I heard Tim Snyder recently refer to a question he asked Zelenskyy of Ukraine about why he didn't accept the offer of a flight out of Ukraine after the war broke out. Tim said it was a long answer but ultimately boiled down to Zelenskyy saying "in life you make moral choices, and those moral choices define who you are. Who you are means …
I heard Tim Snyder recently refer to a question he asked Zelenskyy of Ukraine about why he didn't accept the offer of a flight out of Ukraine after the war broke out. Tim said it was a long answer but ultimately boiled down to Zelenskyy saying "in life you make moral choices, and those moral choices define who you are. Who you are means that sometimes there is ONLY ONE choice."
I thought of that when I heard Biden pardoned Hunter. Biden's moral choices have made him the father & husband that he is. He only had one choice in this matter - to him the moral choice was to save his son from the interminable abuse he'd be facing at the hands of the Trump Administration, especially if Kash Patel gets in as FBI Director.
I truly do not fault him for doing it. I don't care if he said he wouldn't, that was before Hunter's named showed up on a "hit list". Did anyone see Rachel Maddow's From Russia with Lev? In it Lev Parnas admits they targeted Hunter to get at Joe - and he apologizes to Hunter at the end of it. ALL of that is new information that Joe Biden didn't have when he initially said he wouldn't pardon Hunter.
I don't know about you guys, but when I have new information, I sometimes change my mind. He did nothing that violates the law or the Constitution. Doing it will not give Trump permission to do shitty things now - he was going to do them anyway.
So not condemning Biden for changing his mind is not selling my soul to Donald Trump. In the battle of fights we're going to have to fight to save our democracy, this simply was not a hill worth dying on to me. I'd rather find a way to get RFK or Tulsi disqualified from their proposed positions.
I understand and appreciate where you're going with this, but "LOL nothing matters" is not the mental mindset I'm in on this topic. Let me put it this way since we're talking about the feelings. There was no malicious nor criminal intent behind Biden's decision. It was based in LOVE - and we could use more leaders willing to lead with love, if you ask me.
I agree. The whole thing was lying on a gun license and back taxes. Hunter has paid back taxes and penalties and admits he lied on his gun license. Why does he need to go to jail just to hurt Joe Biden?
IMO, We all need to make choices we can live with. People and life are so complicated that trying to figure out the why is pointless. Biden is likely nearing the end of his life and I cannot fault him for wanting his son around. As far as the political ramifications, well, let’s do what the Republicans do: ignore the chatter.
Awesome. Completely agree!! Just bc we aren’t condemning Biden for the pardon of his son does not mean we’re throwing in the integrity towel. I loved Tim’s column too and was annoyed extremely by his comments on the Hunter pardon. Many things can be true at once. Thank you!
Amen Theresa, I couldn't have expressed this sentiment any better! Biden was prepared to let his son go to jail, but to have to watch him publicly executed is a possibility that was best avoided!
Mores? Whose mores? I'm 82 and got an old fashioned training in morality from the example of my father, a truly upright gentleman himself raised as an old-style Baptist in the early 1900s. I would have pardoned my son without a moment's hesitation for the kind of crimes Hunter was convicted of and the political situation he was caught up in. I would have considered anything else on Biden's part a deep violation of traditional American mores. To be sure, Biden screwed up badly in promising not to do it and in the way he announced it, but that's being dumb, not immoral.
I would agree with you except for one thing that I have not read anywhere. Joe should have apologized for enabling Hunter. Where was he when Hunter took jobs he was not qualified for and when Hunter exhibited vile personal behavior?
This is completely true. And I think I’ve read that Biden wasn’t happy about some of the work Hunter was doing, but he could only express his concerns about it, not forbid.
Joe was in control of Joe, not Hunter. We do not control any other person's thoughts or actions. Of course, if asked, recommendations can be offered. But no one, no matter who he is, controls another person's thoughts or actions. Read "The Enchiridion" for more on this.
Drug addicts are very, very good at hiding vile behavior. As for taking jobs he wasn't qualified for, that's what all up and coming young American men seem to do, and I'm sure Joe was hoping for the best.
Hunter was 44 when he took the Burisma job. I remember when we made fun of Trump for excusing Trump Jr as a kid or young man for something Russia related.
I understand why Biden is blind to his son’s flaws, but idk why the rest of us are playing along with it too.
I’ve seen no evidence that he’s “blind” to anything. All I’ve seen is a father who prays that his son’s fragile sobriety will not collapse in the face of targeted political abuse.
That was the case a week ago, but now he’s gone beyond praying for him and has given him a very broad pardon. That’s a political act and leaves him wide open to (deserved) criticism.
The polls turned against Biden in ‘21. His job was to beat Trump once and for all. He failed. Now as Carville said yesterday, he now goes down as a tragic figure in American politics. That’s more generous than I feel, but that’s just like my opinion, man.
So what, Richard? Why does it matter that his act leaves him open to deserved criticism? His political life is over. He rightly feared for his son's life in a Bureau of Prisons run by Trump loyalists. To choose avoiding criticism over his son's life makes no sense to me.
I really don't think anyone's blind to his faults. Quite frankly I get tired of thinking and talking about young idiotic Americans, and that includes Hunter, and Trump's brats.
I heard Tim Snyder recently refer to a question he asked Zelenskyy of Ukraine about why he didn't accept the offer of a flight out of Ukraine after the war broke out. Tim said it was a long answer but ultimately boiled down to Zelenskyy saying "in life you make moral choices, and those moral choices define who you are. Who you are means that sometimes there is ONLY ONE choice."
I thought of that when I heard Biden pardoned Hunter. Biden's moral choices have made him the father & husband that he is. He only had one choice in this matter - to him the moral choice was to save his son from the interminable abuse he'd be facing at the hands of the Trump Administration, especially if Kash Patel gets in as FBI Director.
I truly do not fault him for doing it. I don't care if he said he wouldn't, that was before Hunter's named showed up on a "hit list". Did anyone see Rachel Maddow's From Russia with Lev? In it Lev Parnas admits they targeted Hunter to get at Joe - and he apologizes to Hunter at the end of it. ALL of that is new information that Joe Biden didn't have when he initially said he wouldn't pardon Hunter.
I don't know about you guys, but when I have new information, I sometimes change my mind. He did nothing that violates the law or the Constitution. Doing it will not give Trump permission to do shitty things now - he was going to do them anyway.
So not condemning Biden for changing his mind is not selling my soul to Donald Trump. In the battle of fights we're going to have to fight to save our democracy, this simply was not a hill worth dying on to me. I'd rather find a way to get RFK or Tulsi disqualified from their proposed positions.
I understand and appreciate where you're going with this, but "LOL nothing matters" is not the mental mindset I'm in on this topic. Let me put it this way since we're talking about the feelings. There was no malicious nor criminal intent behind Biden's decision. It was based in LOVE - and we could use more leaders willing to lead with love, if you ask me.
I agree. The whole thing was lying on a gun license and back taxes. Hunter has paid back taxes and penalties and admits he lied on his gun license. Why does he need to go to jail just to hurt Joe Biden?
Thank you, Theresa. I would add that maybe it's high time Democrats quit dumping on their own. They do it with every Democratic president.
Well said!
Thank you. I agree with everything you wrote.
Bingo!!
IMO, We all need to make choices we can live with. People and life are so complicated that trying to figure out the why is pointless. Biden is likely nearing the end of his life and I cannot fault him for wanting his son around. As far as the political ramifications, well, let’s do what the Republicans do: ignore the chatter.
Theresa: You've made a fine comment about what ultimately matters.
100% agree, well put.
Awesome. Completely agree!! Just bc we aren’t condemning Biden for the pardon of his son does not mean we’re throwing in the integrity towel. I loved Tim’s column too and was annoyed extremely by his comments on the Hunter pardon. Many things can be true at once. Thank you!
"Just bc we aren’t condemning Biden for the pardon of his son does not mean we’re throwing in the integrity towel." Agree.
Wholeheartedly agree
Thank you Theresa. Very well said.
I agree with all of this, Theresa!
Yes yes yes. We can be non-nihilistic and still think Biden’s choice was the right one.
Amen Theresa, I couldn't have expressed this sentiment any better! Biden was prepared to let his son go to jail, but to have to watch him publicly executed is a possibility that was best avoided!
Mores? Whose mores? I'm 82 and got an old fashioned training in morality from the example of my father, a truly upright gentleman himself raised as an old-style Baptist in the early 1900s. I would have pardoned my son without a moment's hesitation for the kind of crimes Hunter was convicted of and the political situation he was caught up in. I would have considered anything else on Biden's part a deep violation of traditional American mores. To be sure, Biden screwed up badly in promising not to do it and in the way he announced it, but that's being dumb, not immoral.
Point.
All well put. Your last sentence - absolutely agree. I still haven't heard from Sarah or JVL why it was immoral and dishonorable.
I would agree with you except for one thing that I have not read anywhere. Joe should have apologized for enabling Hunter. Where was he when Hunter took jobs he was not qualified for and when Hunter exhibited vile personal behavior?
One does not have to “enable” a drug addict; they are masters of deceit and manipulation.
Hunter was a grown man, not a kid. POTUS was no longer raising him, and was enmeshed in losing his other beloved son.
People don’t get to blame their parents after about 25, I believe.
This is completely true. And I think I’ve read that Biden wasn’t happy about some of the work Hunter was doing, but he could only express his concerns about it, not forbid.
Joe wasn’t responsible for Hunter’s job choices or behavior.
Joe was in control of Joe, not Hunter. We do not control any other person's thoughts or actions. Of course, if asked, recommendations can be offered. But no one, no matter who he is, controls another person's thoughts or actions. Read "The Enchiridion" for more on this.
Drug addicts are very, very good at hiding vile behavior. As for taking jobs he wasn't qualified for, that's what all up and coming young American men seem to do, and I'm sure Joe was hoping for the best.
Hunter was 44 when he took the Burisma job. I remember when we made fun of Trump for excusing Trump Jr as a kid or young man for something Russia related.
I understand why Biden is blind to his son’s flaws, but idk why the rest of us are playing along with it too.
I’ve seen no evidence that he’s “blind” to anything. All I’ve seen is a father who prays that his son’s fragile sobriety will not collapse in the face of targeted political abuse.
That was the case a week ago, but now he’s gone beyond praying for him and has given him a very broad pardon. That’s a political act and leaves him wide open to (deserved) criticism.
He’s 82. He doesn’t give a shit about “criticism.” Most people actually support his decision because most of us have kids.
This won’t impact his legacy at all. Do you remember the media meltdown over JFK appointing RFK and how it tarnished JFK’s legacy forever?
Me neither.
Yeah it became pretty clear this summer that Biden doesn’t care about “criticism”. Look where that got us.
I don’t know what president could waste any time thinking about criticism. There’s stuff to do.
That he’s responsible for “where that got us,” is your opinion, of course. To the death, defend, and so on.
The polls turned against Biden in ‘21. His job was to beat Trump once and for all. He failed. Now as Carville said yesterday, he now goes down as a tragic figure in American politics. That’s more generous than I feel, but that’s just like my opinion, man.
So what, Richard? Why does it matter that his act leaves him open to deserved criticism? His political life is over. He rightly feared for his son's life in a Bureau of Prisons run by Trump loyalists. To choose avoiding criticism over his son's life makes no sense to me.
I’d think he was nuts if he hadn’t saved his child.
Really - Trust Trump to treat him fairly in prison? I wouldn't.
That’s what I said. I don’t think you meant to reply to me.
I really don't think anyone's blind to his faults. Quite frankly I get tired of thinking and talking about young idiotic Americans, and that includes Hunter, and Trump's brats.
Except all of them are about 50. I doubt if any of us considered ourselves “young Americans” at 50.