Commentary by Bill JuneauJoe Biden stood in front of cameras recently and said, "Ask yourself, do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters?"
Looking at him in his ironed suit and neat tie, and with his freshly grown hair plastered down and with a backdrop of American flags, I have to say he does not look like a radical who likes to see a good riot. But then "Looks are only skin deep."
An even more interesting twist on that question might be to ask ourselves whether his vice presidential running mate looks like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters. The answer there might be quite different, especially if you look at her record.
But back to the actual candidate. A "radical socialist?" He's been in government for almost 50 years as a Senator and then a Vice President.
In recent times, the befuddled Biden has attached himself to the hip of "Democrat-Socialist" Bernie Sanders, and Bernie's alter ego, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a former New York bartender who is predicting the end of the world in 12 years. For AOC and Bernie, and now Biden, unless the "Green New Deal" is implemented, society as we know it is down the drain. Joe Biden stands as the man to do it.
With the Green Deal, and Biden says he is all in, fossil fuels need to be replaced — somehow. Airplanes will be out and maybe, a road to Hawaii can be created.
Biden has said that he will be the most progressive president since FDR and pacifist Sanders nods in agreement. Costs for this enormous legislative package will be in the many trillions of dollars, but whose counting. Tax increases on the wealthy one percent, with corporations now paying their "fair share" will provide the funds, Biden has said.
But that is only part of the Biden and Sanders "manifesto." Borders will be opened for all to the USA — a new home of the free. No such entity as an illegal alien. Top medical and health care will be provided at no charge for all residents, including so-called "illegals." School tuition will be eliminated entirely and existing school debt will be canceled. The 400 miles of the controversial Trump Wall will come down, and Second Amendment rights will be shaved. Jailed felons will be permitted to vote in elections, bail posting will be unnecessary and eventually prisons and holding cells will be history. Funds for the police will be "redirected" wherever appropriate.
Together with the "Green New Deal" this is the Biden and Sanders and AOC vision and Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer and other Democrats say they are on board. Beto O'Rourke will reportedly supervise all gun matters.
So, ask yourself, are the Biden plans "radical," and is Biden a socialist? As I see it, their vision is insane nonsense and Biden, seeing this as his last chance at the White House, has eagerly hopped on board. So the answer to his question is: "Yes, that's Joe Biden's calling card."
But does Biden actually have a "soft spot" for rioting? Good question for the former vice president.
For four months, the 77-year-old Biden, whose mental capacity is clearly an issue, sat relaxed in the solitude of his basement lair in his Delaware home, always wearing a black mask or with one dangling from his ear, when a camera was around.
Reports and stories of the anarchy, and the deaths and the millions of dollars in damage to businesses and the looting of merchandise dominated the television screens and front pages of newspapers. In Portland, the riots have continued for more than 100 days, and in fact are still going on there. From August 17 to August 20, in Milwaukee, the four-day Democratic convention was held and there were scores of speakers who praised Biden and his running mate and predicted that with them in the Oval office, there will be quick fixes to problems confronting the country. Brilliant Joe Biden will be replacing the disliked President whom he blames for thousands of deaths for mishandling the Covid-19 crisis.
But not a word about the disorders and rampaging on American streets, all controlled by Democratic mayors and governors who asked their police to "stand down," and eschewed all federal assistance. Not a word from the standard bearer or from the former California attorney general Harris. Not a word about the millions, even billions, of dollars of damages to good decent merchants. No reference to the looting of stores on Chicago's Magnificent Mile where BLM spokespersons have said that the expensive merchandise taken was equivalent to blacks receiving long deserved "reparations."
But then, around the end of August, Biden stepped forward and said that he condemned the violence and anarchy and that looters and arsonists and killers should be prosecuted. Yes, Joe Biden emerged as a "law and order" guy. There never was any explanation as to why the subject of the disorders was never mentioned while it was going on or at the convention, only that now it was being condemned.
Pundits surmise that the Democrats had to act, since Republicans and the incumbent President were being praised for their stand against violence. Biden's managers gave him a new script to read. Close allies like Bernie and AOC very likely did not like his endorsement of "law and order," since it was offensive to the far left base; but Democrats in charge saw it as time for the slow thinking, but malleable Biden, to speak out on the need for peace on our streets.
Biden and the Democrats ignored the disorders and endorsed the call for racial justice so long as it appeared to be beneficial to their campaign. When it was not, the change was made.
So much for the answer to Biden's question. He endorses radical ideas and is a true-blue socialist, and has a "soft spot" for disorders when they are helpful. And that's the story of Joe Biden.
Bill Juneau worked for 25 years as a reporter and night city editor at the Chicago Tribune. Subsequently he became a partner in a law firm and also served as a village prosecutor and as a consultant to the Cook County Circuit Court and to the Cook County Medical Examiner. He is currently writing columns and the 'Florida Bill' blog.
Free Press International
