Column #470 September 4, 2024
Sincerity or Hypocrisy? Respectful people are sincere.1
The coming election is like no other in our country’s history. The differences in the two presidential candidates could not be more contrasting. Amazingly, about half of the voters support the candidates of the Democrats and the other half supports the candidates put up by the Republicans.
With voters being so evenly divided, one would think the positions the two parties are proposing are very positive or about as significantly different as one would find in an election for class president in a grade school. But that’s not the case in spite of the fact that both parties have presidential candidates who have been in office with dramatically differing records. That’s why we can assume half of the voters seem to want more government controls and handouts, while half want more freedom and a smaller government.
Since actions speak louder than words, we can make some comparisons using actual history. The problem is how actual history is presented. When speech and events are taken out of context, or simply “created out of thin air,” that’s lying. And a lie is different from exaggeration and braggadocio yet the MSM, the search engines, and the woke inteligencia favor the lies!
Trump made many policy promises prior to his first term. But before he was sworn into office, the deep state was attacking him using Hillary’s invented Russian collusion and other charges. The charges and threats of impeachment continued nonstop during Trump’s presidency and lawfare against Trump and his supporters continue to this day. In spite of being continuously hamstrung by vicious, left-wing political maneuvers, fake media, blue state shutdowns for COVID, and the ever present RINOs, Trump did accomplish more in his four years than most presidents before him did in eight without any hamstringing.
The abbreviated list of Trump’s accomplishments includes building the wall, improving the military, not starting any new wars, negotiating with foreign adversaries, lowering taxes, imposing tariffs, reducing regulations, promoting America’s energy independence, putting America first, a champion for all the people, okaying the Keystone pipeline, decreasing wasteful spending, deporting criminal illegal aliens, improving healthcare for veterans, held hundreds of press conferences, had the most transparent administration, made Japan pay more for military protection, forced NATO members to pay more for their military, was a strong supporter of the second amendment, protected religious freedom, pulled out of the Iran deal, defeated ISIS, renegotiated NAFTA, scaled back the DOE and EPA, took no salary, established Space Force, and withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord.
In my nearly 70 years of following politics, after Trump completed his first term I was amazed that my assessment was he was the most effective president of all those years. I had voted for him and was pleased that he strived to correct a long list of problems that I had personally witnessed over many decades. And for many decades my votes for president were primarily protest votes for Phillips, Browne, and Paul because the Republicans and Democrats offered basically the same big government solutions.
Looking ahead, Trump has been very up-front with his platform at his rallies, press conferences, one-on-one interviews, money raising events, and the debate. In many cases he even explains his plans for their execution.2
On the other hand, Kamala is still relatively vague regarding her stances on many issues. With a little more than 60 days left before election day she has gone nearly that many days without a press conference. Not only that, since the Democratic party did not have a typical primary where Democrats got to choose their presidential candidate, Kamala was chosen even though in the past four plus years she did not get even one primary vote. Ironically, though Kamala was selected by a group of insiders, the Democrats are claiming they are the Democracy Party.
Some years back, Kamala was against fracking. Now she claims she no longer supports a ban on fracking. At one time she wanted the decriminalization of border crossings. Now she says she’s changed. Then in the next breath Harris says, “I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed.”
She says investments in renewable energy from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act “tells me, from my experience as vice president, we can do it without banning fracking.” During a 2019 Democratic primary debate she raised her hand to support decriminalizing border crossings. Harris now says: “I believe there should be consequence. We have laws that have to be followed and enforced that address and deal with people who cross our border illegally.”
Everyone knows Harris was the border czar under Biden and she did NOTHING to slow the invasion of illegals. Biden opened the border by decree and could close it by decree. Yet the border remains open to this very moment while domestic terror threats are skyrocketing. Harris is not addressing those threats.
Harris defends Biden’s economic policy and brags about the natural recovery that occurred after the lockdowns ended. She doesn’t explain that Trump’s initial lockdown order was for two weeks to slow the spread and Democratic leaders around the nation extended lockdowns for well over a year in their jurisdictions. After Biden/Harris were sworn in, many members of the armed forces were fired if they didn’t take the shot, colleges refused admittance if potential students didn’t take the shot, there was a huge crackdown on free speech regarding government rulings, doctors were fired and lost their licences to practice because they recommended alternative cures, and for nearly two years citizens suffered under ridicules government dictates.
Yes, the rebound would have taken place but it had to wait for the government to lift its stupefying hand. Once it did, yes, people were able to go back to work. Unfortunately, at the same time the Biden/Harris team jacked up government borrowing and spending to all-time record levels which expanded the money supply beyond all historical accounts. That resulted in price inflation rates exceeding 8%.
Kamala admits “Prices are still too high.” But she doesn’t seem to understand prices are a function of the money supply versus the quantity of goods and services in the marketplace. She thinks she can bring prices down by tackling “price gouging” and housing affordability. She briefly talked about implementing price and wage controls which are known to collapse economic activity. Obviously, she’s not well versed in Economics 101.
To solve the Mideast problem she says: “I remain committed … to what we must do to work toward a two-state solution where Israel is secure—and in equal measure—the Palestinians have security and self-determination and dignity.” Sounds nice, but impossible.
It was the Obama administration and then the Biden/Harris administration (as a puppeteer for Obama) that goaded Russia into invading Ukraine. Will the Harris/Walz administration continue as Obama surrogates? If so, more wars or bigger wars are likely.
Harris/Walz’s messaging comes from their use of two concepts long associated with politicians on the right: freedom and patriotism. Not only has Harris used the Beyoncé song “Freedom” as her anthem, but she has also urged voters that fundamental freedoms are at stake in this election. In her DNC speech Harris said: “On behalf of our children and our grandchildren and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment.” Yet the Democrats are a prime example of being a threat to democracy in the way they crush outsiders and politicians across the aisle. Harris and Walz were selected by leftist insiders and not by Democrats at large.
The Biden/Harris administration was also a master at creating regulatory oversight down to the point of regulating speech on social platforms. Democrats may talk about freedom, but what they’ve actually been doing is expanding centralized government control. And this control has weaponized federal agencies against citizens. Lawfare has been used to sway voters’ opinions of conservative Republicans and Trump in particular. Eliminating citizen rights is in Kamala’s DNA and ending free speech is in her sights.3
It’s known that the Biden family (including old Joe) were paid off by Chinese, Russian, and Ukranian interests. We also know that Biden has not supported peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Their idea of government is that it must pay off voters with lots of free stuff paid for with printed money and that the government knows best how all citizens should live.4 5 6
As for fair and free elections, Democrats everywhere are supporting a bill in California that would ban local governments from requiring voter ID in elections. The bill passed the state's far-left assembly, and now awaits Governor Gavin Newsom's approval or veto. They are also pushing hard in many jurisdictions to give illegal immigrants citizenship and voting rights along with free access to education, healthcare, and social security.
Kamala has run the least transparent campaign in modern American political history which follows in the footsteps of Bidens least transparent administration in history. Yet the MSM has made it look like Kamala is front and center working for the citizens of the USA. Yet again, I repeat her idea of government is that it must pay off voters with lots of free stuff paid for with printed money. She is for DEI, alternative lifestyles, and socialism.
In the past couple of days more clarity regarding Walz has surfaced. The eldest brother of Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz threw his sibling under the bus in a series of Friday night Facebook posts, saying he isn't "the type of character" Americans would want in high office, and cryptically referring to "stories [he] could tell" that would hammer home the point. Is that a word of caution to be added to Walz’s 30 trips to China—often paid for by China?7
I view the presentations made by the Democrats as very disrespectful of all American citizens. Apparently radical leftists assume Americans aren’t all that intelligent. For nearly four years now, the Biden/Harris administration has been the most disrespectful of all administrations in the history of our country. They make Lyndon B. Johnson, who showed no respect for those around him or the average citizen, look like a saint.
Kamala and Walz are wolves in sheep clothing. Victor Davis Hanson summed it up two days ago with a commentary he posted on American Greatness. It’s recommended reading for sure.8
To your health.
Ted Slanker
Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.
For additional reading:
1. 15 Ways to Show Respect For Others (Professional & Personal) by Rob Hwang from Science of People
2. Agenda 47 Platform from DonaldTrump.com
4. Fact-Checking Kamala Harris’s First Campaign Interview by Merlyn Thomas, Lucy Gilder & Mark Poynting from BBC Verify
5. Where Harris and Walz Stand on 2024’s Biggest Policy Issues by Declan Harty from Politico
6. Political Positions of Kamala Harris from Wikipedia
7. Tim Walz' Brother: Gov Is 'Not the Type of Character You Want Making Decisions About Your Future' by Sarah Arnold from Townhall
8. Can They Really Reinvent Kamala Harris in 70 Days? by Victor Davis Hanson from American Greatness