Friday Insights-September 6, 2024
Another school shooting, Harris raises $361 million, and Hunter Biden.
On Wednesday, four people were killed in a school shooting in Winder, Georgia. What kind of a country do we live in? The shooter was a teenager.
I have not reconciled myself to the idea that school shootings are just part of 21st-century America, that they are inevitable. I will never “get over it,” as Donald Trump said about an earlier shooting. And I don’t look forward to yet another debate over what is now called “gun safety” because the debate won’t be a debate but a stalemate, meaning that nothing will happen.
The father of the 14-year-old gunman who killed four people a Winder, Georgia high school has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder as well as with other charges. The father purchased the semi-automatic rifle used by the gunman in the shooting and let his son keep the gun after receiving warnings that his son may be contemplating a school shooting.
The decision to indict the father is a good one. Hopefully, it will serve as a warning to other parents with school-age children that allowing a child to have a gun is a mistake.
So, what are my other insights from the week?
One of my insights came to me this morning in the form of a news article on Morning Joe’s Mike Barnicle chastising the press for not reporting more on Trump's declining mental state. Barnicle is right. The press minimizes reports of “verbal gaffes” because they are so frequent and because they are tired of being labeled “fake media” and “enemies of the people.” It is time for the media to do a deeper dive into Trump and his mental fitness for office.
Part of Trump’s decline is evidenced in his newest round of name-calling, the juvenile, misogynistic, and just plain stupid nomenclatures. Dubbing Harris “Comrade” was irresistible to Trump, who undoubtedly giggled when he typed it into a Truth Social post at 3:00 a.m.
Trump economic proposals.
Trump addressed the Economic Club of New York. Among his proposals were creating a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, banning undocumented migrants from getting mortgages, and reducing the corporate tax rate to 15 percent for companies that produce their products in the U.S. The ex-president also repeated his proposal to create a government efficiency commission and increase tariffs on imported goods.
Trump’s economic proposals are worth discussing. Perhaps naively, I hope to see Trump and Harris discuss their economic proposals at the September debate. My fingers are crossed.
Russian Election Interference?
The Department of Justice indicted two Russians for what might be described as election interference. The Washington Post reports:
The 32-page federal indictment accuses Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, employees of RT, a Russian-state news site formerly known as Russia Today, of conducting a money-laundering operation that spent nearly $10 million on efforts to covertly influence public opinion and sow social divisions, including placing blame on Ukraine regarding the war with Russia.
This story bears watching. No allegation has been made of Trump campaign involvement in the scheme, but insiders suggest that Russians may have made other payments, reflecting a much larger effort. Did Trump or his campaign know about the effort? Stay tuned.
Harris Raises $361 million.
How enthusiastic are Democrats over Kamala Harris (or, maybe, how anxious are they to defeat Donald Trump?). One indication is the $361 million Harris raised in August. Impressive.
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty.
Hunter Biden pled guilty yesterday to various charges associated with his non-payment of taxes. Prosecutors declined Biden's proposal to not contest the charges because it did not include an admission of guilt.
Biden will be sentenced in December and could face 17 years in jail. President Biden could pardon his son or commute the sentence. Will he? The president says no, but he may change his mind, especially if Trump wins.
Biden should pardon his son regardless of who wins the election. If Hunter Biden were not the president's son, he would not be facing jail time for his tax crimes.
That’s it for today. I’ll be back on Sunday. Next week promises to be busy, but I look forward to it, especially the presidential debate.