 Last year at this time I wrote that there was no peace in the Holy Land this Christmas. Sadly this Christmas the violence continues, Lebanon has been brought into the conflict and the fall of the Assad regime has destabilized Syria. There are ongoing efforts between Qatar, Egypt and the United States to negotiate a ceasefire deal for the region, ending the years long conflict. With the end of the brutal Assad dictatorship, there is hope that the people of Syria can unite their war-torn country and live in peace. Reflecting on the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere, reminds me how fortunate we are to live in the United States. Despite the political divisions that were intensified during this election year, we live in peace with our neighbors and enjoy general prosperity and safety. Wishing for peace this holiday season may seem a bit naïve, but the hope for a peaceful future for ourselves and others should never be crushed under the weight of cynicism or despair.  Nearly 60 years ago when the Vietnam War opened Americans’ eyes to the madness of war, a new Christmas song was released by Stevie Wonder. The song is as relevant today as it was then and remains one of my favorite contemporary Christmas songs. Here is a link to the song, and the lyrics are printed below. Someday at Christmas, men won't be boys Playing with bombs like kids play with toys. One warm December, our hearts will see A world where men are free. Someday at Christmas, there'll be no wars When we have learned what Christmas is for. When we have found what life's really worth There'll be peace on Earth. Someday all our dreams will come to be Someday in a world where men are free. Maybe not in time for you and me But someday at Christmastime. Someday at Christmas, we'll see a land With no hungry children, no empty hand. One happy morning, people will share Our world where people care. Someday at Christmas, there'll be no tears All men are equal and no men have fears. One shining moment, one prayer away From our world today. Someday all our dreams will come to be Someday in a world where men are free. Maybe not in time for you and me But someday at Christmastime. Someday at Christmas, man will not fail Hate will be gone and love will prevail. Someday a new world that we can start With hope in every heart. (Someday all our dreams will come to be) (Someday in a world where men are free) Maybe not in time for you and me But someday at Christmastime. Someday at Christmastime.    The world continues to be chaotic and at times unjust, making the holiday season a welcome respite for many of us. This season of holidays is a time to slow down and reflect on what really matters in life. No matter how you celebrate the holiday season I hope that you can find peace and comfort in the company of friends and family. This Christmas the world is not at peace, but at least my older brother Mark has finally found his peace. He passed away this month after a brutal fight with cancer. Rest in peace brother.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
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 On December 1, 2024, President Joe Biden granted his son Hunter a full and unconditional pardon “For those offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024”. The pardon clears Hunter Biden of the nine federal tax charges that he plead guilty to in September and his three felony convictions for lying on a federal firearms application. In his statement announcing the pardon President Biden stated that Hunter had been treated differently and unfairly singled out to hurt Biden’s presidential campaign. The president went on to state that, “I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice”.  Reactions From the Right: The reaction from Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans was predictable. Trump called the pardon an abuse of power and a miscarriage of justice. House Republicans called it proof that Joe Biden couldn’t be trusted and that the Biden family was attempting to coverup criminal behavior. This is pure hypocrisy. In justifying his own questionable pardons while president, Trump stated that the presidential pardon power is complete and free of limitations. Trump has pardoned close friends and associates such as Rodger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort for various crimes committed in his service. Let’s not forget that Trump pardoned his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner who was convicted of tax evasion, witness tampering, and making illegal campaign contributions. To add insult to injury Trump has selected Mr. Kushner to be the next U.S. ambassador to France.  House Republicans have been using their majority over the past two years to investigate Hunter Biden in order to damage President Biden. A since discredited star witness for the Republicans claimed that Joe Biden had financially benefitted from illegal overseas schemes involving Hunter. The House Republicans could never prove any wrongdoing by Hunter Biden, as I have written about in a previous blog .  Reactions From the Left: If you need any further proof that the Democratic Party is adrift, look no further than their response to the Hunter Biden pardon. Party leaders across the country were quick to jump all over Joe Biden for failing to keep his campaign promise not to pardon his son. The hand wringing and moralizing about the degradation of presidential norms and standards is astonishing and speaks volumes about the state of their party. Do they forget who the American people just elected to be the next president of the United States? They have given Trump a pass on every misstep and misdeed, so the bar has already been reset. If the Democrats have a problem with this, they need to have a serious conversation with the American people about standards and norms. Well, what about Joe Biden’s legacy? Biden’s legacy has already been diminished by his decision to run for reelection in 2024 and handing Donald Trump a 2nd term. Pardoning his son will be a mere footnote to the storm that the next Trump Administration will bring.  The Real Issues Raised by Hunter Biden’s Pardon: No one is really very surprised that Joe Biden pardoned his son, and on a personal level they understand it. The issues surrounding the pardon that have caused consternation among legal scholars and politicians are the scope of the pardon and the language used by the president to justify it. The pardon gives Hunter complete immunity for all federal offenses he may have committed back to January 1, 2014. This sets a new precedent and could possibly lead to abuses of the presidential pardon in the future. The pardon may not have caused much of a stir outside of MAGA world if not for the president’s attack on the integrity of the justice system in his statement announcing the pardon. The president’s statement made clear that he thought the prosecution of his son was politically motivated and that Hunter had been unfairly treated by the justice system because he was the president’s son. Democrats fear that Biden’s condemnation of the justice system will bolster Trump’s claims that the Department of Justice had been weaponized against him.  In Defense of Biden: On several occasions over the past year President Biden had pledged not to pardon his son for the tax and gun violations he was charged with. Biden should never have made that pledge, but it was in the middle of a presidential campaign, and he fully expected Donald Trump to lose the election. With a Democrat returning to the White House, Biden thought his son would be protected against further criminal investigations and prosecutions. That was upended when Trump won the election, and Republicans won majorities in the House and Senate.  Biden’s apprehension grew as the new president-elect began to nominate MAGA loyalists to key positions in his administration who are hell-bent on dismantling the “deep state” and seeking retribution against Trump’s enemies. The nomination of Kash Patel to head the FBI and Pam Bondi to be Attorney General, convinced Biden that his son’s legal problems would only intensify. Newly emboldened House Republicans have pledged to continue to investigate the “Biden Crime Family” and other foes of Donald Trump. Given these circumstances it is understandable that Hunter’s pardon was written to provide broad protection to cover the timetable outlined by the House investigation into his overseas business dealings. Hunter’s pardon frees up the FBI and House of Representatives to spend their time and taxpayer money on pursuits more aligned with the needs of the American people.  To the charge that Biden’s expansive pardon of his son clears the way for Trump to pardon January 6th defendants, I say nonsense. Trump has been stating for months that he considered the January 6th defendants to be “political prisoners”, and that he would most likely pardon them if reelected. I expect Trump to pardon some, if not all the January 6th defendants, and it will have nothing to do with Hunter’s pardon, despite his claims to the contrary.  The U.S. Constitution gives the president broad powers to grant pardons, so President Biden did nothing illegal in issuing his son a pardon. It was wrong for Biden to claim that the prosecutions of his son were political, impugning the integrity of the Justice Department. But there is no doubt that investigations into Hunter Biden’s overseas activities by House Republicans were politically motivated to damage President Biden. With the pardon of Hunter Biden by the president, Democrats fear that they have ceded the moral high ground. But to whom? Certainly not the Republicans! With the election of Donald Trump our national politics has entered a period when morality takes a back seat to expediency. The Democrats and the rest of the country need to get over the president’s pardon of his son and focus on the real threat to presidential norms and standards.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
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AuthorThe Armchair American. 
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