Will Rogers famously said, “I’m not a member of any organized political party… I’m a Democrat.” In my talks, that line always gets a big laugh.

Will was even-handed and usually neutral in elections, not favoring either side. “They will all do the best they can. None of them from any party are going to purposely ruin the country.” (WA #289, July 8, 1928)

Lately, I’ve been pondering on that phrase, ‘purposely ruin the country.’ Up until 2020, of the 45 Presidents I doubt than any set out to ruin the country. Oh, maybe one or two. But the country survived any problems over the last 245 years. Not only survived, but thrived.

Like the majority of Americans, I’ve begun to question the current Biden/Harris Administration. Do you think the following actions might be intended to ‘purposely ruin the country’ as we knew it?

1. On the first day in office, President Biden declared war on the industry that supplies 80% of our energy. Perhaps that seemed like a logical boost for solar and wind energy. But the passage of time (as V-P Harris might say), has shown how dangerous it is to sacrifice ‘energy independence’ and become dependent on enemy nations, including Russia, Iran and Venezuela.
2. Biden stopped construction on the border wall that was intended to serve as the major deterrent to illegal immigration. And all policies related to illegal immigration can accurately be called an ‘Open Border’ policy. Biden named V-P Harris to be in charge of our border with Mexico, but in reality, the ones in charge are the Mexican Drug Cartels. Since January 2021, at least 3,000,00,000 illegal immigrants from over 150 countries are now scattered throughout the nation. This includes repeat criminals, gang members, and drug lords. Fentanyl has become the leading cause of death for Americans 18 to 45 years old. Further loosening of border security next month will cause the flood of illegal immigrants to double or triple.
3. Our foreign policy is a mess. The exit from Afghanistan (which was a good idea) was bungled, leaving behind thousands of Americans and Afghan friends, Billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment, and the strategically important Bagram Air Base. Our weakness on the world stage led directly to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Unless Putin is run out of Ukraine, the Chinese Communists figure they can take over Taiwan without any concrete resistance from us. Instead of leading the Free World, we’re not even, as President Obama once said, leading from behind.
4. On COVID-19, I’m reluctant to criticize except for a couple of decisions. No one would have predicted, two years ago, that we would still be dealing with variants. But too much ‘printing press money’ ($2,000,000,000,000.00) was handed out to states and individuals. Many states still have funds they haven’t figured out how to spend. Fraud was rampant. Giving free money to people who weren’t producing anything contributed to inflation, supply chain problems and empty shelves. Teachers’ unions set policy for the CDC, which kept most schools closed much longer than necessary. Reluctance to blame the Chinese government added to the problem. Could it be because the Biden family has collected millions under the table from China? Inquisitive Americans are “hunting” for answers.
5. Crime has increased in many states and cities because of anti-police policies and turning dangerous criminals loose on their own recognizance. Stealing is legal if it’s under $1000. President Biden has not condemned these policies nor tried to correct them.
6. Inflation is over 7%. A couple of items mentioned above are the main cause. A new Biden plan to give people more cash to help pay the higher prices would make it worse. At a time when we need at least two million more qualified workers, higher taxes on individuals and companies in the budget submitted this week would reduce production and create fewer new jobs. Have you ever heard of a poor person hiring anyone?

You are welcome to disagree with these points. Please don’t claim I’m a traitor to Will Rogers’ philosophy. Will freely expressed his opinions about policies and decisions by the people in charge. Also, he never joked about anyone’s appearance, including bald heads. And as far as I know, he never got slapped in the face.

Historic quote by Will Rogers:

“(President) Roosevelt ain’t going to ruin the country. The Constitution will remain as is. The Russians are not going to take us.”  WA #655, July 14, 1935