Below is my column in the New York Post on the most recent whistleblower coming forward to publicly accuse the Biden Administration of “slow walking” the investigation of Hunter Biden. The source of the interference with the IRS investigation, according to Gary Shapley, was the Department of Justice. It is the latest chapter in the story of “The Incredibly Shrinking Merrick Garland.”
Here is the column:
“I don’t want to do any of this.”
Those words from 14-year IRS veteran Gary Shapley may be the most important line in his CBS News interview this week.
After weeks of Democrats dismissing whistleblowers alleging the president’s administration interfered with investigations of Hunter Biden, Shapley had enough.
Putting his career and much of his life at risk, Shapley came forward to say he and others believe Hunter is being protected and identified the Justice Department as the source of the protection.
Shapley has every reason not to want to do any of this.
After all, as President Joe Biden stated last year, “No one f–ks with a Biden.”
For years, a Democrat-controlled Congress refused to investigate Biden family influence-peddling, and the press dismissed people raising Hunter’s laptop as spreading “Russian disinformation.”
The media have worked hard to minimize the blowback after acknowledging the laptop’s authenticity and the growing evidence of millions in influence-peddling.
Part of this effort at “scandal implosion” has been to dismiss any criminal charges as relatively minor tax violations unconnected to the president.
Indeed, when the president recently agreed to a rare sit-down interview, the White House chose MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle.
Before asking about his son Hunter’s scandal, Ruhle emphasized it was “something personal” with “no ties to you.”
Many of us guffawed at the claim given multiple references on the laptop to President Biden, including possibly sharing in the proceeds from influence-peddling with foreign governments.
The problem is Shapley suggests some uncomfortable questions on how Biden’s administration may have worked to minimize charges against his son and, according to Shapley, “slow-walked” the investigation.
His interview explains why the Justice Department can indict figures like Rep. George Santos (R-NY) on a variety of fraud and money-laundering charges in a few months while spending years investigating Hunter Biden with no conclusion.
Shapley made clear he had never seen this level of interference in his long service at the IRS and said it was done “at the direction of the Department of Justice.”
And he said the interference began as soon as he “took control of this particular investigation”: “I immediately saw deviations from the normal process. It was way outside the norm of what I’ve experienced in the past.”
Shapley did not rush forward or leak to the media.
Rather, after watching decision after decision made to benefit Biden, Shapley reached a breaking point in what he called his “red-line meeting” when he and his team were removed from investigating the president’s son.
The interference came from a familiar source.
The Justice Department under Attorney General Merrick Garland has been criticized for his refusal to appoint a special counsel to investigate the expanding allegations of Biden family influence-peddling — which include possible criminal charges from bribery to tax violations to money-laundering.
The laptop included references to Joe Biden getting a 10% cut of one Chinese deal.
Biden associates are warned not to use Joe Biden’s name but to employ code names like “the Big Guy.”
At the same time, the president and first lady are said to have benefited from public office and received payments from Hunter.
The emails also contradict the president’s repeated public declaration that he had no knowledge of his son’s foreign dealings — including by photos with his business associates and an actual audio tape referring to the deals.
Garland refuses to appoint a special counsel who would then have the ability to write a report on the alleged massive influence-peddling operations the Bidens run.
It is all part of the “incredible shrinking Merrick Garland,” who promised to prevent any political influence over his department.
We now have multiple whistleblowers alleging interference from the Justice Department to slow-walk investigations or shield the president’s son.
We also have questions raised by IRS agents’ visit to the home of Matt Taibbi, who helped expose the government-Twitter censorship program.
They appeared on the very day Taibbi appeared before Congress and was attacked by Democratic members as a “so-called journalist.”
(The subcommittee’s ranking Democrat, Delaware Stacey Plaskett, later called for Taibbi’s possible arrest.)
The IRS opened its probe of him on a Saturday — Christmas Eve last year, just weeks after his exposé.
With the GOP controlling the House, there will now be congressional investigation and oversight into these allegations.
But Shapley and other whistleblowers will soon learn that when it comes to many in the media and Congress, they also “don’t want to do any of this.”
Jonathan Turley is an attorney and a professor at George Washington University Law School.
This administration is like s clown car with inept, perverted clowns that keep coming out. It is the most corrupt, anti-American, anti-Christian (especially white male Christians) and pro-communist administration in our history. I fear for our country’s survival from this disaster aka Biden administration.
The best way to get a mainstream journalist to bury a story is to have it presented by a whistleblower who works for the Biden administration.
My thoughts too, King. After everything, I don’t see a there, there. ☹️ Who knows?
John, we have different perspectives.
“Burke’s efforts to distinguish the french and american revolutions were based on bugus criteria,”
I think Burke’s main point was the difference in the mindset and experience of the leaders of both revolutions. He was correct and predicted both correctly.
I don’t know how to specifically classify all the different ideologies you mention but I think one has to use a bit of historical perspective when dealing in different centuries. Locke was out there with some anarchistic tendencies that Burke didn’t have. One could say such traits or lack of them can be good or bad.
The question, however, was why you said, “Turley is not Burkean.” I don’t know, but I see moral and political stability in both.
While I have SOME problems with Paine, and he – like many americans saw the French revolution through rose colored glasses.
Paine obliterated Burke.
I do not personally need to stomp all over Burke – despite the fact that Paine got the better of their debate – both have serious flaws in their thinking.
My point is that Turley more strongly resembles Paine – Turley is a liberal – not a conservative. An actual liberal – like Derschowitz or several other liberal icons.
Politics is not one dimensional. We have more than right left. But Burkean conservatism is different from american conservatism, and certainly different from Turley.
Locke is a tangent to this conversation except that he occupies anothe rpoint in the political space that is not liberal, progresive, American conservative, or Burkeran conservative.
Moral and political stability are or were values of MOST ideologies until more recently.
John, our ideological differences reflect our differences concerning Burke. Therefore, it is natural that we will disagree.
Burke’s economics substantially mimicked Adam Smith’s, but much originated inside Burke’s mind and was not borrowed.
Burke was more cautious than Paine who recognized major change has undesirable resistance and friction. You seem not to be concerned with those things and push full steam ahead, while I resist the all-or-none gambles and will move pragmatically, frequently at a slower pace.
You say, “Paine obliterated Burke.” I see it differently, Burke obliterates Paine but that idea is from our differences in perspective. However, one has to notice that Paine jumped into the fire of the French Revolution and was wrong, while Burke was correct for excellent reasons.
Being correct on such an important issue and having excellent reasons shows Burke to be more reasoned. Paine was somewhat the opposite which got him into trouble.
“I do not personally need to stomp all over Burke – despite the fact that Paine got the better of their debate ”
Do so if you wish, but what you perceive as Burke’s failures, I perceive as your own. Even regarding the debate I read the opposite of what you say.
“My point is that Turley more strongly resembles Paine ”
We cannot compare the two because of the span of time and the differences in circumstances. However, we can compare certain characteristics. I don’t think Paine was measured in his actions, but I think Burke was. That is a strong characteristic found in Professor Turley.
“Burkean conservatism is different from american conservatism, and certainly different from Turley.”
It has to be. Britain was a Monarchy without a Constitution, and America is a Constitutional Democratic Republic. Take note of how Burke didn’t ditch the Monarchy, and Turley didn’t ditch the Democrat Party.
I look not as much at the answers one provides but at the thinking process which gets them to where they are.
You seem to think that I disagree with Burke on Everything.
The fact that Burkean conservatism is not the same as americans conservatism – which is far more libertarian, does not mean they are entirely different beasts.
Nor does the fact that Paine properly eviscerated Burke on some issues, mean that Paine was right about everything.
Regardless, the start of this was characterizing Turley. Turley is NOT a conservative of any flavor. He is a liberal – just as Derschowitz and many others left of center who are rejecting modern progressivism.
I am not a conservative either. Nor a liberal. I have common ground with both. Though less with Burkean conservatism than with american conservatism.
I would further note that core conservatism is NOT an ideology. It is the recognition of the FACT that most change FAILS. I have stated that over and over.
We are ALWAYS trying to find a balance between the necessity for change – without change the laws of entropy require that we can not even stand still – we MUST decline. At the same time – most change FAILS. We must manage to have enough change for progress, for growth, and not so much that we end up with anarchy and collapse.
As Reagan noted “the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order”
This is an excellent speech and timeless.
https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/reagans/ronald-reagan/time-choosing-speech-october-27-1964
“You seem to think that I disagree with Burke on Everything.”
No, but thank you for your further clarification. My estimation of the two men is that Paine jumps too fast while Burke has a more nuanced measured opinion.
No government exists without serious problems when ruling human beings. Even ours shows time can blemish a beautiful Constitution by those wishing it harm.
We must realize that sometimes people jump out of the pot and into the fire. That is what happened in France but didn’t happen in America.
A Monarchy isn’t great, but the French jumped into chaos, hoping to replicate what America did. The French failed, and I think Burke hit the reason why smack in the center.
“Turley is NOT a conservative of any flavor.”
He is not, but more importantly, his actions are measured. He restrains himself, and I believe he understands compromise.
“that we can not even stand still – we MUST decline.”
I won’t comment further on what you say above, but instead recall our prior discussions about those ideas where I brought up entropy and the inevitable decline without the needed, hard-to-get, additional energy. That is why when you talk about the curve swinging upward in the future, I think the swing upward will be insufficient, and we may not recover.
That is why I wouldn’t waste a vote and side with the inadequacy of the Republicans until the leftist beast of the Democrat Party is dead and buried.
Burke is more difficult to address.
John Mill did an excellent job of demonstrating that a Monachy is likely a superior form of govenrment to a democracy – even a republican representative one.
But Mill did so without surrendering too much individual liberty – and infact argues that liberty can be better preserved in a monarchy.
Burkes monarchism does NOT have that element of liberty that Mill does.
Paine’s error – and the error of the entire french revolution and so much that came after right through this moment is the incorporation of ‘egalitare’.
Liberty is completely incompatible with any form of equality beyond equality before the law. Any ideology or political system that in anyway takes seriously any form of equality aside from equality before the law, will fail – in all likelyhood bloodily and badly.
Paine missed that. Burke also missed that. Burke understood individual liberty better than most englishmen of his time. But NOT nearly as well as Paine – despite Piane’s error regarding the French revolution.
I wanted to criticise Burke because he was essentially a monarchist – but that is not his real Flaw – Mill is a bit of a monarchist. But Mill is also inarguably libertarian.
The difference is the difference between citizen and subject. Burke is still in the realm of subjects, not citizens.
I think our constitution is impressive. But it is not biblically inerrant. And frankly Mill is correct – a totalitarian government – that is appropriately limited would actually be superior to a republic. The Government of George III is radically less oppressive than that of Biden I.
Historically monarchies have actually been pretty minimalist governments – We have had far far far worse authoritarian govenrments – say Mao, Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin. Monarchies have tended towards corruption, and towards warmongering. But in most other ways they did not intrude much into the rights of the people.
While technically people had no rights, and little in the way of standard of living. The absence of rights was not all that relevant because intersections with authority were rare. Standard of living was far more of a problem – because infinite freedom is of little consequence if you must work duck to dawn to eak out a living.
Regardless, the monarchies from Rome through to the american revolution were less oppressive than our government today by many orders of magnitude.
This is a reflection of a modern paradox – that is critical to the survival of the left.
Rising standard of living brings increased liberty – everywhere, no matter what. But it also makes bigger government possible and bigger government reduces liberty – everywhere – no matter what. The left can get away with more and more oppressive government so long as the freedom created by rising standards of living is greater than the freedom lost by growing government.
“Burke is more difficult to address.
John Mill did an excellent job of demonstrating that a Monachy is likely a superior form of government to a democracy – even a republican representative one.”
Burke recognized the stability of the Monarchy. Most of the time, what type of government we have does not affect our lives, so stable leadership leaves us on our own except for paying our taxes and following rules that are mostly good for all.
Today the left is destabilizing government, and we feel the government at our feet.
“But Mill did so without surrendering too much individual liberty ”
It is one thing not to surrender too much individual liberty on paper, but it is different in real life. Paine’s ideas on the French Revolution failed, but Burke’s did not. I cannot say how Mills would have fared because his opinions are historically based, so he would already know where Paine went wrong and where Burke was correct. Mill’s words on the Civil War would be far more valuable.
“Burkes monarchism does NOT have that element of liberty that Mill does.”
Take note of how you change the subject.
I do not know that philosophically Mills provides more freedom to the individual than Burke when that philosophy filters down to the individual. In fact, Mills shows how he compromises individual liberty as an employee of the mercantilist East India Company by supporting the company over the individual. What did he call that? Benevolent despotism. Words and actions are two different things.
“Paine’s error – and the error of the entire french revolution and so much that came after right through this moment is the incorporation of ‘egalitare’.
If all the words people say are equal, who should lead? That is one of the mistakes I have been referencing in this discussion. I am glad you made time to address it.
“Liberty is completely incompatible with any form of equality beyond equality before the law.”
I do not want to go off on another tangent, but I must address that. You say, “Paine missed that. Burke also missed that. ” I think you are wrong and proved that fact in your own words and did the same with Burke.
“I wanted to criticise Burke because he was essentially a monarchist – but that is not his real Flaw”
He was a monarchist like you are a man. He had no other rational choice. Neither do you.
“Burke is still in the realm of subjects, not citizens.”
The ideas of Burke would have worked better in the French Revolution. What did they get with your philosophical jump toward individual liberty? They got their heads chopped off while ending up under a dictatorship. That is where your rapid all-or-none action leads.
” The Government of George III is radically less oppressive than that of Biden I.”
Bravo. Burke was right.
I would suggest rereading your own post – critically.
You are reading more into what I have written (and what Turley has) than is there – and you have far overstated your own argument.
Of course we can compare people over time.
Burke is not entirely wrong, In fact he was more right than most of his peers in England at the time.
Burke was more right than wrong.
Paine was not entirely right, in fact regarding the French revolution he proved to be wrong – but neither Burke nor Paine correctly undtood why the American revolution was both successful and good, and the French Revolution was a failure.
Turley is slowly changing – but I do not think that change is so much of ideology as of perception.
Increasingly Turley grasps that the modern left is VERY dangerous. While the right is not.
I do not think Turley’s values or principles have changed.
What is changing is that he spends less and less time trying to find parity between the left and the right.
He increasingly need not pair every criticism of the left with atleast a vague reference that the right too has problems.
This does not mean the right does not have problems – we do not live in a perfect world.
But in the midst of the cultural revolution – there is no need to match criticism of the red brigades with those of the Kuomintang.
“I would suggest rereading your own post – critically.
You are reading more into what I have written ”
You can quote from what I said and then present your argument. I am reading what you said here and in the past, remembering our many prior discussions.
“but neither Burke nor Paine correctly undtood why the American revolution was both successful and good, and the French Revolution was a failure.”
Perfection is rare if it exists, but Burke was closer to it than Paine. Burke understood the situation and better understood the nature of man. Make your case about why you think I am wrong.
I know you disagree because you jump too fast and too far when it is not prudent. That is why I am more in tune with Burke and you with Paine. The French Revolution failed because it didn’t have great minds with sufficient experience in self-rule or independence, along with the problem of a lack of cohesiveness.
“Turley is slowly changing”
He changes too slowly, but if he changes too fast, which is generally your mode, he risks writing as an outsider rather than the writer on the inside, which is advantageous. He walks a fine line. That I have significant approval of how he handles himself, his point of view can differ widely from mine. Sometimes he lacks the vision of what some things really mean.
“You can quote from what I said”
I do not need to. It is not like it is thousands of miles away.
“then present your argument.”
I did.
You are drawing me into this debate over flavors of conservatism that is enitrely irrelevant to where this started.
Turley is not Burkean. He is not conservative. He is liberal.
I have seen no evidence that he has been “red pilled”.
HOWEVER there is a growing body of evidence that he correctly sees current left wing progressives as a far greater threat than conservatives.
That does not make him a conservative – Burkean or otherwise.
You are incorrect about both Burke and Paine – but that is unimportant – unless you try to adopt the positions of either wholesale today.
They are both important steps towards a better future. They should be well regarded for SOME of their ideas, and not others.
>>“You can quote from what I said”
>I do not need to. It is not like it is thousands of miles away.”
Then I cannot tell what you are complaining about and have to believe they were empty words.
>>“then present your argument.”
>I did.”
You presented your argument but concluded, saying I read too much into what you have said.
If you cannot provide what that was, I have to conclude those words were filler.
“You are drawing me into this debate over flavors of conservatism that is enitrely irrelevant to where this started.”
You are not a passive debater in this thread, and the dialogue is mostly in your hands following your additions. Additionally, without your direct quotes and information, I cannot adequately respond.
“Turley is not Burkean. He is not conservative. He is liberal.”
I did not say he was any of those things, but I said he was a classical liberal who leans left. I added that he approached things, like Burke, in a measured way and did not jump far and wide when finding a solution.
“You are incorrect about both Burke and Paine ”
I have said a couple of well-documented things and would have to hear from you what I am wrong about so I can correct myself if that is true.
“They should be well regarded for SOME of their ideas, and not others.”
As far as they go in the “well regarded” list, both are on the top of my list, where neither is above the other.
We are in the midst of a massive political re-alignment in this country.
It is too soon to tell exactly how that will end. But somethings are clear.
On many things the right and left are reversing.
We are in the midst of great global chaotic massive change.
All comparisons are imperfect – but there are many similarities between what is occurring now and what occurred in Italy and Germany that lead the fascists to power.
One of the FBI Whislteblowers – made the interesting observation that the FBI has been shifting since 9/11 from a law enforcement to a counter intelligence role.
That law enforcement is a linear process with a beginning and end and that counter intelligence is a circular process.
This difference is structurally important. There is more power and security in circular processes than linear ones.
At the same time the US Intelligence community has a problem – it is self evident that Russia is increasingly impotent. This is not the USSR of the cold war that could come rushing through the Fulda Gap to conquer Europe. They can not even manage to defeat Ukraine. Russia is NOT a global military power.
The US is – though we are waning. China is not, though it is attempting to be.
The Cold War is over. The post cold war intelligence conflict with Russia is over. It appears the war on terror is on its last legs.
We have a vast counter intelligence apparatus that has no enemy to fight.
And increasingly it is turning itself inward on our own people.
the Deep State is creating a threat, because its relevance REQUIRES a threat.
And this is just ONE facet of our shifting politics.
Your remarks remind me of the scene in Wag the Dog where the deep state reminds the intel agencies that “there ain’t no war but ours.”
me too, Jim. Bidens made a deal with the CCPl. JB would destroy the U.S. for money and do exactly what the CCP tells him to do. Think: AFHANISTAN –CCP GOT OUR WEAPONS AND THE TALIBAN ALSO, and open borders will destroy us within another year. OF CORUSE SOME OF THE MX Cartel are now in the U.S. CCP owns 344,000 approx acres of our land. .would you all join me in calling the House members to outlaw foreign persons from owning any U.S. land or businesses. WE DESPERATEY need that !
So, it is my opionin that Biden has committed Treason. where oh and oh is justice?????
Courage begets courage. Look for a steady increase in the number of whistleblowers in the months to come.
It is important to note that without conservatives voting in 2022, Nancy Pelosi would still run the House, and none of these hearings would be occurring.
If it wasn’t for bible thumpers who don’t understand politics, we would have swept the midterms easily.. but they had to keep up their nonsense about abortion ( which they WERE NOT going to win) and voila !! 70% of unmarried women voted democrat over the issue of abortion.
Because killing unborn children before and after birth are signs of an enlightened populace.
Our cultural decline started right around Roe v Wade which coincided with the US Govt ejecting God from the public square. Next you’ll be telling us that the infanticide encouraged by Plato and Aristotle, and eugenics, central to Plato’s Republic, were laudable.
Educate yourself with classical philosophical thinking because you literally have no moral high ground to stand on, to quote Towncryer below
https://jonathanturley.org/2023/05/26/i-dont-want-to-do-any-of-this-irs-whistleblower-defies-the-biden-administration-and-the-media-in-alleging-interference-in-the-hunter-biden-investigation/comment-page-2/#comment-2291591
I’m not a bible thumper but desire a higher degree of morality and closer-knit communities. Religious institutions provide both.
I don’t know if many people realize it, but the separation of church and state didn’t mean abolishing religion. In fact, some states had a state religion, and the general population was taxed to support the church. I have issues with that, but it served a good purpose.
I am Roman Catholic which is the furthest one can be from being a fundamentalist Christian. The “bible thumper” phrase is a pejorative but the use of it reveals the idiocy of those who wield it like “edward”
One day I will post a chronology summary from the Fall of the Roman Empire from the perspective of Saint Augustine in his monumental “City of God” to the US Founding Fathers Bill of Rights. Clearly Americans have no idea how Western Civilization came to be. I however dont have the time to write such a post at the moment. Perhaps you, Olly and John Say can start it
“bible thumper” phrase is a pejorative”
I never know what a person means when using those words because interpretation is the key to understanding. It is a lazy way of insulting another group of people.
When a term like that is used, I want to know if the person believes in the Ten Commandments or at least most of the commandments. The Ten Commandments are the most important thing in the Old Testament, so if a person repeatably says one should not murder, is that bible thumper?
I think John Adams distilled the essence.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
John Adams
Much evil has been done in the name of religion. But the unfathomable depths of bloodshed from socialism in the 19th and 20th centuries demonstrates the requirement for something to provide humans with a moral foundation.
Man coexisting with their fellow man – within a family, within a neigborhood, within a city, as stats, a nation, a planet,
Requires mutual agreement to some minimal norms.
That simple fundamental fact alone and basic logic and reason should tell us most everything we need to know about government.
We can not rule the majority by FORCE. That should be an easy to understand tautology. The larger the number of those who will not obey without force – the larger the proportion of people diverted from productive endeavors to using force or the threat of force to control their neighbors. And they larger such a police force is the greater the number of those within that boy that themselves will not follow the law.
The overwhelming majority of people MUST follow societal norms voluntarily.
For all of its flaws we have not ever found a means more effective than religion for instilling shared moral values that a majority of humans will internalize without the use of force.
The copious bloodshed of socialism from the french revolution through to the present is the direct result of the absence of any means beyond fear and the threat of violence to compel people to conform.
Conservatives are not against abortion as a political issue. They are against it because it is taking the life of a child which is a moral issue. It’s the left and GOP establishment wing that makes the issue political.
How do you think abortion will tip the scales in 2024 ?
Who knows maybe all those single white women will never forget that … NOTHING has changed.
Abortion is a complex issue. Overwhelming majorities of people are pro life. At the same time overwhelming majorities also favor some ability to get an abortion early in a pregnancy.
Regardless, SCOTUS has CORRECTLY found there is no constitutional right to an abortion – if you doubt that I would remind you that Buck V Bell is STILL the law of the l;and and was recently cited by those of you on the left who pushed laws forcing masks, lockdowns, and vaccinations.
There is unfortunately no constitutionally recognized right to control of your own body.
So we are clear – Buck V Bell which is STILL the law of the land say that Government can sterilize “mental defectives” without their consent.
If the government is free to do that – it is certainly free to restrict abortions.
Buck V Bell maybe an egregious centuries old Supreme Court decision – but it is Relevant today – because the same people who are screaming “my body my choice” are happy to FORCE people to be injected with an experimental vaccine with hidden side effects, to wear masks that have no provable scientific value and to surrender their rights to travel to free association and even to protest.
Post Dobbs – NOTHING has changed.
You are pathetically ignorant. At least 14% of abortions are to married women, and most are sought by teenagers and women in their twenties, although there are some preteens who seek this care. MOST Americans support a woman’s right to choose, and this is both among Republicans and Democrats, so I reject your “pro life” label for those who are ANTI-Abortion, which is a more-accurate term. The ultra-right wing of the current SCOTUS took the unprecedented step of reversing a prior SCOUTUS ruling that held that the right to abortion is included among the Constitutional protections of the rights of liberty and privacy. MOST Americans: 1. do not agree with the ultra right-wing current SCOTUS, 4 of whose members LIED about their position on abortion just to get onto the SCOTUS so they could take away a woman’s right to choose; and 2. 3 of whom were nominated, after vetting by the ultra right-wing Federalist Society, by an invalid president who had to cheat his way into office with the help of Russian hackers. You’re never going to sell either Trump or the current SCOTUS to most Americans. The current SCOTUS has the lowest approval rating since they’ve been doing approval ratings of the SCOTUS, and there are very serious ethical issues involving John Roberts, whose wife makes millions by placing attorneys at law firms that do business before the SCOTUS and Clarence Thomas, who accepts lavish gifts from a billionaire whose company does business before the SCOTUS, and who has failed to disclose the lavish gifts and vacations. You are wrong in sayng that there’s no constitutionally-recognized right to control of your own body. Stop lying about the COVID vaccine being “experimental”, or the other COVID lies. Spreading COVID by refusing vaccination, refusing to wear a mask, refusing to socially distance and handwashing affects life, safety and well-being of all of us. Abortion does not.
You have memorized well the Party’s sturm und drang talking points.
Sturm und drang is characterized by rousing action and high emotionalism that often deal with the individual’s revolt against society.
Gigi,
You long ago burned any trust in the information you provide.
“You are pathetically ignorant.”
Ad Hominam, not argument.
“At least 14% of abortions are to married women, and most are sought by teenagers and women in their twenties,”
Should I ignore the fact that you just said that married teenagers and women in their 20;s are getting 14% of abortions ?
Regardless, the FACT is that married women are more likely pro-life than pro-choice, there are plenty of polls on that.
“although there are some preteens who seek this care.”
Abortion is not “care”, anymore than breast implants are. It is elective surgery, that rarely has any connection to anyone’s health.
It is nothing more than a more extreme form of contraception.
“MOST Americans support a woman’s right to choose, and this is both among Republicans and Democrats,”
Correct, and most americans support relatively draconian restrictions on abortion at the same time.
Majorities do NOT support unlimited abortion. nor absolute bars.
Regardless, One of the points Dobb’s actually got correct is there is no RIGHT to an abortion.
There is arguably a right to control your own body – but the left is unlikely to support that as the actual right has consequences.
A right to control your own body would impede all the left’s public health laws. Nor would a right to control of your own body assure abortion as a means of contraception. The right to control your own body would mean a right to no longer be pregnant – NOT a right to kill the pregnancy.
“so I reject your “pro life” label for those who are ANTI-Abortion, which is a more-accurate term.”
You can reject whatever you want. That does not change the fact that you are both wrong and irrelevant.
“The ultra-right wing of the current SCOTUS took the unprecedented step of reversing a prior SCOUTUS ruling that held that the right to abortion is included among the Constitutional protections of the rights of liberty and privacy.”
That would be 2/3 of SCOTUS rejected a right that never should have been created in the first place.
I will be happy to give you ar right to privacy – though I am not so sure that that has to do with abortion.
Does the right to privacy allow me to murder my children – if I do so at home ?
AS I noted before – there is a right to control your own body – which SCOTUS has not recognized – and which the left will not recognize.
That has SOME applicability to abortion – as well as Trans adults seeking sexual re-assignment surgery, and all forms of cosmetic surgery.
There never was a constitutional right to abortion – Roe was decided wrongly – and even RBG understood that.
As to your Stare Decisis argument – does that mean we must go back to Dredd Scott, or Plessy V Furgesson ?
The court should resist reversing establishe precendent. It shoudl also correct itself when it errs.
“MOST Americans: 1. do not agree with the ultra right-wing current SCOTUS”
The supreme court currently has the highest approval rating of any part of government.
“4 of whose members LIED about their position on abortion”
Nope, they merely refused to swear to a position on future decisions.
“just to get onto the SCOTUS ”
Wow, news at eleven – Judges actually want to become supreme court justices.
We clearly dodged a bullet when Garland was not confirmed.
“so they could take away a woman’s right to choose”
Yes, that is the only reason they wanted on the Supreme court.
Gigi, Conservatives have been trying to change the court to overrule Roe for 50 years. OConner, Suter, Kennedy were all conservative nominees that were expected to overturn Roe. There has been no secret about this.
Nor has it ever been secret that Roe was constitutional garbage. Roe was fundimentally so bad that what Bobbs actually overturned was Casey – because Roe was actually everturned decades ago.
POLITICALLTY we would have all – and especially repiblicans been better off if the court used Casey to incrementally constrain abortion.
Rather than properly finding no constitutional right to abortion, Scotus could have decided that laws regulating abortion after 16 weeks were fine or after 8 weeks, or .. Long ago Casey laid the groundwork for the incremental constraint of abortion.
I would note that Dobbs has actually served DEMOCRATS well. There is enough opposition to total restrictions on abortion in deep red states that now that those states have the power to do so, enough voters are acting to slightly alter deep red state politics. That is likely a good thing.
But the right decision in Dobbs would have been to find a right to control your own body – but that would not have guaranteed unlimted abortions.
“after vetting by the ultra right-wing Federalist Society”
ROFL – the Federalist society is libertarian – which is about as far as you can get from ultra-right.
Libertarians are about evenly split on abortion.
Regardless, there is no federalist position on abortion.
“by an invalid president who had to cheat his way into office with the help of Russian hackers.”
ROFL. The cheating and election rigging – in both 2016 and 2020 and 2022 has been by democrats.
Your claim regarding Russian hackers – if True would still be bogus.
What harm did the DNC emails do that was not SELF INFLICTED ?
Clinton and the DNC were exposed as corrupt.
Not like that was any secret.
Are you saying that voters are NOT allowed to know the truth – about Hillary or Donald or Joe ?
“You’re never going to sell either Trump or the current SCOTUS to most Americans.”
Trump is up +7 against Biden in the RCP poll of polls.
“The current SCOTUS has the lowest approval rating since they’ve been doing approval ratings of the SCOTUS,”
As does every single part of government. We have an increasingly skeptical view of govenrment.
That is a very GOOD thing. Abslutely – we should not trust scotus, or the president or the congress or the FBI or our state legislatures/
That is one of many reasons government must be LIMITED = because people do not become MORE trustworthy because they have power over the rest of us.
I would note that both republicans and democrats distrust SCOTUS, the courts, the president, the congress etc.
Sometimes for different reasons. Republicans have watched as the courts failed to allow legitimate inquiry into claims of election fraud.
Have allowed numerous baseless political prosecutions. You do not like Dobbs.
The answer is simple – give government less power.
“and there are very serious ethical issues involving John Roberts, whose wife makes millions by placing attorneys at law firms that do business before the SCOTUS and Clarence Thomas, who accepts lavish gifts from a billionaire whose company does business before the SCOTUS, and who has failed to disclose the lavish gifts and vacations. ”
No one outside the far left cares. You have tossed lots of mostly old hat garbage. You have found no ACTUAL impropriety – no bribery, no decisions altered. No influence pedalling. Everyone can compare the minscule issues you have with the courts to the millions that Biden, Inc has been scarfing in from hostile and disrepurtable foreign countries.
I will be happy to see more stringent ethics rules for SCOTUS – and Congress and the president and the executive, but you likely will need a constitutional amendment to make them enforceable. Regardless, I will join you in seeking such an amendment.
But in the world we have today – all you have found on SCOTUS – right and left BTW, is justices asserting their RIGHT TO PRIVACY.
While Biden has been selling out the country for decades.
“You are wrong in sayng that there’s no constitutionally-recognized right to control of your own body.”
Gigi, I would love it if there was. I WANT there to be such a right. There absolutely should be such a right.
But the FACT is the court has REJECTED claims to that right for over a century.
Buck V. Bell – one of the most heinous supreme court decisions in history REMAINS the law of the land.
The LEFT raised it repeatedly to thwart covid restriction challenges.
“Stop lying about the COVID vaccine being “experimental”, or the other COVID lies.”
Stop lying about the fact ?
The vaccine is experiemental. That is a FACT. There is no credible dispute over that. It is an entirely new and never befrore used technology.
That is the defintion of experimental.
Just to be clear – I am GLAD we developed the Vaccine – I think the speed at which it was developed and approved is a testament to what free markets can do without red tape. I got vaccinated – as fast as I was able to. I was boosted twice.
I am not opposed to the vaccine. I am not even sure that knowing absolutely everything I know now, that I would not STILL have gotten vaccinated.
There still is some reasonably good evident that it is a wise choice for people over 50 – especially those with other factors.
None of that changes the fact that it was experiemental.
Nor does it change the fact that From nearly Day oen it was obvious to anyone understanding basic math that it was NOT going to stop Covid.
Just as Masks were not, and lockdowns were not and …. was not.
We have NEVER stopped a respiratory virus once it has gained a toehold. Not even one that is half as constagious as C
“Spreading COVID by refusing vaccination, refusing to wear a mask, refusing to socially distance and handwashing affects life, safety and well-being of all of us.”
And pretty much every claim you have made has proven scientifically FALSE.
The vaccine does not prevent the spread of covid. At best in SOME people for a short time it reduces the likelyhood of severe disease.
It increasingly appears that it may make you MORE likely to get and spread covid. Regardless it certainly does not make you LESS likely.
Finally – You are making MY point – rights exist – even at the expense of the majority. If the alleged greater good can overcome your right to control your own body with Covid, Then it can do so regarding abortion. US birth rates are low and declining. This WILL have negtive economic, social and societal impacts in the next couple of decades. By YOUR argument Govenrment can absolutely ban all abortions and force women to get preganant – for the “life, safety and well being of all of us”.
“Abortion does not.” Of course it does. China aborted 350M people over the past 40 years. The result is they are in the early stages of an unavoidable collapse in their population. There are not enough workers to support an aging population. There are not enough young people to produce babies to support them in a few decades. In China, Russia, and Japan this is going to be a massive societal disaster.
In most of Europe the impact will be bad – though less than China, Russia and Japan.
The US fortunatetely only requires about 2M immigrants per year to overcome out population problems.
But without those – we too will have problems – though not as bad as euope.
The chinese, japanese, and europeans are all actively encouraging and incentivizing women to have children.
When that does not work – do you think they might resort to FORCE ?
The left has never had a problem with using FORCE when they can claim something “affects life, safety and well-being of all of us” – YOUR words, YOUR actions.
@John Say,
You are one of the reasons I come to this blog everyday.
Thank you
get rid of the modern swastika , it makes people discount your valuable comments.
Make up your mind – first it is satanic, now a swastika.
The vast majority of my posts are attacks on the dangerous stupidity of those on the left.
That is by far the greatest threat to this country.
But were the left not so far over the top on so many issues – your dangerous stupidity would be the subject of my attacks.
The left is constantly ranting that extremist right wing nuts are poised to take over the country and steal everyones liberty.
That is a bogus claim. But you give them ammunition.
The left is incredibly intolerant – but that does not mean that there are not those like you who cut some of the ground out from under claims that there is little threat from the right.
Those on the left have a lot to learn from my remarks – but they are not alone.
I can not and would not force you to rethink your values, but you are giving christianity a bad rap.
There are just under a million words in the christian bible – in the most obscure terms – homosexuality MIGHT be addressed about a dozen times. Though the number could easily be zero depending on how you read the verses. Regardless, “the word of god” has far more bile targeting hypocracy than sexuality in any form.
first off, it’s your naivety, and moral relativism that says to you that the left is stupid, no no no.
you ascribe all of our ills to their stupidity, hahahahahah,
they aren’t stupid John, they are evil…..the satan legion.
everything you are addressing doesn’t come from stupidity…..it comes from purposeful malfeasance and malevolence.
just like the swastika represented fascist Nazism ….the rainbow flag represents the satanic globohomo empire and their dominion.
you notice the Biden regime flew it in the most prominent position at the white house, it’s their Flag, their Standard.
It’s why the first thing Biden did was have every embassy around the world start flying the rainbow flag the moment he took over, ……sent a message to everyone.
…….Satan is back in Charge !
Please quit giving Christians a bad name.
This is what christ himself said of what is important.
Matthew 25:31-46
John Roberts does not “place” attorney’s anywhere.
Clerking for a supreme court justices results in your being in incredibly high demand among law firms throughout the country.
Clerking for a federal judge – my wife was a law clerk for a federal judge, places you at very high demand.
Graduating well at a top law school makes you in demand.
Graduating at all from a top law school makes you in demand.
No lawyer can practice before the supreme court – solely on the recommendation of a supreme court justices.
No one can get the recommendation of a supreme court justice without first establishing an excellent reputation.
I will be happy to raise the ethical bar for all those who serve the public. Though that likely requires a constitutional amendment.
As the law and constitution stand today – a clear quid pro quo is required for a criminal breach of public trust.
Gov. McDonald received gifts from people soliciting state business. He also took fees for speaking at events for people soliciting state businesses.
But there was no quid pro quo. His speaking engagements – like Bill Clinton speaking to Russia for $500K were private.
I would be happy to join you in legally barring that conduct, but today it is legal.
What you allege regarding supreme court justices – and Those on the left are and have received gifts, sotomayor even heard cases involving those she received payments from.
If you wish to change the law on that – I am with you.
But we are LAWLESS when we pretend the law is different than it is.
The Supreme court justices are following the law.
Unlike those who conducted the 2020 election. 38 US states including 5 of the 6 wing states have state constitutional amendments that require in person voting.
In those states – mailin voting is illegal and unconstitutional – and yet it occured, and continues to do so – because those of you on the left are LAWLESS.
When you encounter law you do not like – you ignore it or pretend it away.
In SOME things I will join you in seeking to change the law. But the rule of law requires that until we succeed in changing the law we have, that we must follow the law we have – no matter that we do not like it or think it is wrong.
Sen. Menedez received gifts from a large donor, The senator returned the favor by lobbying for the friend with Government agencies.
His trial resulted in a hung jury and even a conviction likely woul dhave been overturned by SCOTUS.
That is the law – you can join me in trying to change it.
Conversely the Biden’s received money from agents of foreign government. These were not friends, and they did not have prior relationships. They did not vacation together. They paid cash – not gifts to the Biden’s. It was all carefully laundered – to avoid disclosure and to launder the stink of its foreign sources.
The laundering operation would have maid Marty Byrde laundering drug money for the Navaro cartel proud.
Further the FBI has now admitted they have MANY reports of criminal conduct involving Joe Biden from Confidential sources.
Director Wray has admitted that the report Rep. Comer supeonad exists The Subpeona was for an FBI 1023 – report from a CHS, in June 2020, alleging that Joe Biden was bribed by a foreign country while Vice President receiving $5M dollars.
While the FBI has refused to provide the document in response to a congressional subpeona. – something that YOU and Democrats claim should land you in jail.
At this point turning over the document would be anti-clmatic, the only thing left to learn besides the specific words of the CHS, is the country that allegedly paid the bribe – and that is alleged to be Ukraine.
Regardless making the 1023 public would tell most of us little that we do not already know – because the FBI has confirmed it.
The CHS report is NOT proof, it is merely a credible allegation – and therefore a legitimate basis for an investigation.
Has their been a Special Counsel appointed ? There has not. Ergo the DBI/DOJ have failed to investigate a credible allegation of bribery by the THEN VP of the US and NOW president.
That is obstruction of justice on the part of those in the FBI and DOJ.
It is not likely that we have enough to get a DC jury to convict a democrat – multiple live video’s would not be sufficient to do that.
But in 90% of the contry we already have more than enough to convict. Joe Biden.
John, I agree with everything you say, we’re on the same side, Christ’s side…….so I’m wondering why you use Satan’s flag in your avatar?
The flag is the Gadsen flag with a rainbow background.
Pretty sure Satan would be a strong opponent of the exercise of free will.
Regardless, I have NEVER opposed the equal rights of any group – gay straight, black, white.
Nor would I note did Christ.
first off its not a rainbow, its a rainbow flag, and Christ would not tolerate the LGBTs, he doesn’t say tolerate once, the Bible never says tolerate once, God does not tolerate.
Second, if you think it’s about equal rights you need to get up to speed, because that’s not what it’s about.
lol….funny that you think it is actually.
“first off its not a rainbow, its a rainbow flag”
“and Christ would not tolerate the LGBTs,”
Of course he would – he hung arround with prositutes, tax collectors and thieves.
“he doesn’t say tolerate once”
I have no idea precisely what Christs words in Aramaic were and neither do you.
The best we have is the greek versions of what was passed down to us 80 years after the fact,
There is no way anyone should lay the level or precision you are placing on english translations, of greek records of what was said in Aramaiac
8 decades before it was written down.
That does not mean I do not think the words of the bible are relevant, It just means I am not going to parse the use of words like tolerate in the way you are.
That said – if you REALLY wish to get down to a precise literal argument about the words in the bible, I would suggest that I have probably forgetten more about it than you likely know. I have read every single word in the bible – cover to cover – every begat, and debated most major issues with scholars.
“the Bible never says tolerate once”
Possibly not, but there is zero doubt that Christ did far more than “tolerate” prositutes.
“God does not tolerate.”
We are still here – of course god tolerates.
“Second, if you think it’s about equal rights you need to get up to speed, because that’s not what it’s about.
lol….funny that you think it is actually.”
I do not “think” any such thing. What I KNOW as a matter of morality is that each of us has BY RIGHT exactly the same rights as our neighbor.
That is true – even if you claim rights or privileges you do not have.
Transexuality and homosexulality are “unnatural” – they are several standards of deviation outside of norms.
So is great musical or athletic talent. So is violent criminality.
Deviation from norms does NOT alter our rights.
Being WRONG does not alter our rights.
Prostitution is wrong – yet, Christ associated with prostitutes and I would require it to be legal.
Drug abuse is WRONG – yet our attempts to criminalize it have been a disastrous failure.
Fascism, Nazism, marxism are all WRONG. Advocating for them is still legal.
Deciding that something is wrong, does not alter the fact that people who do wrong things have rights.
The legitimate domain of government is the protection of rights – not positive morality.
You are free to lecture people on the immorality of homosexuality if you wish – and they can lecture you on bigotry hatred and CRT.
That is how freedom works.
you need to look up the word tolerate, I think that is where your dysfunction lay.
Are you gay? is that why you are so triggered?
tolerate is not what Jesus did, he never ‘tolerated ‘ their sin, he tried to get them to repent, to change their ways, that isn’t tolerate, ahahhahahahaha
just because he doesn’t scorn them in your mind he tolerated them…..ok.
I am not the one triggered.
You are the first person EVER to comment on my Avatar.
You are the one with the problem.
I think my message is clear – I am libertarian.
As to the meaning of “tolerate” – I am pretty sure that spending most of your time with the dreggs of society – lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors and theives is being really really really tolerant of them.
No I am not gay.
At the same time I do not consider being Gay any big deal.
I have a great deal of problems with leftist identity politics – which is just another form of marxism.
Begin Homosexual is abnormal – so is having an IQ near 150, or being really good at sports or music.
Abnormal does not mean wrong, it means uncommon,
Each of us has numerous attributes that make up who we are.
We are all “normal” with respect to most of those attributes.
We are all abnormal with respect to some.
Regardless, AGAIN – I am libertarain, not republican or democrat, not left or right.
If your choices in life do not directly harm OTHERS – you are free to do as you wish.
Should they result in harm to you – that is your problem.
I support your right to not hire people who are gay or trans or black.
Or make cakes or web sites for them.
And I will protest and boycott you when you do – you get to make your free choices – I get to make mine.
“Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?” They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.…
They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger. When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” And again He bent down and wrote on the ground.…
When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there.
Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,”
I couldn’t read your screed after the ad hominem attacks, you should have saved them for the end.
but the fact remains you combined the Gadsden flag with the satanic flag, and it confused me.
the 2 stand in opposition to each other.
why would a patriot fly the satanic flag?…it wasn’t computing, but you seem to like it John, so more power to ya, cheers.
Your confusion is your problem.
I have repeatedly attacked those on the left for trying to alter the meaning of words – should I allow you to get away with the same ?
Satanic has a meaning – that meaning is NOT things you do not like.
I would suggest reading Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Scarlet Letter”, you should be able to find yourself in it.
Regardless, it is an excellent allegory directly addressing not confusing your personal perception of the meaning of symbols with reality or actual morality.
Or maybe Matthew will jog your memory
Where below does Christ ask if you are homosexual ?
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
What part of my remarks was ad hominem ?
I would further note that the ideology of the left – which is driven by “the common good” – not individual rights, resulted in china forcing women to have 350,000,000 abortions – some during birth. China is now suffering from population collapse that will economically devastate the country. The Government is begging women to have 3 and 4 children – China does not have enough young people to support its population as it ages.
Nor does japan, nor Russia, nor most of europe. The US will avoid the economic disaster of demographic collapse – if we continue to accept 2M immigrants each year indefinitely. Without that – the american economy will be in trouble too.
And what to governments that rule based on the common good rather than individual rights – what will the left do when population collapse is the threat ?
They will FORCE people to have children.
I would not be so smug about “the religious right” – there is far more zealotry on the left, and with far less rational basis.
Atleast religious fundimentalists have a moral foundation that is not blowing with the wind.
“Atleast (sic) religious fundimentalists have a moral foundation . . .”
A “foundation” based on faith is not a foundation. It is a wish.
Your post reflects a very fundimetal misunderstanding of reality.
I honestly do not care What your religious foundations are. Adam’s was correct – without them – humans can not be governed.
Science at best – and not all that well tells us what is true and what is false.
It can not tell us what is right and what is wrong.
If we murder children, then we are already lost. Maybe you’re right and we would win some seats, but ultimately, if people have grown amoral, then the constitution is no longer fully functional.
John Adams said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Step One: Appoint Supreme Court justices who will allow laws to exist that restrict the intentional killing of unborn children.
Step Two: Elect politicians with the courage to pass laws that restrict the intentional killing of unborn children.
Thank God conservative voters from coast to coast realize that there is no point to step one without step two.
About half the states in America have enacted laws that restrict or prohibit abortion. God bless them.
It is clear that whistleblowers have come forward, but the DOJ and FBI are totally useless. The DOJ and FBI are ignoring the laws and what has been found against any Democrat and are acting against US citizens when there is no reason to because of politics. The House has issued subpoenas toward the DOJ and FBI but have not had any reply. The House should stop funding the FBI, DOJ, and ATF as they have not been acting properly. Lack of money will cause changes.
Not totally useless, totally corrupt.
John, on a post that no longer seems to exist on the blog your responded to Svelaz, “Turley is not Burkean.”
Though I do not know what Turley is or isn’t, he seems to subscribe to many of the most basic features of Edmond Burke so I am curious why you said that. I’m not challenging your statement especially since it is open to wide opinion.
I would suggest reading Thomas Pain’s “the rights of man. That was his reply to Burke regarding the French Revolution.
Regardless, Burke and Pain clearly staked out their respective positions.
I would note the first book of “the rights of man” is excellent. Unfortunately the 2nd book undermines everything in the first.
Pain was unfortunately smitten by the french revolution.
Regardless, Burke picked the correct sides with both the american and french revolution – siding with the colonists in the former and the monarch on the later. The french revoltion was an absolute disaster – So Burke picked the right side.
But he was philosophically WRONG. Burke’s efforts to distinguish the french and american revolutions were based on bugus criteria,
and despite botching the 2nd book of “the rights of man” Pain thoroughly eviscerated Burke in the first.
The fundimental flaw in the french revolution was that it was proto-socialist. Pain CORRECTLY identified the foundations of the american revolution – and saw much the same thing in the french revolution – but not the poison pill of socialism that destroyed it.
While Burke somewhat correctly judged the american revoltuon – without seeing the common ground with the american revolution and without grasping the poision pill that would destroy it. Burkes critiques of the french revoltuon were entirely WRONG, and the basis for the difference between american conservatism and British.
Anyway I am a bit off on a tangent.
The imporant point is that Turley is far closer to Pain – including his awful 2nd book. than to Burke.
Turley is a red pilled traditional liberal. That is closer to Thomas Pain that Edmund Burke.
Do not get me wrong – Burke was a great man – as was Pain.
But that neither makes them entirely right. Nor does it make Turley Burkean.
He is most definitely not.
I have never heard the word Painsean – but that is a more apt description of Turley.
American conservatism has always been far more libertarian than European or Burkean conservatism.
Even most american conservatives are NOT Burkean.
American Tradiational Liberals like Turley are certainly NOT Burkean.
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear on this blog, below the image at the top.
The American Founders and the Framers of the Constitution are absolutely appalled and disgusted by the putrefied Joe Biden and the communists (liberals, progressives, socialists, democrats, RINOs, AINOs) in America.
In your prior Garland post you said, “… it is not about his character but his personality…”
I can’t accept that. It flies in the face of logic, recent history and reality since Garland as AG has consistently shown himself to be a man of political expediency not moral principle. While Eric Holder was self-described as Obama’s “wingman,” Garland is Biden’s attack dog. (Yet, unlike lowly worm Holder, Garland lies about that and denies his low character with a straight, grandfatherly face.) After 50 years practicing law in Washington, DC, I consider Garland thoroughly corrupt and the bottom of a barrel of rotten apples.
That’s why the Democrats wanted him on the Supreme Court so bad
As attorney general, Garland, will pick and choose who to prosecute as he sees fit. I we all know how that’s going to work out.
Garland has a terribly sore ass that he’s not on the court. He’s evidently decided to take it out on the rest of us as a result.
Garland has proven to be loyal to the preservation of Democrat power, and denies any objectivity to the contrary. He will never disappoint them.
“…Attorney General Merrick Garland has been criticized for his refusal to appoint a special counsel to investigate…”
As someone once asked, “What does it matter at this point?”, JT? Surely you don’t expect the same people who refuse to prosecute their own today, will suddenly find Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity, in the next few moments – if ever.
Yeah, throw another baby on the barbie, it’s over.
ARE YOU STILL SLEEPING?
“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”
– Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961
________________________
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
– Declaration of Independence, 1776
_____________________________
“I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.
– Isoroku Yamamoto
For gutless politicians (and leftist ones too), because the NYT and WaPo don’t care and bury this story, they act feckless. Every day, hope about turning this country around circles the drain. This is not a happy moment for the country.
OT: Congress demands answers why Biden DHS ending border tool key to stopping child exploitation
Letter prompted by Just the News story that revealed administration was ending DNA familial testing May 31.
—
Answer, lack of morality. The left doesn’t care about children whether inside or out of the womb. It doesn’t care about people either, or the environment, minorities, drugs, education, etc. It cares only for power and if able will take it by force. That is why they wish to undo the Second Amendment.
“60% of unaccompanied minors crossing the border are forced into child pornography and drug trafficking by the cartels
27% of human trafficking victims are children”
This excites some members of the blog in a bad way.
https://justthenews.com/government/security/congress-demands-answers-why-biden-dhs-ending-border-tool-key-stopping-child?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
S. Meyer: “the left doesn’t care about children”….Uh, WHICH political party is using Navy June (or whatever her name is) for political purposes to attack Hunter Biden, and, by extension, Joe Biden, and also as a vehicle to get into Hunter’s finances, looking for something, anything, they can use against Joe Biden? WHICH party used that 10 year old Ohio rape victim for political purposes by calling her doctor a liar when she reported providing her with abortion care, and then went after the doctor’s license because she proved them wrong? (Here’s a hint: fat-boy Republican AG Todd Rokita of Indiana; he accused Dr. Bernard of violating the child’s privacy rights, and then threw a hissy fit when a judge refused to allow him to cruise through medical records of Dr. Bernard’s patients because that woudl violate THEIR privacy rights). WHICH party is trying to leverage food stamps and other programs to help impoverished children as a condition for raising the debt ceiling? WHICH party passed legislation to give payments to families with children to help them recover from the pandemic? WHICH party passed the Inflation Reduction Act that will lower the cost of prescription drugs, including capping insulin at $35 per month, all of which will help families and children? WHICH party passed the Infrastructure Act that will create thousands of good-paying jobs for building roads, bridges and airports? Conversely, WHICH party rolled back consumer and environmental regulations? WHICH Presidential candidate in 2016 enlisted the assistance of Russian hackers to spread lies about his opponent because every poll predicted he would lose, which he really did, because he lost the popular vote? WHICH political candidate in 2020 began lying about his predicted loss, went on “Stop the Steal” tours, and then fomented an insurrection to try to wrest the presidency away from the election winner? WHICH 2020 political candidate’s supporters now have criminal records, and for some, long prison stretches in which they can’t support their families because they fell for the Big Lie? And, you have the delusional gall to accuse Democrates of “car[ing}only for power and if able will take it by force”? Are you on drugs? If not, maybe you should be because you have your facts exactly backwards.
Gigi, as you know the Trump cult lives in a imaginary world where actual reality does not exist. The projection from Trump supporters is off the charts. And Turley is feeding that all the way to the bank.
Two deceiving, incoherent, communist wack jobs here.
Be sure you have your cowboy boots on before you attempt to walk through this bovine mess.
Imaginary ny ass you moron!
Fishy – YOU are the Trump cult. YOU are the Hate Trump cult. YOU are in a deranged Trump-hating cult.
But the brainwashed cultists (like YOU) don’t know it….because they’re brainwashed and in a cult.
” using Navy June (or whatever her name is) for political purposes”
I see, Gigi, that you do not believe that fathers should support their biological children. What an avant-garde leftist you are. Of course, all that shows us is how little concern you and your fellow Democrats have for children. Are you into child sacrifice as well?
…And the horrors of a grandfather having to recognize his granddaughter. How many children have you born, from how many men, and how many of those have produced grandchildren you refuse to recognize? Life must be swell in the swamp of moral decay.
“as a vehicle to get into Hunter’s finances,”
Hunter created the child and that vehicle. Are the Bidens idols you worship? Does your idolatry permit the Bidens not to live under civil law? Looking into finances is how civil law figures out how much a biological father should pay in child support.
All the Bidens had to do was acknowledge the child, and from such acknowledgment, they likely wouldn’t be in their present bind. Is it a bind? Actually not, because the Bidens are corrupt, and their corruption and immoral actions will be pardoned through constitutional law and idol worship.
Your rant took a turn into the crazy, something I am not willing to follow. Anyway, based on your rant, I better understand why the left likes to murder babies.
Her rant is ALWAYS crazy….that’s why I scroll by without reading her rambling nonsense. She lives in an alternate universe
Wen, you are wise. I generally don’t read Natasha and when I do, only the first sentence or two, but I do respond when my name is called.
Have sympathy. She is permanently disabled and can’t help herself. That is obvious from her rants that make no sense and her rambling.
S. Meyer: you really don’t get it–do you? Anything, literally anything to attack the Biden family–including using an innocent child as a means of entry into Hunter Biden’s finances, looking for something, anything, to use against his father. THAT was my point that seems to have gone over your head in your effort to attack me, just like alt-right media taught you–it’s war against the Bidens and anyone who doesn’t agree with you is fair game. This is because of Trump’s ACTUAL crimes, for which he is either being tried or is under investigation, proof of which we’ve all seen. So. alt-right just HAS to come up with something to counter these inconvenient truths. YOU are the one engaging in idolatry–by using a child, no less. WHERE’s the proof of the “corruption” of the Bidens? Mark Levin’s unhinged ranting about a “Biden Crime Family” doesn’t count. I want proof–admissible evidence. Turley’s rants don’t count, either .
Joe Biden and Hunter Biden refuse to accept Navy as a granddaughter. That tells us a lot about their character especially when we listen to what they say and do. Your attitude about this tells us a lot about you, but we already knew that.
Hunter’s finances should be investigated whether or not Navy exists. We have whistleblowers that show questionable activities of the Bidens are not properly investigated due to people powerful enough to stop such investigations.
Joe Biden is President so he is one of those powerful people that can do such things. You don’t want honest government or rule of law. You are one of the crazies that yell and scream but know nothing and can’t even carry on a debate without resorting to disorganized and dysfunctional rants.
As usual, I stopped reading when you went off-topic. You can rant, scream and yell all you want. I do not wish to censor your craziness.
Biden’s Banana Republic.
Trump- raided, indicted, arrested
Roger Stone- raided, arrested
Steve Bannon- arrested
Peter Navarro- arrested
James O’Keefe- raided
Daniel Perry- arrested
Rudy Giuliani- raided
Even the USSR was more subtle
Bad case ofTDS….
Gigi – In the middle of your usual screed appears this sentence: “WHICH Presidential candidate in 2016 enlisted the assistance of Russian hackers to spread lies about his opponent”. This statement shows that you are just a paid propagandist. I would ask you to show proof of this absurd statement, but that would be a waste of time.
The answer edwardmahl to your question is Hillary Clinton enlisted the assistance of Russian hackers to spread lies about his opponent. She paid for the fake dossier.
Wen Bars: NO. HIllary Clinton was the VICTIM of Russian hackers, and it was bragging about hacking into her email and that of the DNC that was the impetus of the Mueller investigation–not the Steele Dossier that alt-right media repeatedly lies about.. THAT’s been proven time and time again. You are immune to facts, but these are facts.
it’s painful to read your idiocy.
EVERYTHING out of your mouth is wrong, and has been debunked.
you are a sad pathetic joke, a perfect example of an emotional hysterical illogical intellectually helpless NPC leftist.
NO , the Russian didn’t hack the DNC, crowdstrike was complicit and they admitted they had no proof, the FBI said they took crowdstrike’s word for it and they also never proved it….SO YOU WRONG #1.
wrong #2 is that it is now part of the public record that CIA director briefed Obama and Biden that Hillary was peddling a fake dossier to distract from her own server problems. this was BEFORE Trump made a joke about her 33k emails…..YOU WRONG #2!!!
you’re wrong about everything I bet.
you are so clueless…..you live in an alternative universe.
edwardmahl, the lie Russia hacked DNC emails will live forever. Less than one percent will know the facts. The facts are there. exposed in real time, during Congressional testimony.
You are on drugs, weakest rebuttal ever. Where are the unaccompanied minors, tens of thousands of them? Don’t talk to the right about not caring for children. Your ilk cuts off breasts and sterilizes children before they ever have sex or understand life. Kills unborn children before and after birth. You have no moral high ground to stand on.
this woman here, Gigi, shows you why women should NOT have the vote, and should not be in leadership positions where they make decisions for you and me.
WHO are “you and me”? White, Christian, straight males who vote Republican? I have news for you, chum–you’re not only in the minority, but it’s a minority that keeps on shrinking.
Gigi is posting to make bank. Gigi gets paid my the letter by her handlers at Media Matters.
Fact
saying ‘Christian and straight ” is redundant.
EVERY Christian is straight.
every lgbt is living in opposition to our Lord.
they need to repent before its too late.
Earth is a test, you don’t want to fail.
my point is Christian Males should make the decisions of our civilization, not emotional naive, ignorant women
The more we learn about Biden family corruption, about the weaponization of the Justice Department, IRS, and other branches, about Democrat and media lies, the more the paid trolls of the DNC and Soros-funded entities work to dominate the comments.
Evhall, that is why you see 200 comments from Svelaz, the Democrat operative, and “Anonymous”, his little puppet.
You’re assuming that they’re two different posters.
We all know they are trolls. Wish the entire population were as savvy as the readers here regarding such things.
It didn’t take long for our leftist bloggers on this forum to say that he really isn’t a whistleblower. It’s the same thing they said about the FBI whistleblowers. These whistleblowers have put their lives on the line to come forward and they are presented by the left as traitors to the nation. The left wants the citizens of the nation to lose their lives to the darkness that they are defending. The darkness hates the light that exposes their boils for all the nation to see. In the light of day their grotesque image has been revealed.
TiT, I don’t know if this has been brought up before, but the Democrats ran a program to train activists to infiltrate talk radio back in 1996. Clearly that program has evolved and we see that same level of coordinated activity to infiltrate and disrupt blogs. In TRI, they were trained to get passed the call screener. But in our blog world, there is no such mechanism. So we have our usual suspects on here regularly.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC), with the blessing of the Clinton White House, launched the Talk Radio Initiative (TRI) ahead of the 1996 campaign. The program trained thousands of operatives to call in to radio shows, conduct surveillance of their contents, and secretly disseminate Democratic talking points while posing as ordinary listeners.
“Volunteers must be able to keep the project confidential so as not to create the image of a ‘Democratic conspiracy’ to infiltrate Detroit area talk radio shows,” a 1995 TRI guide prepared by Michigan Democrats said. “Democratic performance in the 1996 elections will no doubt be affected by the success or failure of this initiative.”
https://freebeacon.com/politics/dems-secretly-fielded-thousands-of-activists-to-manipulate-media-clinton-library-docs-show/
In TRI, they were trained to get passed the call screener.
This is the first I learn about this. Thanks for mentioning it. During the Clinton terms, he complained bitterly about Rush Limbaugh. I was no fan of Rush, could listen to him for just a few minutes before turning the radio dial, and would land on NPR, which was also repugnant at the time. In those days I was picketing abortion centers with other physicians at the University of Florida, and was slowly becoming aware of how the Marxists were marching across America.
Rush for his part, and Dr Laura Schlesinger, PhD, were comical, entertaining, but still whack jobs. I recall Rush having spoof commercials, and generally there was a balance of seriousness in calling out Clintons Inc, but also laughter.
that sense of laughter and joy are gone in America. It is missing in the news coverage online, in video and in radio. I can barely stand any of it because of “GIGO” – garbage in, garbage out.
we must be careful to not marinate in this toxic sludge from both sides of the political aisle.
Our first priority is to our God, to our families (spouses, children, in-laws, etc) and to our immediate neighbors, be they in our circle of friends, churches, work, or next door. These alone are enough to keep us busy 24/7. We (or I) troll this forum to vent, laugh, poke fun, and blow off steam. But we need to become very mindful that we can not become another click/bait, “if it bleeds, it leads” news site. All of the news sites, from CNN to Fox News are click bait and masters of manipulating their readers. Let us not allow ourselves to be manipulated, and remain vigilant of our daily tasks as spouses, parents, to our spiritual walk and to those whom we influence with our behaviors and our evangelization (or lack thereof).
Seminar callers as Rush called them.
@Olly
They do. If you ever have seen shows like ‘Homeland’, the troll farms they portray are a real thing. Rooms full of paid people doing nothing but that all day long. It’s a tale as old as internet time. Have to take everything with a grain of salt.
The web has never before been weaponized in America in the manner of the modern DNC and web 2.0 (Facebook, Twitter etc.) though. It’s the exact opposite of the CERN and NeXT teams’ vision. Millennial Silicon Valley in their hubris and ignorance threw hot coffee in their faces, if not acid.
So far, there are at least three FBI whistleblowers testifying to politicisation against whom retaliatory actions appear to have been taken.
Shapley and the other IRS whistleblower complain of politicisation and also appear to have faced retaliation.
Shapley is providing sworn testimony today. I hope he provides chapter and verse on what he considers to have been wrongdoing and who did it.
And then, if there is anything significant there, impeachment of the responsible officials should follow. Impeachment investigations and proceedings, and the related trials after any impeachment, would both publicise the abuses and show that there can be consequences for abuses. Everything else is just talk.
Things get curiouser and curiouser. Numbers of whistleblowers keep coming forward and now some do so publicly before ever testifying confidentially. Joe has got to be concerned. He used to take great comfort in knowing that “no one f–ks with a Biden.” Now it seems everyone f-ks with a Biden.. Well, not everyone quite yet. Merrick Garland and any who want to be Merrick Garland are still devoted followers.
Joe Biden has put Merrick Garland back in chains. Bill Barr stands up to Trump when he disagrees while lap dog Garland jumps into Joe’s lap and licks his hand. On the tag on Merrick’s collar a tag says he goes by the name of Injustice. When Joe says fetch Merrick (Injustice) comes a runnin. He’s also learned to fetch Joe’s pooper scooper. In Washington they say if you want loyalty get a dog. Joe has taken this advise to heart.
Think It Through, remember when Jeff Sessions, a guy the left mocked mercilessly, refused to obey Trump and appointed the SP. That was a time when a SP should not have been appointed, but at least Sessions did what he thought was right. Garland is either a hack, a weakling or Biden and/or China has some dirt on him.
@ bug, eggggggzactly.
In this environment it would seem a clear path to wealth is to open a competing big box store called something like NP-JSFS (no politics, just stuff for sale). If I can think of that, it’s a wonder the geniuses on Wall Street still think it’s a winning strategy to convert an erstwhile profit-seeking company into a woke bastion of ultra left-wing politics.
The “great” men of history, who labored so much for power and glory are gone, everyone. The distant account of their lives are faded memories. These “great” and powerful men will die as they were born. Naked and alone.
Shelley described this well in his famous poem. They seem to be winning their little battles now, but time will take care of things.
“I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
“The paths of glory lead only to the grave.”
Republicans have come up with nothing, so Turley works up the base with grievance and anger, sounds like “the age of rage.” The so-called whistleblowers that the republicans throw out as credible turn out to be nothing, again and again. Yeah, and we all know what the cult’s answer is, everybody is against them, and it’s someone else’s fault, always………..
You have a corrupt Ag and DOJ and then you say that Republicans have come up with nothing. Odd thatthe Democrats came up with stuff on Trump…and it was all false. If the Republicans ever get control of the Senate and the House we shall see if they “find anything”.