The Right Stuff: Poor choices, tomfoolery and political corruption

By Jim McCully

Two years ago, under Donald Trump, the economy was sound. Inflation was 1.4%. Gasoline and other petroleum products were at record lows. Unemployment for minorities and women were at all-time lows. Our foreign policy was sound. Afghanistan was being properly handled; there were no new wars.

NATO was starting to live up to its financial commitments for the first time ever. American military power was feared and respected. Five additional peace treaties were signed with Israel. The main enemies of America – China, Russia and Iran – were contained. Manufacturing was being encouraged to return to America from overseas. Our Southern border wall approached completion and the border itself was under control.

The Covid-19 pandemic was receding despite debatable actions and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Dr. Anthony Fauci. The stock market was trending up. All this despite the most insidious and pernicious undermining of a presidency in history. Shockingly we discovered the main culprits were from Congress, our Department of Justice and the FBI. Frankly, the information coming out from whistleblowers and Twitter records, thanks to Elon Musk, is not only tragic, it’s treason.

Now, despite the accomplishments, the voters decided to change from a successful business leader to a career swamp dweller, Joe Biden, and keep a Democrat Socialist Progressive Peoples Party majority in the House of Representatives with a tie in the Senate. We have had two-plus years of their rule. Let’s examine the results.

Corruption returned. High paying union jobs lost by the tens of thousands in the energy industry alone. Our Southern boarder wide open with untold millions of undocumented immigrants let through and scattered throughout America. Our foreign policy dubious. Our military now concerned with “woke” nonsense I define as “a state of mind achieved only by those dumb enough to find injustice in everything save their own behavior.”

Billions of dollars’ worth of equipment left in Afghanistan, 13 military lives unnecessarily sacrificed upon retreat on the altar of the Democratic Party’s misguided ambition. The sight of President Biden being ignored while he flies around the world begging allies, he previously alienated, to pump more oil while America floats on an ocean of it. President Biden and the Democratic Party took actions resulting in massive inflation (6.3% for 2022), inflation which is hurting everyone, especially those on low or fixed incomes, forcing choices among food, shelter, medication, further straining family relationships.

Now, after getting us to an astronomical $31 trillion-plus debt, President Biden and the Democratic Party, in 2023, gifted us with the following tax hikes: $6.5 billion on natural gas, $12 billion on crude oil, $1.2 billion on coal, $74 billion on stock, $220 billion in corporate tax (customers pay taxes). Also, President Biden’s desire to hire 87.000 new IRS employees to generate new revenue for more things we neither want or need. Instead, let us take seven IRS criminal fraud special agents, a special counsel and a grand jury all outside DC. Then assign each special agent to examine the following: Joe and Hunter Biden, Nancy Pelosi. Chuck Schumer, Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mitch McConnell. Then every current member of Congress who became a millionaire in office. This will not be easy; it will require a clarity of purpose and civil courage.

President Harry S. Truman famously said: “Show me a man that gets rich by being a politician and I’ll show you a crook.” Well, let’s update this to “man or woman.” Meanwhile, Socrates said: “I cannot teach anyone anything, I can only make them think.”

Are you thinking yet?