He Ate Well for Life
Biden v. Trump
Taking time to rationally think about it, it’s time to opine about Biden and Trump.
The current sitting president authorized the use of deadly force to retrieve government property allegedly in the possession of a former president. This unprecedented move has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, with many likening it to the heavy-handed tactics often associated with authoritarian regimes in poorly developed nations; surely not a Western civilized nation.
While the importance of recovering misappropriated government assets cannot be overstated, resorting to extreme measures against a former head of state, who is still afforded protection by a dedicated government agency, should raise concerns about the state of our democracy. It is one thing to demand the return of property through legal channels and to express frustration at the failure of some individuals, regardless of their status, to adhere to established protocols; however, it is quite another to resort to the threat of lethal force in a situation that could be resolved through diplomacy and the proper application of the law.
Slippery Slope
And no, the nation will not fail overnight, it’s a slow process of which the apex of slippery slope may have been reached, but in this case, a money say, should be a monkey did, does, and do.
Such a drastic step sets a dangerous precedent and risks further polarizing an already divided nation. It provides ammunition to the opposition, who may view it as an abuse of power and a blatant attempt to intimidate political rivals. This action undermines the principles of senior statesman status of a former president, which has been an essential pillar of our functioning democracy, but these times when a defeated president runs again under his party banner, is truly unusual.
Tuna
In essence, authorizing the use of deadly force in this context is a sign of poor leadership and a lack of respect for the institutions that form the bedrock of our society. At best, it was a serious miscalculation and has resulted increased distrust of various departments and agencies. It is an approach more suited to a "tuna boat" style of governance, where brute force takes precedence over reason and dialogue.
Rodney
As a nation, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard and resist the temptation to resort to such crass and potentially destabilizing methods, no matter how frustrating the circumstances may be. Revenge is a dangerous sport and when playing against an Idi Amin-type rival.
As the late swimmer, Rodney King asked: “Can’t we all just get along?” Answer: No. We never have and apparently never will and so, let’s follow the Buffer:
Speaking of Idi
Speaking of Idi, did you know that on April 11, 1979, he fled the nation and lived in exile for the rest of his life. Amin first escaped to Libya, where he stayed until 1980, and ultimately settled in Saudi Arabia, where the Saudi royal family allowed him sanctuary and paid him a generous subsidy in return for staying out of politics. Amin lived for a number of years on the top two floors of the Novotel Hotel on Palestine Road in Jeddah. He died on August 16, 2003 and was buried in Ruwais Cemetery in Jeddah in a simple grave, without any fanfare. A ruthless ruler lived 8,893 days, which equals 24 years, 4 months, and 5 days in “retirement,” among those who are “interesting” allied and friends of ours, Israel, and others. And so, I wonder:
“How many of our tax dollars went to support “cannibal” Idi?