Unethical Quote of the Week (and a KABOOM!): President Biden

/ Jack Marshall / 4 Comments

I gave the President a Julie Principle pass last week by not highlighting his hilarious open mic comment calling for Israel to have a “come to Jesus moment,” but I can’t let this one pass:

“I shouldn’t have used ‘illegal.’ It’s undocumented. When I spoke about the difference between Trump and me, one of the things I talked about in the border was his, the way he talks about vermin, the way he talks about these people polluting the blood. I’m not going to treat any of these people with disrespect. Look, they built the country. The reason our economy’s growing.”

The statement is by turns incompetent, irresponsible, and dishonest; in non ethical terms, cowardly, offensive and idiotic.

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A Note on Civic Competence, Respect, and Responsibility

/ Jack Marshall / 4 Comments

Sigh.

I’m trying to find out the name of the guy (it is a guy) above, but not too hard, because his name doesn’t really matter. Like a good and concerned citizen, he signed up and testified before the Missouri House against HB1650, a bill that would ban drag shows for audiences of children. The worth of the bill isn’t what I’m interested in right now, nor are the arguments for or against it. My concern is the demeanor of the testifying citizen, who was, I’m sure you will not be shocked to learn, on hand to show his opposition to the bill. As far as that goes, good for him. He is participating in the democratic process. He is civically engaged. I listened to some of his remarks; they seemed sincere, articulate, and thought out, if, in my view, misguided, but again, that’s not the issue.

The issue, an ethics one, is this: what THE HELL did he think he was doing showing up to testify dressed like that?

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Today’s Headlines: Gaslighting, Deceit and Denial

/ Jack Marshall / 5 Comments


No wonder the American public is confused. The mainstream media, in its opinions,news reporting and features, seems determine to either make Americans dumber or to drive them insane.

This struck me this morning when looking at the first set of headlines—“Top Items”— on Memeorandum, the useful and only slightly biased news aggregation site. I’ll discuss each of them briefly; remember: when I recorded them, the site regarded these as the top stories of the moment, what the public needed to know. Note that none of the “top headlines” included this one, from the Federalist: Exclusive: Liz Cheney, January 6 Committee Suppressed Exonerating Evidence Of Trump’s Push For National Guard…

1. Ross Douthat (New York Times): Why It’s Hard to Explain Joe Biden’s Unpopularity  This one is what initially drew my attention to the seemingly deliberate avoidance of reality in the headlines. It’s not hard at all, and i have to wonder about the acumen or honesty of anyone who would think it is hard. Douthat comes close to explaining how bias has made him stupid when he writes, “Some of this mystification reflects liberal media bias accentuated by contemporary conditions — an unwillingness to look closely at issues like immigration and the border, a hesitation to speak ill of a president who’s the only bulwark against Trumpism.” Some? Douthat works in the New York Times bubble: that must explain his weird puzzlement. Biden was never especially popular as a Senator or Vice-President. He has always had the reputation of being a gaffe-prone boob. His policies have triggered a national debt crisis and massive inflation, especially in consumer items like food. He’s a serial sexual harasser; he has enabled influence peddling by his black sheep son, and lied about it. He chose an incompetent for Vice President, Secretary of Transportation, Press Secretary and more; he is obviously in mental decline. His snap withdrawal from Afghanistan was a debacle; Russia attacked Ukraine on his watch; he’s trying to play both sides against the middle in Gaza. He promised to be a unifying President and gave a speech accusing at least a third of all Americans of being fascists. His Attorney General has used the power of his office to intimidate parents; he has allowed his party to pursue a strategy of using criminal law to eliminate political enemies. His administration’s DEI obsession is deservedly mocked; major cities are experiencing crime waves enhanced by the rhetoric of Biden’s allies. He is not eloquent, comforting or especially leader-like; he is not an orator or particularly likable. The only reason he is President is because he was the least offensive of a terrible group of alternatives to Donald Trump, and his election was still tainted by dubious voting procedures.

The headline is as insulting as one asking, “It’s hard to explain why people don’t like Donald Trump.”

2. Dan Rather / Steady: President Biden Upends the GOP Narrative  Oh, please. I assumed that Biden could struggle through an 80 minute speech using a teleprompter. That he did proved nothing and “upended” no narrative at all. And Biden slurred plenty of words, embarrassed himself when he went off script, lied as usual and seemed hopped up on something. Only a pathetic, partisan has-been like Rather would make such a statement.

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Ethics Quote of the Week: Holly Mathnerd

/ Jack Marshall / 3 Comments

“Dishonesty is so normalized that this kind of performative fragmentation—signaling that one believes certain things while acting as if one believes other things—may eventually be recognized as a marker of intelligence and proper preparation for class climbing (or class maintenance, if one starts off in that class).”

—Substacker “Holly Mathnerd,” reviewing a book I haven’t read (“Troubled”) by a writer I never heard of (Rob Henderson), but gleaning from it wisdom that sorely temps me change both conditions.

It is pure coincidence that so soon after this post and this one —and even this one—another dishonesty and hypocrisy assessment presented itself. Something is in the air.

This is a phenomenon that Ethics Alarms has discussed frequently. The “elite classes,” like those who sent my college classmates to a series of prestigious schools, pushed for the legalization and cultural approval of regular pot use which they insisted was harmless. The resulting new social norm has devastated the lower socio-economic reaches that are more likely to abuse the privilege without the means to cope with the results. Support for “illegals”—Joe’s accurate word—via sanctuary cities and bleeding heart rhetoric was adamant until the progressive virtue-signalers in “sanctuary cities” had to deal with the real consequences of an open border policy.

More from Holly:

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Life Imitates “Seinfeld”: For Fake Fat-Free Yogurt, Substitute Fake Gluten-Free Doughnuts

/ Jack Marshall / 16 Comments

The Savory Fig, founded by Michelle Siriana, is a self-proclaimed vegan bakery in Patchogue, New York. Siriana makes and sells vegan scones, cinnamon rolls, cookies, and brownies, but also, amazingly enough, yummy gluten-free, vegan doughnuts. Vegan and gluten-freed doughnuts tend not to taste so good, for reasons you can guess if you’re familiar with how the fatty, buttery morsels are usually made; they also tend not to have the pleasant texture of the Krispy Kreme variety. Siriani’s doughnuts, however, are miraculous, fluffy and light with delectable icing.

Cindy Snacks, a vegan food market in Long Island, sold The savory Fig’s pastries and sometimes posted photos of the doughnuts on social media as part of its marketing strategy. In an Instagram post on March 3, the store’s proprietor revealed a scandal: an order they received from The Savory Fig contained the this doughnut …

…with pink and orange, D-shaped sprinkles—D, as in “Dunkin’ Donuts.”  Pink and orange, as in Dunkin Donuts. Concerned that the doughnuts she had been buying and selling as vegan and gluten-free were neither, the alarmed owner texted Siriana, “If these are Dunkin’ Donuts the ingredients could kill somebody as we have so many people with severe dairy allergies that shop here. I’m concerned with the donuts this week and am very nervous to put them out.”

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For the EA “Do As I Say, Not As I Do” Files: Iowa Lawyer David L. Leitner

/ Jack Marshall / 5 Comments

My chosen profession of legal ethics has not been covering itself with glory lately.

The Iowa Supreme Court suspended 68-year-old lawyer David L. Leitner as explained in a discouraging story in the Iowa Capital Dispatch. He’s out of the practice of law for two years: I would have disbarred him. First, Leitner represented an Iowa seed dealer who was convicted of bankruptcy fraud in 2007 after the lawyer helped him hide assets. Leitner created a company for the seed dealer with himself the company’s manager , allowing the seed dealer to send part of his income to the company while hiding it from the government, which the dealer owed about $71,000. (Can’t help clients try to defraud the government. Can’t go into fake businesses with clients designed to cheat on taxes. Pretty basic legal ethics.)

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Regarding Sen. Britt’s Incompetent SOTU “Response”

/ Jack Marshall / 37 Comments

Ugh. Distinguished EA commenter valkygrrl gets the pointer and my gratitude for this one: she flagged Senator Britt’s performance in an email late last night, and I might never have seen it otherwise. Here, if you were fortunate enough not to see this thing without a trigger warning, it is…

I already said “Ugh,” now I’ll say, “Yecchh!”

To begin with, the whole concept of the opposition “response” is built on a lie. Although the speech is always presented as a reaction to what America just heard and saw, it is always (has there been an exception?) a pre-written and prepared speech often based on the transcript of the President’s speech released before he delivers it, but sometimes just based on what the opposing party assumes the President will say. So it is always fake: the speaker refers to the speech, but the speaker seldom (ever?) has the wit to go off script and comment on what just happened.

Britt definitely didn’t, and, presumably, couldn’t. Biden was shouting and acting like he was on speed. The State of the Union is supposed to be a Presidential address on the state of the nation itself, not a campaign speech. Biden made numerous false statements. He called illegal immigrants “illegals”—which they are—instead of the benign “migrants” the Axis uses to blur the issue. He mangled rape and murder victim Laken Riley’s name on the same day his party overwhelmingly voted against a House bill that established the outrageous requirement—in the democratic Party’s view— that illegal immigrants arrested for crimes should be detained by ICE. Surely the GOP must have some prominent party member quick and articulate enough to give a genuine response to a State of the Union based on what the speech performance really was. Ted Cruz could do it. Rand Paul. Heck, get a right wing radio talk-show host for the job.

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Searching For the Most Apt Analogy for George Santos Turning Up at the SOTU…

/ Jack Marshall / 2 Comments

Is it Scarlet O’Hara, forced by Rhett Butler to play the seductive Woman in Red at Melanie Wilkes’ birthday party, after he discovers her flirtations with Melanie’s husband? Is it the proverbial skunk at the picnic? Or was the expelled GOP Rep. emulating Davey Crockett in the most recent film account of the Alamo (which, I note with shame, I barely acknowledged this year since my week was occupied with another more personal tragedy), defiantly staring down his foes after the battle was lost?

Or do you have a better analogy? Whatever George Santos was doing by showing up last night, it took gall, which we know the serial liar, fraudster and poseur has in abundance.

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Friday Forum: What SHALL We Talk About Today?

/ Jack Marshall / 27 Comments

Something cheery, hopeful and encouraging? That would be nice.

A note regarding the mostly inconsequential happenings at the SOTU last night (It was interesting that Justice Thomas decided not to come, given that he is hardly in a position to want to draw attention to himself): this was the first post I put up after finding my wife’s lifeless body, and we had discussed the cynical idiocy of the concept, which Grace found gobsmacking. Last night Biden said “Hold my beer!” and announced that he has ordered the U.S. military to construct a temporary port in Gaza to facilitate hundreds of trucks of aid into the region each day….while the U.S. gives support to Israel’s war effort, which is what necessitates the aid. If last week’s Gaza-supporting actions were responsible and incompetent, and they were, what should we call this?

Conservative wag Stephen Green‘s answer: we should call it “desperately trying to keep Michigan’s electoral votes,” since there are so many Muslims and Hamas-supporters there.

Hack Attack Warning! Pre-State of the Union Address Temperature-Taking: The News Media’s All-in and The Smell of “It Isn’t What It Is” Already Wafts Through the Air

/ Jack Marshall / 7 Comments

I promise I won’t make a habit of this, as tempting as it is going to be. But the Axis (let me know when I don’t have to explain or link to a description of this handy Ethics Alarms term every time I use it) is in full panic, say anything, “AHHHHHHGGGHHHH!!!” mode when it isn’t spouting insulting boilerplate, and I have nobody here right now to rant with (Grace was very, very good at that). So hear we go:

1. Try to catalogue the dishonesty, misdirection and sophistry in that MSNBC discussion among Jenn Pasaki and her team of shameless hacks regarding illegal immigration. It’s a phony issue! If you are concerned about it, you’re a racist! There’s no difference between illegal immigration and legal immigration (the usual trick when progressives riff on this issue.) It’s so hilarious that anyone would be concerned about it! This is a Hanlon’s Law challenge: is it possible that wokeness has made all of these women that stupid, or are they just Goebbels-level evil?

2. I also will try to stop using “hack” so much to describe shameless hacks like the most Unethical Famous Presidential Historian Ever, lapping the Kennedys’ lackey Arthur M. Schlesinger, Michael Beshloss. I wonder how they treat this shill for any and all Democrats at historian conventions. Today he said (on MSNBC, natch, where being a regular “contributor” is signature significance for a h…sorry, a historian with no shame) that “this is a real historical moment” and warned, “We could be a dictatorship next year if Donald Trump is elected and carries through on his threats and carries through on his threats to suspend the Constitution. That’s what’s at stake.” (Pssst! Mister Historian! Donald Trump never “threatened” to suspend the Constitution.) Hey, can I use “asshole”?

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