Fathers and Sons

Biden's predictable betrayal and the culpable media that sold their souls

(Vanitas, by Pieter Claesz, 1625. Public Domain)

“O shame, where is thy blush?”

~ Hamlet by William Shakespeare (Act 3, Scene 4)

Joel Bowman with today’s Note From the End of the World: Buenos Aires, Argentina...

“I said I’d abide by the jury decision, and I will do that. And I will not pardon [Hunter Biden].”

That a sitting president of the United States of America should be obliged to issue (and repeat) the above remarks during the course of a presidential election is, in and of itself, a shameful occurrence.

That he should then go back on his word is perhaps worse still. And yet, who among us is surprised by the whole sordid affair?

Even in these topsy-turvy times, where victims are regarded as heroes and vice lords over virtue, there remains no public scandal that an elected official cannot further cheapen, no flailing institution they will not degrade and no heartfelt plea they hesitate to dishonor.

It wasn’t enough that the first family has been embroiled in crime, controversy and coverup since before The Big Guy’s election, now the weary nation over which they presided must learn (once again) that there are rules for the ruled and rules for the rulers, and never the twain shall meet.

“No” Means “Yes”

Although presidents have pardoned family members before (Abe Lincoln pardoned his wife’s half-sister; Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother; The Donald pardoned his son’s father-in-law), this is the first time the father has pardoned the son, thereby betraying Justice’s holy ghost.

As to the culpability of the accused, there is no doubt. Hunter was found guilty in two separate trials over the summer, one relating to federal tax charges and the other for lying about his drug use while purchasing a firearm. The kind of charges, in other words, that might get your average criminal locked up. But then, the Bidens are not your average band of criminals.

Even before the trial, the White House ruled out a pardon. This they did with all the full faith and credibility owing to a family of such lowly distinction.

“I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal,” declared Biden, on July 11.

The president reiterated his stance two days later, this time standing next to that other paragon of truth telling, Volodymyr Zelenskyy: “I said I’d abide by the jury decision, and I will do that. And I will not pardon him.”

Biden made several more attempts at the truth, but mostly palmed the responsibility of communicating with mere voters to his unfortunate Fibber in Chief, Karine Jean-Pierre, for whom one can only surmise, “no” clearly means “yes.” Here she is, on July 26:

“It’s still — it’s still a no. It’s still a no,” she said. And when a reporter followed up with, “And will it always be a ‘no’?”

“It’s still a no. It will be a no. It — it is a no. And I don’t have anything else to add. Will he pardon his son? No.”

Believe All Bidens

Indeed, even after Hunter pleaded guilty on all charges, including withholding $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019, President Biden himself went so far as to say he was “fully satisfied” that his son had received a fair trial and that he would abide by the decision of the courts.

As late as November 7, two days after the Bidens were handed their White House eviction notice, the administration’s officials were still spelling “yes” with an “n” and an “o.” Poor Jean-Pierre, the Biden’s hired diversity gun, now squarely in the firing line herself.

Here she is again, suffering the indignation of being asked questions by apparently deaf journalists: “We’ve been asked that question multiple times,” huffed she. “Our answer stands, which is no.”

To the awe and astonishment of none, the legacy media was quick to fall in line, marching lockstep under their favorite banner: “Believe all Bidens.”

Variously described as “presidential,” “stoic” and “a moment of moral clarity” by gushing anchors and fawning opinion columnists, one almost had the impression that the popular presses actually believed the manufactured narrative.

Few in the far fallen fourth estate were as close to the action – and as detached from reality – as the former White House propagandist turned mainstream bullhorn, Jen Psaki. Here she was, front and center on spin central, MSNBC, the week of Hunter’s conviction on multiple felony gun charges, back in June.

“Joe Biden's character as a public servant is what drove him to make clear that the law applies to everyone,” a fauxmotional Psaki assured viewers.

“[T]he justice system that convicted his only surviving son is the same justice system he vowed to protect. If that doesn’t tell you who Joe Biden is, I don’t really know what does.”

Future, Meet Past

Truer words seldom spoken by a lying serpintongue. And now, as another shameful chapter draws to a close on America’s public stage, we do not begrudge a troubled family their tragedy and woe, only that they saw fit, in blind pursuit of power, to impose the whole tawdry affair upon a nation, already wearied by deceit and treachery.

As to the future, so inextricably entwined with the past...

When Hamlet chides his mother, Gertrude, in Bill Shakespeare’s masterpiece, he does so as a son lamenting a perceived lack of moral guidance.

Rebellious hell,
If thou canst mutine in a matron’s bones,
To flaming youth let virtue be as wax
And melt in her own fire. Proclaim no shame
When the compulsive ardor gives the charge,
Since frost itself as actively doth burn,
And reason panders will.

In other words, if reason plays maidservant to reckless abandon in those to whom age ought to have taught temperance, patience, resolve, what hope then have the flaming youth?

Or, as the drug-addled dauphin of the Democrats, Hunter Biden, might have pleaded, “But dad, what did you expect of me? You’re a dirtbag too!”

Stay tuned for more Notes From the End of the World...

Cheers,

Joel Bowman

P.S. As mentioned in this space before, America's trust in mass media is plumbing all time lows, with less than a third of recent Gallup Poll respondents expressing a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in the media to report the news “fully, accurately and fairly.”

(Source: Gallup, 2024)

According to Gallup, 2023-2024 was the third consecutive year that more U.S. adults registered no trust at all in the media (36%) than trust it a great deal or fair amount. Another third (33%) of Americans expressed “not very much” confidence.

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