Bernie's Q&A: Carlson, Cheney, Hawley, and More! (5/7) — Premium Interactive ($4 Members),Off the Cuff: the Gun Violence

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 Biden’s Many False Statements — Which His Media Allies Play Down

It’s not unusual for acquaintances to ask me if what they just heard on the news or read online is true. Did such-and-such really happen? Did so-and-so really say what they heard attributed to him on the news? These people aren’t paranoid. Unfortunately, they’re asking legitimate questions. Many journalists, for a while now, haven’t been shy about revealing their biases. So who knows if what my friends just heard on TV or read in a news story is really true?

I’ve been a full-time working journalist since the late 1960s — and even I don’t know what to believe anymore.

But journalists aren’t the only ones who make us doubt the information we’re getting from people in important places. Donald Trump didn’t invent “fake news” or fake information, but you could make a case — and his detractors pretty much have — that he made Pinocchio look like Honest Abe by comparison.

In a free country such as ours, dishonesty at the highest levels of government is no small thing. If we can’t trust the president, how do we know what to believe? How do we know what our government is really up to? People in power must be held accountable in a democracy — but that’s not easy when you don’t know what’s true and what isn’t.

And unless you were asleep during the Trump presidency, you surely noticed that there was no hesitation on the part of journalists to call out his misstatements. How many times, when they weren’t describing what he said as an outright “lie,” did they report that he had “no evidence” to back up whatever he had just said? How many times did they say his words were “false or misleading”?

Actually, that’s not a rhetorical question. The Washington Post counted those times and concluded that Trump’s “false or misleading claims total 30,573 over four years.”

One of the reasons Trump lost his re-election bid is that the American people were tired — not only of the daily chaos and his non-stop tweets, but they knew he made up a lot of things and they lost trust in him. They wanted a change.

So, what did we get with Joe Biden? Honesty? Accuracy? The truth? Or just more of the same?

On the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, President Biden assured us that “if there’s American citizens left (on Aug. 31), we’re gonna stay to get them all out.” That wasn’t true.

He told us that he planned for every contingency in the lead- up to our departure. It didn’t look that way in the events that played out on television.

He told us that our allies had no problem with our hasty departure from Afghanistan. That wasn’t true, either.

Before that, Biden told us that the surging number of migrants we were witnessing at our country’s southern border was nothing out of the ordinary. Except, it was way out of the ordinary.

He told us that he “ wouldn’t demand” that [COVID vaccines] be mandatory.” That was before he thought they should be mandatory.

He assured us that if we were vaccinated, the chances were near zero that we would get sick enough to have to be hospitalized. Then he said the unvaccinated are a danger to those of us who have been vaccinated. This raises a question: “Huh?” That’s just a sampling of President Biden’s misinformation. No, he’s no threat to Donald Trump’s record of false and misleading statements. But Biden has been in office less than a year. Give the man time.

And unless you’ve been asleep for the past four years or so, you’ve surely noticed that journalists aren’t calling Biden out the way they called out his predecessor. No major mainstream news organization has said he “lied” when he went on national TV and said that none of America’s allies complained about our chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. I haven’t heard any liberal journalist say that Biden had “no evidence” when he said COVID-19 was on the wane.

When Donald Trump misled the American people, the media somberly told us that he was a “threat to democracy.” When Biden misleads the American people it’s because … well, you know, that’s simply Joe being Joe.

There’s a price to pay for dishonesty and President Biden is paying it. His poll numbers are down. Some leaders around the world surely have lost trust in what he says. His dishonesty threatens to harm America’s credibility around the world.

I was watching CNN the other morning and they aired one story after another bashing their favorite villain, Donald Trump. They can blame Trump for his long-distance relationship with the truth; fair enough. But they can’t blame him for Joe Biden’s lies — which, of course, to many liberal journalists are simply honest mistakes. 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.

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 vaccine!”

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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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.

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.

Thanks, everyone! You can send me questions for next week using the form below! You can also read previous Q&A sessions by clicking here.

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Message: * Submit Bernie’s Q&A: Joe Biden, Afghanistan, Bill Maher, and more! (9/3) — 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.

Now, let’s get to your questions (and my answers):

Sad to say Lunch Bucket Joe is providing you and the rest of us plenty of items to comment on. But with all the clamor about Joe’s decision to pull out of Afghanistan and the ensuing chaos, I’m not so sure he’s actually calling the shots here. I don’t think and truly believe there are figures behind the scenes cuing the President up every time he supposedly makes a move. And it seems the moves he makes are handled so clumsily, why, it’s almost as if Obama never left office. Or Carter for that matter. LBJ is another story. And Clinton, for all his bravado, is responsible for Mogadishu. Are Democrats just lost as far as foreign policy is concerned? Or do they let their egos, (Johnson, Obama) get in the way of listening to their advisers? Or are their advisers just political hacks like Blinken who are truly out of their league? — Rod A.

I’ve written that I believe Joe Biden is sitting in the back seat looking out the side window while somebody else is driving the car. So to that extent, Rod, I’m with you. But in this case, he might actually be the one who called the shots regarding the August 31 firm deadline for leaving. He may also have rejected advice from the military. And yes, Democrats have had their share of foreign policy screwups but they’re not alone. Iraq? That was a Republican president’s screwup. And Trump was going to pull out of Afghanistan too — and we can only guess how that would have gone. Biden’s advisers may be in over their heads but so was George W. Bush’s advisors out of their league. Neither party has a monopoly on bad foreign policy decisions.

Was the suicide bombings in Afghanistan the saddest day you’ve experienced since the 70’s in regards to how our Government’s incompetence has led to such disastrous consequences (that could have been avoided if politics didn’t overrule sound military response & logistical practices)? I’ll never be convinced that the US Military agreed to the logistical order of operations to execute this withdrawal. It makes zero sense to me. Who then will investigate and report on for us the decision making that got us in this specific mess? Who really “instructed” Joe on how to execute this plan? –ScottyG

You ask an important question, Scotty: Who really “instructed” the president on his plan? As I’ve said before, while others are calling a lot of the shots, on Afghanistan,Mr. Biden may have been so determined to leave on a date certain that this is all on him. Even Democrats aren’t happy and they say they plan to hold hearings. Let’s see if they do.

Bernie, in a relatively short period of time Joe Biden has managed to insert himself in the pantheon of worst Presidents this country has ever suffered though. All my liberal friends are eerily quiet of late. They were eerily loud when Trump ran the show in what now must seem to them, an amazingly competent manner. — Thomas C.

You know things are going bad for Biden when his pals in the liberal media are holding him accountable … when Democrats hold hearings on what happened in Afghanistan … and when your liberal friends are eerily quiet of late. No fooling. That’s a real sign that the president is in hot water.

Hi Bernie. It’s been a while for me, but I need to suggest a point to you on your latest about ‘the best and brightest’ in [Monday’s] column. It’s a subtle quibble, I’ll admit, but a crucial one. You wrote this….”They told us there were “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq. There weren’t.”

Now, while this contention –my word, to you, contention– has a great deal of substance supporting it, there’s a crucial facet to the question that needs inclusion/consideration. Simply….the president, as Commander In Chief with the sworn responsibility to ‘protect and defend’, must always have the best information available to manage situations and make life and death decisions that affect the entire nation. And that requirement imposes (often, but not always) tremendous risk on our armed forces to provide that data/information which then leads to dangerous missions.

Recall, Cuba 1962, JFK authorized additional U2 flights over the island to keep him up to date so that he was well informed well after the discovery and documentation of the presence of offensive missiles in Cuba was verified. Why? Remember, it did result in loss of life (pilots) when those planes (thought to be safe beyond the reach of AAA) did come under fire by new Russian anti-aircraft artillery missiles. Wrong? I suggest ‘NO’. Every person in that situation from JFK on down understand what his duty was. Sometimes people die, that’s life.

Now, Iraq 2003. Recall Mr. David Kay who opined publicly that Saddam Hussein ‘did everything to convince us that he had nuclear weapons except actually having them’ ….my paraphrase, I apologize. Well, what was the (then) president (GWB) to do in such a situation? There was no sure way to know OTHER THAN BOOTS ON THE GROUND…..an invasion. Again, every man, and woman, knew the mission and what their duty was. Sometimes people die, that’s life.

Now beyond that the two situations become quite different and we likely agree that Iraq then became a tragedy like Vietnam. But, the decision taken by the Commander in Chief in both those situations AT THAT PRECISE MOMENT was the correct one regardless of the NOW acknowledged stupidity of the ‘best and brightest’

Life…..a ball of excrement hurtling through the void of space with just enough regularity to nurture life so that the great human comedy of it all can continue. Be well, take care, I am a dedicated reader/listener who surfaces occasionally…. — Andrew M.

I’m not saying President Bush acted on his own. I’m 100% certain he acted based on what the intelligence community told him. But what they told him was wrong. There were no weapons of mass destruction. We went to war on bad information. The “best and brightest” — the “smart” crowd at the CIA and other places — screwed up. I have always believed Biden to be a one term president, likely by choice. Could it be that political soul mates in media believe the same thing thereby minimizing risk of occasional criticism? What say you? — Jesse B.

I’m with you, Jesse, on him being a one term president. But I think his allies in the media took him on because … if they didn’t, their credibility, their reputation, would go down the drain. They weren’t concerned about him; they were concerned about themselves.

If you could’ve given advise to any president during the War on Terror, how would you suggest he handle our dealings in Afghanistan, including our withdrawal? — D-Rock

That’s way over my capabilities, D-Rock. But since he knew he wanted to leave Afghanistan even before he was elected, he should have started to implement his evacuation plan on the day he took the oath of office. He waited too long and we got chaos as a result. I also think that humility goes a long way. Instead of steadfastly sticking by his bad decisions, he should have gone on television and admitted his mistakes. But that’s not what politicians do, is it?

President Biden has a tendency to mention Beau Biden, his service, and loss to cancer in his speeches. I believe he did so in each of his televised speeches on Afghanistan. While I have sympathy for Mr. Biden for the tragedies he has endured in his family, and I respect Beau Biden’s legacy of military and public service, I don’t believe that Mr. Biden’s references to his son help. I understand that he is trying to convey empathy to the families of our fallen and his personal commitment to end the war. However, it comes across as Mr. Biden is too consumed with this loss to be able to make the necessary military decisions that might put troops in harm’s way. Or the effective decisions needed that when our troops are in harm’s way, they can adequately defend and protect themselves. It just seems to be the justification of his “Out At Any Cost” policy. And that policy is failing spectacularly. I would be curious to read your thought about this. — Hendrick G.

I too have sympathy for the loss of his son. So, to some extent, I understand why he talks about it as much as he does. But … to talk about his loss to the parents of those servicemen and women who were killed, was a mistake. They were understandably offended.

Recently, 90 retired generals and admirals wrote a letter demanding the resignations of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley. In a nutshell, the letter brings up the disastrous cluster f—k that was the withdrawal from Afghanistan, along with the apparent desires of these men to push woke politics into the military instead of the ability to win wars. My question is this: although I never served in the military, I’ve known many that did. How in the world (do YOU) believe two intelligent military men like Milley and Austin fall for the woke political nonsense? I would think their combined experiences would have taught them that politically correct wokeness has no place in the armed forces and that such crap would actually weaken our military rather than strengthen it. Your thoughts are appreciated. — “Drop & Give Me 50 Lines From Ibrahim X Kendy” Regards from The Emperor

It seems like everything is political these days — even the stuff that comes out of the mouths of “two intelligent military men.” That’s the best I’ve got. Can you imagine Patton spouting woke crapola? I know that’s a tad unfair since “woke” didn’t exist in Patton’s time. But as an Emperor yourself, I’m sure you catch my drift.

I have started watching Bill Maher and CNN again, not because they have come over to the right side (pun very much intended), but because they are willing to be intellectually honest now and call BS on the their fellow libs when it is warranted. Like most of us on the right, I don’t expect them to all of a sudden become conservative, but can’t we all be objective adults when analyzing current events? Do you think this is the coda for Trump Derangement Syndrome? I certainly hope so. I notice on my news feeds that the only mentions of Orange Man are on the leftist web sites. — Steve R.

I think Maher is an old-fashioned lefty — one who really believes in liberal ideas. And so when liberals become illiberal, when they become authoritarian, he calls them out. CNN is a slightly different case, I think. CNN has held Mr. Biden accountable because, as I’ve said earlier, it’s their own credibility and reputation they’re concerned about. If they gave the president a pass, they’d lose what little credibility they still have. So good for them — for now. But it won’t be long, I think, before they and other liberal news outlets revert to form and once again cover for the man they were rooting for in the last election. I could be wrong, of course … so let’s wait and see.

Mr. Goldberg, I subscribe to the position that President Biden is little more than a puppet for the rabid left-wingers he allowed to infest his inner circle. My question is in regard to your opinion about the role of his wife in all this. Normally, one’s spouse is the closest and most trusted advisor and confidant we have, candidly providing counsel for all things and caring for each other “in sickness and in health”. But it seems that (Doctor) Jill Biden has completely acquiesced to having her husband regarded as a buffoon without making any effort to either protect him or help him (and his country) survive his descent into mental oblivion. Do you think she has been ostracized, dissuaded, or otherwise blocked from her duties as a wife by the powers behind the throne, or does she just want the inevitable gravy train available to First Ladies and does not care what her husband’s legacy will be? – Al L.

I’m glad she’s keeping a low profile. Nobody elects the spouses of presidents so the less they say about public policy matters, the better. And I’m sure that she sees the criticism as political and may complain about it in private but it’s a good thing that she’s not defending her husband in public. That’s how I see it anyway.

Yesterday I watched a recap of the President’s comments as I can only take good ole Joe in small doses. I found it incredulous that Mr. Biden claimed that all his national security team endorsed the closure of the Bagram airbase and the firm exit date of August 31st. If I was in the position of advising our current President and he wanted to remove all forces from Afghanistan, I would have suggested that he announce our planned departure, with evacuations of all U.S. citizens and other qualified stakeholders beginning on August 1st with the beginning of force reduction concurrently. The departures will be affected via Bagram Air Base and the Airport in Kabul. The exodus will be conducted in an orderly fashion and conclude when all qualified evacuees are safely removed from the theater of operation. With all of the high- priced brainpower at the President’s disposal, how could it be possible that everyone agreed to an exit strategy with so few options and a time constraint that didn’t provide some flexibility? — Douglas C.

Maybe they didn’t all agree on the exit strategy. Maybe they gave him advice that he rejected. Or maybe his advisers are not all that smart. Someone screwed up — and we need to know how it happened … so it doesn’t, hopefully, happen again.

Remember “Saving Private Ryan.” That’s when most of us first heard the term: FUBAR. Does that describe the current mess in Afghanistan to you? As noble as the motive is to stop the deployment of our troops and pull out of that conflict is, the way this administration went about it and messed it up is beyond description. Do you think it was just Biden wanting to look good for the upcoming Sept. 11th anniversary so he could preen like a peacock? Who do you think was behind these disastrous decisions? Someone has to held accountable don’t you think? No one has stepped forward and resigned or been fired. Why do you think that is? Just when I thought the news couldn’t be any worse about 13 wonderful young Americans being killed and then the military abandoning Americans and helpful Afghans as well leaving billions in equipment and an air base, I heard on the news more than 200 dogs, many of which were service animals, were left behind. Americans love their dogs and are outraged. How do you wrap your arms around all of that? — Warren

FUBAR — F’d up beyond all repair. That’s a pretty good description of what we witnessed in Kabul. Joe Biden wanted us out — not matter what. He said we would stay beyond his self imposed August 31 deadline to get all Americans out … and then broke his promise. At some point we’re going to get whistleblowers tell us what went on behind the scenes. I hope it comes soon.

Hi, Bernie, great “off the cuff” commentary. In answer to your question, Joe Biden was never a very intelligent person as highlighted by his history, and his ability to think today has clearly been diminished. So, I don’t think that they he even thought about whether the Taliban will honor their commitment, or if they don’t, he’ll use sanctions or something else economically to hurt them. Of course, that won’t bother them at all. Let’s see if I’m right on this one. Stay tuned as Joe’s handlers and the State Department use bribery money to get our American citizens back. And, of course, the corrupt media will do nothing about it except to say, we got them back, what’s your problem? Of course, if this was Donald Trump, it would be a different story with the media, which is why I turned them off years ago and listen to Bill O’Reilly and you. — Jerry G.

Unfortunately, I think you nailed it, Jerry. I say “unfortunately” because you describe a situation that doesn’t instill confidence in the president or his team. I wish it weren’t the case, but like you, I suspect it is.

Of course you are completely correct in all of [this week’s “Off the Cuff”] observations. If I were a space alien studying to understand this contradictory human species I might recognize a significant leadership vacuum as a feature of free peoples over time. Our memories are indeed short. To me the question is this: is it too late to shore up this damaged, cynical and stressed experiment of liberal democracy? Or will we revert to humankind’s historical default position of kings, potentates, princes and dictators? Each new day finds me personally glad to be on this end of my existence with the caveat of concern for those who will be left behind in the storm. — Jesse B.

We’ll survive this, Jesse. We’ve survived a Great Depression, two World Wars, many examples of run of the mill political stupidity. Not to worry about reverting to a historical default position where kings and the like run the show. In our system, dumbasses too often run the show. I’m taking nominations for a Benevolent Despot. Got any?

Bernie, Mediaite has been documenting a situation going on in Fox News prime-time, in which Tucker Carlson keeps trashing Senator Lindsey Graham on his show, and complaining that Graham won’t come on for an interview, and then — less than an hour later — Graham shows up on Sean Hannity’s show (same network and building) for an interview.

Do you believe this is all leading up to a sweeps week ploy, in which Carlson will invade Hannity’s set during a live broadcast, and attempt to ambush-interview Graham, thus setting up a professional wrestling match between Carlson and Hannity on a special episode of Watters World… with Greg Gutfeld as the referee and Jeanine Pirro as the ring announcer? — John D.

I don’t know but I’m sure of this: It would make for great TV. All the Fox yahoos in one place at one time. It would make Kabul look tame by comparison. But to your less-absurd point, John D — about Carlson trashing Senator Graham. That’s really strange. Something deeply personal is going on. And whatever it is, there’s a good chance that if/when it comes out, it’ll make Tucker Carlson look like a jerk.

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