Commentary

Unlike most Americans, I watched President Biden deliver his State of the Union address so that I can provide you with my commentary.

Before he began, sure that Ukraine was going to be the primary topic, I began thinking about those of you who think we shouldn’t be involved in the Ukraine situation. You say, ‘It’s Europe’s problem.’  ‘We don’t need to always be the world policeman.’ 

It’s difficult to disagree with you, but our nation was founded on the fundamental principles of freedom, and how can we simply abandon those people who strive to be free. I’m not talking about nation-building. We are seeing the citizens of Ukraine, surrounded by Russian tanks and artillery, standing up for freedom, and I believe it’s morally wrong to take an isolationist view.

How often do we hear about the importance for our president to exhibit leadership on the world stage?  Trump was initially critical of NATO, but he was the leader who persuaded them to provide their share of the bill to protect its members. Now we are hearing that Biden’s weakness in the withdrawal from Afghanistan is what emboldened Putin.  Maybe.

Biden exhibits that old leadership-from-behind.  While he persuaded other countries to support sanctions and to offer assistance to Ukraine, he was late to the game.  Pulling the plug on Russia’s economy, especially with closing off of Swift should have taken place before Putin began moving his military to Ukraine’s border. Two-thirds of Americans support sanctions on Russia.

What Did He Say?

I was extremely disappointed in his lack of leadership in addressing Vladimir Putin. And, I’m sorry, I cannot begin to cover the president’s wish list of “womb to tomb” government control over our lives.  It was more of the same.  I did, however, capture one important pledge … “everything’s going to be okay.”

Economists Disavow Claim of Build Back Better

President Biden frequently reminds us that 17 recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in economics signed a letter in support of his multi-trillion dollar Build Back Better plan, and did so again in his address.

The late Milton Friedman, who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, certainly would not have supported BBB.

Nor do the 373 economists from universities, think tanks and businesses across the country, who signed on to a full-page advertisement that appeared in the Wall Street Journal Tuesday as the president prepared to deliver his State of the Union.

Included on the list is a Nobel laureate, a former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, former Federal Reserve Bank presidents, a former director of the Office of Management and Budget, who disavow the notion that Build Back Better would alleviate some of the strain caused by inflation.  It would worsen inflation and harm the very people President Biden claims to want to help.”

      A Democrat with Common Sense

Sen. Joe Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee, says, “The entire world is watching as Vladimir Putin uses energy as a weapon in an attempt to extort and coerce our European allies.  While Americans decry what’s happening in Ukraine, the United States continues to allow the import of more than a half million barrels per day of crude oil and other petroleum products from Russia during this war.”

He urged the White House to incentivize domestic energy production and use punitive measures, including tariffs and importation bans, against Russian oil.  To continue to rely on Russian energy as they attack is senseless.”

A Misguided Retired Army Colonel

In case you missed it, Fox News Channel’s Pentagon correspondent Jennifer Griffin forcefully pushed back on the comments made by retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor on Trey Gowdy’s Sunday night news special.

I was personally shocked to hear him say of Ukraine, “This is not the liberal democracy, the shining example that everyone says it is,“ he said.  “I think we need to stay out of it.  The American people think we should stay out of it, the Europeans think we should stay out of it.  And we should stop shipping weapons and encouraging Ukrainians to die in what is a hopeless endeavor.”

Thank goodness, Griffin, who has an impressive record of reporting defense and diplomatic issues, was standing by. 

“There were so many distortions in what he just said,” Griffin sternly noted.  “To blame NATO membership for what we’ve seen Putin unleash and what we’ve seen from Putin himself is his talking in Czarist words … what he just said was so distorted that I do feel that our audience needs to know the truth.”

                      Our Delusional President Thinks You’re Delusional

Since writing in my last post about President Biden’s incredulous hope for his legacy, revealed in his interview with the leftist podcaster Bryan Tyler Cohen, additional content has come to light.  It makes Biden my hands-down choice as the recipient of my first of each month Fool’s Day recognition for March 1, 2022.

When asked what he would say to those “who believe the Democrats can’t deliver, so what’s the point of showing up to vote?” Biden blamed Covid deaths. His theory is that everything is great.  “The problem,” he says, “is that Americans have become delusional because of Covid stress.”

“We’re going to find 10 years from now about the phenomenal negative psychological impact Covid has had on the public psyche,” he said, adding that “things have gotten so much better for them economically,” as if inflation didn’t exist.

Now, more than ever … may God continue to bless the United States of America.