Wednesday, May 15, 2019

How do you know when a politician is lying? His lips are moving.


I'm not surprised that no-one in the mainstream media seems to be commenting on former Vice-President Joe Biden's latest excuses . . . but I am very disappointed.  You may be sure that if a Republican candidate had used the same words, about the same actions, he'd be flayed up one side and down the other for evading the issue.  (Let me repeat what I've said many times in these pages:  I'm neither Democrat nor Republican.  I vote for the person, not the party.  As far as I'm concerned, a good person who has the strengths I look for in an individual will get my vote, and I don't care what party he or she belongs to.)

Biden is seeking to deflect criticism of his past activities in Ukraine that may have benefited his son.

Former Vice President Joe Biden denied Monday that his son Hunter Biden asked him for a favor in Ukraine while serving on the energy board of a Ukrainian energy company.

“We never once discussed it when he was there,” Biden told the Associated Press. “There’s not a single bit of evidence that’s been shown in any reporting that’s been done that he ever talked about it with me or asked any government official for a favor.”

When he was vice president, Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees for Ukraine if officials did not fire the country’s top prosecutor, who was pursuing a corruption investigation of an energy company while his son Hunter was serving on the board ... Hunter Biden was paid as much as $50,000 per month while serving on the board, as his father led the Obama administration’s policy with Ukraine.

There's more at the link.  Bold, underlined text is my emphasis.

Y'know, if I challenge someone about an ethical or moral issue, and they come right back with "Well, you have no evidence!" . . . I pretty much know they're lying, right there.  They're not so much denying it as telling me I can't prove it.  As for discussing it "when he was there", that didn't stop them discussing it when his son was here in the USA, did it?  He was flying back and forth frequently.  It wouldn't have been necessary to discuss it "there".

Evasions.  Weasel words.

There are more of them concerning Biden's later assistance to his son in China.

Last week, Biden raised eyebrows when he shrugged off concerns over the China threat. “Come on, man,” Biden said. “I mean, you know, they’re not bad folks, folks. But guess what, they’re not competition for us.”

Perhaps Biden’s insouciant attitude toward the Chinese government has to do with the fact that his family does not consider them competitors but business partners.

In 2013, then-Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden flew aboard Air Force Two to China. Less than two weeks later, Hunter Biden’s firm inked a $1 billion private equity deal with a subsidiary of the Chinese government’s Bank of China. The deal was later expanded to $1.5 billion. In short, the Chinese government funded a business that it co-owned along with the son of a sitting vice president.

Again, more at the link.

I'm sorry, but coming on top of the Ukraine allegations, this simply reeks of impropriety.  If a Republican Vice-President had done exactly the same thing, the mainstream media would be baying for his blood . . . but as far as Biden's concerned?  Crickets.  It's left to independent media and commentators to highlight the contradictions of the situation.

We're in what amounts to a trade war with China.  They've been exploiting our markets for years, and sucking hundreds of billions of dollars out of our pockets into theirs with their one-sided and unfair tariffs, regulations and policies.  How can we trust a politician like Biden - irrespective of his political party - to deal with that situation in the best interests of the USA?

I'm not a particular fan of President Trump, although I freely admit that a lot of his policies have pleasantly surprised me.  I'm very much in favor of his appointment of constructionist judges, and I think his trade policies towards China and other power blocs are long overdue.  I'm sure he's used his influence as a businessman, while he was a businessman, to obtain assistance for his family's enterprises abroad.  There's nothing wrong with that, of course.  However, as far as I'm aware, no-one - not even the mainstream media - has alleged, much less provided any verifiable evidence, that he's used his office as President to do the same thing.  For that, I give him credit where it's due.

Could we ever do the same to a future President Biden, considering his track record?  I'm guessing not.

Peter

5 comments:

McChuck said...

It seems this must be repeated. Democrats and other Leftists have no morals other than the Will to Power. Leftism is their religion, and Marx their prophet.

Unknown said...

Watching Denzel Washington in "The Equalizer" I made the statement, "That's why the agency hired him. He can me amoral for all the right reasons."

"Ends justify the means"
"Might makes right"

These were the types of abuse for which the legal protections of civil rights were ensconced onto paper between king and subject, and later government and governed.

Rob said...

For the last 10 or so years it's been a tough time to be for the best ideas and not a Party.

Ya, when they say "you can't prove it" you know....

Tirno said...

"There’s not a single bit of evidence that’s been shown in any reporting that’s been done"

'ware the sophistry.

It's easy not to have evidence in reporting when the reporting is done by ideological allies. Also, reporting that has been done by non-allies can be discounted as not really legitimate reporting.

Because no True Scotsman would reiel his corruption.

Beans said...

Well, all he was doing was what two of the previous administration's Secretaries of State did. Kerry made sweetheart deals for his kids and Clinton definitely carved out some rich stuff for Chelsea and herself.

It's almost like corruption is part of the DNC power structure...

And I am very bothered by the Lame Stream Media's silence. Just like the silence over the email scandal, and all the other scandals of the 'most scandal-free administration' of the previous president.