A bit more about those preemptive pardons Biden issued

The New Neo Posted on by

At the end of Trump’s first term, the left worried that Trump would issue preemptive pardons for his own family:

And then, guess what? Trump never did it. And then the new administration went after both Trump and his family’s assets, as well as his associates, with lawfare. What’s more, Trump never went after Hillary for her emails, and he could have done so.

And now? Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons for his family.

Those pardons accomplish at least three things. First and foremost, they protect the Biden family from federal prosecution for their corruption. Secondly, they’re a big FU to Trump and the right and to everyone who isn’t firmly in the Biden camp. But the third thing they accomplish is more subtle, and is intended strictly for the left. They allow the left to claim that Trump would have used lawfare on all these innocent people but for the pardons.

The way Joe tried to frame the situation – and the way people with TDS see it – is that the pardons were necessary because Trump, the “convicted felon” who somehow illegitimately once again occupies the White House, would have unfairly persecuted Biden and company if Joe hadn’t finessed Trump with the pardons that took away that power.

Here’s Jonathan Turley on the Biden family pardons:

The pardoning of James Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John Owens and Francis Biden brought an inescapable clarity to the corruption of what is known in Washington as Biden Inc.

I have written about the Biden family’s corruption for decades. Influence-peddling has always been the favorite form of corruption in Washington, but this city has never seen the likes of the Biden family. Millions of dollars were secured from foreign sources and distributed to various Biden family members.

Biden repeatedly lied about the influence peddling. …

Once he was forced out of the presidential race, Biden was freed up to sign a pardon for any and all crimes committed over a ten-year period by his son. He insisted that he really hadn’t been lying. He claimed that no ordinary person would have been tried for his son’s crimes — a manifestly untrue statement. He also emphasized that he had to take this step as a father of a son who was a hopeless addict and has now been clean for years.

However, the latest family pardon shatters even that rationalization. These Bidens are not even charged with any crimes, but Biden wanted to give them cover from any possible prosecution for anything. It was the ultimate sign of contempt for the intelligence of the American public and the integrity of his office.

Biden has long exercised situational ethics and, with his powers coming to an end, the situation demanded that he cash out before his credit ended. In granting these pardons, Biden was seeking to protect not just his family but also himself. …

Biden sealed his legacy with a finality that escapes most presidents. While his diminished mental capacity will remain an issue for historians, his longstanding lack of ethics was conclusively established with these pardons. It was Biden’s final act of corruption.

Let’s hope so.

Dictator on Day One

The New Neo Posted on by

During the campaign, the Democrats were fond of saying that Trump was going to be a dictator and that he’d said so. But what he really said was that he’d be “a dictator on day one” – planning to issue executive orders:

“We love this guy,” Trump said of Hannity. “He says, ‘You’re not going to be a dictator, are you?’ I said: ‘No, no, no, other than day one. We’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.’”

Well, yesterday was the long-awaited day one, and he signed about 200 orders. The list is at the link, and although there aren’t 200 there, one of the links is to another list that consists of Biden’s previous executive orders that Trump was reversing. They are so many there that I got tired of counting them. Among them are the orders about drilling.

One of the most noteworthy orders Trump issued yesterday was to shut down the CBP One app:

The Trump administration has canceled the CBP One cell phone app parole program used by Biden to allow more than 900,000 migrants to enter the US. Existing appointments have been cancelled.

Then there was one that restricted birthright citizenship. I’ve written in favor of doing this, and explained Trump’s point of view in this post from 2018. It’s longish, but here’s the most important part:

In fact, the US is the only highly-developed first-world country that (a) gives birthright citizenship, and (b) shares a border with a relatively undeveloped and crime-ridden country, and is therefore in a position to give relatively easy access to citizens of that country (Mexico, in the case of the US, as well as impoverished and crime-ridden Central America). Canada does not share that situation. All other countries in the world who do have a situation even remotely like ours forbid birthright citizenship of illegal immigrants. And most of the countries of the world that allow birthright citizenship are not what you’d call magnets for immigration or birth tourism. Au contraire. …

I have yet to locate exactly what those lines of a Trump executive order on this would be, but I assume that no one—not even Trump—is proposing an end to birthright citizenship. He is proposing placing some limits on it. I assume that the children of legal immigrants would still automatically become citizens, the children of tourists would not, and the children of illegal immigrants would not.

That’s very close to what Trump has done, over six years later. Trump recognizes that the courts will probably be ruling on this.

Then there are things such as withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, once again.

And the very long-awaited J6 pardons and commutations. There are 14 communtations – almost certainly for the more serious offenders – and “full, complete, unconditional pardons” for the rest. It amounts to about 1500 individuals. And there’s also this:

I further direct the Attorney General to pursue dismissal with prejudice to the government of all pending indictments against individuals for their conduct related to the events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Good.

There’s plenty more, too. Trump’s energy is incredible. Yesterday, in addition to the speeches and the rally-signings and the balls, he gave a one-hour press conference. What a contrast with President #46.

Hamstring pull

The New Neo Posted on by

You’d think I was a basketball player or something.

I’m not. But yesterday, while I was doing nothing more strenuous than walking fast – which I often do – I felt a pop! in the middle of the back of my left thigh, and could hardly walk for a moment. The only unusual thing that had happened at that moment is that someone had slightly startled me. And I mean very slightly.

Why would I pull my hamstring because of that? I wasn’t even aware of my gait changing. Did I pull up short a bit?

I don’t know, but I’m highly annoyed with myself. A hamstring pull makes everything more difficult: walking, standing, sitting, bending, getting dressed, putting shoes on. It’s far from the worst thing in the world, but it’s painful. The proper approach is to apply a cold pack, elevate, and wrap it with an ace bandage (or some sort of special tape I don’t have), according to several websites.

Anyone got any other ideas? Those same websites say that standing is bad for a pulled hamstring, sitting is bad for a pulled hamstring, walking is bad for a pulled hamstring, stretching is bad for a pulled hamstring. What’s left, lying in bed? No, that’s not good for it, either.

I’m not complaining. Well, actually I am, but I think you know what I mean. I know so many people with so many very serious ailments that I’m trying not to complain much.

So, forget everything I just said. But let me know if you have any good remedies.

Trump’s Inauguration speech

The New Neo Posted on by

Here’s the transcript.

Some excerpts:

The golden age of America begins right now. From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. …

During every single day of the Trump administration, I will, very simply, put America first. Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced. The vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end. And our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud and prosperous and free.

That’s the hope that his election has engendered in a great many of us. Of course, those who think he’s practically a demon aren’t bying it.

More:

But first, we must be honest about the challenges we face.

What follows is a several-paragraphs-long description of some of the awful things that have happened during the preceding four years. And then:

Our recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal, and all of these many betrayals that have taken place, and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and indeed their freedom. From this moment on, America’s decline is over.

Let’s hope so. He has his work cut out for him.

This part gives me pause, though:

Over the past eight years, I have been tested and challenged more than any president in our 250-year history, and I’ve learned a lot along the way.

It’s true that Trump has faced incredible tests and challenges. But no, not more than any president in history. Just to take one simple example, there’s Lincoln, who faced a Civil War, as bad a press as Trump dealt with, and then a successful assassination.

Trump added:

Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and indeed to take my life. Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear. But I felt then, and believe even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.

Many many people agree. The improbable nature of the last-minute turn of the head that saved Trump from being assassinated with cameras running lends itself quite naturally to the idea that the deity saved him. But I think that, although that idea is not incompatible with humility, it could also lead to hubris.

Much of the rest of the speech was about the executive orders he plans to sign. I’m going to deal with those in another post.

I like this part:

Many people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback. But as you see today, here I am. The American people have spoken. I stand before you now as proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do. In America, the impossible is what we do best.

It did seem impossible. But here he is. And here we are, at another crossroads.

And let’s not ignore the fashion

The New Neo Posted on by

Who could ignore Melania? Although the fashionistas certainly tried to do so, first time around – despite the fact that she had been a model and still looks good enough to be one. The woman literally could wear a gunny sack and look wonderful.

Melania’s been choosing more subdued neutrals lately. I first noticed it on Election Night, when she wore a gray double-breasted suit. Today’s outfit was navy blue. It was also double-breasted, which is a difficult look to wear for many women because it’s usually broadening. But for Melania, no such problems. Both outfits also had a longer midi hem length.

And of course the hat, which shielded her eyes. Guarded and almost armored, and who can blame her? You can get a good look at the hat in this video. And that tall, grownup-looking guy standing behind Trump? Barron, of course. Makes one very aware of the passage of time:

Melania also has extraordinarily good posture. And how does she walk in these stilettos? I can’t copy the photos, but go here to see what I mean. There you can also see how stunning Ivanka looked. There are also photos of Jill Biden and Usha Vance.

I wonder whether the fashion establishment will treat the beauteous Melania with more respect this time around? At this point, I doubt she much cares. She’s been through a lot in the past eight years, and there’s going to be another go-round.

Biden issues a slew of pardons for exactly those you’d expect

The New Neo Posted on by

His entire family, for example – in the same manner as the pardon for Hunter, it covers the same years and gives them the same blanket freedom from any federal prosecution.

And although yes, Ford pardoned Nixon, that’s quite different. He had been president and his offenses had been fully aired. Not so for the Biden family – and I think it’s interesting that Biden didn’t include himself. Then again, Hur already said, about the classified documents case against Biden: “We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory…”

“Well-meaning”? Hardly.

But the deed is done, at the last moment in order to give them the maximum length of time for protection.

Oh, and he also pardoned Fauci, Milley, and members of the J6 Committee. No surprise there.

This doesn’t mean they can’t be called to testify. And now they can’t plead the Fifth regarding federal crimes. What’s more, they could be liable for committing perjury during such testimony.

Biden probably was sad he couldn’t pardon them all for future offenses, as well. I’m surprised he didn’t try.

Trump is president. Again.

The New Neo Posted on by

The event that so many people worked so hard for, and so many worked so hard to prevent, is here. It’s historic, and that’s an understatement.

Here’s a live video:

Here’s the swearing in of Vance and then Trump:

There will be a lot of news today. It will take time to digest and write about it. But it’s a happy day.

Three Israeli hostages have returned home

The New Neo Posted on by

I don’t usually write posts on Sundays unless something momentous happens.

I consider the release of three female hostages momentous. I’ve written a great deal about the politics and strategy involved, and almost certainly I will again. But today I want to focus on the tremendous joy and relief that these three are home. They are with their mothers now and have spoken to other members of their families. I’ve linked to that particular site because it has some videos, although they don’t show all that much:

The cease-fire officially went into effect several hours late Sunday at 11:15 a.m., after delays caused by Hamas failing to deliver the list of the first three hostages scheduled for release. Later, the names Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were confirmed as the first hostages to be freed. These women are among the 33 hostages slated for release during the initial phase of the deal, ending their 471-day captivity by Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement after security forces confirmed the three were transferred to Israeli custody. “The government of Israel embraces the three returning hostages. Their families have been updated that they are now with our forces,” the statement said.

The government reiterated its commitment to bringing back all hostages and missing persons, adding that officials and security agencies will support the women and their families through the process. “Blessed are You, Lord, who frees the captives,” the statement concluded.

There’s also this:

On the other hand:

And then there’s this about another freed hostage: “Smiling Emily Damari reunites with mother, holds up hand with two fingers missing after she was shot on Oct. 7.”

From Mike Huckabee, who will be Trump’s ambassador to Israel:

“Gaza is in a mess…because of Hamas. And Hamas did what they did because of Iran, and they had the funding for it. So, maybe if somebody rebuilds it, it ought to be the Iranians. If they had enough money to build rockets and bombs and missiles, perhaps they have enough money to rebuild the buildings and houses. And instead of building tunnels to hide weaponry in and instead of violating every kind of norm of human behavior, maybe they could spend that money on feeding their people, giving them a place to stay, and medical attention.”

Huckabee concluded, “But that’s the responsibility of the people who messed this up, and that was Hamas, funded by the Iranians. Let us never forget why Gaza is a hellhole right now.”

There are many articles in Israeli papers about the hostages’ return. Here’s one with many more photos. It also mentions that the body of an IDF soldier killed in 2014 and held in Gaza since then was recovered in an IDF operation.

And here are some of Israel’s preparations for receiving the hostages and helping them reintegrate into normal life. Israel is uniquely positioned to be able to do that because not only has the country a lot of experience with freed hostages, but half of the population are descendants of survivors of the WWII Holocaust.

Childish things

The New Neo Posted on by

[NOTE: This is a repeat of a previous post. Just for fun.]

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. —1 Corinthians 13:11

Children have a lot of time on their hands. In my case, there was a fair amount of solitary time, and I filled it with musings and experiments.

For example, there was lying-down-on-the-grass-and-looking-up-at-the-sky, great for studying floaters and musing on what they might be. Insects trapped in the eye? Single-celled creatures, likewise (close, but no cigar)?

And then there was the eating of dirt, an activity I tried only a few times before I abandoned it as unsatisfactory. But I still remember the taste—gritty and complex. Likewise, sucking on a wet washcloth during down time in the bath, an interesting combination of rough and refreshing.

Shining a flashlight on the fingers to see the red glow was rather nice. Lying in bed at night, waiting for sleep to overtake me, an entertaining feature was to press gently on my eyes with my fists and rub, causing the activation of phosphenes and a bit of a light show (the Greeks had described the phenomenon long before my time, but I was unaware of that and thought I’d invented the activity on my own).

Then there was the repetition of a familiar word until it became strange. This was accomplished by simply saying it aloud over and over to the point where it was leached of its original meaning and devolved to a mere sound. I recall this happening most effectively and dramatically with the word “pink,” but others will do quite nicely.

Many of these explorations took place in my yard, which had some dirt patches where grass stuggled to grow, and in the summer anthills were plentiful there. These were opportunities for some very mild ant torture that involved covering an ant with a bit of fine light sand and watching it emerge after a very short struggle, now temporarily and somehow satisfyingly light-colored rather than dark (did that make me both a budding racist and a PETA offender? Mea culpa!)

Our block—a dead-end street—featured areas that had been patched over with tar, and on hot days these bubbled up in splendid fashion. There was a plentiful supply of rocks in the gutters, the pointiest of which could be used to strike the tar bubbles and cause a pleasant pop, similar but not quite as good as the scented zap! of that same rock used on the dots that lined the paper rolls we otherwise would load into our cap guns as ammunition.

I wonder whether children still have the time and inclination to do these things. If they do, they’re not telling the adults. Nor did we—till now.

Once again, will the hostage deal take place?

The New Neo Posted on by

Hamas is not known for keeping its word.

Netanyahu has issued this statement today:

“We will be unable to move forward with the framework until we receive the list of the hostages who will be released, as was agreed,” Netanyahu.

“Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement,” he declared.

Bruce Hoffman, an expert with the US Council on Foreign Relations, told The Post the hitch could ultimately derail the fragile accord. “One has to ask if Hamas isn’t deliberately sabotaging the deal,” he said.

“This is what they agreed to. It seemed the most basic of all the demands by the Israelis.”

“One has to ask”? One doesn’t have to ask. The sadists of Hamas lie and play games, in addition to everything else they do. They want to exact the maximum suffering from Israel and the maximum gain for themselves, if possible.

Perhaps they will go through with the deal. Perhaps they won’t, and if they don’t they will of course blame Israel, as will more than half the world and at least some of the desperate families of the hostages. Perhaps the Hamas terrorists know where the hostages are. Perhaps they don’t. Perhaps they’ve been bluffing all this time and the hostages are dead (although I happen to think a significant number – at least 25 or 30 – are still alive).

This seems as good a time as any to repeat and clarify something I’ve said before. Many people believe that if Israel did not negotiate for the freedom of the hostages, the refusal would end hostage-taking by Islamic terrorists such as Hamas. I disagree. I think hostage-taking is a win for Hamas no matter what happens. They get the pleasure of having total control of the hostages. What a sense of power! That part of their motivation is similar to what drove someone like Ariel Castro, the man who kidnapped and tortured the three young girls in Cleveland, Ohio, for many years.

Not only can the Hamas kidnappers inflict pain and suffering on the hostages, and wield the power of life and death over them and release periodic videos of their pathetic state, but they cause the hostage families and millions of Israels and Israeli-sympathizers around the world to suffer. The taking of hostages – whether Israel bargains for their lives or not – also increases division and anger within Israel. These phenomena are their own rewards to those who hate Jews, Israel, and Israelis. Getting terrorists back in an exchange is a bonus, but it is not the only point and IMHO it may not even be the most major point of the whole undertaking.

Netanyahu added that the incoming Trump administration has promised support for a renewed military offensive if Gaza breaks the agreement (emphasis mine) “If we do have to resume fighting, we will do so in new ways and with very great power.”

Three hostages – of thirty-three in the first phase of the exchange – are expected to be released tomorrow, if all goes well.