Every now and then there is an event that really kind of sums it all up.
Such is the case regarding the Adventure of Joe Biden and the Chinese Spy Balloon. The incident featured all of the hapless buffoonery of an administration that hardly seems capable of lifting a foot without landing on a misstep. The balloon saga, once again, occasioned the White Houses usual unfortunate mix of incompetence, lying, hiding, and being overruled. In other words, just another day in the Biden presidency.
Lets begin with the incompetence. When news broke that a Chinese surveillance balloon had been spotted over Montana last week, Joe Biden and his gaggle of nitwits appeared not only surprised but utterly without a plan. This, despite the fact that they had known for days that the balloon had entered US airspace, and by some reporting, known for weeks it was coming.
So what happened once the public became aware of it? Biden let the spy device traverse the entirety of the country before eventually shooting it down. Literally the plan was, were just gonna let it float around for a few days.
That brings us to the lying. When the news of the spy balloon dropped, The State Department told us Secretary Anthony Blinken was cancelling his planned trip to China because of Chinas irresponsible act. But again, shortly thereafter we learned that the White House had known about the balloon for days. So this wasnt some slap in the face of China for daring to violate U.S. airspace, as it was presented. Anthony Blinken knew perfectly well that this irresponsible act had taken place and was packing his pajamas for Beijing anyway. Until the public found out about the balloon.
This is approximately the point at which, as usual, Joe Biden went into virtual hiding. As the media swarmed like vultures around the story and calls to shoot the balloon down intensified the president had little to say and wasnt taking many questions. It was Biden in the basement all over again at a time when he should have been assuring the nation that somebody, anybody, actually knew what the hell was going on and what to do about it.
Finally, we get to Joe Biden being overruled, as we learned the president originally wanted to shoot it down on Wednesday, but his military advisers told him not to. Just like when he announced that the United States would go to war to defend Taiwan and his advisors overruled him, saying the policy hadnt changed, just like every time he tells us his handlers will get mad at me if he asks the wrong questions. Does Joe Biden ever make a decision on his own?
These four elements incompetence, lying, hiding, and being overruled are the four corners of the Biden administration. They use this playbook over and over.
Look at the classified documents scandal.
The incompetence was tracking top secrets all over the place like they were a bits of toilet paper stuck to his shoe. The lying was Joe telling us it was just a few items in the DC office when he already knew about the documents in Delaware. The hiding is the absurd claim that the White House cant talk about this because of the investigation, a claim denied by the Department of Justice. Finally, the president saying he doesnt know whats in the documents because, his lawyers had advised him not to even ask what was in the files, is a classic case of Joe Biden being overruled.
These four elements can be applied to pretty much every Biden debacle. And there is a good reason they do it over and over and over again because they know that even when theyre caught in a lie, the media will make excuses for them. Until that changes, nothing is going to change. The administration will continue gaslighting the American people as they seek to push Grandpa Joe either over the 2024 finish line or under the bus.
Whatever foul leviathan is actually running American policy out of the White House, because by his own admission its not Joe Biden, is absolutely ruthless. They will lie forever, safe in the knowledge that our news giants will protect them, usually by finding some way to make the story Trumps fault.
The bad news is we have two more years of this. The good news is nothing this administration has done in the first two suggests they can correct their course and restore Americas faith in Biden. There are those who say Bidens is the worst presidency, but maybe its not a presidency at all, maybe instead, it is a playbook of lies meant to capture as much power as possible while the old man dithers.
David Marcus is a West Virginia based columnist and author of Charade: The Covid Lies That Crushed A Nation. Follow him on Twitter @Blueboxdave
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
An industry body has warned that the equivalent of more than one pub a day is set to close across Great Britain this year.
According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), an estimated 378 venues will shut down across England, Wales and Scotland.
This would amount to more than 5,600 direct job losses, the industry body warns. It has called for a reduction in the cumulative tax and regulatory burden for the hospitalitysector – including cutting business rates and beer duty.
The body – representing members that brew 90% of British beer and own more than 20,000 pubs – said such measures would slow the rate at which bars are closing.
BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said that while pubs are trading well, “most of the money that goes into the till goes straight back out in bills and taxes”.
“For many, it’s impossible to make a profit, which all too often leads to pubs turning off the lights for the last time,” she said.
“When a pub closes, it puts people out of a job, deprives communities of their heart and soul, and hurts the local economy.”
She urged the government to “proceed with meaningful business rates reform, mitigate these eye-watering new employment and EPR (extended producer responsibility) costs, and cut beer duty”.
“We’re not asking for special treatment, we just want the sector’s rich potential unleashed,” she added.
The government has said it plans to reform the current business rates system, saying in March that an interim report on the measure would be published this summer.
From April, relief on property tax – that came in following the COVID-19 pandemic – was cut from 75% to 40%, leading to higher bills for hospitality, retail and leisure businesses.
The rate of employer National Insurance Contributions also rose from 13.8% to 15% that month, and the wage threshold was lowered from £9,100 to £5,000, under measures announced by Rachel Reeves in the October budget.
A senior Israeli official has issued a less-than-optimistic assessment of the permanency of any ceasefire in Gaza.
Speaking in Washington on condition of anonymity, the senior official said that a 60-day ceasefire “might” be possible within “a week, two weeks – not a day”.
But on the chances of the ceasefire lasting beyond 60 days, the official said: “We will begin negotiations on a permanent settlement.
“But we achieve it? It’s questionable, but Hamas will not be there.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to conclude a four-day visit to Washington later today.
There had been hope that a ceasefire could be announced during the trip. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that it’s close.
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Netanyahu arrives in US for ceasefire talks
Speaking at a briefing for a number of reporters, the Israeli official would not be drawn on any of the details of the negotiations over concerns that public disclosure could jeopardise their chances of success.
This was rejected by Hamas and by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who reportedly told the Israelis that the redeployment map “looks like a Smotrich plan”, a reference to the extreme-right Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.
The official repeated Israel’s central stated war aims of getting the hostages back and eliminating Hamas. But in a hint of how hard it will be to reconcile the differences, the official was clear that no permanent ceasefire would be possible without the complete removal of Hamas.
“We will offer them a permanent ceasefire,” he told Sky News. “If they agree. Fine. It’s over.
“They lay down their arms, and we proceed [with the ceasefire]. If they don’t, we’ll proceed [with the war].”
On the status of the Israeli military inside Gaza, the official said: “We would want IDF in every square meter of Gaza, and then hand it over to someone…”
He added: “[We] don’t want to govern Gaza… don’t want to govern, but the first thing is, you have to defeat Hamas…”
Image: Pic: Reuters
The official said the Israeli government had “no territorial designs for Gaza”.
“But [we] don’t want Hamas there,” he continued. “You have to finish the job… victory over Hamas. You cannot have victory if you don’t clear out all the fighting forces.
“You have to go into every square inch unless you are not serious about victory. I am. We are going to defeat them. Those who do not disarm will die. Those who disarm will have a life.”
On the future of Gaza, the official ruled out the possibility of a two-state solution “for the foreseeable future”.
“They are not going to have a state in the foreseeable future as long as they cling to that idea of destroying our state. It doesn’t make a difference if they are the Palestinian Authority or Hamas, it’s just a difference of tactics.”
On the most controversial aspect of the Gaza conflict – the movement of the population – the official predicted that 60% of Palestinians would “choose to leave”.
But he claimed that Israel would allow them to return once Hamas had been eliminated, adding: “It’s not forcible eviction, it’s not permanent eviction.”
Critics of Israel’s war in Gaza say that any removal of Palestinians from Gaza, even if given the appearance of being “voluntary,” is in fact anything but, because the strip has been so comprehensively flattened.
Reacting to Israeli Defence Minister Katz’s recent statement revealing a plan to move Palestinians into a “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza, and not let them out of that area, the official wouldn’t be drawn, except to say: “As a permanent arrangement? Of course not.”
The first thing you notice when immigration officers stop a possible illegal moped delivery driver is the speed in which the suspect quickly taps on their mobile.
“We’re in their WhatsApp groups – they’ll be telling thousands now that we’re here… so our cover is blown,” the lead immigration officer tells me.
“It’s like a constant game of cat and mouse.”
Twelve Immigration Enforcement officers, part of the Home Office, are joining colleagues from Avon and Somerset Police in a crackdown on road offences and migrants working illegally.
The West of England and Wales has seen the highest number of arrests over the last year for illegal workers outside of London.
“It is a problem… we’re tackling it,” Murad Mohammed, from Immigration Enforcement, says. He covers all the devolved nations.
“This is just one of the operations going on around the country, every day of the week, every month of the year.”
Image: Murad Mohammed, from Immigration Enforcement, says his team are attempting to tackle the issue
Just outside the Cabot Circus shopping complex, we stop a young Albanian man who arrived in the UK on the back of a truck.
He’s on an expensive and fast-looking e-bike, with a new-looking Just Eat delivery bag.
He says he just uses it for “groceries” – but the officer isn’t buying it. He’s arrested, but then bailed instantly.
We don’t know the specifics of his case, but one officer tells me this suspected offence won’t count against his asylum claim.
Such is the scale of the problem – the backlog, loopholes and the complexity of cases – that trying to keep on top of it feels impossible.
This is one of many raids happening across the UK as part of what the government says is a “blitz” targeting illegal working hotspots.
Angela Eagle, the border security and asylum minister, joins the team for an hour at one of Bristol’sretail parks, scattered with fast food chains and, therefore, delivery bikes.
Image: Border security and asylum minister, Angela Eagle, speaks to Sky News
She says arrests for illegal working are up over the last year by 51% from the year before, to more than 7,000.
“If we find you working, you can lose access to the hotel or the support you have [been] given under false pretences,” she said.
“We are cracking down on that abuse, and we intend to keep doing so.”
There are reports that asylum seekers can rent legitimate delivery-driver accounts within hours of arriving in the country – skipping employment legality checks.
Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat all told Sky News they’re continuing to strengthen the technology they use to remove anyone working illegally.
But a new Border Security Bill, working its way through Parliament, could see companies fined £60,000 for each illegal worker discovered, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years.
“I had them all in to see me last week and I told them in no uncertain terms that we take a very tough line on this kind of abuse and they’ve got to change their systems so they can drive it out and off their platforms,” the minister tells me.
For some of those who arrive, a bike and a phone provide a way to repay debts to gang masters.
There were eight arrests today in Bristol, one or two taken into custody, but it was 12 hours of hard work by a dozen immigration officers and the support of the police.
As two mopeds are pushed onto a low-loader, you can’t help but feel, despite the best intentions, that at the moment, this is a losing battle.