Bernie’s Q&A: Biden, Carlson, Giuliani, and much more! (9/24) — Premium Interactive ($4 members)
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Now, let’s get to your questions (and my answers):
From last week’s Q&A: “I honestly can’t think of any place I’d like to live besides right here. Scandanavian countries sound good … but way too cold for me.” Way too cold?????? Is that the worst you can say about Scandanavian countries???? You do realize that Scandanavian countries are what conservative call dens of socialism???? What exactly do you find attractive about Scandanavian countries???? Watch out! Your comrades in-arms might call you a closet socialist. — Bob H.
What do I find attractive about Sweden? Denmark? Norway? Finland? The people are nice. Friendly. The standard of living is high. With exceptions, crime doesn’t seem to be a problem. Pollution doesn’t seem to be a problem, either. No, I’m not a big fan of socialism, but I’d hire a bunch of smart people who would try to help me keep as much of my money as I can. But money isn’t everything, right? Let’s take a trip together, Bob, and if you like it there you can stay and let me know how it’s working out. Yes?
Regarding ScottyG’s question [in last week’s Q&A] about President Biden choosing not to speak at the 9-11 Remembrance Service. Why, in your answer, did you feel that you needed to make it clear that you would expect similar behavior of President Trump? The question did not ask about Trump..why not also include any other ex-Presidents? My point is that President Biden needs to be addressed, commented based on his actions/words alone, not always in reference to President Trump. It’s kind of like saying…”Yeah, that was cowardly (fill in the adjective) but so was Donald Trump” or “Yeah, but Trump was worse.” This is a common Biden apologetic…”yeah, but Trump!” blah, blah, blah. I’m tired of hearing it and it lets Biden off the hook.” — John F.
First of all, here was ScottyG’s question from last week: “Could you ever have imagined 20 years ago or even up to very recently that we would have a President of The United States who has been advised NOT to speak live to the American people during a 9-11 Remembrance Service? Isn’t this man a true bully, that talks tough, talks and whispers down to Americans, brags about s*#! he never did; but when it comes to facing a challenge like possibly being booed or heckled, just like a true bully is nothing but a mere coward? Were you blown away that he chose not to speak on Saturday?”
Scotty’s question was about whether I could “have ever imagined” a president doing something like this, which amounts to the breaking of a presidential norm, and displaying poor character and leadership. Here was my answer: “Nothing [Biden] does surprises me, Scotty. Same as with his predecessor. Nothing he did surprised me either.”
My answer would have been incomplete without that context. Whether you love or hate Trump, he broke all kinds of presidential norms and frequently displayed poor character and leadership. That’s why it is not hard for me to imagine “a president” doing it. That’s not an “apology” for Biden (no one reading my columns could mistake me for a Biden apologist). It’s a criticism of both men (as well as today’s political environment). Biden could have been different from Trump in this regard, but he has proven over and over again not to be. So, as was the case with Trump, this latest example from Biden didn’t surprise me.
No doubt about the left wing slant of the mainstream media and kid gloves for Biden, but iron fists for Trump. It’s also true that Presidential approval poll numbers rise and fall with the economy and those lower poll numbers could reflect a weakening economy. More significant to me is how a medicine has been “partisan-ized” by the media. I keep hearing of Ivermectin as a “horse dewormer” and also elsewhere as a possible Covid treatment. I’m thoroughly confused on whether it has real application for humans or not. How did we get to this point on something that should be irrefutable? — John R.
I hear all sorts of stuff on cable TV mostly from supposed “experts.” They often disagree on treatment, masks, booster shots and a whole bunch of other things involving the virus. I’m also confused — and not only about the drug you mention, John. I’m confused because I don’t trust news organizations anymore to play it straight. Too often the “experts” they put on their shows are there simply because they reflect the station’s values and biases.
Bernie, I don’t know but I think that Joe Biden is actually worse at telling the truth than Donald Trump. Donald Trump only looked worse because the media kept calling him a liar no matter what he said. Also, can you provide some specific lies that Donald Trump, not including the lie about the number of people at his inauguration? I’ve heard the comments about all Donald Trump’s lies but never specifics. — Jerry G.
If I have to provide lies that Donald Trump has told to convince you he’s chronically dishonest, then I’d be wasting your time and mine. Google Trump’s lies. Then discount half of them. You still have thousands of statements that are false, misleading or outright fabrications.
Bernie, as far as I can tell, Joe Biden hasn’t done one true press conference since he was elected, where reporters were called on randomly and without prior knowledge of what would they ask. Am I correct in this, and if I am can you think of any previous President that went eight months into their term without a true press conference? To me, this more than anything shows that not only is Biden not equal to the position he holds but that everyone around him recognizes that he’s not equal to the position. — Bob K.
I think you’re right on all counts, Bob. The reason he doesn’t hold more news conferences and take more questions from more journalists is because his handlers don’t trust him not to screw things up.
On his show Monday, Tucker Carlson said: “The point of mandatory vaccinations [in the military] is to identify the sincere Christians in the ranks, the freethinkers, the men with high testosterone levels, and anybody else who doesn’t love Joe Biden and make them leave immediately. It’s a takeover of the U.S. military!”
In the world of reality (a world that doesn’t have much representation on cable news these days), U.S. military members are required to get several different vaccinations before they can serve (for health and readiness purposes), and receiving those vaccinations (including the Covid vaccine now) obviously doesn’t make those soldiers any less Christian, less independent minded, or have low testosterone. It’s clear that Tucker doesn’t believe a lot of what he says on television these days, but because he knows that millions of Americans really do take him seriously, would it be unfair of me to recognize him as a sadist who gets some kind of special thrill out of sending his viewers into hysterics? — Ben G.
Whether he’s a sadist or not, Ben, he is one crummy human being. Is he perceptive at times? Yes. Does he say things at times that need to be said? Yes. But he has a bad habit of attributing the worst motives to people — and I suspect he does it because he knows that’s what the hard core part of his audience wants to hear. As for the quote you reference: Assuming that’s what he actually said, it’s just one more example of how he crosses the line to make points with a segment of his audience.
Sir Bernie, your prediction came true! Apparently three black women from Texas attempted to enter Carmine’s Steakhouse in New York City, but they were asked to leave because of the vaccine mandates in place (you know, those mandates that President Biden and the liberal Democrats support so much). Apparently the three women could not or would not show proof of being vaccinated against Covid. So what did these classy women do? Well the three black women assaulted the young Asian hostess (golly gee whiz—so much for stopping Asian hate, but I digress). Then the three hooligans allied themselves with BLM to harass Carmine’s staff and customers with the same old hackneyed accusations of racism that’s been a part of the liberal playbook for decades. I’m sure you’ve known many liberal Democrats—What do the liberal Democrats say when they witness such incidents?—-How do you think those diversity loving left wing Democrats in New York City feel when they see incidents Like this that destroy several of their narratives all at once? I’m really curious. — “New York Strip with a side of Assault & Battery” Regards from The Emperor
I don’t know what actually happened. But there are reports that paint a different picture than the one you’ve outlines, Your Holiness. Here’s a report from something called “Eater, New York” …
“Vaccination requirement controversy at Carmine’s takes another turn
Late last week, various media outlets reported that a trio of customers allegedly assaulted a hostess at Carmine’s on the Upper West Side after she requested to verify their vaccination status. The incident sparked a flurry of news coverage and outrage over social media over the weekend; however, the conflict took another turn on Saturday: The New York Times reports that the customers, three Black women visiting from Texas, did in fact show documentation of their vaccination status, according to their lawyers as well as Carmine’s.
Video footage from a security camera appears to show that three men tried to join the women in the restaurant but two weren’t able to prove their vaccination status, according to reports. At that point, the women exited the restaurant and the Carmine’s hostess allegedly used a racial slur and assaulted the customers first, one of the lawyers representing the women told the Times. The restaurant has denied the women’s account of the altercation through its legal team. The women now have a court date for October 5.”
I’ll wait to see if truth emerges, Sir Emperor. Yes, I’m going to touch the third rail of political speech – abortion. To me this issue is one where we need strong voices on both sides (all sides?) and a constantly evolving argument. I’m uncomfortable with the government interfering in the most intimate of medical decisions. I’m also put off by this “celebrate your abortion” mentality of the left, which I think is an unconscionable departure from “safe, legal and rare”. Likewise, I am in favor of the death penalty, but this is also a moral issue that needs to be constantly debated by intelligent people. Aren’t these difficult issues the reason we have free speech? Instead we want to declare “settled law” so our side can win and move on. Medical ethics, discoveries, taboos and social mores are necessarily shifting and evolving. Shouldn’t our public discourse be thoughtful and unsettled as well? — Steve R.
You make a lot of sense, Steve. But as you know, both sides are locked in. Some, but very few people are moved or influenced by arguments put forward by the other side. If there were more like you out there, we’d be less polarized — and more open-minded.
Hey Bernie, where can I find the resource for those who is paying the taxes percentages you mentioned [in this week’s “Off the Cuff”? It’s not that I don’t believe you, I just want to be able to back it up when I share it. — Titaniumman11
Here’s the link.
Bernie, as public figures who insisted the 2020 election was “rigged” continue to face costly defamation lawsuits from the voting-system companies they falsely implicated, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell appear to have joined forces to generate extra revenue for their legal defenses: Three questions:
1. Isn’t this the greatest collaboration of two individuals since Simon & Garfunkel, or at least since Hulk Hogan and Randy “Macho Man” Savage formed the “Mega Powers” tag-team in the WWF in the late 1980s? 2. Do you agree that “Towels that Work!” is an absolutely genius product tag-line, being that so many of us are sick and tired of falling victim to regular towels that refuse to absorb moisture? 3. Is there a “Bernie” promo code that I can use on my next My Pillow online order?
Thanks. — John D.
All interesting questions, John D. And by interesting I mean you’re clearly off your meds — again. But I’ll take a whack at it anyway.
1. It is a great collaboration … the guy who makes pillows and the guy who made things up. I agree with you that Simon & Garfunkel might be a tad higher on the “Great Collaboration” List … but only a tad higher. As for Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage: I’ll bet you didn’t know that they recorded “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” BEFORE Simon & Garfunkel did. But Jesse Waters threatened a lawsuit claiming the song was about him and he wanted a piece of the action. 2. Towels that work are much better than towels that don’t work. I stand by that. They’re especially useful if you fall into troubled waters. 3. Yes there is. It’s “BernieSaysGFYS”. YS stands for your self.
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Message: * Submit Regional Political Anecdotes, Part 1
First, an apology to my readers for not putting out a column last week. I had a very busy seven days that began in Las Vegas with my brother (where we celebrated his turning of a half-century old), and ended in southeastern New Jersey for a Daly family reunion with over 20 relatives (many of whom I hadn’t seen since childhood, if ever). So, I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention to the national news cycle.
That was fine with me. It’s good to take a break from time to time, and as I’ve written in the past, I honestly don’t even like discussing politics outside of my writing.
Still, with America as divided as it is, everything seemingly politicized, and people perhaps more willing than ever to make their voices heard on such topics, politics managed to find their way to me anyway.
Today, I’ll be describing a couple of those instances. And in my next column (which I hope to get out later this week), I’ll be discussing another.
We’ll start with Vegas.
Again, politics was the last thing on my mind at the start of the birthday weekend. I just wanted to get to our hotel, get ready for dinner at Battista’s Hole in the Wall, and then head over to the Foundation Room at the top of Mandalay Bay for some VIP treatment (courtesy of the hilarious and very generous John Di Domenico). But just minutes after my brother and I left McCarran International, our cab driver started right in.
“Dammit!” he abruptly shouted, his head flipping back and forth between the road and his side window. I figured the 50- something fellow had simply missed a turn, but then he pointed out his window and added, “Those clouds are fake!”
At first, I thought I had heard him wrong, perhaps because of his European accent. There were some clouds still hovering above from a rain storm that had recently passed through (the storm had actually delayed my plane’s landing), and this guy was clearly worked up about them. He soon explained why, and shortly afterwards, I tweeted about what he told me. To my surprise, the tweet went kind of viral:
Cab driver just told me all about how Bill Gates and Dr. Fauci are producing fake clouds to block out the sun.
— John A. Daly (@JohnDalyBooks) September 11, 2021
I wish I was joking, but I’m not. The driver was genuinely convinced that Bill Gates and Dr. Anthony Fauci of all people (he later added George Soros to the mix) were masterminding an operation that was creating “fake clouds” in the sky (including those above us at that very moment), and he wasn’t going to sit quietly by as it happened. He angrily called the men (all considered villains by much of the political right) “bastards” and “human cockroaches,” and he responded to the Daly brothers’ glazed-over silence by repeatedly (and aggressively) asking, “Do you not believe me?”
Being that my brother and I are both fairly sane, we of course didn’t believe him. They were just — you know — clouds. And honestly, I don’t even know how Dr. Fauci could find the time for meteorological side-projects with all of those pandemic- related television appearances he does. But while I’m generally more than happy to shoot down zany conspiracy theories, it’s a bit of a unique situation when the guy spewing them is driving you around in a car (with your life in his hands and your luggage in his trunk). We were almost to the hotel anyway, so I just shook my head and bit my tongue.
My brother, on the other hand, felt inclined to try and smooth things out. “Damn one-percenters,” he said, nodding his head in faux populist solidarity.
“Exactly!” the cab driver shouted back. “Exactly!” The guy believed he had found an ally. Mission accomplished, I suppose.
Well, we soon made it to the hotel, and after the cabbie took off, I snapped a picture of the Gates/Fauci/Soros clouds. They were actually quite pretty, so nice work guys! But seriously, while this was just one anecdote and one person, I do think it’s indicative of the cultural and political landscape we’ve found ourselves in as a country. While some would dismiss this fellow as a crackpot, what he said wasn’t as outlandish or exceptionally hostile as it should be, being that we live in an era when political-based conspiracy theories run rampant and find large audiences — not just through dark corners of the web, but also through major media organizations and mainstream political constituencies. Unfortunately, all that’s required for a large number of people to buy into them (entirely) is a preconceived notion or the tiniest grain of truth.
For example, earlier this week, Tucker Carlson told his millions of viewers that President Biden’s mandate of the COVID-19 vaccine for U.S. Military personnel was not employed for the purpose of troop health and readiness (the reason that our soldiers have long been required to get vaccinated against serious diseases).
No, according to Carlson, “The point of mandatory vaccinations is to identify the sincere Christians in the ranks, the freethinkers, the men with high testosterone levels, and anybody else who doesn’t love Joe Biden and make them leave immediately. It’s a takeover of the U.S. military!”
This should strike any reasonable person as patently absurd (as should other vaccine conspiracies that Carlson has shamelessly peddled), especially in the context of a global pandemic that has killed close to 700,000 Americans, hospitalized many more, and caused an extraordinary amount of societal, cultural, and economic strain. And of course, what he said doesn’t even make rhetorical sense. How does getting vaccinated against a deadly virus make someone less of a Christian or less of a free thinker? How does it amount to low testosterone, or having a crush on Joe Biden? The obvious answer is that it doesn’t.
But because the type of people who watch Carlson’s show tend to view Democrats in the same light that Carlson described (godless, bubble-dwelling weaklings), nothing else is necessary to bolster the narrative, get people to defend it, and keep them tuning back in for more. The same has been true of Donald Trump’s continued insistence that he won the 2020 election. Despite overwhelming factual evidence thoroughly debunking his claim, many on the right will forever believe him. Why? Part of it is because they adore Trump, but it’s also because they view Democrats as morally and institutionally corrupt enough to pull off such a sham.
Heck, even the “fake cloud” theory didn’t formulate completely out of thin air (no pun intended). As a surprising number of people who responded to my tweet pointed out, Bill Gates has granted money to a geoengineering study at Harvard having to do with reducing climate change. Part of that study proposes launching a high-altitude balloon 12 miles into the air to release a limited amount of non-toxic dust into the atmosphere, in order to measure its sun-reflecting effectiveness. I’m not sure exactly how Dr. Fauci and George Soros are supposed to play into this, or how a proposal to release dust 12 miles up equates to an active and flourishing “fake cloud” program above Sin City, but a number of Twitter folks believed that the mere existence of the study, and Gates’ partial funding of it, conclusively vindicated the cab driver. Some even decided that I owed the cabbie an apology (for what, I’m not really sure).
But sadly, that’s where we’re at right now. Virtually anything can be presented, justified, and absorbed as fact… as long as it’s rooted in a desired political narrative or preconception. And because of our societal willingness (and even eagerness) to politicize each and every thing, fewer and fewer people have reservations about injecting such themes into our public discourse. It’s no longer taboo.
The very next night, after my brother and I enjoyed the lights on Fremont Street, another cab driver also engaged us in politics. He too was an immigrant in his 50s, but New Zealand was his home country. He was much more pleasant than the first guy — jolly, in fact. But when he asked what we did, and learned that I’m a writer and my brother is a news producer, he jokingly called us “the enemy,” and then got down to business.
“Is your news company right or left?” he bluntly asked my brother.
“Well, we like to think we’re right down the center,” my brother answered.
It wasn’t just a diplomatic response but likely an accurate one. My brother works for a local-news network, producing the local nightly news in a red-leaning region of a blue-leaning state. He’s one of the least ideological people I know, and the stories covered often have little or nothing to do with politics. But the cab driver wasn’t buying it. “Yeah, right,” he said. “Do you work for Fox or CNN or what?”
My brother briefly explained his job, and the scope of the reporting he does. I’m not sure if any of it sunk in, but the moment he mentioned that his station is a Fox affiliate (it’s also a CBS affiliate, but he wasn’t given a chance to spit that part out), the cab driver said, “So ‘right’ then! You guys are on the right!”
It was pretty amusing. The guy certainly meant no ill-will, and he kept things light and comical, but it was interesting that he wouldn’t leave even a little room for the premise of an unbiased news source in this country. I suppose, based on the direction of journalism over the last few decades, I can’t blame him. In fact, one could argue that he has a clearer picture of the modern news landscape in this country than a lot of journalists.
I think his perspective also says something about tribalism, in how the great divide in this country, along with how people choose to identify themselves and others, really does fall along political lines.
The guy had some other interesting insights as well, including how he viewed the United States as 50 separate countries rather than one. The concept of state governments fascinated him, which makes sense being that there isn’t anything comparable in his home country.
All in all, it was a fun ride. But again, it was further proof that politics have become a default topic of impromptu conversation in this country, perhaps even to the same extent as the weather (though the first cabbie managed to combine both).
In my next column, I’ll be looking at my east coast experience and how it too brought with it a political dynamic. Stay tuned.
Sean Coleman is back in John A. Daly’s upcoming thriller novel, “Restitution.” Click here to pre-order.
Bernie’s Q&A: Joe Biden, Larry Elder, Norm Macdonald, and more! (9/17) — Premium Interactive ($4 members)
Welcome to this week’s Premium Q&A session for Premium Interactive members. I appreciate you all signing up and joining me. Thank you. Editor’s note: If you enjoy these sessions (along with the weekly columns and audio commentaries), please use the Facebook and Twitter buttons to share this page with your friends and family. Thank you!
Now, let’s get to your questions (and my answers):
Could you ever have imagined 20 years ago or even up to very recently that we would have a President of The United States who has been advised NOT to speak live to the American people during a 9-11 Remembrance Service? Isn’t this man a true bully, that talks tough, talks and whispers down to Americans, brags about s*#! he never did; but when it comes to facing a challenge like possibly being booed or heckled, just like a true bully is nothing but a mere coward? Were you blown away that he chose not to speak on Saturday? I certainly was, or then again maybe I wasn’t. –ScottyG
Nothing he does surprises me, Scotty. Same as with his predecessor. Nothing he did surprised me either.
Bernie: I think a lot of Americans are wondering who this guy is we thought we elected President. Biden sold himself as “ol’ Joe”, “Joe from Scranton” and “a return to normalcy”. Do they wildly spend $3.5 trillion in Scranton? Does ol’ Joe the empathetic leader perform the most inept and deadly troop withdrawal in U.S. military history? And is it a return to normalcy to threaten state elected officials with cancellation if they don’t line up and do what he says in his dictatorial edicts? His governance is nowhere near normal, competent or empathetic. I’m starting to put ol’ Joe in the category of a fraud. He isn’t at all who he says he is. Too harsh? — Steve R.
I recently wrote, Steve, that a majority of voters rejected Donald Trump last time around because he was chaotic and dishonest. And then elected Joe Biden whose presidency is chaotic and dishonest. So I’m with you in your analysis. Check out my column that will go up on Monday for more on this.
Apparently a “racism task force” has been appointed by the National Archives to clean up the offensive parts of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The task force suggested that the National Archives should post trigger warnings for people who may suffer psychological damage from reading these offensive documents that did not originally guarantee freedom for everyone, thus promoting racism and white supremacy. In fact, this task force even found the rotunda offensive because of some of the illustrations on it (Honest to God, I wish this were a piece of satire from “The Onion” or “MAD Magazine” but it’s not). Funny, but I seem to recall how the liberal left wingers absolutely HATED a similarly named organization from decades ago called “The House Un-American Activities Committee” that Hollywood still demonizes and makes movies about. Golly, I wonder why the liberal left wingers suddenly like such organizations —-what changed, I wonder. But I digress.
Here’s what I want to know your thoughts on: how does somebody become a part of this “racism task force” and what must their qualifications be? Seriously. Also, what government office has the authority to appoint such a waste of time and money?
“Woke Dunderheads Committee” Regards from The Emperor
I got a call from Joe Biden today asking for a name or two that I would recommend for the racism task force. I gave him your name. Hope you don’t mind. Regarding your observations: I’m with you, Your Worship: This looks like it’s the work of Mad Magazine or the Onion. I’m guessing National Archives has the authority to appoint a panel without a vote of Congress. But let’s be fair: The Constitution of the United States of America is a pretty scary document — what with that First and Second Amendment stuff. I mean, freedom of speech? Doesn’t that deserve a trigger warning? Freedom of assembly? Come on, man! As for the Second Amendment: I will make no jokes about “trigger” warnings. I could get cancelled for saying stuff like that.
Going into the California recall election night, Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder was suggesting that the election might be rigged. He was getting Trumpy in other ways at times on the campaign trail. But when he lost Tuesday night, he publicly conceded that he lost fair and square, and called on his supporters to be “gracious in defeat.” A breath of fresh air, though in the past a candidate conceding defeat was totally normal. What are your thoughts on Elder, and do you think ANY Republican recall candidate would have had a prayer in California? Schwarzenegger pulled it off years ago (because he was Arnold), but do you think anyone else could have? — Ben G.
It was a very long shot for Larry Elder given that there are twice as many Democrats registered to vote in California as Republicans. So, I don’t think — absent a scandal of major proportions — a Republican would succeed in ousting a sitting Democrat in a recall election. I’m glad Larry was gracious. That was a good way to go out.
Simple question, Do you think Trump cared about the Afghan’s that helped us. And do you think he would have done a better job of getting them all out? — Douglas S.
I don’t really think Donald Trump cares about anybody but himself (and maybe his immediate family). We can’t say if he would have done a better job … but I’m pretty sure of this: If it had gone as badly as it did with President Biden, Fox conservatives would have made a million excuses for him. Maybe 2 million. They had every right to bash Biden but they would not have bashed their guy Donald Trump if it had turned out the same way.
Comedian Norm Macdonald just passed away, and I’ve been surprised to hear about the many friendships he had with well known Republicans and conservative/rightwing media people. I’m guessing he leaned right, and discreetly hung out with a bunch of this crowd. I was wondering if you had a relationship with Norm, and either way, what you did you think about his comedy? — Jen R.
I only knew him from TV. He had a strange sense of humor but at times he did make me laugh. I just read an interview he gave where he came out against the cancel culture and other excesses of the left. I don’t know his politics, but if he was a liberal, he was of the old-fashioned variety. If he played right field, it was smart not to be too political. He lived in LA after all.
This is from an interview he did in 2018 with the Hollywood Reporter:
Q: What about when someone admits to wrongdoing?
A: The model used to be: admit wrongdoing, show complete contrition and then we give you a second chance. Now it’s admit wrongdoing and you’re finished. And so the only way to survive is to deny, deny, deny. That’s not healthy—that there is no forgiveness. I do think that at some point it will end with a completely innocent person of prominence sticking a gun in his head and ending it. That’s my guess.
Goofy question probably, but other than the U.S.A., which country would you most like to live in? — Oliver T.
I honestly can’t think of any place I’d like to live besides right here. Scandanavian countries sound good … but way too cold for me.
Bernie, I have an idea on how to get more Americans vaccinated, and I wanted to workshop it with you a little:
Rather than presenting the vaccines as a choice between Pfizer and Moderna, we start presenting them as a choice between the “Trump Vaccine” and the “Go-Away-Trump Vaccine.” (In reality, the vaccines will be exactly the same, but people won’t be told that). This way, the Trumpers will get on board in larger numbers, as will those among the unvaccinated who wish Trump would just go away. I figure that these two groups pretty much make up the entire U.S. population.
Problem solved, right? Oh, and just for fun, once each of these people gets their second shot, the person administering the shot should say something like, “Oh sh*t! I think I gave you the
Your thoughts are appreciated, sir. — John D.
First let me say that I have long believed that you escaped from a mental institution some time ago and that explains the strange nature of your questions. In other words, I have long thought they were crazy — just like you. No offense intended.
But I think this idea is really quite good. Brilliant actually. If they let you out for play time let me suggest you call Dr. Fauci and see what he thinks. Let us know how it goes.
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Counting on the Goodwill of the Taliban
If we needed any proof that politics really does make strange bedfellows simply take note of the fact that a democratic republic like the United States of America is dealing with the Taliban, a medieval band of terrorists.
What choice do we have? Leaving Afghanistan and ending “America’s longest war” is one thing. Reasonable people may differ on whether it was the right thing to do. But Joe Biden’s chaotic departure makes us look weak around the world. Leaving Americans and our Afghan allies behind makes us look unreliable. No matter how many times Mr. Biden tries to paint the withdrawal as a well-planned success, everybody knows what it was – a humiliating fiasco.
We went to war 20 years ago in Afghanistan to rid the country of the Taliban and now, 20 years later, we’re counting on them to not only let our people out – which they’ve already begun doing, a tentative but welcome sign – but also to make sure that the future in Afghanistan doesn’t resemble the past.
Maybe there’s a new Taliban out there, a Taliban 2.0, one that doesn’t long for the good old days of the seventh century. We’ll know in time. But let’s not be too optimistic. This, after all, is the same mob that enabled al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden 20 years ago; that let them train and plan their attack on the United States. So we don’t really know – not right now, anyway – what Taliban we’re partnering with. The Biden administration has been trying to persuade the Taliban to clean up its act, but old dogs don’t readily adapt to new tricks. A few days ago, they named a new government that makes you wonder if the new Taliban is the same as the old Taliban.
Let’s start with the man they picked as interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani. “This is, literally, putting a jihadist terrorist in charge of internal security. Mr. Haqqani is on the FBI’s most wanted list, and the U.S. is offering up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest,” as an editorial in the Wall Street Journal explains it.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the Haqqani Network, which his father who was pals with bin Laden founded and that his son now runs. According to the U.S. counterterrorism center, “The Haqqanis are considered the most lethal and sophisticated insurgent group targeting US, Coalition, and Afghan forces in Afghanistan. They typically conduct coordinated small-arms assaults coupled with rocket attacks, IEDs, suicide attacks, and attacks using bomb-laden vehicles.”
Haqqani will have like-minded allies in the new Afghan government. The Taliban supreme leader in Kabul will be Haibatullah Akhundzada, an Islamic fundamentalist who wants to govern the country under strict Shariah law. The new prime minister is someone named Mullah Hassan Akhund, who was foreign minister in the pre-9/11 Islamic Emirate in Kabul.
These are the men who are supposed to prevent jihadists from once again using Afghanistan as a sanctuary for another terrorist attack on the United States. Do you feel comfortable with that? I don’t.
As the Journal editorial puts it: “In the aftermath of 9/11, George W. Bush declared that the U.S. would no longer distinguish between terrorists and the governments that harbor them. Now, after Mr. Biden’s calamitous withdrawal, the U.S. is in the incredible position of hoping to make a government run by terrorists our partners.”
Like all of you, I watched in real time the horrors of September 11, 2001. But I have never watched a memorial service in the 20 years since. That day 20 years ago is etched in our memories. I don’t need a return to hell every year on the anniversary of the attack to insure that I won’t forget what happened. I won’t forget. None of us will.
President Biden is hoping things will turn out well. That we get all Americans and our Afghan friends out, that there will be no hunting down of those who helped us, no revenge killings, that women and girls will be treated with respect … and that by the midterm elections next year the American people will forget all about the way we left.
That’s a lot to hope for.
Bernie’s Q&A: Joe Biden, 9/11, Robert E. Lee, and more! (9/10) — Premium Interactive ($4 members) Welcome to this week’s Premium Q&A session for Premium Interactive members. I appreciate you all signing up and joining me. Thank you.
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Now, let’s get to your questions (and my answers):
Is there any chance of launching a nightly newscast similar to Bill O’Reilly? Your voice surely needs to be heard, the country would benefit greatly. — Joseph B.
I appreciate the vote of confidence, Joseph, and the very kind words. They mean a lot to me. But as a practical matter, it’s not likely to happen.
So, if you know what you know now, who would you have voted for in the 2020 elections… Biden, Trump, or O’Reilly? — Tony P. If you’re wondering if I would — with hindsight — have voted for Donald Trump the answer is no. I did not vote for Joe Biden. At the time I said, I think Donald Trump is a detestable human being … and I hope he wins in a landslide. That’s not as goofy as it may sound. I’m not looking for the perfect candidate but I could not cross that line and vote for Donald. His personality is toxic. As for O’Reilly: Maybe!
I remember a chemistry teacher from high school who explained to us that science is the quest for knowledge. He followed with a session on ethics which quite honestly, I slept through. But I do recall one point he made is that the quest is not always for good, and history has proven that point well. We have a virus that in most likelihood originated from a Chinese lab. Perhaps it was not financed to be a biological weapon but who knows. If it was an innocent research project to investigate a Corona Virus in Bats; my question is Why? A question I believe that world leaders should be asking. We have agencies looking for intelligent alien life and tracking asteroids. We have a world organization addressing climate change that won’t impact us for one hundred years. And today, we have nearly five million dead worldwide from COVID-19. The CDC, WHO, the United Nations, and our own country have treated scientific research as an art to pursue as needed in pursuit of knowledge. As an investigative reporter, do you accept the lame investigations by these agencies into this Virus? I have a different view of these agencies today. I don’t believe they are serving us in our best interest. Just want to hear your views on that. — Tim H.
The Chinese Communist Party, being what it is, will never cooperate in any investigation. You raise legitimate questions, Tim … and somebody needs to ASK and eventually answer them. Maybe we’ll get to the bottom of this without the Chinese, but I think the mystery will simply drag on until everyone is bored by the subject. Millions will have died; we won’t know what started the whole thing; and I fear, that will be the end of it. I wish I could be more optimistic.
I disagree with the thrust of [Monday’s] article. Saying Joe Biden won because of who he wasn’t seems true to me and framed quite nicely. The right wing gloating over the problems associated with pulling out of Afghanistan strike me as shallow. This is a defeat for America. As for politics, Ann Coulter tweeted, albeit in much saltier language, that Biden showed he had guts by pulling out and that Trump showed by promising it and never delivering, that he had none. I think this dynamic is what will affect the persuadable few in our country. — John R.
Not sure what you disagree with on my Monday column. But no matter. Let’s move on. The left isn’t persuadable. The right isn’t persuadable. And those who are, I think, will make political decisions based on what they saw on TV — and the fact that as of this moment, we still have Americans in Afghanistan who we left behind. Not sure this is what you were looking for but since you didn’t have a question, this is the best I’ve got. Thanks.
Bernie, I agree with your analysis of Joe Biden’s totally inept handling of the Afghanistan mess, however, I take exception to your statement that they (the people) voted for Biden because they were “tired of the chaos and deception they got from his predecessor, Donald Trump”. That is simply an unfair state and it mars an otherwise excellent article. The chaos and deception under Donald Trump was generated by a corrupt and bias media along with an unhinged Democratic party. If you remember there was the two and a half year Russian probe, two bogus impeachments, the corrupt use of the FBI as a partisan political weapon, all done with the purpose of taking down a duly elected president. — Frederic N.
Was the media biased against Mr. Trump? Absolutely! Was the Democratic Party unhinged and suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome? Yes again. But that doesn’t mean Donald Trump was just minding his own business and all this bad stuff happened to a nice guy. He was vengeful, dishonest, petty, and disloyal to people who had been loyal to him. Please don’t make him out to be a victim.
Bernie, if this nation had a crisis of confidence in the late 1970s, then it has a crisis of credibility in the early 2020s. Americans do not know who to trust on foreign policy, the economy, Covid, or a host of other issues that are plaguing the nation. Today, it seems like Americans are more than willing to trust a random stranger on Tik Tok or Twitter over elected leaders, the mainstream media, and in some cases, their own doctors. Much of this is due to self inflicted wounds by all of the aforementioned groups. If this crisis continues then this nation may face unprecedented issues than do not have a quick fix. Is there anything that can be done to end this crisis of credibility? — Joe M.
I agree with your analysis, Joe. And you’re right, there is no quick fix. We’ve got too many people and institutions who have not been worthy of our trust. So, obviously, we don’t trust them. Unless they change, we won’t. We’ll continue to have, as you say, a crisis of credibility. Maybe we’ll reach a tipping point and things will turn around. But I don’t see it happening anytime soon.
Perhaps it is because I am so melancholy considering the post 9-11 world but it seems to me that we are locked into a great irony with no real way out. As our nation has politically devolved into something resembling a cross between armed camps and competing high school pep rallies the quality of our leadership choices has devolved concurrently. Like calls to like. My point reflects my deep sense of gloom (I once was an optimist believe it or not) in that hyper partisanship guarantees the destructions brought by populist candidate after populist candidate with each political side armed to the teeth, so to speak. So Bernie, since in your position you have significant access to a likely broader paradigm , are you seeing any constructive alternatives out there as we gather speed through this seemingly never ending tunnel? Or is this a time for an indefinite British style stiff upper lip? — Jesse B.
The best I can offer, Jesse, is that things could be worse. Let me know when you stop rolling your eyes and saying, “Bernie, thanks for NOTHING.” All I can say is let’s not be too pessimistic; we’ve gotten through a lot. But a stiff upper lip, like chicken soup, couldn’t hurt.
Bernie – perhaps the approved and pending Minneapolis ballot question for the upcoming election cycle may change your mind to come visit us sooner vs later???
“Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to remove the Police Department and replace it with a Department of Public Safety that employs a comprehensive public health approach to the delivery of functions by the Department of Public Safety, with those specific functions to be determined by the Mayor and City Council by ordinance; which will not be subject to exclusive mayoral power over its establishment, maintenance, and command; and which could include licensed peace officers (police officers), if necessary, to fulfill its responsibilities for public safety, with the general nature of the amendments being briefly indicated in the explanatory note below, which is made a part of this ballot? _ Yes _ No”
— TheBulldog
Sorry Bulldog. I lapsed into a coma while reading the ballot question.
Why do Liberals want to live in and perpetuate decaying cities where as you’ve noted education is failing, crime is acceptable, small business is handcuffed, and quality of life is deteriorating for the tax payer? This is how they get votes? I don’t get it. –ScottyG First of all, liberals don’t send their kids to failing schools. They talk a good game but send their darlings to private schools. As for the rest, they would rather put up with all the crap that you’re talking about, Scotty, than live in flyover country. That’s who they are.
Sir Bernie, this week’s Off The Cuff you published is spot on , but let’s face it, this is nothing new. Liberals have been blaming (white) conservatives and that old Boogie Man of white supremacy/ white racism for the failures of black people for Decades. For some odd reason, liberals seem to think that any persons belonging to a minority group are completely incapable of accepting personal responsibility for themselves, nor are they capable of succeeding in life without left wing policies and programs to do it for them, DESPITE all evidence to the contrary. Okay so I get why liberals would often be in denial of these facts, because they disprove the liberal narrative they want to promote, but I must ask——WHY do you think so many black families have bought into this nonsense? Recently I’m seeing more black people speaking out against the terrible liberal policies and denial, but this seems to be a relatively recent phenomenon. And why is achieving success “trying to be white” when the same complainers gripe about how they never get a fair chance in life because of white supremacy? I’m sure you can the paradox here. Your thoughts? –“Soft Bigotry AND Low Expectations” Regards from The Emperor
Someplace along the way — maybe with Nixon and his Southern Strategy — black voters began equating GOP with bigotry. So they vote for Democrats … complain about how bad things are … then vote all over again for Democrats. No one said voters are rational. Maybe if a Republican candidate comes along who can figure out how to connect with black and other minority voters, things will change. If Obama had been a Republican, we wouldn’t be having this conversation … because he was charismatic and, I believe, would have changed the political landscape. So that means the GOP needs a Republican Obama. Know any?
Non-political question this week. Where were you on 9/11/01, and being that you’re from New York, did you know anyone who died that day? — Jen R.
In Miami, watching on TV in real time like the rest of the world. And thankfully, no, I didn’t know anyone who died that day.
What is your opinion of the voting laws passed by legislatures in Georgia, Florida and Texas? It seems both sides of this debate are typically hurt by their hyperbole. These laws aren’t “Jim Crow 2.0”, nor did Joe Biden “steal” the last election. –Steve R.
Bingo! I agree with both statements, Steve. And one of the reasons we don’t know who to trust anymore is because both sides have become addicted to hyperbole. I keep waiting for a ray of sunshine but it’s been a long wait.
This is from a statement Donald Trump released the other day: “If only we had Robert E. Lee to command our troops in Afghanistan, that disaster would have ended in a complete and total victory many years ago. What an embarrassment we are suffering because we don’t have the genius of a Robert E. Lee!”
Bernie, I have a couple questions:
1. Do you think Trump is right in that a defeated 19th- century Confederate general was the missing piece that would have led to a quick, slam-dunk U.S. victory in Afghanistan? 2. Being that Trump gets a lot of historical references wrong, is it possible he was confusing Robert E. Lee for Bruce Lee, and that he believes “total victory” could have been achieved through the use of nunchucks? — John D.
Let me take your last question first. Yes, I think it’s entirely possible that Mr. Trump is confusing Robert E. Lee with Bruce Lee. But can you blame him? There are so many similarities, starting (and ending) with their last name.
As to your first question, whether Robert E. Lee could have won the war in Afghanistan: I’m having lunch with Stonewall Jackson today; I’ll ask him what he thinks and get back to you.
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