So this post is not so much political as it is observational. I am not taking sides one way or the other on issues of morality, Biden or Trump. The question I am asking has to do with whether we have dumb downed what we consider reprehensible.
Biden has pardoned Hunter for any and all crimes committed from 2014 through 2024. An abuse of power? Are we really that shocked that he did that, despite saying he wouldn’t? Are you wondering about the ensuing meltdown of every republican and then the haughtiness of every democrat?
Meaning?
Well the selfrighteousness of the republicans, as if Trump didn’t make some questionable pardons when he was POTUS, and of course what he said he will do with pardons once he becomes President again.
The haughtiness of democrats saying, but Trump did worse…(listen democrats after the Rich pardon by Clinton you really dont have too much of a leg to stand on about morality or constitutionality of pardons).
What I have come across is for so many to say, “but Trump did worse,” or “what about the threat to Hunter under a revengeful Trump.” (Ok, but I bet if you didn’t pay back taxes on over 1.5 million dollars, the IRS would eventually find you no matter who you were. And yes he paid it back, not him of course, a friend of daddy’s paid the bill for him. And no, I don’t think it would have been good for the son of a president to go to prison. Not because he didn’t necessarily deserve it, but being who he is, there would be a huge target on his back, and we would have had to supply Secret Service to protect him in prison as well.)
(As an aside, I also think white collar criminals should have to pay everything back [of course] and be fined as well, but mostly should spend their “sentence” doing community service. Using taxpayer money on nonviolent criminals is a waste since they are not a threat to anyone especially if they are barred from ever being involved in any part of the financial industry in any way for the rest of their lives. )
(Now, the question of lawfare against Trump, or the weaponization of the DOJ is not what is being discussed here. [But those complaining how the DOJ would be weaponized against Hunter is cognitive dissonance at its best] Yet, as I have always questioned, knowing what happened on January 6 and prior, why did it take 5 years for cases to be brought? The timing is suspect. If someone can find a decent explanation please post it in the comments. By the way, it doesn’t mean Trump is, or is not guilty. These are issues for a court of law where the prosecutor doesn’t have to tie themselves into gordian knots.)
Listen if you are going to judge how you act, by saying a person you consider morally compromised to be your guiding star there is something terribly wrong here. Now what do I mean?
When we examine our life story and how we are supposed to act, our guiding light is supposed to be either the biblical commandments, or as some of my christian friends ask WWJD (what would Jesus do?)?
I have never heard that we are supposed to judge our actions against someone we consider anathema and beyond the pale. If you are someone who considers Trump to be morally compromised why would you hold yourself, or someone you admire, up against his actions? If you consider him to be illegitimate in thought and deed, to say well Biden is still better than Trump, that is not necessarily saying that your guy is truly a good and decent person. Is it? To say well, there is worse, ok, so there is also alot better, no?
I find it incredulous that we have allowed our society to be so deprived of any integrity that to do better than the most morally compromised person you know is still doing good. This is what I mean when we discuss whether a person is someone who we should or should not admire.
I don't understand this self perpetuating need to also make excuses for your “guy” or “gal.” You know what the truth is, sometimes your side is wrong, completely wrong and it is ok to say so. Sometimes the person you support does something sketchy and you can call them out for it. Sometimes the side you support is compromised and they are not the be all and end all of morality.
This does not let someone else off the hook simply because you recognize that your pick is wrong, and has done something embarrassing. But it is a show of integrity to point out when your side needs to do better.
Now why is this important? It is important simply because for so many there needs to be a purity test. I am not asking for a purity test for any candidate. I find most politicians narcissistic, sociopathic, and generally repugnant. They are in it for the power and then the side money aint so bad either (We can talk about how Congress is exempt from the insider trading laws at another time.)
Is it cynical that I am not surprised when politicos do something good, as opposed to when they are found out to be duplicitous? Probaby. But there is a reason Hollywood made , Mr. Smith goes to Washington, almost 100 years ago. Not too much has changed, except the amount of money pols endup with at the end of their terms. (and yes we can also talk about Hollywood at another time too. But the Hollywood of the 1920s and 1930s at least liked the USA, as opposed to what Hollywood has become in today’s day and age.)
But back to having a moral compass. I do not hold myself out to be a perfect person. It is impossible to be perfect. It’s the definition of human to be imperfect. But it is our duty to try to better ourselves, and to make ourselves better people. It is our responsibility to help others and those less fortunate. It is our obligation to leave this world better in any respect than we found it. It is our commission to make sure that we try to do better than the day before. It is our necessity to leave our children a legacy that they would be proud of.
Back decades ago, I created a class for middle school students on the history of law. It began of course, with Hammurabi’s code and the Bible, going all the way to the US Bill of Rights. It was a quick run thru. Now, apart from teaching the tweens what their rights are under US law, the gist of the class is that in order to make our world a better place we are each required to do better. If you are privileged in this world to have a roof over our head, food on the table, the ability to be educated, and a golden ticket in life, you need to take a beat and think of others. (I don’t think too many parents liked my message as I only got to teach the seminar to 2 classes and then was never asked back again.) I tried to teach that the epitome of life is simply to be kind.
I told these children that it is their obligation to help others. It did not mean you had to give up on your dreams, but you do need to be aware of the world around you. Perhaps it is the old world view that those born to privilege (not in the woke sense, but in the Old European sense of being just fucking lucky) are obligated to help those less fortunate.
In this vein, I never would compare myself to someone whom I deem morally compromised. I would be insulted if someone compared me to a person I considered anathema in my life. I want to be compared to someone who I look up to. If I can reach their standard of goodness then I know I would have lived a decent life.
It should be the same with Presidents, all politicians, and those who have a say over our well being as a society.
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Why do you think parents did not like your class? What is your theory about it?
And on another note, what you are asking all of us to do is a high call…
Sometimes we are so much on the auto pilot that we don’t stop to think of our actions, let alone of other people. Unless, we judge. Others.
Here is the real reason Joe Biden had to pardon his son. Because he hast to live the rest of his life with Jill.