of American interests and security from the actions of foreign adversaries?
I get the borders part, but the defense of American interests from the actions of foreign adversaries seems weird. Like does he need to protect Exxon from BP?
Just want to read that section.
It’s a bad time for sure.
As so called commander in chief he’s in charge of all armed forces and security for the citizens and their businesses. The oath of office covers all of that. The oath consists of “all enemies foreign and domestic “. But retard joe considers the oath a pinky promise. Frank it’s funny to see you trying to look intelligent when in reality you’re dumber than dog shit.
Frank Stetson … -Your desire to be a contrarian to what I write can lead you down a bad path. This response from you is among our most ignorant ever. You not only cannot read the Constitution, you seem be be abysmally ignorant of all the court case that clarified the role of the federal government.. Are you unaware of the federal government suing local law enforcement on the border issues because it is the exclusive power of Washington. And not just the border, but everything to do with immigration. Are you unfamiliar with the federal governments power to declare wars — and other international military actions. — and engage in treaties? Regulate international commerce — and protect from unfair trade practices. Issue sanctions.. Grant citizenship. Etc. Etc. Etc. You really walked into the doo doo on this one.
It was just a simple question because yes, I did not know.
Thanks. And now I still don’t know.
Hard to imagine your apparent hate and need for the win-lose.
Whatever. Thanks for the fish!
Frank Stetson… Maybe you see things as a contest — which may explain the obsessive nature of your responses. I do not see i that way. Just tying to give you some facts when you venture out on that limb.
That’s so cute. Basically anything I say to you, about you, you repeat within a few weeks! This time it’s the win-lose of the contest that you feel I am trying to pull on you. At least when I do it, I actually pinpoint what I am talking about instead of your vague, untethered, generalities…..
Am I alone in thinking Horist plays a dirty game: here’s James Merriner in 96 from Chicago’s Reader, speaking on Horist’s loss to Spanky the Clown: “For a full quarter century Horist has been popping up in local controversies, tossing off ideas and marching orders with equal ease, all the while proclaiming his own rectitude. He’s like the kid on your block who was always getting into fights but always swore he never threw the first punch.”
I believe the term for that is: junk yard dog, self-righteous too according to James.
Hey, at least he entered the arena. A meaner in the arener…
Frank Stetson …. It is so personal with you, You have quoted that Reader article sooooo many times. Actually, it is a flattering article, but you select one sentence out of a 10,000 word article — and you are under the delusional obsession that it really impacts on me — or impacts on other readers. You think what Merriner wrote is some sort of insult … an expose….lol. I do have a tenacious personality in pursuing what I believe in — even argumentative. Merriner sees it as a strength, not a weakness. How do I know, because he is one of my best friends in the media — and I actually saw the article before he submitted it.
You love to engage in ad hominem insults to cover your own ignorance and lack of civility,. It is soooo childish of you … and suggests some selfesteem problem. You do not address me directly, but seem obsessed with telling your imaginary inflated audience about your imaginary Larry Horist. You even describe yourself as some sort of Larry Horist fact checker — even as you use misinformation and ignorance as you basis. I guess, it is your misguided sense of public service. LOL Is that really the sum value of your life? It is really pitiful. Oh .. and your first sentence is pure projection. Your brain operates on that children’s “rubber and glue” response.
Horist: Maybe you see things as a contest — which may explain the obsessive nature of your responses. I do not see i that way. Just tying to give you some facts when you venture out on that limb.
I had a bet you would 1) harken to all the times I used it, like twice, and I don’t think that quote, and 2) would enjoy the press, any press. Very Trumpian.
It takes a big man to enjoy being spanked by a clown.
Geeez, lucas, it was just a question. Unknot those knickers. Chillax bro, take it low.
Except the president’s oath of office covers defense of the Constitution, not what you dreamt up . You screwed the pooch on your take down.
Your are referring to the oath taken by the VP. Closer, but still off the mark.
Quotes were a nice touch.
Open mouth, insert foot.
.
Liar. And I’m sorry about the pooch. I thought it was your daughter
Takes a big man to go after another man’s daughter on an anonymous web site dubious affinities for extreme free speech. My daughter? Really?
Another ignorant (and fact free) post from the all knowing Larry. Who told you that planning for the Hamas invasion began two years ago? A more likely scenario is it began 6 years ago when Trump passed Israeli intel to the Russians. And Biden’s surrender to the taliban? Your senility is showing, that was trumps deal with them-Biden was just unwilling to renege on the deal. Our relations with our strong allies is better than ever-all of the people we count on realized that emperor trump had no clothes and were moving away from us. We could have maintained some surveillance in Iran, if not for the idiot trump pulling out of that treaty. And of course there was the little deal of trump abandoning the Kurds to turkey. Amazing how trump cozied up to these wannabe (and outright) dictators during his regime. And drugs are being hand-carried over the border? Wrong again-they pass through legal portals for the most part-due to insufficient funding for border control agents. Of course, you are far too biased Larry to be able to see all the disasters that unfolded during the trump regime
You keyed in on the two year plan too. Little did we know about Tehran Horist.
Mike f … if ignorance were truly bliss, you would be one of the happiest persons on earth. I have been critical of Trump’s plan to pull out of Afghanistan unilaterally, but he was not the guy who did it. Biden was not required to take up Trump’s plan — which had some contingencies. Sorry, the buck stops on Biden’s desk on that one. Virtually all the news reports — even on MSNBC — have reported on the planning for the attack on Israel two years ago. Even Hamas makes that claim. And you claim the illicit drugs come through the legal entry points. Then why are the Border Guards seizing tons for drugs from those attempting to enter illegally. Your bias is debilitating and your ignorance profound,
Horist is right, it’s about 2 years. Of course, he left off the source: Hamas spokesperson who at the same time admitted he was not close enough to get the actual details…… Hamas source? Really? I would have attributed that one buddy instead of making it sound like it’s you. Even CNN did that…..
Thanks for the follow-up; twas like pulling teeth…. but wait, there’s more: “It should not be overlooked that the planning and equipping for the Hamas attack on Israel commenced two years ago in Iran – shortly after the surrender of Afghanistan.” It was actually after the Hamas/Israel 2021 conflict which ended about end of May 2021. We left Afghanistan in August of 2021. I am not sure anyone sees Afghanistan as the timing factor on Hamas planning, and while everyone feels Iran is complicit at about 100M a year, not sure anyone except Horist sees it commencing in Iran. Sure, Hamas needs weapon training, but at this point, I am not sure anyone except Horist would conclude Iran was at the planning table for this attack.
Why did you make all that up? Better story?
Frank Stetson … The report of the two year planning for the attack on Israel has come from many sources. It falls into the category of established fact and common knowledge. You need to slow down your anti-Horist spin machine, fella.
I think I would have noted the source being a Hamas official off-shore in Egypt I think. Maybe some bias there, what do you think? Most sources I viewed noted that. But hey, take Hamas at their word, whatever floats your boat.
FYI —– also the dates don’t line up for the rest of your fabrication. Our afghan ending was months after this Hamas guy that you believe, hook, line, and sinker, said the planning began…..
Not to mention NO ONE except lunatics like you DARE to claim Iran was at the planning table, in Iran as you noted much less.
Just because you fabricated your story, I have no more hatred for you than I would correcting anyone who misstates the truth. It’s just your obstinance to reality that galls.
Guys who are blatantly wrong but can’t even step up and be a man to admit it are very much in style now. Very Trumpian. Hey, you got in front of your own headlights to implicate Biden, not a first.
All Presidencies come with unforeseen challenges, foreign and domestic, and how Presidents rise to the occasion is critical to the nation, and their legacy. Trump had covid for national defense and he failed miserably. Biden has covid, Trump inspired inflation, and two wars, IMO, he’s on the ropes with his foreign policies needing a reboot.
Horist is roughly right, IMO, here, but only if you skip the hackneyed, historical, hysterical, partisanship dogma relying on stereotypical tropes of his ancient ire and passion. Yes, Mr. Horist, it’s the Democrats fault and your solution of nada except Vote Republican cuz Biden-bad is your answer, Vote Trump, even a digital rapist is better than this… I get it.
But it ain’t necessarily so, and it’s takes all of us to make things better.
He starts by saying Biden has failed in defending the nation. Obviously, that’s blatantly untrue. We are still here. No foreign entity is killing us here. We mostly are killing each other. He hyperventilates over grandiose millions of new illegals even though it’s legal to request asylum. And Horist reveres legal, even if wrong. Then he pulls hundreds of thousands of true illegals out of his ass, but give him credit for not saying millions. He does not mention that it’s a guess or whose guess it is. Worse yet, he preys on your imagination that there’s a “much higher percentage of bad and dangerous actors, such as MS13.” Why not like Charlie Manson or the Red Barron. Dude, show us the sources for MS13, terrorists, drug runners, and the like. Here’s a guy, from my fav, Rutgers, yea NJ, says about 10K MS13 in America: *https://clcjbooks.rutgers.edu/books/ms-13-the-making-of-americas-most-notorious-gang/#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20there,than%201.4%20million%20gang%20members.* This number has been relatively flat for a decade or more. Plus, about 70K in Latin America. There’s about 1.4M gangbangers in the US in total making MS13 less than 1%. Be afraid Horist, Horist wants you afraid. The article continues on in that vein with that level of support and sourcing.
Sad part is, IMO, Horist is correct that Biden’s foreign policy needs a re-design, re-engineering, and redeployment. But Horist’s conjecture that: “The fact is that a growing percentage of coming from nations all over the globe – including adversarial nations” is not a fact. It’s his assumption, unsourced and unsubstantiated except by the fact more people are crossing and Horist wants you to be afraid, to vote Republican. Fact is: “The number of all people, including U.S. citizens, on the terrorist watchlist who had been stopped at the southern border as of July this fiscal year was 216, compared to 165 in all of fiscal year 2022. The number of border crossers on the watchlist was higher in fiscal year 2019, at 280” which still sounds ominous except the part about including US citizens too. Plus, “DHS official told reporters that the increase from fiscal 2022 to 2023 is consistent with the overall increase in migrants crossing the border and the rising number of migrants coming from areas of conflict.” Note the “areas of conflict” that “The number of migrants from the Eastern Hemisphere more than doubled, from 110,000 in fiscal year 2022 to 228,000 so far in fiscal year 2023, the Homeland Threat Assessment said. The Eastern Hemisphere includes Africa and the Middle East, among other areas.” Guess what folks, when there is war and strife, people leave. They go to safe areas and I guess, unlike Horist, they vote that we are safe. Lastly, the terrorist watch list also includes family members so the increased numbers include Americans, family members, and real folks on the list. No number given on how many terrorists are trying for asylum. *https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/number-people-terror-watchlist-stopped-mexico-us-border-risen-rcna105095*
At least he didn’t say they were bringing smallpox and HIV in….. The terrorist watch list people equals .01% of all caught.
“No previous President has failed the nation in this regard more than the incumbent, President Biden.” According to FAIR, in 2017 there were 12.5M illegals in America, FAIR leans left FYI. By 2020, 14.5M or a 16% increase in 4 years. That’s Trump. By 2023, 16.8 or a 16% increase in three years. That’s Biden. Somehow, I doubt Biden holds the record, but I do not know for sure.
Fact is we have seen worse, but the number is number higher that previous years, especially the covid years that Horist seems to be referencing. It needs help, but we have been here before. If we all work together….
Horist then concludes Biden in Afghanistan has weakened America’s standing in the world leading to greater recruitments, emboldening to destroy America from world leadership, while increasing terrorist aggressiveness. “And all those fears have come to pass.” Basically, Horist is concluding all of this must be true because of HAMAS. FYI: raise you hand if you fear Hamas coming to America? Kind of like the Russians were coming vis-à-vis Vietnam.
He boldly claims: “the planning and equipping for the Hamas attack on Israel commenced two years ago in Iran – shortly after the surrender of Afghanistan.” Has he been talking to Tehran? Where did this piece of G2 intelligence come from? He even more boldly states: “They built up their military forces — with the help money provided directly and indirectly by the United States.” Iran’s army grew massively by 17% from 2017 to 2018 and I think has been pretty much flatlined from there. *https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/IRN/iran/military-army-size*
The Obama “funding” of 150B was freaking Iranian money that the world court would have adjudicated that it be given back. It may not have even been all under our control, and it certainly did not all go to the Iranian Guard *https://www.newsweek.com/us-give-iran-150-billion-barack-obama-jack-posobiec-1835083* And the Biden 600B is frozen but was too soon to finance what Horist alludes it financed. What a crock theory. More Republican fear mongering.
Enough! Enough of the guesses, assumptions, and fear mongering. It’s a scary enough world without the Horist horror show.
These are troubling times requiring serious discussions. We have two wars. Biden did not cause them; Trump probably could not stop them. Our border is porous and people want in, many for damn good reasons. You need to reign in the hyperbole, quit the stereotypical tropes, and let’s get down to brass tacks. We need to do better than Republicans holding Israel hostage, like Hamas, just to get be able to get funding. If only Biden releases the IRS funding to set the funding-hostage Israel free. Great first move Mr. Speaker, the game is on. Compromise on the budget, not the Israel aid package. Do not set the game so that each emergency requires a cut-back. It’s an emergency, that’s when you break budget and borrow. Not deal time. Hate to be here when the next cat 5 hits Louisiana for FEMA lets-make-a-deal time cuz I want abortion back before we drain your swamp buddy. Game on Mr. Speaker.
“Biden’s reluctance to point the finger of guilt at Iran” as Biden warned them to be careful and sent his message via minions like “White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that Iran was “complicit” in the attack because it has backed Hamas for decades.” I guess Horist just wants to drop another nuke…..
Next, I will review Horist’s sexy six and then a wrap.
Larry, You lie just as much as your presidential candidate. There has been no credible reporting that planning began after Biden became President. And while I would have reneged on the treaty Trump negotiated for Afghanistan pullout, Biden did not, probably due to the pushback that trump got from reneging on Obama’s deals. Some people believe that an administration should be trusted to fulfill all obligations even though they were made by a previous regime, though that is a bit complex for someone of your vast intelligence. No, Biden does not totally own that disaster-he was set up by a republican fool. And, you have been listening to Abbot again, you need to do a bit of research before spouting lies about where the majority of drugs come into the US-not with the illegals crossed the Rio. However, I have no hope that someone as biased as you would ever do credible research into your posts. You prefer fact free, and then disparage the people who call you out-you’ve definitely taken lessons from trump, two peas in a pod….
Mike f … Y You know Trump is NOT my candidate. There has been ample consistent reporting about the start of the planning for the attack on Israel. There was no treaty in Afghanistan. It was a unilateral withdrawal (surrender) by Biden. In terms of fulfilling older agreements, Biden reversed any number of Trump’s EOs — as did Trump with Obama’s. Biden was under no obligation to give Afghanistan back to the terrorists. The evidence that drugs are crossing the border illegally is well documented. Is it diminished capacity … gross ignorance … or are you merely a effing liar?
Horist’s sexy six of western decline…..
1. North Korea has restated testing of an expanded nuclear weapons program. (well, good they “restated” things. When did the program stop? “Bruce Klingner of the U.S.-based Heritage Foundation estimated, in June 2020, that North Korea has likely built “eight or more additional nuclear weapons” since the 2018 summit.”
2. Kim Jong un engages in meetings with President Xi and President Putin. (he met with Putin the first time in 2019, Xi earlier than that)
3. China has enhanced its spy programs – even flying reconnaissance over the United States without consequence. (so? Who hasn’t? Chinese surveillance balloons flew over the continental United States at least three times during the Trump years, according to a senior administration official, but key details about the incursions weren’t widely known until after Joe Biden took office – Bloomberg)
4. China and Russia have entered into an “unlimited partnership.” (this one is troubling not so much as it’s new, but that they are closer than ever. I do not think they have pledged military support at like a NATO level agreement)
5. Once strong allies, such as India, have drifted into more neutral positions — ever ignoring American sanctions on Russia and China. (yeah, and the Kurds don’t like us either….. if you can’t see we are closer to the world under Biden than Trump, you are blind as a bat. Trump antagonized almost everyone, no one could trust him, again, ask the Kurds, ask the Syrians, ask the Afghans)
6. There is an ongoing effort to undermine and replace the American dollar as the world currency. (been true for decades)
“The decline of America as THE world leader, did not begin with Biden, but his presidency has been the most damaging in failing to meet the rising challenges – many of which are the results of his own weak policies.” Finally, a spark of truth. Mostly I agree, but IMO, the policies aren’t weak, but certainly need more than a tweak to be better. And claiming Biden is the worst is hyperbolic at best. I mean 9/11 on Bush’s watch, they stormed the Capitol on Trump’s watch and tried to rig an election, — yes, we have two wars.
“Chamberlain” Is Ukraine Chamberlinian? Now with planes and longer range missiles? Is the extra iron dome systems we knee-jerked over to Israel Chamberlinian? Is blaming Iran as being complicit Chamberlinian? Leaving the Kurds to die —— now that’s even worse than Chamberlain.
Yes, we got troubles. Right here in Potomac City. But America is not undefended. If American is weak, it’s not for a lack of defense funding. There are not thousands of HIV-infected MS13-ers coming in to steal your family and rape your possessions. Hamas will not be here for breakfast. We need Congress, both houses, to help give the President the tools needed to secure the border, fix immigration in a manner that allows what we want and closes the door on the rest. Just make E-Verify the law of the land and illegals coming to work with drop off the radar. It is only mandated in nine States yet might stop illegals seeking work, overnight. Hello, the House, get er done. Yes, we need to deal with Iran, prove the complicity and take actions. My recommendation is let Israel do what it wants there and sit back to support behind the scenes as needed. Ukraine — come on Horist — you’ve been wrong on Biden from the beginning believing there is not nukes or the potential survivability. Frankly, the Reagan approach of spending them under the table should work. China —– that’s the tough one. I say yes, be Chamberlain for now to use your hype —- but negotiations, treaties, and agreements or what I call —- the Red Lines. Set them in place with China and take action if and when China breaks them.
I agree he needs a foreign policy reboot. I agree we have two wars to be dealt with Perhaps needs an example like Hamas and Iran. But I have never been big on being the world’s cop. Would rather be 007, behind the scenes with a license…. And if we need Red Lines to protect our interests, there will be war, use negotiation, treaties, and agreements, not Red Line mandates. But enough with the useless rhetoric unsupportable based on the facts. Reboot, restart, but I don’t see you coming up with any good answers besides not on Trump’s watch and Trump will fix it all. Fact is we barely know the half of what Trump did given the blackouts and the lies. He said he fixed Russia and North Korea, he did not. He set the stage for Afghan failure (it was squarely on Joe’s watch though), he screwed his allies like the Kurds, killed them, took their lands. He didn’t start any wars, but he didn’t bring our kids home, he just moved them around to the Middle East and Africa. He completed Obama’s work to diminish ISIS but did not eradicate. But he told us no one dies, no war, and he fixed it all. Lies.
Frank Stetson … You have obviously read “AI for Idiots.” AI will give you all the arguments for or against something if you ask the question with a bias. I could go on AI and ask it for counter arguments to everything you write — and I would get them That is because the Internet is filled with opinions and arguments on both sides of every issue. And AI will draws out whatever you request. Your rebuttals are nothing more than the opinions of others … duh! But congratulations on your mastering AI as you brain. You use a lot of words to say verry little — and most of that is repetition and distraction to other pet issues. The reason I do not fulfill your desire to bicker over every issues is because I stand by my commentary — and trust that most readers will form their own opinions. Also, I have a life. You are not my obsession — or even a significant part of my life.
Nope Horist; I am not an idiot. I’ve been tested.
And you are 100% wrong on every point I noted. They are all my points; you’re the one playing with AI, remember? I can’t even spell AI yet.
Numbers provided, sources noted, even flagged the one leaning left
Takes a certain type of gent to sum up all of that evidence and proof and conclude: idiot! You’re the man.
Thousands and thousands of MS13ers all around…. Not bloody likely. Biggest illegal spike in history except it’s not. Hundreds of billions of biden bucks funding iran’s terrorism even if it’s not. He says it, he can’t support it, he just shrugs it off and calls the questioner an idiot. The guy just makes shit up and then name calls anyone suggesting different or demeans their sources as AI or worse
But the best was Horist knowing the exact Iranian planning window for the October attack. Like he was there.
My inout stands. All good, nothing proven wrong.
Frank Stetson. … You make me laugh.. You make two statements. Your are not an idiot and You cannot spell AI. I know you are joking. Just not sure which of the two statements is the joke. They say laughter is good medicine. Perhaps I should call you Dr. Stetson in the future LOL
Larry,
Again, the title identifies its author as you and pastes a bullseye on you. Red flags fly in a title worded in condemnatory terms like existential, threat, nation, policy, and make the subject, Biden.
It’s an easy task, given your proven proclivities blow hot against Biden, that this title bears your mark. So, predictable are your titles that they leave no mystery waiting for the reader’s discovery. More evidence provided here that the ancient Wise King’s proclamation is as true today as he found found it a fact in his time several thousands of years ago. “There is nothing new under the sun”.
Others say, the world is headed toward an existential fate, if pollution eroding natural non renewable resources and doing irreversible environmental damage. Facts support this hypothesis. Deniers of those facts built on suppositions from faulty opinions. Common sense intuits that in fact, constructing anything in sand and on a flood plain will be destroyed when flood waters return. That building faces existential reality,
“Existential” used here is a misappropriation and a dereliction of responsible journalism by an author. Journalistic credibility comes under suspicion. As the wannabe journalist strives to be recognized as a skilled wordsmith. Words chosen are essential. Wrongful use of an emotionally power laden word comes across as extreme overkill inappropriate.
l appears harshly inappropriate, even for you, the opinion commentator who brought his readers the word “mendacious”. As words go, this one, too, carries a dark meaning far surpassing accusing a person of lying. A mendacious person display untrustworthy characteristics. The person’s word is not to be trusted or relied on in decision making. Therefore, when the person is caught in a lie, although they may protest much, trust in all testimony fails.
Another word term describing the mendacious person’s working is “gaslighting” or a gaslighter.
Gaslighters are by definition mendacious personalities
Readers of your opinions, who voice person opinions contrary and oppositional, in your estimation, receive harsh and undeserved derision, arrogant condescension, and remarks questioning intellect.
By some quirk within humanity a man borne by the usual means arose as one superior of intellect, reasoning insight second to none. He, like Founding Father George Washington, Larry never tells lie. His every word bears truth. In all and on untold breadth of subjects his word has authority. So, Larry would have others believe.
As Trump boosts repeatedly that his understanding of the entire world’s inner workings happens to be “better than most”. So, also. does Horist’s mental acumen compare, yet greater still. This is valid when Trump says “most” he leaves room for Horist.
Of at least one human quality the man is bereft (with out and lacking. Humility in spirit with it accompanying a tribute, self perception is not apparent.
The high Horist on which he’s set himself out does every ivory tower known man and home of gods.
If all we have to fear is fear itself, then those trading in fear mongering are leading this nation to its demise.
Biden is not the evil villain, you Larry, proclaim.
Our nation may struggle, but its mendacity exhibited by your ilk who strike at the nations knees.
Red is your political hue. It’s those elected to Congress by others who are red like you. Of one mind, with no regard for fundamental democracy, it’s you all who bring on the existential threat. Fear the is a Red conspiracy. Arrogant prideful self aggrandizing and indulgent blind leading the blind Party, not nearly an exhaustive list. But it’s true.
If you had refrained and not gone down the “E” word rabbit hole, then…. Oh, you would not, could not help yourself. It is the black hole of your mind.
Anyone read this far?
AC, you may be going to hell on a basket, but at least you’re enjoying the ride. Mendacious, that will never get old.
Well AC, one good screed deserves another :>)
Once upon a time, we all knew what was too much. Too much in deeds, too much in words. If you dared to say too much, you paid a price. Freedom of speech did not mean you could say too much unless you were willing to pay the price to do so. There was no free-lunch to lie, demean, and defame. You couldn’t even fucking swear. If you said too much in front of children, the price goes up. If you did too much in deeds, you went to jail.
In the Post-Trump-Societal-Deterioration era or the PTSD that we call modern times, we have become comfortably numb to too much and not much really bothers us anymore. It even feels at times that too much has become too little and we want even more. We cheer when someone demeans another in public, like spectators at the coliseum looking for more blood. When we finally catch someone, make them pay the piper, we honor them with better jobs, more followers, mo’ money, fame. They become our knight in tarnished armor. If they do go to jail, we pardon the ones that might be useful to us in the future. Even the convicted or adjudicated are revered heroes at times.
Lies are OK now, as long as it’s legal. As long as you are not under oath, feel free to fire away. If you are on that side, you believe them. If you are on the other side, you don’t even believe the truth. Getting away with it in deeds is seen as being smart. A good lawyer. A good politician. A good businessman. Some even want to defund the police, the FBI, the DOJ, all our law-and-order guardrails; basically, we want to stop paying our guardians of the law. We want to tear it all down without even a successor in mind. There are no guidelines on pardons either, anything goes.
Berating is OK now, sure you can call em anything you want and we pound our chests and yell: FREE SPEECH, ain’t it grand. As long as it’s legal.
Instead of what’s proper, correct, courteous, polite, and respectful, the defining line is: is it legal?
The first amendment has become the battering ram of vulgar, untrue, demeaning and defaming chatter we call free speech in modern times. A gentleman is a cad and a cad will be King. The powerful demean the weak and we cheer. The powerful tell a lie we like and we cheer. We tell each other our lives would be better if just half of America did not exist.
No punishments for lying in the news: the guilty get their own “channel.”
No punishment for lying in government: the guilty get book deals and their own social media “channel.”
No punishment for lying in business: they guilty get another company and a raise.
And so on and so on.
We have a guy who fabricated his entire existence, was funded by mystery monies, cheated many, is wanted, in a bad way, in other countries serving and being supported by his party. As long as it’s legal. Oft the comment of let the voters choose comes to play allowing corrupt, lying individuals serve until there’s time for the next vote. As long as it’s legal to lie, you can lie your way into Congress to rule over all of us, based on lies.
We even put such craven images of the disrespectful on our walls as heroes.
The left wakes us to non-gender-specific pronouns which should go the way of the metric system and belong in the sci-fi books where they found them. They will never mean he, she or it. They want people parading gender confusion to teach our kids in the public libraries. They attack anyone who dares to use “he” or “she” as business builds ad campaigns to shove this shit down our throats while catering to genders that others will use physical force to destroy. The day I live in a gender-non-specific world is never. Girls are girls, guys and guys, feel free to be anything else, but don’t hit me over the head with it. That’s too much. Keep your accepted pronouns, I will stick with he, she, and it. The right applauds free speech while banning books, banning speech, and even banning the facts that slavery was bad. Put that back in the sci-fi where you found it too. Quit living your life with your head in the sand and your mind in 1952. Your too much is too little for me. And that’s too much. Modern times. You can’t be free by banning what you don’t like.
In my day, we knew what going too far meant. This may be it too :>) My generation may have been flower children pushing against some boundaries, but most of us still knew right from wrong and wrong meant punishment. Perhaps not enough. Perhaps we eroded it. But we didn’t trade right for wrong, we kept the guardrails up. It meant that if you did it, you would not make an extra buck, you would not stay in office, much less run again, and your career path would take a steep turn. We were seen as wrong, over time we proved we were mostly right, and life did get better. I am just not sure that the current push will yield similar or better results. Making right wrong is wrong. Matter of opinion, I am pretty sure banning things and forcing people to love trans, gays, and drag will NOT make life better.
The ability to know right from wrong, what’s going to far, and to fight against eroding the lines is possible. We’ve seen it in action a few times as of late. Ask A/B Bud what too far means. Or Disney, or is that, DeSantis? Still early on that one, but someone most certainly will pay. Point is woke worked business wise until it didn’t because business went too far. Too far in both directions …. Which is the point. In modern times, your side can’t go too far and the other side always does. Horist at one time noted that our choice is stupid or evil. That’s too bad choices and nothing good can come from that. We have no common ground any more as to what “too far” is. And that’s a sad day for sure. We need to come together on what’s too much before the country is too far gone. All of us.
Frank Stetson … You’re too mcuh.
Yeah Larry, I whip one out from the heart in your “andy of mayberry” style for you to dismiss.
just ain’t no pleasing some people.
I do not have much quibble with most of what Larry documents in this article. Its fairly factual with extensions based on news reports that I have also seen on CBS Streaming Live. There are a couple of areas where I may differ in opinion a little: They are:
1) Biden has had a double job in international relations and policy. His first job was to repair the damage to NATO, UN, and strained personal relationships abroad caused mostly by Trump. Even Putin in one of his speeches stated he did not need to spend much effort attacking NATO because Trump was already doing a good job of that. That speech sent chills down my spine. Biden never gets GOP/conservative credit for this. I think its time for conservatives to acknowledge for the sake of truth that Trump damaged international relations and Biden has repaired much of the damage.
2) The Afghanistan debacle is a joint blunder owned by both sides; a truly bipartisan FUBAR screw up by two sides that rarely do anything bipartisan these days. Trump owns the front end for not including the US recognized government of Afghanistan when negotiating with the terrorists called Taliban. Trump also did not stick to withdrawal dates outlined in the original agreement. Biden owns the back end for dunderheaded thinking like leaving behind all of those weapons; evacuating the soldiers before US civilians were all out, and screwing the hell out of those Afghanistan aides that helped us fight terrorism for 20 years. I sure hope we can put this one to rest, its getting moldy and the discussions about it are boring. This sent a big message to all of the bad actors!
3) We internally do things in Congress and as President that transmit huge unwritten messages to the world because the world is always watching us. Congress since McConnell’s “We will make this president a one term president” line spoken in October 2010 was a great message telling the world we cannot get along internally and seek to plot/scheme against each other. And since then the infighting between parties has been sending volumes of messages to all adversaries. I think this is one of the biggest reasons why the infighting must stop! And that includes on these blogs – they read the blogs too. China reads them all. Russia reads many. China and Russia both talk to Tehran which reads many of them!
4) HAMAS two years to plan the recent attack on Israel whether or not Larry actually has documented proof so lets just drop this issue and call him correct or at least close. We all heard the two year planning theory on national news. The big issue is that since 1948 through Dem and GOP administrations and Congresses, our Middle East policy has been terrible so we can’t just blame Biden. And thanks to backing the wrong horse several times (like Shah of Iran) and ambiguous policy, we now have many splinter groups such as the ones mentioned by Larry to contend with. And he is correct, and acknowledged by all reports that I read that Iran is the puppet master of them all. And now Saudi’s is trying to be a puppet master too! And do we trust them post Kashogi??? If we want to be influential in the Middle East, we will have to come up with a consistent and actionable policy for the region. If China can do it, so can we! And China is doing it so we better get moving on this!
5) Russia is a great chess player. I think all along that the plan was take back soviet block countries such as Georgia and Ukraine in pieces, and Georgia was the first piece with Crimea under Obama being the second piece. This plan was hatched way back when they took Georgia and Crimea. Russia still occupies 20% of Georgian lands. What we see now is a continuation of the plan! They saw that the US did little to nothing about Crimea under Obama, so that was a signal to go for another piece. This time the piece was all of Ukraine in one strike, with Eastern Ukraine being the fallback position where there is a high Russian speaking population and the Russian policy is Russiya (if Russian is spoken, then it is part of greater Russia). They got a bit shocked by the NATO response. China’s Xi gave Putin the permission and tacit approval. Xi is now frustrated at how it has turned out thanks to Biden – even if Biden was a bit slow and does not get credit for the successes.
6) Border issues are nothing new have been around since Reagan in 1986. Ronald Reagan signed a sweeping immigration reform bill into law. It was sold as a crackdown: There would be tighter security at the Mexican border, and employers would face strict penalties for hiring undocumented workers. But the bill also made any immigrant who’d entered the country before 1982 eligible for amnesty — a word not usually associated with the father of modern conservatism – and certainly not Larry though he liked Reagan. Both Dems and GOPs got something! Ahhh the good ole days. Reagan got the bill signed into law but in order to pass the bill, the strict security sanctions on employers that Reagan wanted got stripped out of the final bill but the amnesty part the Dems wanted stayed in the bill. This was the beginning of distrust between the parties on this issue. But, go back far enough to early 1900’s and you find people crossed the border both ways, freely, to work and then go home at the end of the day or week. For some reason it wasn’t as big a deal back then.
And this is the Independent / Unaffiliated view. Both can be blamed!!! Instead, lets focus on new results that benefit the most people and do the most good! Kuddos to Frank for writing more words than Larry! :>)
One last thing, and that is about India. India has played both sides since we did not support them in their war with Pakistan and they had to turn to Russia for weapons supply. Just four months ago or so, India PM Modi visited Biden in the White House, big fan fair big state dinner and private dinner follow ups. He came asking seeking AI and defense technology agreements, and investment from Washington and private US companies that were lined up to talk to him! And other security issues from what I recall were also discussed. Then after he left Washington DC, the very next week he was visiting BRICS Bank which is a banking scheme set up by Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (see any true US friends there???) as an alternative to the US Dollar and would undermine the US dollar where he pledged to give $10 Billion to the IMF growth and development fund for emerging economies. So Modi is asking us for help and tech, then turning and helping our adversaries! Modi is a fence straddler!
Tom,
The bricks bank is alternative to other banks, such as the world bank. It’s a development device. In essence, brics is like the EU, both of which were founded in defense of the Juggernaut economy, known as the United States.
They are investigating a brics buck; don’t think they have one yet. And they claim this is 2023 idea to investigate. I doubt it, it takes balls to give up your sovereign money. The Euro was as amazing as Nixon dumping gold or Obama paying interest on excess reserves. And England never signed up.
Think about it, the US consist of 50 states, the eu consists of 27 countries. Brics try land, people and china’ economy.
It makes sense to join. Us, eu, brics, but you ate right, there’s a money showdown coming and we want to prevail in that one.
Tom … You are starting to write as much as Frank, but at least you are coherent and make worthy debatable points.– and you do not turn every point of disagreement into a personal attack. I am only surprised at you affection for Frank’s nonsens and offensive behavior. You are easily amused…lol
1. I am not inclined to give Biden as much credit for NATO unisty over Ukraine. He does not seem to have that same influence with regard to Israel. I think that supports my contention that it was Putin who united NATO. Aslo, I do not believe Trump was out to destroy NATO. If that were true, why was his main focus increasing the funding for the Alliance?
2. I see no reason to exonerate Biden on Afghanistan because Trump was pursing a bad policy — in my judgment. There was NOTHING that obligated Biden to surrender in Afghanistan other than his own misguided desire to do so. It was Biden’s decision alone to make. He even disregarded the advice of the Pentagon and foreign allies.
3. Folks on the left jump on that statement by McConnell. I never understood why. It is the objective of both parties to make the President of the other party a one-termer. it is called an election. It would have been more bizarre if McConnell had said “let’s all work to make sure Obama gets two terms.”
4. We both agree that the Middle East has been mishandled through many administrations of both parties — maybe starting with Truman when the nation of Israel was created. What is past is prologue, but my commetarie deal with the here and now. Biden is in charge of foreign policy. The mistakes are his. The buck stops at his desk. Dwelling on the past for balancing Biden’s mistakes with predecessors is a partisan game that does not have relevancy is judging Biden’s performance.
5. I stick with my assessment that Biden was intimidated by Putin and as a result gave Ukraine insufficient support. I do not think he led NATO since countries like England and Estonia were clamoring for more support that Biden was willing to give. His too little/too late policy was not what Ukraine needed. I think NATO responded more to Ukraine than Georgia, etc. because Ukraine was is a prospective NATO member. Also it was a step too far for the comfort of the east NATO nations. And this was not an internal takeover, but a full blown invasion unlike seen since World War II.
6. With regard to the border, again the past is interesting, but irrelevant. Biden is setting the policies which have resulted in the worst failure of border security in American history by the numbers. It is a problem had has become crisis under Biden. Reagan’s fault was that his did part one —- amnesty — but failed part to — closing the border. And like a crack in the damn, the problem got worse. the dam is now overflowing and Biden is ignoring the problem. His requests for funding is only to facilitate the admission of more illegal border crossers. The reason the problem was not a big deal in the old days is because it was mostly an issue of migrant workers who when home after the picking season — the numbers were not nearly as great … nor the crime and drugs a major issue.
Larry, Unfortunately (actually not unfortunately), the world is not supposed to work as you seem to wish it to work. We elect a new administration every 4 (or sometimes 8) years. Trump decided he was going to undo every agreement that Obama had made, because, he could. That tells our friends (and enemies) that we are not to be trusted as a nation. While I personally feel that the Afghan peace treaty was so egregious that it should have been scrapped, there was definitely a rationale to adhere to it, which Biden did. Trump took the easy way out, as he did in all his foreign relations ‘deals’, and left out the most important stakeholder in that one, the Afghan government. He did exactly the same thing in the Abraham accords-Palestinians were not invited to the table, and were really hot about negotiations that trump did behind their back. As a result, there was bound to be trouble in Israel sooner or later Bottom line, the existential threat to the US was the guy you voted for twice, and your current speaker is showing himself to be no more knowledgeable regarding foreign policy (or monetary policy) than trump….
Go Unions, go Biden.
Nice raises and bene’s.
Biden first pres on picket line. Trump huddled with ownerscand called strikers misguided.
Sigh.
Go scabs. Fuck unions. Fuck Biden
psssssssst, Joe —– Biden and the Unions already won on this one….. They got some pretty good raises, more bene’s, and EV considerations. Think it’s an 11% bump and then total of 25% over the 4 years. With cola. Just not sure why you don’t like these guys. Just buy a non-union car and get over it.
Given what the union members gave the makers during covid, this was a square deal arbitrated pretty well IMO as it should be, if you have to strike.
Go scabs Joe —- they lost on this one but will undoubtedly be able to take advantage of a rising tide lifting all boats. As so shall we all.
Just wait till the owners ship most of the work out of the country. And the average people can’t afford their products. I’ll keep driving my beat up Nissan bug out truck and be happy.
Frank Stetson … What is that sound I hear. Oh, It is the prices rising on domestics cars. Once again the UAW is gifting foreign manufacturers. Wanna bet American manufactures lose market share? Or will the taxpayers be required to pay more in subsidies? Either way, we the people take it up the tailpipe. And pleeeez… no sophomoric gay responses. Of course, there will be cost savings from the number of union workers losing their jobs because of robotics and electric vehicles.
Clearly, Horist, you’re knowledge of economics only falls short to your knowledge of business.
You just can’t even fathom a margin-rich, profit-saturated company as perhaps, just perhaps, suck up a little more cost from their egregious profits.
OF COURSE NOT, you’re a Republican and you can’t even count hands before a vote………
I have told you umpteen times —– there is no direct line between costs and price. Look up “price stickiness” to see just one of a million reasons and examples. I also provided you a number of real-life examples from my own experience. HINT: dude, I worked the Fortune 100 ——- do you even think I knew my total cost of goods? I am sorry but the data systems did not support your stupid assumption.
Now these guys may raise prices, especially if your COMMON knowledge that each penny of cost turns into a penny of price, which even if you were stupid enough to use the HORIST COST-PLUS PRICING STRATEGY, would not be a one-to-one relationship since each dollar of cost needs profit margin too. Right, Spanky?
Once I reprices any entire portfolio. Because we must have help, we hired McKinsey for $1M to consult. Gee, why do that if I could just whack each price code at cost, plus a mark-up, ie cost-plus — the Horist method bound to be uncompetitive.
I have managed huge portfolios employing thousands, well maybe 2,000 one time, before the channel even. I have introduced probably more new products than anyone. At least close. I have never used cost-plus pricing OR change my price due to an sudden increased cost. NOT if I could avoid it. At all costs. Price should be outwardly focused on the customer, the competition, and what you have to offer. Only non-professionals would think otherwise.
This is as funny as you saying when the Fed interest rate goes up, that our debt goes up. As if the new rate is applied to old loans. That was another good one, although I admit I just saw a Biden finance guy say the same thing. Fire that bum.
And FYI —– you lose your job to robots based on your job, not some stupid wage increase. Do you think they will focus on the 11% (first hit) or the 89% that was already there? Do you magically deduce that if they lowered wages, they would hire instantly? It’s just not that simple, as any professional would already know, it’s common knowledge amongst actual business people.