These are serious times, and America has a slew of unserious people at the White House wheel. First, let’s look at current events — that is, what is actually happening right now:
Chaos in the Middle East
Hamas ambushed Israel at dawn on Shabbat, and not just any Shabbat: the Festival of Sukkot. Reuters has the death toll since Oct. 7 surpassing 1,100. More than 100 people have been taken hostage by Hamas, including Americans.
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit western Afghanistan on Oct. 8. The Taliban (remember, the terrorist group now owns Afghanistan, thanks to President Biden) has stated that more than 2,400 people were killed in the quake, but that number is bound to go up as survivors buried under debris perish without food, water, or medical attention.
In Alexandria, Egypt, a policeman shot and killed two Israeli tourists and their Egyptian tour guide on Sunday at the Pompei Pillars site.
Meanwhile, in Syria, a drone strike killed 89 people at a military academy graduation ceremony, including women and children; nearly 300 were injured. This attack nullified the 2020 ceasefire between the Russian-backed Syrian government and the Turkey-backed rebel alliance.
🇨🇳XI JINPING:
"The Palestinian issue bears on peace and stability in the Middle East. The historical injustices done to the Palestinian people should not be left unattended indefinitely. The legitimate rights and interests of a nation are not up for trade, and the demand to… pic.twitter.com/2tsK8Ieeiw
— Sony Thang (@nxt888) October 9, 2023
Chaos at the Southern U.S. Border
Unvetted, unknown people continue to swarm the U.S. border with Mexico. Military-aged males, known terrorists, and trafficked children continue to enter our country illegally. New York City Mayor Eric “Biggest NIMBY Ever” Adams just wrapped up what the Daily Mail is calling a “vanity tour” of Central America intended to deter people from entering the United States. It is worth noting that hecklers told the elected official to “go back to New Jersey.”
Texas is busing these folks to sanctuary cities all over the country, where they will remain unvetted and unknown. Thousands of suspected fentanyl pills, 25 guns, and nearly 20 pounds of cocaine were confiscated in Oregon over the weekend as part of an international drug sting operation.
Thank you to those working around the clock to build the Texas border wall and help secure our border. pic.twitter.com/h8pQgrsa12
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 8, 2023
Chaos in Fiscal Arenas
Oil prices are up and the market is down.
Janet Yellen is going to Morocco for IMF meetings, where she will undoubtedly be asked, “What the &^$% is going on in America?” The Treasury secretary is expected to press European coffers for Ukraine.
The United States is halfway through a 45-day funding bill meant to buy Congress more time to pass an actual budget. Considering the Republicans don’t have a Speaker, nothing of substance is on the House docket this week.
Unemployment is steady at 3.8% (roughly 6.4 million people).
🚨 JUST IN: OIL PRICES SURGE BY OVER 4.5%
Conflict in the Middle East has caused oil prices to spike prior to the opening of markets on Monday morning, which will inevitably lead to an increase in gas prices that are already choking Americans.
Joe Biden has drained the… pic.twitter.com/cnfQPKAI2X
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 9, 2023
Now that we have established things have reached Dumpster Fire™ status, let us examine who is supposed to prevent and respond to the situation:
Where is everyone?
Joe and Jill Biden were too busy at a White House barbecue.
Kamala Harris is pushing DEI on Instagram and gun control on Twitter.
Kevin McCarthy is denying resignation rumors and Matt Gaetz, the dog that finally caught the car, is floundering to stay relevant.
Nancy Pelosi is allowing the media to dabble in who gets the “hideaway room” distraction.
Karine Jean-Pierre and her JV comms team were out to brunch, probably.
Millions of women of reproductive age live in a state with an abortion ban currently in effect.
The Biden-Harris Administration will continue to defend reproductive rights and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade. pic.twitter.com/kPiHo3B5MI
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 9, 2023
We have a handful of GOP presidential hopefuls, and none of them is knocking anyone’s socks off. There are elected governors, mayors, and Congress members that no one cares about or even knows. The time for sternly worded tweets and statements on letterhead is long gone. We don’t need words; we need action, leadership, accountability, and honesty.
These are not serious people.
It is my sincere hope that people realize how embarrassing this situation really is. Instead of being the Leader of the Free World, Joe Biden is being spoonfed oatmeal and talking points that end with “it’s a big deal.” Rather than owning the border responsibilities she was given years ago, Vice President Harris is doing all she can to avoid the situation because that’s, like, too hard.
Congress is full of people more interested in being on TV than doing their jobs, which is why you’ll see more fundraising efforts from them than you will budget work. The goal of being elected, after all, is enjoying all of the perks:
- $174,000 annual salary (average salary in the US is $59,428)
- Full pension retirement eligibility at the age of 60 after five years of service (80% of retired Americans are in financial discomfort)
- On-call urgent care on the Hill available for a one-time annual payment of $650 (half of a family of five’s monthly health insurance payment)
- Honorariums, book deals, media appearances, event tickets and speakerships, fame, fortune, trips, blah, blah, blah
The United States government has become, as the Daily Mail so ironically put it, a vanity project. A news outlet based in the land of monarchy is calling us out for indulgent, look-at-me leaders. Because we don’t get the government we need, but the one we deserve, we should take a good look at ourselves and ask how we ended up with a secretary of state who would rather blame Republicans than Iran for Hamas’s attack on Israel. When one senator dies, why do we allow the state’s governor to appoint a replacement who doesn’t even live in the state? Because the appointee checks all the right boxes: black, female, über left-wing champion of unions and abortion, and openly LGBTQ+.
Happy LGBTQI+ History Month! Let's celebrate the strides our communities have made in health. In 1972 Dr. John Fryer's speech as Dr. Anonymous was pivotal to the @APApsychiatric's decision to remove homosexuality from the DSM the following year. pic.twitter.com/xR0eHvSl7k
— ADM Rachel Levine (@HHS_ASH) October 6, 2023
Related: We’re Ahead in the Polls? That Means We’re Losing
Serious people look at reality. In Anthony Blinken’s case, reality is unfreezing $6 billion in Iran and watching elderly women, teenage girls, and entire families murdered. Kamala Harris’s reality is deadly, as people and drugs are pouring into the United States across a border that is barely a border. Joe Biden’s reality is he is too old and unwell to be surrounded by a bunch of self-serving social climbers. The GOP’s reality is a circular firing squad that benefits no one except Democrats. The Democrats’ reality is their noisy fringe is pulling resources away from moderates who are less concerned with your pronouns than if their kids’ teachers have adequate funds to keep their classrooms running safely and efficiently.
Serious people acknowledge reality. Which elected or appointed officials in Washington, D.C., have done that?
Serious people act. Which elected or appointed officials in Washington, D.C., have done anything to help anyone but themselves in the last week? The last month? The last year?
Serious people own their mistakes. Serious people find solutions. The only thing D.C. has given us are excuses.
Serious people are too busy running businesses or households, putting food on shelves or tables, nursing the sick and dying, protecting the innocent, easing restrictions to access and resources, and preparing children to become productive adults.
I’m honestly unsure what version of America today’s children will inherit, one that is the Great Melting Pot or one that is a House Divided. We must have the guts to demand and tenacity to maintain results that are exponentially better than what we have. Please, for the love of all that’s good in the world (and it’s still there, just subscribe to The Morning Briefing, and you’ll see Everything Isn’t Awful), take 20 minutes and research what your elected officials have done for you lately. If you had an employee delivering those kinds of results, would you keep them on the payroll?
https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Join the conversation as a VIP Member