Death, (more) taxes and executive orders are certainties under President Joe Biden
An old saying goes that the only certain things in life are death and taxes.
Not to disagree with the wisdom of the ages, but when it comes to Democrats, there are a basket load of additional certainties sitting on our doorsteps, perhaps starting today. As some people gather at the Capitol Building to witness Joe Biden recite the constitutional oath of office to become the 46th President of the United States, the wheels have already been set in motion to take over the federal government machine and direct it to carry out the dictates of the new ruler. Gone is the general view of governmental restraint under former President Donald Trump (it’s painful to say or hear it, isn’t it?). In its place is a mindset of blind deployment of naked power to do “stuff” to subjugate the American public and quickly teach them who’s boss.
It won’t take long. Biden’s people have already got his first ten days mapped out. Like a football team sometimes scripts the first ten or fifteen plays they’ll use against an opponent, Democrats aren’t leaving anything to chance that maybe the 78-year-old (oldest president ever!) will forget where he put his mental faculties after he’s officially “the one”.
Tal Axelrod reported at The Hill, “President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team outlined dozens of executive actions the incoming administration is set to take in its first 10 days as it faces down some of the most serious crises in the nation’s modern history. Ron Klain, Biden’s incoming White House chief of staff, wrote in a memo … that the orders will focus on the quartet of ‘the COVID-19 crisis, the resulting economic crisis, the climate crisis, and a racial equity crisis.’ He said the orders will be accompanied by a ‘robust’ legislative agenda.
“’These executive actions will deliver relief to the millions of Americans that are struggling in the face of these crises. President-elect Biden will take action — not just to reverse the gravest damages of the Trump administration — but also to start moving our country forward,’ wrote Klain.
“’These actions will change the course of COVID-19, combat climate change, promote racial equity and support other underserved communities, and rebuild our economy in ways that strengthen the backbone of this country: the working men and women who built our nation.’”
Anyone buy it? Most of the “emergencies” Biden and Democrats are rushing to act on stem from their own paranoid delusions of “crisis” that are chronic in today’s day and age. It’s fairly evident to anyone who’s been out and about since the original COVID-19 restrictions and mandates came down that what the country needs most is to open up and try to function as normal the best they can in terms of keeping things clean. Many of us have become conditioned to seeing people out for walks or working at their jobs with their masks hanging down below their noses -- or even their chins. Yeah, great protection there!
Where does it say in the Constitution that the government has the right to tell you not to breathe freely?
One can only imagine the federal bureaucracy being primed and ready to go as we speak. With many of them already having been working from home since last March, it’s easy to contemplate Joe and Jane public servant sitting behind their desks listening for the pre-recorded “On your marks, get set, GO!” command from the brand spankin’ new president himself! That awful President Trump came into office determined to undo the oppressive mandates from the Obama administration and now Grampa Joe has come to town to put the dang shackles back on!
Not only that, he’s dead set on making sure that the federal government sticks its masked nose into everyone’s business from the get-go. Why wait for a bit of a “cooling off” period when you’ve got to take advantage of everyday -- especially in the beginning! As I said above, when it comes to Democrats, there are a lot of certainties. Just envision what is the most expensive and fruitless action feasible under any circumstances and chances are, they’ll do it!
Of course given Biden’s advanced age, it’s a necessity to get things done quickly. As Klain said himself, Biden has to undo the damage from the Trump administration. There will come a time -- maybe even early tomorrow -- that Americans are going to regret entrusting the power and purse (borrowed as it is) to a man with no core beliefs or principles. What did we do?
Thinking about it, Grampa Joe has to one, make sure that he does something drastic and visible to make it appear that he’s all about squelching the COVID-19 pandemic, and it can’t be anything related to what Trump’s folks did. Naturally, some sort of mask mandate is the first item of business because we all know that a mask will keep some Department of the Interior employee in a western national park from spreading the disease to the one or two people he or she might run across while monitoring a ten square mile plot of range land.
Forget allowing local authorities to make their own rules. Grampa Joe is in charge of Uncle Sam’s army now and he’s -- or more likely some aide close to him -- figured that mandatory face coverings are the order of the hour. Who cares if it makes sense or not? We’re doing something about COVID. Conform or pay the consequences!
Axelrod’s piece additionally reported that Biden’s first day will include about a dozen executive orders on the four priorities (change the course of COVID-19, combat climate change, promote racial equity and support other underserved communities, and rebuild our economy). The new White House occupant also will ask the Education Department to extend deferments on student loan payments, rejoin the Paris Climate Accords (oh happy day, we’re going to submit to international judgmental snobs again!) and repeal the Trump administration’s travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries.
It looks like Biden’s guiding principle will be: “If Trump was for it, we’re against it.” So much for all that unity stuff. It’s not enough for Democrats to simply confine themselves to railing on Trump’s personality and unwillingness to bow and kiss the rings of the Washington ruling class, they have to go after his policy successes too. Or maybe they just like the fact that potential Muslim terrorists coming here (because of the rescinded travel ban) will gladly wear masks. Six of one, half dozen of the other, right?
In addition, Biden has called for an additional “stimulus” that will give people more free (borrowed and unsupported) money. This includes additional unemployment compensation to encourage people to remain idle instead of productive and wading in the stream of commerce. Axelrod didn’t report it, but here’s guessing the Biden stimulus plan hands out hundreds of billions to states and cities that are taking it on the proverbial chin because they killed off their own tax base. Doesn’t it make the people of Florida proud to know their tax dollars are heading to Michigan to bolster Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s approval rating?
And nothing quite like allowing overleveraged former students to kick the debt can a little farther down the road. The unemployment rate is below ten percent in all but three states (Hawaii, New Jersey and Nevada, all blue territory) but federal action is needed on all student loans? It might be understandable to allow for an additional grace period for the legitimately unemployed, but why everyone? Wouldn’t a more (forgive the term) liberal policy in opening the economy alleviate additional pain?
In our strange world with a new president who doesn’t appear to be up to the job, it’s still certain that there will be death and taxes. There won’t necessarily be less death (due to COVID) under Joe Biden, but additional taxes and mandates are a relative guarantee. He’s promised it! Brace yourself for ten days of aggressive executive action starting at noon today. After that? More of the same.
Trump is gone, long live Trump
Yet another certainty Democrats will realize in the coming days, weeks and months ahead is, they’re going to miss Trump. The notion is absurd to the perfunctory spoken words of liberals and Democrats -- after all, they fought ferociously for all those years to get rid of him -- but now that there isn’t anyone else with Trump’s stature to pin their own failures to, what now?
Democrats will be too high on their own euphoria today to give it much thought, but the realization will come soon enough. Conrad Black wrote at American Greatness, “The Democrats are not going to be able to hide much longer behind their Trump hatred.
“An inept, banal, unprincipled, shopworn waffler has been pushed and carried by his managers to the nation’s highest office. His party has the ability to enact much of its socialist program. In the next year, we will see from them a spectacle of incompetent federal administration that will make the most unsuccessful presidents of the past look like candidates for Mount Rushmore—assuming Biden’s peppier followers do not blow up that monument.
“They have made Donald Trump the leader of all who object to government-restricted freedom of expression, corrupt election practices, and the transformation of America into a socialist commune. At the moment of Joe Biden’s ultimate triumph, he and his ramshackle coalition of contending (and in some cases disreputable) interests are exposed in their ghastly infirmity. The totalitarian woke media will not be able to disguise this macabre farce for long.”
Judging by the temerity of Biden’s “first ten day” ambitious flurry of planned executive orders, they (Democrats and the media) aren’t even trying to disguise the farce. From what I’ve seen, news outlets are reporting on the Biden junta’s claims of “crises” like there’s an ambulance waiting outside of everyone’s door poised to rush the involuntarily afflicted to a makeshift hospital or reeducation camp because “climate change” and “racial in-equity” are running rampant through federal inaction of late.
All politicians tend to exaggerate the immediacy of problems so as to inflate their own need -- and power -- to do something about them, but Democrats specialize in the hysteria. No doubt Biden will feel some urgency to keep his word to all his party’s voting blocs. If “climate change” isn’t dealt with NOW, then what will the environmentalists do? And if the scourge of racism isn’t constantly dwelled upon, what need would there be for a “race czar” or whatever federal force Grampa Joe has in mind to beat it?
The problem is that these airy “crises” don’t have a foundation, and now that Trump is back to his former status as private citizen Trump, what are the liberals going to pin it on? Without Trump lingering in the background, how will feminists handle their #MeToo accusations? Will the media finally give Tara Reade a call and offer her a spot on 60 Minutes after a segment with Nancy Pelosi explaining that Joe couldn’t possibly have done anything to the woman because he was having reoccurring episodes of memory loss from brain aneurysm surgery (Biden’s brain problems were in 1988).
At the very least, Trump provided the talkers a good target to talk about. With Trump somewhere else and his social media accounts permanently frozen, what will the media do? Are they in a rush to get the latest data on “climate change” or do a human-interest story on how a former white supremacist was rehabilitated by one of Biden’s race initiatives?
They’re going to wish there was someone like Trump around to complain about. Won’t take long.
Thank you, President Trump
This will be an emotional day for everyone. Jubilation, remorse, sadness, glee, relief, anger, anticipation, regret, appreciation… and, gratitude?
The latter will be for the tens of millions of Americans who fought through years of media smears and character assassination to recognize the outstanding job that Donald John Trump did as president. “Let Trump be Trump” was a philosophy his advisors adopted early in his candidacy, and then presidency. No one else could be just like him. Trump had flaws and vulnerabilities -- what person doesn’t?
But he stuck to his promises and never stopped fighting for the American people. For his determination, grit, unflappability and singular focus on “winning,” conservatives will forever be grateful. Here’s hoping that Trump finds an appropriate way to stay involved. We’re glad that he'll still be around in some form. Can’t wait to see it.
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