An interesting article from the NY Times today on how Trump is trumpeting his plans to bring the entire executive branch under the personal heel of the President in a manner not seen since Nixon:
"And speaking of lawless, I need to see real respect for the Constitution, not just lip service. I don’t want to vote for a potential president who will flout the Constitution and the rule of law to advance his own agenda and/or punish his enemies."
You can't really be saying Biden's failure to enforce immigration laws and by-passing Congress to remove a $700 billion revenue stream from the federal treasury is showing respect for the Constitution. It is a vote buying scheme to further his own agenda.
Border crossings have fallen due to Title 42 ending. Pretty sure that happened and is being enforced by the Biden Administration - which should please you, yes?
Border crossing numbers are down only because the Biden administration has directed and funneled illegals into our border checkpoints, where they are allowed in in droves. Pretty ingenious, no?
Our workforce only contracts because we have slaughtered 1.5 million babies a year since 1973. If my math is correct, that is over 60 million people and counting.
Over 40,000 per month are entering using get out of jail free cards from the CBP app. Another 30,000 per month are entering through a sponsorship program. Texas has stopped some of it by installing barricades and razor wire which is pretty effective despite federal orders to remove barriers.
I guess we (at least you) will see how many show up for their hearings in a decade or two. I want immigration to be a net positive based on criteria for success. Not on the luck of the draw.
I'm sorry but I could not read the chart. It appears to be very similar to the flow charts the IRS furnished me to assist in determining things like dependency status and benefit eligibility for low income and elderly taxpayers. I never had a problem with following them. But I would favor encouraging productive self-supporting immigrants and closing the door to deadbeats and criminals and chain migration.
I subscribe to your newsletter because I want a conservative perspective that is vastly different from mine. I'm glad I get that from you.
That being said, I disagree with you on Biden. I didn't vote for either man in 2020 as I'm under no illusions that Biden is the most conservative option. I sincerely think he is just as dangerous as Trump was. This speaks volumes to the decline in quality of aspiring politicians and leadership in Anerica.
As for Ukraine, I partly hold Biden responsible because I honestly believe that his botched withdrawal from Afghanistan was what emboldened Putin to initiate the "three-day" special military operation. So in a certain way I feel the US is obliged to provide ongoing support to Ukraine.
However, I feel that it must also be tempered with proper strategic planning and an endgame that is both sustainable and attainable. We shouldn't spend on Ukraine like what we spent both on Iraq and Afghanistan. There is a real danger of a long drawn out conflict, are we willing to support Ukraine for next 10 or 20 years?
Nobody wants to have a reasonable debate on Ukraine, it all boils down to either abandon Ukraine or blindly support Ukraine, or else be accused of bring a Putin sympathizer. Nuanced viewpoints are not allowed at all.
Biden is an authoritarian big government guy. The ultimate nanny state president. A union supporter who does not believe your children are your responsibility.
The withdrawal from Afghanistan was doomed the moment Trump made an agreement with the Taliban while leaving out the Afghani government.
The question is "Who is most conservative between the two?", which is important when you consider that is our civic responsibility to look at the field of candidates, and pick the best viable option - which is typically a Democrat or a Republican in the system as it currently exists.
Nonetheless, the botched withdrawal occurred on Biden's watch, and more importantly, he was not under obligation to honor whatever deals Trump made with the Taliban, as the treaties were not ratified by the Senate. Like it or not, the blame is squarely placed on Biden's shoulders.
I don't and will never consider Biden to be conservative in any sense whatsoever.
The agreement led to the Taliban making deals with members of the Afghani government/military, allowing for a quick takeover. Tearing up the agreement to leave would not have changed much: the Taliban would have started up a new wave of attacks, the US would have needed to pour yet more resources in to try to stop it - and then a future withdrawal would still see the Taliban taking over.
The Democrats are not as homogeneous as the GOP is: it is made up of a small amount of leftists, a bunch of white liberals, and moderate/conservative minorities. Biden is a centrist, and has a history of being more moderate/conservative (see: his personal beliefs on abortion for example).
When Trump and the GOP base are for outright autocracy and suspension/elimination of the Constitution, then how do you not come to the conclusion that the most conservative major party in the USA is the Democrats - and that voting for Biden over Trump is the most conservative action you can take?
Withdrawal from Afghanistan might have been inevitable after Trump's agreement but there is no way in hell to excuse how badly it was executed by the Biden administration.
The 20-year failure to stand-up a real government in Afghanistan (which is owned by Bush, Obama, and Trump), paired with the Doha deal (Trump), made any other outcome highly unlikely.
'cause he knows his religious beliefs are not everyone else's, and that the decisions one comes to about such personal matters are just that: personal.
'cause what you believe for yourself is for you, not for anyone else.
You say demonstrating our resolve is important. I agree and believe national defense is the primary responsibility of the President, the Commander in Chief. So far Biden, like most leftists, has shown little interest in policies that promote military superiority. His administration is focused on adding perverts, medical liabilities and mentally ill individuals to the armed services. There is a reason the Army is at 69%, the Navy at 60% and the Air Force at 87% of their recruiting goals.
I read it. The retired general and the former Georgetown professor cover a lot of ground. They recognize that military families are now steering their children away from military enlistment. They advocate making up for the shortfall by admitting mentally ill people into the military. LGBQT are divisive, distract from the teamwork, and are medical liabilities. The military should be warfighters - not representatives from every special interest minority.
Now look at how LGBTQ are fighting in Ukraine. They have everyone on the frontline, 'cause an able-bodied and capable fighter is useful regardless.
And ask "Why" military families are steering their children away: I'll put dollars to donuts it's not 'cause of DEI, but because the culture in the military has issues (see how rapes are handled for one thing).
An interesting article from the NY Times today on how Trump is trumpeting his plans to bring the entire executive branch under the personal heel of the President in a manner not seen since Nixon:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/17/us/politics/trump-plans-2025.html?unlocked_article_code=ibr10j3mzhgHmRoeZA7dxoMBEGhxcglV7TFIo0b5PHqxmc6HLD2xk3JZ27bLioLnG0jhb5expcZ5B-Wazw_Uh_rWNfd-UopAShaT4pMc_cClQ3FpU66MAJfQEVsB3rNyLPi_IwuZlTetD8vYWZKBPPAacYfoX3w_wRApUl7t5cPnEYj01Yko0GsPYA5l6HmWYNy_Ng72YkfhEGN7KUU2dCC_EQveUCE76lGLsgge3UERK04eK_nt-u8MRR1fd0B1zoh984O8Ltj75-Y0Ei7UQMH1soSsN4jkOykBZ2myCmo583P8eT9wwo_BK_YFoLhOvpFLG1PPJ-bwjGfBuoc&smid=url-share
I was just reading that. It’s scary stuff that only makes sense if you never plan to relinquish power.
Queue the "Biden is a disaster" comments (none of which have any specificity and often are contrary to reality) in 3...2...1....
When you try to suggest Biden is conservative, or even centrist, you haven't a leg to stand on, I'm afraid.
You are NOT a conservative if you voted for Joe Biden. Full stop.
I’ll agree that Biden is not a conservative, but relatively speaking, he’s more conservative (as opposed to right-wing) than Trump.
There’s no excuse for supporting Trump at this point and very little for doing it in 2020.
"And speaking of lawless, I need to see real respect for the Constitution, not just lip service. I don’t want to vote for a potential president who will flout the Constitution and the rule of law to advance his own agenda and/or punish his enemies."
You can't really be saying Biden's failure to enforce immigration laws and by-passing Congress to remove a $700 billion revenue stream from the federal treasury is showing respect for the Constitution. It is a vote buying scheme to further his own agenda.
Border crossings have fallen due to Title 42 ending. Pretty sure that happened and is being enforced by the Biden Administration - which should please you, yes?
Border crossing numbers are down only because the Biden administration has directed and funneled illegals into our border checkpoints, where they are allowed in in droves. Pretty ingenious, no?
You mean rather than crossing illegaly, they legally go to a border checkpoint - thus no longer making them illegally present in the USA?
Sounds like enforcing the law to me.
Key word in my post is droves. We cannot support this many people coming into the country, legal or otherwise.
See, now you've moved the goalpost. Just say you want fewer brown people.
And no, we actually need more immigration. Without bringing more people in our workforce will contract, not grow.
Our workforce only contracts because we have slaughtered 1.5 million babies a year since 1973. If my math is correct, that is over 60 million people and counting.
I'm not moving any goalposts, I'm being consistent. And I'm a born-again Christian. Like Jesus Christ, I love all people.
You know, you can just say you hate brown people.
Or you can just say you hate conservative people
How pithy.
Over 40,000 per month are entering using get out of jail free cards from the CBP app. Another 30,000 per month are entering through a sponsorship program. Texas has stopped some of it by installing barricades and razor wire which is pretty effective despite federal orders to remove barriers.
Legal entry is legal entry, Curtis.
Just say you want fewer brown people Curtis.
I guess we (at least you) will see how many show up for their hearings in a decade or two. I want immigration to be a net positive based on criteria for success. Not on the luck of the draw.
Oh, then you'll want to fix this convoluted crap:
https://twitter.com/David_J_Bier/status/1668576125809745922
I'm sorry but I could not read the chart. It appears to be very similar to the flow charts the IRS furnished me to assist in determining things like dependency status and benefit eligibility for low income and elderly taxpayers. I never had a problem with following them. But I would favor encouraging productive self-supporting immigrants and closing the door to deadbeats and criminals and chain migration.
I subscribe to your newsletter because I want a conservative perspective that is vastly different from mine. I'm glad I get that from you.
That being said, I disagree with you on Biden. I didn't vote for either man in 2020 as I'm under no illusions that Biden is the most conservative option. I sincerely think he is just as dangerous as Trump was. This speaks volumes to the decline in quality of aspiring politicians and leadership in Anerica.
As for Ukraine, I partly hold Biden responsible because I honestly believe that his botched withdrawal from Afghanistan was what emboldened Putin to initiate the "three-day" special military operation. So in a certain way I feel the US is obliged to provide ongoing support to Ukraine.
However, I feel that it must also be tempered with proper strategic planning and an endgame that is both sustainable and attainable. We shouldn't spend on Ukraine like what we spent both on Iraq and Afghanistan. There is a real danger of a long drawn out conflict, are we willing to support Ukraine for next 10 or 20 years?
Nobody wants to have a reasonable debate on Ukraine, it all boils down to either abandon Ukraine or blindly support Ukraine, or else be accused of bring a Putin sympathizer. Nuanced viewpoints are not allowed at all.
I’ll agree that Biden is not a conservative, but relatively speaking, he’s more conservative (as opposed to right-wing) than Trump.
Biden is an authoritarian big government guy. The ultimate nanny state president. A union supporter who does not believe your children are your responsibility.
The withdrawal from Afghanistan was doomed the moment Trump made an agreement with the Taliban while leaving out the Afghani government.
The question is "Who is most conservative between the two?", which is important when you consider that is our civic responsibility to look at the field of candidates, and pick the best viable option - which is typically a Democrat or a Republican in the system as it currently exists.
You may also like to read some statistics from another conservative voice at https://twitter.com/TheValuesVoter/status/1679872081134071811. He does good work, and it's all about the numbers.
Nonetheless, the botched withdrawal occurred on Biden's watch, and more importantly, he was not under obligation to honor whatever deals Trump made with the Taliban, as the treaties were not ratified by the Senate. Like it or not, the blame is squarely placed on Biden's shoulders.
I don't and will never consider Biden to be conservative in any sense whatsoever.
The agreement led to the Taliban making deals with members of the Afghani government/military, allowing for a quick takeover. Tearing up the agreement to leave would not have changed much: the Taliban would have started up a new wave of attacks, the US would have needed to pour yet more resources in to try to stop it - and then a future withdrawal would still see the Taliban taking over.
The Democrats are not as homogeneous as the GOP is: it is made up of a small amount of leftists, a bunch of white liberals, and moderate/conservative minorities. Biden is a centrist, and has a history of being more moderate/conservative (see: his personal beliefs on abortion for example).
When Trump and the GOP base are for outright autocracy and suspension/elimination of the Constitution, then how do you not come to the conclusion that the most conservative major party in the USA is the Democrats - and that voting for Biden over Trump is the most conservative action you can take?
Withdrawal from Afghanistan might have been inevitable after Trump's agreement but there is no way in hell to excuse how badly it was executed by the Biden administration.
The 20-year failure to stand-up a real government in Afghanistan (which is owned by Bush, Obama, and Trump), paired with the Doha deal (Trump), made any other outcome highly unlikely.
There is no excuse for botching the withdrawal as badly as the Biden administration did.
Biden doesn't let his "personal beliefs" on abortion get in the way of his SCOTUS nominees, now does he?
'cause he knows his religious beliefs are not everyone else's, and that the decisions one comes to about such personal matters are just that: personal.
'cause what you believe for yourself is for you, not for anyone else.
Lame argument. I'm anti-abortion in ALL instances. If I were Potus, I wouldn't even consider a pro-murder nominee.
You say demonstrating our resolve is important. I agree and believe national defense is the primary responsibility of the President, the Commander in Chief. So far Biden, like most leftists, has shown little interest in policies that promote military superiority. His administration is focused on adding perverts, medical liabilities and mentally ill individuals to the armed services. There is a reason the Army is at 69%, the Navy at 60% and the Air Force at 87% of their recruiting goals.
I highly recommend reading this: https://warontherocks.com/2023/03/addressing-the-u-s-military-recruiting-crisis/.
This is a larger macro-issue, not helped by those who want to limit the talent pool further by excluding LGBTQ people.
I read it. The retired general and the former Georgetown professor cover a lot of ground. They recognize that military families are now steering their children away from military enlistment. They advocate making up for the shortfall by admitting mentally ill people into the military. LGBQT are divisive, distract from the teamwork, and are medical liabilities. The military should be warfighters - not representatives from every special interest minority.
Now look at how LGBTQ are fighting in Ukraine. They have everyone on the frontline, 'cause an able-bodied and capable fighter is useful regardless.
And ask "Why" military families are steering their children away: I'll put dollars to donuts it's not 'cause of DEI, but because the culture in the military has issues (see how rapes are handled for one thing).
Rapes should not be a common issue with high standards for admission but there are aberrations.
And how you deal with those matters. Too often it's not.