Weighing In on Hard Topics: Part 3

Joe Biden and His Puppet Masters 

I'm a Democrat. I'm a Republican. I'm a Libertarian. I'm an Independent. All of these would apply to me and how I've voted during my lifetime. For the past 10 years or so I've side more with the Republican party although this has flexed from time to time depending on the candidate pool and what they believe. I tell you this because I want it known that I'm not a Democratic party hater anymore than I'm a lover of the Republican party. If I'm being honest, I believe both parties are deeply flawed, corrupt and neither is providing us with the America that had been outlined by our founding fathers. Truth and liberty have been replaced with lies and constraints on our freedom. This brings me to our current president and situation.

Joe Biden is not a great president. I have zero doubt he was an effective senator and vice president (regardless of whether I agreed with his policies, he was effective) at one time, but this is very much in the rear view mirror. This is a president who is completely shielded by the media on a daily basis and yet, we still have video of him stumbling over his words, fumbling to find where he needs to exit from the stage or physically stumbling off of a stage after a speech. America deserves better but somehow not all of us know it or are saying anything about it. This is a president who has a series of handlers helping him every step of the way, attempting to provide direction on what he needs to do and when and he still has issues finding his way. I honestly feel sorry for him and for the American people that this is the best option that was available to us. 

“He’s better than Trump.” This is the standard line I hear from most people on why they voted for him. I don’t disagree but it has less to do with Trump and more to do with the American media and how both are portrayed. Trump was branded a racist early on and perhaps there’s truth to it. There’s enough footage of him uttering negative references directed at marginalized communities to make this argument. I won’t debate this as there'd be no point anyway; such is his polarizing power to either love or hate him. I will; however, debate that Joe Biden doesn’t somehow fall into a similar category. There's plenty of historical video showing Biden making insensitive remarks about people of color over the years. Most people in power would look down on marginalized communities, owing more to their economic situation than anything else. The difference is, Biden is presented as a caring and kind president who has your best interest at heart. Anyone who says differently is branded a “Right Wing Republican” or “MAGA Trumper” who wants nothing more than to slander a sitting president. I’m neither of these but I firmly believe our country is being led by a series of oligarchs bent on destroying the civil liberties we currently enjoy (COVID lock downs are a perfect example). Joe Biden is the perfect shill to help further this agenda given his lack of acuity and daily declining cognitive ability. Again, to say otherwise is the very definition of insanity. 

As far as I can tell, the bigger problem doesn’t have anything to do with Joe Biden the person. I firmly believe America is now managed by a uni-party system. Meaning, Democrats and Republicans argue and yell to each other's face but pat each other on the back during closed door sessions. Why would I believe this? The war on Ukraine is a perfect example. Both parties are in support of a war because of the money involved. Wars make politicians rich, which is really all that matters in the end. Although their philosophical ways to govern may differ, furthering their bank account is all that matters in the end. This would explain how a senator or congressman making < $200K a year in salary is a multi millionaire within 5-10 years in office. It’s fascinating to me that this would be considered a conspiracy theory when it’s so blatantly in your face for all to see.

Trump was impeached twice and has now been indicted on charges he mishandled confidential documents. You’ve hopefully noticed that although there has been an outcry of injustice from some Republicans, most would be fine if he were put in prison forever. You've also hopefully noticed that Hunter Biden got a slap on the wrist while our esteemed President hasn't been indicted let alone questioned (aside from a few reporters who have been panned for even suggesting he was involved) on his role in anything scandalous. This brings us back to the uni-party concept and the money to be made by allowing a puppet president to remain in office. And let’s be clear, Joe Biden is indeed a puppet president. He’s the perfect AI generated human bot, able to regurgitate the narrative needed to further an agenda of totalitarian like control and state owned media. 

Don’t believe me about the media? To prove my point, I’d like to reference an article I received from the New York Times several months ago. To be fair, this was an opinion piece so it’s not considered “news” although the difference between the two is pretty gray anyway. I’ve provided his thoughts in italics and then added my comments after.  

The article was called, ‘’Good morning. As Biden starts his campaign, we ask why he doesn’t spend more time in the public eye,’’ by David Leonhardt. It can be found here if you’re interested in reading the whole thing: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/26/briefing/biden-reelection-campaign.html

Strange as it may sound, the American government can function without a healthy president. The U.S. marched toward victory in World War II while Franklin Roosevelt was ailing in 1944 and 1945. Four decades later, the government managed its relationship with a teetering Soviet Union while Ronald Reagan’s mental capacities slipped. In each case, White House aides, Cabinet secretaries and military leaders performed well despite the lack of a fully engaged leader.

I somewhat understand the comparison to Reagan since the former president was diagnosed with Alzheimers shortly after his presidency (1994) but the evidence on whether he suffered from a cognitive decline during his presidency is not widely accepted. The fact he would use this in his argument is a massive stretch. A bigger stretch is his use of FDR. The man had polio as a child which crippled him and confined him to a wheelchair, a degeneration of the body is very different than that of the mind. This is both irresponsible and quite honestly ridiculous. 

At 80, Biden can be an unsteady public performer. He occasionally uses the wrong word or fails to summon a name. Some of these habits are not new, to be sure. Biden has a stutter, which can make it seem as if he can’t remember words when in fact he is struggling to enunciate them. He has also long been known for saying things that he probably shouldn’t.

Ahh yes, the stutter. This became a much more pronounced argument during his presidential run. He may have a stutter, I half believe this could be true, but where was it when he was younger? I've watched many of Biden's clips when he was younger and there is no notice of a stutter. Perhaps it becomes more pronounced in a person as they grow older or (a more probable answer is) it’s a convenient way to avoid his cognitive decline coming into question. The King of England, George VI had a stutter, they even made a movie about it (The King's Speech). Yet, when I’ve gone back and listened to any of his WWII speeches to the people of Great Britain, he appears to be resolute and in command. I’m hard pressed to feel the same way when I listen to President Biden. 

Leonhardt does go on to say: 

“Biden living up to his gaffe-prone reputation,” read a Times headline in 2008, when he was only 65. That same year, Slate magazine wrote, “He misspeaks so often, it’s hardly news — and hardly damaging.”

But aging does seem to have exacerbated these issues. In the upcoming campaign, you can imagine that a verbal misstep could cause some swing voters to wonder whether Biden is up for a second term.

Give credit where it’s due here, he does mention aging and the potential of “exacerbated these issues” but refused to take a stance one way or the other. It’s pretty plain to see there’s an issue here, I’ll state what he won’t since I’m beholden to no one other than myself. 

There certainly are reasons to think that Biden is up for both the substantive and performative parts of the job. He looked sharp during his State of the Union address this year, trading verbal volleys with congressional Republicans 

One of my favorites. He had a good speech and was able to make salient points that were both clear and concise to members of congress. Well, congratulations, you’re doing what a president is supposed to do. Keep in mind, he’s not being given credit for what he’s saying at this point, simply for coherently speaking without fumbling around or forgetting what’s on the teleprompter right in front of him. 

There you have it. Just one article among a daily barrage of positive and fawning coverage of a man who is undeserving of it. Don’t we want more? Don’t we deserve more than this? Are we going to re-elect a man who’s clearly past his prime simply because he's a member of the part you "root for?" I have news for you, the Democratic party you knew as a child is long gone, replaced with a Progressive leftism bent on destroying America from the inside out. Joe Biden is simply the shadow president we have in place to further this agenda. There is hope in the likes of fringe candidates like; Vivek Ramaswamy, Robert F Kennedy Jr. and Tim Scott. Each are unlikely to make major strides regardless of their views and the fact they could do infinitely better by America than what we currently have in place.

Joe Biden put it best recently, “God Save the Queen, man.” I couldn’t agree more Joe, Lady Liberty is our queen and she deserves saving. Cross your party lines and let’s figure this thing out, our country and our sanity depends on it. 

Weighing In on Hard Topics: Part 2

The "Why" Behind Product Boycotts

There’s been a lot of chatter lately about product boycotts including Bud Light, Target, Kohls and more. I’m going to touch on a couple of them because I think all of them can be viewed differently although the media is attempting to lump them into one thing. To keep this reasonably short, I’ll give my opinion on Bud Light and Target. 

Know Your Audience 

I believe there is a crowd of folks on the right who are boycotting Bud Light because of their decision to feature Dylan Mulvaney (a transgender social media influencer) on a commemorative can. There are those within the American populace who despise the idea of a transgender person and will never get past the idea in and of itself. My opinion is pretty layered and can be a standalone article, one which I may write in the future. I'll refrain from going any further at the moment since it would take longer than a few sentences to provide my position.

In addition to the partnership, Bud Light’s VP of marketing, Alissa Heinerscheid, was interviewed shortly thereafter to get her take on the partnership and where she’s looking to take Bud Light as a brand going forward. She commented that Bud Light’s brand image was too “fratty” and needed to be more inclusive. This was a grave public relations error.

A rule of thumb in advertising or marketing is, know your audience. Because it’s the best selling brand, I’m going to assume that Bud Light is a beer enjoyed by almost everyone across the beer spectrum. Not knowing the exact demographics, this is still a safe assumption to make. Calling a segment of your core audience to the carpet is never a good idea. Even if only 15% of Bud Light drinkers were to get offended by her “fratty” beer comment, that’s a pretty big portion of your audience that’s going to drop you and start drinking something else. 

Most people think the reason Bud Light is being boycotted has to do with the Dylan Mulvaney partnership. This is definitely true for some people, but I think it has more to do with Heinerscheid and the comments she made in her interview. She sounded elitist and/or “better than” the audience she is saying no longer needs to drink the beer she is now in charge of promoting. People HATE being talked down to. This is no different than the farmer who comes to the bank in his overalls to get a loan, only to be turned down by the banker in a suit and tie. The farmer was judged upon arrival, but the banker may not realize that the same farmer needs a loan to expand his/her business which is already turning a multi million dollar profit. Of course, there are those who simply dislike the idea of “their” beer partnering with a trans person, but I think the larger reason for the boycott has to do with the snub and the way that snub was delivered along with the partnership. 

Don’t Target Kids

Target is a different story. When you begin to market specifically to children, you’re wading into dicey waters. Cereal companies have been targeting kids for 40 years and getting away with it, making your kids fat by eating sugary foods is fine by the standards of most people. Reason being, although the cartoon frogs, captains and animals of all sorts are blatant, they’re considered harmless. I could argue this with child obesity rates and early onset diabetes skyrocketing in America, but I digress. A majority of people are accepting of this type of marketing and, on the whole, don’t have an issue with it. Cartoons also aren’t political. If and when we had the Honey Smacks frog wearing a pride shirt and waving a rainbow flag, I can guarantee there would be a problem. 

By placing their rainbow line of clothing front and center of the store, Target opened themselves up to scrutiny. Fair or unfair, the “in your face” approach didn’t help matters. Add to this the designer of the clothing line being an open satanist, having “penis tucking” bathing suits for biological men on full display next to baby onesies featuring Pride imagery and text, you’re going to have backlash. “Who cares, this is what Target should be doing. We need to put an end to the purely heterosexual American idea of family!” That’s fine to have that opinion and in many ways, I don’t disagree. There are certainly plenty of same sex couples who have children and they and their kids should be fairly represented. However, does it need to be front and center as you enter the store? What if this were a display of Jesus pajamas called, “Jesus’ Jammies.” Jesus would be on full display with mannequins of children dressed in pajamas featuring crosses, bible verses and depictions of the Angel Gabriel giving Jesus a high five as happy children look on. Do you think there wouldn’t be an issue with this? Of course there would and there's the rub.

My point is, if you’re going to peddle the religion of woke, you have to be ready for the backlash that comes with it. As a company and a marketing team for that company, you need to have an understanding of your audience, your brand and the perception something like this will have on your corporate image. Pushing the boundaries of equality is one thing, pushing an ideology is another thing altogether. The religion of woke is not for everyone. To say it has to be is un-American. We should all be allowed to choose how we act and feel. If we’re offended by something, at the very least we should be able to express that notion and boycott a company if necessary to get our point across. The idea of capitalism is one of the last truly free forms of protest remaining in America and people are using it to show their dissatisfaction or disagreement with woke ideologies. Being a defender of personal freedoms and our constitution, I of course have zero issues with this. It's your right to do as you see fit. When you cause harm to others both physically or verbally is when we'd have an issue.

 

Boycotts are a tricky business though. I’ve personally boycotted several companies for varying reasons, only to cave over time due to supply/demand, price or simply because it had been years on an island by myself and only I cared. I will make a prediction; the Bud Light brand is dead and can never be revived. I don’t see any way they can come back from the damage that’s been done, due largely to the “frat image” comments more than the Mulvaney partnership. I think they’ll either come out with new packaging, re-brand or simply create a new light beer altogether aimed at winning back the audience they lost. People buy Bud Light or any light American beer to get drunk and have a good time doing it. With all the other options available, Coors, Miller Lite and a growing number of craft beers will slide right in and continue to gain market share while Bud Light dies a slow death. 

Target on the other hand can and will be saved. There are simply too many people who dislike shopping at Wal-Mart and appreciate what Target had to offer in comparison. On the whole, it’s a much nicer shopping experience with better quality and somewhat comparable prices that will eventually bring people back. There are those who will never shop there again or say they won’t, but years after the fact they’ll forget about it and buy the latest Joanna Gaines shirt or Mossimo board shorts for their summer trip to the pool. 

I say this as a proud American, we’re fat and lazy and take the easy way out more often than not. It’s hard to fathom that a majority of people will stick to their beliefs and boycott Target or any other company for longer than a month or two. Similar to the latest fad diet, the boycotts will go by the wayside and most likely end sooner rather than later. Don’t believe me? Take a walk around a theme park and note the expanded waistlines on most of the park goers. You’re witnessing hundreds of fad diets (aka boycotts) that started with so much promise, only to die in the wake of American excess. Boycott whomever you want, but don’t be surprised when you’re the only one left standing. 

Weighing In on Hard Topics: Part 1

It's Time to Discuss the Elephant(s) in the Room

I’m perplexed by certain things about America today. Some of these I’ve attempted to avoid writing about. It’s hard to write about things that may upset people, it’s simply not in my nature to have people dislike me. Having said that, if you’re going to have a blog like this one, you need to tackle sensitive issues every now and then. I think it’s also important for me to provide a viewpoint on certain aspects of our society that are impacting our daily lives. 

With that said, I’m going to tackle 3 sensitive topics over the next 3 weeks that are worth discussing but will almost certainly be controversial. It’s a risk I’m willing to take. The 3 topics will be presented in this order: 

1. Patriotism 

2. Product Boycotts

3. Joe Biden 

This week, we’ll tackle patriotism. 

Why is it that patriotism is now aligned with the alt-right or MAGA crowd of this country? Are Democrats not patriotic? Are centrists not patriotic? What about Libertarians, are they not patriotic? If you listen to the news, to be patriotic is to align yourself with Donald Trump and the MAGA crowd. This is both ridiculous and incorrect. It’s important we expose this narrative for what it is; divisive, misleading and dangerous. It’s dangerous because without a love of country, you don’t care what happens to your government or the people they are elected to serve. I realize this is true for certain portions of our society. They live in America but dislike our shared history, traditions and everything we stand for. This isn’t a problem from where I sit. It’s everyone’s right to think, feel and say what they please. I’ll even concede that it’s perfectly fine to burn the American flag in your front yard, no matter how much it pains me to say it. These are freedoms provided to us as American citizens. I can assure you, the people railing against those freedoms would be lost without them, writhing in abject terror from their jail cells rather than the steps of the state capitol. 

It’s always amazing to me that more people don’t question the motives behind those who are attempting to divide our country. It’s equally amazing to me there are those among us who would deny this is happening. I am here to tell you, it’s most definitely happening. There is an underlying current of divisiveness in how modern issues are presented to the public. The trans debate is a perfect example. I personally don’t care what someone wants to do with their life or how they want to live it. They’re free to do as they wish, that’s my stance with almost everything. Yet, there are those who would say my “laissez faire” approach is equally damning, since I’m not coming out in support of the cause of the day. My approach is my own and I have every right to it. To remove my right to act and feel as I do would be an attack on my personal freedom. This is every bit as damning as those accusing me of not supporting something that simply doesn’t impact my everyday life. It doesn’t mean I’m anti anything, I am simply pro personal freedom and liberty. If and when my kids are involved this approach may change or be refined, but personal freedoms are a bedrock of America. I’d point to the Bill of Rights in support of my argument.

There are pivotal moments in your life. The older you get, the more of them you have. The 9/11 attack was one of those moments for me. Not having served my country will always be one of my greatest regrets. I came close to joining post 9/11 but my brother (who had served and provided needed perspective) had the good sense to talk me out of it. Although I still regret not having served, making an emotional decision based on an act of war wasn’t the correct course of action for me at the time. My point is, patriotism for my country may have led me to a poor decision which may or may not have negatively impacted my life. It’s not always a good thing to be overly patriotic but it should always be our choice as Americans to display our pride in a way that doesn’t negatively impact others. 

I currently have a Gadsden (Don't Tread On Me) flag magnet on my mailbox. I’ve had a couple of people tell me this flag is often associated with right wing and/or white nationalist groups. My response is always the same, “this is a flag flown during the American Revolution and named after a member of the South Carolina Continental Congress.” I usually go on to further describe how the flag was used and why I have it displayed on my mailbox, mostly having to do with my love of American history. I almost always end with something to the effect of “they (meaning the white nationalists) can’t appropriate my flag.” Amazing what a conversation will do. I fully understand there are those who would form their own opinion without ever speaking to me about it, that’s the risk I take. This is no different than someone of Indian heritage painting a swastika on their house, which is a symbol of prosperity in their culture. Their swastika doesn’t make them a Nazi sympathizer any more than my Gadsden Flag makes me a white nationalist. I’m an American who loves the history of our country. My patriotism cannot be appropriated, I won’t allow it. 

Patriotism is often positioned as a negative. In order for us to truly move forward as a country, we need to spin this back around to a positive. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, America is not perfect. We can’t outlive our past by attempting to avoid discussions of slavery, Japanese prison camps during WWII or any number of military atrocities brought against the world in the auspices of freedom. What we can do is to have each other's back as Americans. Studying history will bring you closer to the truth, and the truth is, every country has its demons. Given our still young status in comparison to other countries, we're living ours for the world to see, but I truly believe we’re making progress. 

Liberty or Death is a motto formed during the American Revolution but it’s one I still live by today. I’d much rather be dead and buried than to give up my freedoms. Consider for a moment you don’t have the ability to read this blog, record your child’s dance recital at school or even say anything negative about our current administration for fear of retribution. To an American, freedom is as easy as breathing but to others, it’s as difficult as choking your last breath. Do not underestimate the value of your American pride or your sympathy for those who have died so you may live free. It may just be the difference between living free or dying under the weight of oppression as part of a futile resistance.