Street Smart

It is entirely impossible to overstate the dangerous outcome of Biden’s Afghanistan debacle. We will experience fallout from his idiotic/cowardly decision making for decades. Because of the minute-to-minute changes taking place in Afghanistan, it’s impossible to discuss it in detail. What we know now might be completely different in an hour. Let’s look at Biden’s pathetic job performance from a broader perspective.

Early this year, I wrote a column listing 21 predictions about what I thought we (America) would see happen during the Biden presidency. The italicized text below is five of those predictions redacted from that column.

Gas prices are going to skyrocket, and we will once again become reliant on foreign oil sources. Biden’s position on fracking will destroy that industry and put thousands of Americans out of work.

Crime statistics in larger Democrat controlled cities will continue to increase. Biden and Harris simply don’t have the guts to do what is necessary and that includes enforcing the death penalty (which, by the way, IS a deterrent). They will continue to kowtow to the groups calling to defund the police. In the end, it’ll be the very people who need protection most that will be hurt. We’ve seen it before when D.C. leadership is weak on crime. Expect it again.

China will become particularly bold and their efforts to expand influence and territory world-wide will increase.

The situation along the southern border will become a crisis that even Nancy Pelosi will recognize. Crime in the border-states will skyrocket because of the number of people crossing illegally.

I fear that this weak incoming administration will embolden our enemies, possibly to the point of an attack on our own soil. Our enemies don’t respect/fear Biden or anyone else associated with the Obama presidency. Does anyone remember Obama’s “red line” in the sand regarding Syrian President Assad and his (Obama’s) subsequent failure to act? I do and so do our adversaries.

Each of those five predictions have come true with the crisis in Afghanistan being the most recent. Gas prices are up. Violent crime statistics in Democrat controlled cities are at record levels. Because of Biden’s weakness in Afghanistan, China has laser focus on Taiwan and is negotiating with the Taliban. The southern border is an absolute mess and there is no end in sight. As a nation we are in more danger of an attack on our own soil than we have been in nearly 20 years. I haven’t even mentioned Biden’s confusing handling of the COVID pandemic or the inflation we are seeing. He’s managed to do all of that in just eight months! What is another three years going to look like? Scary indeed. I wonder how many Biden/Harris voters are ripping off their bumper stickers!

So what now? I sincerely believe that the only reason to look backward is to learn from our successes and our failures. Dwelling in the past is, in my view, a waste of time. We have to figure out the best way forward. The ballot box is the clearest path.

I clearly remember the Democrat reaction to Trump’s victory in the 2016 election. Liberals nationwide were wringing their hands and asking, “How could this happen?” The answer to that question is quite simple. Conservative Trump voters were mad. We were tired of eight years of Obama/Biden weak policy and lack of leadership. Now, it’s happening all over again. What we’re seeing is the predicted outcome of Democrat policies. No conservative thinker I know is at all surprised at what we’re seeing. We are however surprised at the speed of this administration’s incompetence.

The situation in Afghanistan is a tragedy that could have been avoided with competent leadership. We don’t have that. Biden and Harris are both absent. The few times Biden has spoken about Afghanistan, he has lied. He doesn’t even seem to know what is actually happening on the ground in Kabul. He won’t take more than a few questions, and when he does, the questions come from journalists on a pre-approved list. As of this writing, Harris hasn’t said a word. She owns half of this disaster and instead of providing leadership, she’s traveling to Southeast Asia.

I think it’s sad that we have the 20-year commemoration of the 911 attack coming up in the shadow of Biden’s Afghanistan failure. How are Americans supposed to feel? With competent leadership, Afghanistan could have been a relative success. People still debate whether America should have gone into Afghanistan at all. I see that as a moot point. We went. What we should feel now is some sense of accomplishment. Instead, we’re leaving in defeat. What did we accomplish? What about 20 years of military sacrifice? What about all of the people killed on 911? Arguably, Americans are now in more danger of a terrorist attack on our soil than we were in 2001. I could write for hours about the impact of all of this, but to what end? To know that it all could have been avoided is sickening.

Some are calling for Biden to be impeached. While I think his actions warrant impeachment, we need to think long term. If an impeachment effort was successful, Harris would become president. As weak and pathetic as Biden is (and whoever is his puppet master), Harris would be much worse. I’m seriously worried about the next three years. It doesn’t look good!

Blaine Blackstone is a retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant who enjoys the simpler life in Thompson Falls.