thestream--2020-10-16--I’ll Vote Against National Suicide

I’ll Vote Against National Suicide

Four years ago , I interviewed H. W. Crocker III , a popular historian and novelist ( and former political speechwriter ) .
He ’ s best known for his book Triumph : The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church , A 2,000-Year History .
Back then , he said that Donald J. Trump was exactly the sort of political exorcist the country needed .
Crocker was one of the very few to predict a Trump victory .
His two latest books — Armstrong , and its sequel Armstrong Rides Again !
, which appears next year — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comic adventure novels .
I thought it only fitting to talk with him about the 2020 presidential race and its likely outcomes .
Here are some highlights of our conversation .
Four Years Later , What Do You Think ?
John Zmirak : How do you judge President Trump ’ s first four years ?
Harry Crocker : On the merits : swell .
On Supreme Court justices — Gorsuch , Kavanaugh , and Amy Coney Barrett — it ’ s a win .
Ditto his appointments to the federal judiciary .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment , a record stock market , tax cuts , and deregulation — he delivered .
We might even get that V-shaped recovery from the Wuhan Flu recession .
On foreign policy — no new wars ; the Abraham Accords between Israelis and Arabs .
A rebuilt , less-PC military works for me .
And then there ’ s the stuff that no one pays attention to , but that ’ s vitally important — all those political appointees that Trump has fighting for religious liberty and against the Left ’ s social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ the 1619 Project , ” and all of that .
The last four years haven ’ t exactly been peaceful .
No , but that ’ s not Trump ’ s fault .
He didn ’ t put this country through four years of Russian Collusion Hoax nonsense .
And it ’ s also not his fault that it looks like most of the corrupt perpetrators will get off scot-free .
He wasn ’ t the one who pushed impeachment because some bureaucrat was upset .
He wasn ’ t the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the police and the destruction of historical monuments all across the country .
He isn ’ t the one who has kept half the country under virtual house arrest .
For all that , you can thank the unhinged Democratic Party , their bureaucratic henchmen , and their media cheerleaders .
Lockdowns seem a proven disaster — so why do Democrat politicians still support them ?
They love lockdowns because they believe in “ the science , ” right ?
So why not have the smartest people do all the planning and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a technocratic bureaucracy .
It ’ s scientific and rational .
That ’ s why socialism works so well .
It ’ s really the rotten fruit of the so-called Enlightenment .
But it ’ s very attractive to white collar workers who can work at home and salve their conscience about the underclass of farmers , truckers , and delivery drivers by providing big fat welfare payments for anyone who can ’ t work for Amazon or Google .
So the Democrat Party is the Party of the Enlightenment ?
Yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Puritan party , stripped of Christianity .
It ’ s a new “ spiritual , not religious ” religion or ideology .
They believe that we — or I should say , white , heterosexual Christian males — are racists in the hands of an angry goddess , Mother Nature .
To me , lockdowns are tyranny .
Mask-wearing is the symbol of a conformist dystopia .
And the Left ’ s witch-hunting generals who roam the landscape to root out dissent from political correctness are signs of an Orwellian future .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I want freedom .
And when it comes to the Wuhan Flu , give me the Swedish model or give me death !
So you ’ ll be voting for Trump again ?
Of course , absolutely .
To vote otherwise is to vote for American suicide .
It ’ s to vote for a party that stands not just for high taxes and red tape and green boondoggles , and all of that .
And more !
The Democrats are for defunding the police , lockdowns , officially sanctioned riots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religion , the destruction and desecration of our history , court-packing , overthrowing the Electoral College and the constitution , socialism — the list of bad ideas never ends .
But a lot of people will vote that way .
Sure they will .
The leftist thugs and their apologists will vote that way .
The smug and the shallow who prefer “ reason ” and “ science ” ( really socialism ) to Orange Man Bad will vote that way .
And there will be far too many sensitive souls who actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s policies for the most part .
But they but are offended by him , because he is a presidential Patton who swears , slaps , and tweet-storms his way across the political battlefield .
They ’ d rather have a quiet life under socialism , even if it means we lose our constitution , our unalienable rights , and our traditional understanding of American history and culture and Anglo-American law .
I ’ d love a quiet life , too , but I can ’ t go along with that .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — for Trump .
H. W. Crocker III ’ s latest book is the comic novel Armstrong .
Its sequel Armstrong Rides Again !
publishes next year .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
He is co-author with Jason Jones of “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

Four years ago, I interviewed H. W. Crocker III, a popular historian and novelist (and former political speechwriter). He’s best known for his book Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church, A 2,000-Year History. Back then, he said that Donald J. Trump was exactly the sort of political exorcist the country needed.
Crocker was one of the very few to predict a Trump victory. His two latest books — Armstrong, and its sequel Armstrong Rides Again!, which appears next year — are provocative political satires posing as history-based comic adventure novels.
I thought it only fitting to talk with him about the 2020 presidential race and its likely outcomes. Here are some highlights of our conversation.
Four Years Later, What Do You Think?
John Zmirak: How do you judge President Trump’s first four years?
Harry Crocker: On the merits: swell. On Supreme Court justices — Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett — it’s a win. Ditto his appointments to the federal judiciary. On the economy: if you like record unemployment, a record stock market, tax cuts, and deregulation — he delivered. We might even get that V-shaped recovery from the Wuhan Flu recession.
On foreign policy — no new wars; the Abraham Accords between Israelis and Arabs. A rebuilt, less-PC military works for me.
And then there’s the stuff that no one pays attention to, but that’s vitally important — all those political appointees that Trump has fighting for religious liberty and against the Left’s social Marxism, “critical race theory,” “the 1619 Project,” and all of that.
A Four-Year Hoax
The last four years haven’t exactly been peaceful.
No, but that’s not Trump’s fault. He didn’t put this country through four years of Russian Collusion Hoax nonsense. And it’s also not his fault that it looks like most of the corrupt perpetrators will get off scot-free. He wasn’t the one who pushed impeachment because some bureaucrat was upset. He wasn’t the one who cheered on and applauded riots against the police and the destruction of historical monuments all across the country. He isn’t the one who has kept half the country under virtual house arrest.
For all that, you can thank the unhinged Democratic Party, their bureaucratic henchmen, and their media cheerleaders.
Why Elites Pushed Lockdowns
Lockdowns seem a proven disaster — so why do Democrat politicians still support them?
They love lockdowns because they believe in “the science,” right? So why not have the smartest people do all the planning and make all the decisions — that’s a technocratic bureaucracy. It’s scientific and rational. That’s why socialism works so well.
Heh, heh.
It’s really the rotten fruit of the so-called Enlightenment. But it’s very attractive to white collar workers who can work at home and salve their conscience about the underclass of farmers, truckers, and delivery drivers by providing big fat welfare payments for anyone who can’t work for Amazon or Google.
So the Democrat Party is the Party of the Enlightenment?
Yes, but they’re also the Puritan party, stripped of Christianity. It’s a new “spiritual, not religious” religion or ideology. They believe that we — or I should say, white, heterosexual Christian males — are racists in the hands of an angry goddess, Mother Nature. To me, lockdowns are tyranny. Mask-wearing is the symbol of a conformist dystopia. And the Left’s witch-hunting generals who roam the landscape to root out dissent from political correctness are signs of an Orwellian future. I don’t want any of that. I want freedom. And when it comes to the Wuhan Flu, give me the Swedish model or give me death!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
A Vote for American Suicide?
So you’ll be voting for Trump again?
Of course, absolutely. To vote otherwise is to vote for American suicide. It’s to vote for a party that stands not just for high taxes and red tape and green boondoggles, and all of that. And more! The Democrats are for defunding the police, lockdowns, officially sanctioned riots, Black Live Matter Marxism as our secular religion, the destruction and desecration of our history, court-packing, overthrowing the Electoral College and the constitution, socialism — the list of bad ideas never ends.
But a lot of people will vote that way.
Sure they will. The leftist thugs and their apologists will vote that way. The smug and the shallow who prefer “reason” and “science” (really socialism) to Orange Man Bad will vote that way. And there will be far too many sensitive souls who actually — or objectively — like Trump’s policies for the most part. But they but are offended by him, because he is a presidential Patton who swears, slaps, and tweet-storms his way across the political battlefield. They’d rather have a quiet life under socialism, even if it means we lose our constitution, our unalienable rights, and our traditional understanding of American history and culture and Anglo-American law. I’d love a quiet life, too, but I can’t go along with that. I’ll be praying — and voting — for Trump.
H. W. Crocker III’s latest book is the comic novel Armstrong. Its sequel Armstrong Rides Again! publishes next year.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”


thestream--2020-10-16--Military Photo of the Day: October 16, 2020

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet over the Middle East on September 22 @ @ @

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet over the Middle East on September 22, 2020.
Have a safe weekend, everyone!
React to This Article What do you think of our coverage in this article? We value your feedback as we continue to grow.


thestream--2020-10-16--This Week at War: Striking Back

This Week at War: Striking Back

The U.S.-led war effort in Afghanistan intensified this week as American warplanes launched two days of airstrikes on the Taliban .
According to Stars and Stripes , the southern Helmand province airstrikes were in response to the Taliban repeatedly attacking Afghan forces in violation of a February peace agreement .
President Trump said last week that he hoped to have all U.S. forces out of Afghanistan – where American troops have been fighting for more than 19 years – by Christmas .
In an NPR interview earlier this week , the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expects to be in Afghanistan at the end of the year .
“ The key here is that we ’ re trying to end a war responsibly , deliberately , and to do it on terms that guarantee the safety of the U.S. vital national security interests that are at stake in Afghanistan , ” Gen. Mark Milley told NPR .
The approximately 8,500 U.S. service members still serving in Afghanistan are warriors , but also real people with families who miss them dearly .
Please join The Stream in praying for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as their loved ones here at home .
A Thursday drone strike by the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command killed “ two senior al Qaeda leaders in northwest Syria , ” according to Fox News reporter Lucas Tomlinson .
This week also marks six years since American troops began fighting ISIS in both Syria and Iraq .
Thousands of American service members have made staggering sacrifices since the war against ISIS began in 2014 .
We thank each and every soldier , sailor , airman , Marine , veteran , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for helping rid the world of evil .
The brave men and women of our military are also fighting a war against COVID-19 .
In Minnesota , the National Guard has been called into two nursing homes experiencing coronavirus outbreaks .
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that “ the Minnesota National Guard has a cadre of Army and Air National Guard personnel who are trained doctors , physician assistants , nurses and emergency medical technicians who can be deployed to facilities facing a staffing crisis.
” The newspaper also reported that a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 60 % of residents have been infected .
Soldiers and airmen will spend the next two weeks at the nursing home caring for residents and helping administer tests .
This week in Tennessee , the National Guard administered its 400,000th test since March .
“ Our soldiers and airmen have been working around the clock since the pandemic began , ” Tennessee National Guard Lt. Col. Keith Evans said .
“ The number of citizens they have helped is a testament to their dedication to their neighbors and communities.
” Our nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uniform are fighting the war on coronavirus despite risks to their own safety .
Nearly 50,000 U.S. troops have been infected since COVID-19 reached American shores , according to Department of Defense statistics , including eight deaths , 635 hospitalizations and 34,187 recoveries .
We pray for all U.S. troops and military families affected by this pandemic and thank them for sacrificing so much to keep Americans safe from this deadly virus .
A large group of American service members is back home in Virginia after more than nine months supporting the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , warriors !
Thank you for defending our freedom .
Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream .
He is co-author of Three Wise Men , Brothers Forever , 8 Seconds of Courage and Fire in My Eyes .
Follow Tom on Twitter @ TSileo and The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

Afghanistan
The U.S.-led war effort in Afghanistan intensified this week as American warplanes launched two days of airstrikes on the Taliban.
According to Stars and Stripes, the southern Helmand province airstrikes were in response to the Taliban repeatedly attacking Afghan forces in violation of a February peace agreement. President Trump said last week that he hoped to have all U.S. forces out of Afghanistan – where American troops have been fighting for more than 19 years – by Christmas.
In an NPR interview earlier this week, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would not address the exact number of troops he expects to be in Afghanistan at the end of the year.
“The key here is that we’re trying to end a war responsibly, deliberately, and to do it on terms that guarantee the safety of the U.S. vital national security interests that are at stake in Afghanistan,” Gen. Mark Milley told NPR.
The approximately 8,500 U.S. service members still serving in Afghanistan are warriors, but also real people with families who miss them dearly. Please join The Stream in praying for all American heroes in harm’s way, as well as their loved ones here at home.
Middle East
A Thursday drone strike by the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command killed “two senior al Qaeda leaders in northwest Syria,” according to Fox News reporter Lucas Tomlinson.
This week also marks six years since American troops began fighting ISIS in both Syria and Iraq. Thousands of American service members have made staggering sacrifices since the war against ISIS began in 2014.
This week marks 6 years of the @Coalition mission to #defeatdaesh in Iraq and Syria. In 6 years the Coalition has liberated more than 110k sqKm in Iraq/Syria & nearly 8 million innocent civilians. pic.twitter.com/3V6ehcN25R — OIR Spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto (@OIRSpox) October 14, 2020
We thank each and every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, veteran, fallen hero and Gold Star family member for helping rid the world of evil.
COVID-19
The brave men and women of our military are also fighting a war against COVID-19.
In Minnesota, the National Guard has been called into two nursing homes experiencing coronavirus outbreaks. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that “the Minnesota National Guard has a cadre of Army and Air National Guard personnel who are trained doctors, physician assistants, nurses and emergency medical technicians who can be deployed to facilities facing a staffing crisis.”
The newspaper also reported that a third of one nursing home’s staff and 60% of residents have been infected. Soldiers and airmen will spend the next two weeks at the nursing home caring for residents and helping administer tests.
“If you have to call out the National Guard, that is an extreme step — and it should be a call out to all of us that we need to invest in staffing and retention in nursing homes,” says SPH professor Joseph Gaugler. #covid19 @UMNCHAI @StarTribune https://t.co/lWjBnwV3JY — UMN School of Public Health (@PublicHealthUMN) October 14, 2020
This week in Tennessee, the National Guard administered its 400,000th test since March.
“Our soldiers and airmen have been working around the clock since the pandemic began,” Tennessee National Guard Lt. Col. Keith Evans said. “The number of citizens they have helped is a testament to their dedication to their neighbors and communities.”
Our nation’s brilliant men and women in uniform are fighting the war on coronavirus despite risks to their own safety. Nearly 50,000 U.S. troops have been infected since COVID-19 reached American shores, according to Department of Defense statistics, including eight deaths, 635 hospitalizations and 34,187 recoveries.
We pray for all U.S. troops and military families affected by this pandemic and thank them for sacrificing so much to keep Americans safe from this deadly virus.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Coming Home
A large group of American service members is back home in Virginia after more than nine months supporting the war effort in the Middle East.
Welcome home, warriors! Thank you for defending our freedom.
Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is co-author of Three Wise Men, Brothers Forever, 8 Seconds of Courage and Fire in My Eyes. Follow Tom on Twitter @TSileo and The Stream at @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-10-16--#Election2020: Trump and His Pearly Whites Spar With Guthrie; Biden Drifts Through Town Hall as Easy

#Election2020: Trump and His Pearly Whites Spar With Guthrie; Biden Drifts Through Town Hall as Easy as ABC

Two candidates , two town halls , two networks .
And the two could not have been more different .
On NBC , Donald Trump endured a non-stop barrage of antagonistic questions and interruptions and false assumptions from “ moderator ” Savannah Guthrie .
On ABC , Joe Biden was massaged by ABC ’ s George Stephanopoulos like a patient in a rehabilitation center .
Guthrie did not stop pressing .
The only thing pressed in the ABC town hall was Joe Biden ’ s dress shirt .
Actually , this was perhaps the best summary of the two presentations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spunky voter in the NBC audience .
But that ’ s for later .
The Joe Biden Town Hall was greatly social distanced .
The candidate , moderator and attendees were so far apart none of them touched the elephant in the room .
Namely , the bombshell stories in the New York Post that A ) demonstrate Joe Biden has been lying about his knowledge of his son ’ s Ukrainian dealings , and B ) offer documentation that Hunter Biden was getting paid millions upon millions by Burisma and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not asked about the apparent corruption involving his family , and possible abuse of his office for personal family gain .
Not by the audience , and most shamefully , not by George Stephanopoulos .
( I guess when you worked for the Clintons , you look at the Post stories and say , “ Corruption ?
You call that corruption ?
” ) Despite being offered an easy ride , Biden did manage to raise some eye-brows .
Biden kept the door wide open for packing the court .
He said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of court-packing , but “ it depends on how this turns out.
” When asked about taking a position before election day , he said “ depends on how they handle this.
” Let ’ s unpack his packing answer .
If nominee Amy Comey Barrett is confirmed and he ’ s elected , he will move to add justices to the Supreme Court to create a progressive majority that will rule for generations .
Biden called his championing of the 1994 crime bill a “ mistake.
” That bill ended up imprisoning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the same drug his son is pictured indulging in , punishment-free , in the newly released images .
That aside , let ’ s take a moment to assess .
Joe ’ s biggest domestic accomplishment he now says is a “ mistake.
” His biggest foreign policy decision was approving and supporting the Iraq War .
Which he also now calls a “ mistake.
” If your biggest foreign and domestic accomplishments were both mistakes , why in the world would we trust you with foreign or domestic policy ?
Cops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden insisted he doesn ’ t want to defund police … though we know the radicals propping up his campaign will insist on it .
But he did demonstrate how little he knows about police work .
Again at the town hall he suggested police officers should shoot suspects in the leg .
As any cop — even the K-9s —know , this is idiotic , for practical , tactical and legal reasons .
Here ’ s a link to a good explanation .
He also wants to send social workers alone to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any cop knows , it ’ s dangerous to assume any 911 is non-dangerous .
Especially in a climate where cops are being ambushed .
Three Policy Positions That Should Open Your Eyes … and a COVID Confession .
Joe Biden wants to mandate vaccinations when a COVID vaccine becomes available .
Joe Biden admitted he didn ’ t call for any masks , or social distancing , or limits on social gatherings , in January … or February … or most of March .
Joe Biden wants 8 year olds to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though studies show most kids who believe they are another gender grow out of it .
Joe faced some decent questions .
For example : “ So my question for you , then is , besides ‘ you ain ’ t black , ’ what do you have to say to young black voters who see voting for you as further participation in a system that fails to protect them ?
” • Making criminal justice system fair .
( He wrote the bill that made it unfair .
Trump fixed it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ help black Americans gain wealth.
” ( He had 47 years in the Swamp , including 8 as VP .
That didn ’ t happen .
However , incomes and opportunities , including opening small businesses , rose dramatically for blacks in Trump ’ s first three years . )
Another good question : “ Peace is breaking out all over the world , our troops are coming home , Serbia is talking to Kosovo and the Arabs and Israelis are talking peace… Does President Trump ’ s foreign policy deserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ A little but not a whole lot.
” Meanwhile , on NBC , voters had a little time to ask Trump questions .
But not a whole lot .
The Trump Town Hall was one hour .
One hour for real voters to ask their President questions to their heart ’ s content .
Savannah Guthrie spent the first 25 minutes berating Trump with gotcha questions , attack questions , asinine questions , questions that had zero importance to the life of average Americans .
She asked if he had pneumonia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a COVID strategy , but only so she could interrupt and say how that strategy will kill people .
( Ignoring the Great Barrington Declaration by top epidemiologists who are now saying lockdowns are the worst possible thing you can do going forward . )
Trump answered , “ The cure can ’ t be worse than the virus.
” She kept pressing him on masks and social distancing .
He kept insisting a president can ’ t hide , and if people , like Gold Star families want to hug him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them no .
She asked him to , you guessed it , condemn white supremacy .
Trump did so , repeatedly … as he has done repeatedly .
Then asked why she wouldn ’ t ask Biden about Antifa .
She ordered him to condemn QAnon .
When Trump said he didn ’ t know much about what it is , she said , “ I just told you what it is.
” He responded , “ What you tell me doesn ’ t necessarily make it fact.
” She asked him about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not actually killed in Pakistan and there was a deadly cover-up .
She did NOT ask him about Twitter shutting down his campaign ’ s Twitter feed today for sharing the New York Post article laying out the Biden Family corruption .
Later , she jumped on him about his taxes and releasing his taxes .
She accused him of wanting to sacrifice people with pre-existing conditions with his efforts to end Obamacare .
And of course , she demanded to know if he would accept the results of the election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ way he will lose is through “ chicanery.
” ) All told , Trump seemed pretty happy to swat back at her questions and interruptions .
Mixing it up with an obviously biased and determined moderator as a way to wind down his evening .
But Trump also worked to be agreeable and amiable .
“ We ’ re on the same side , ” he told her more than once .
When there were questions from actual voters , he responded respectfully , engagingly … if sometimes vaguely , with his typical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what the night could have been , if Guthrie hadn ’ t been so determined to appease Never-Trumpers .
Including her own NBC colleagues upset that the network scheduled the town hall against Biden .
Newsflash , Liberals : If your boy can ’ t take the competition he can ’ t take the heat of the Oval Office .
Tim Murtaugh of the Trump campaign summarized the town hall this way .
“ Even though the commission canceled the in-person debate that could have happened tonight , one occurred anyway , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Savannah Guthrie.
” However well Trump may have done — or Biden , for that matter — the winner of the night is sweet and spry # PauletteDale .
Paulette was at the NBC Town Hall in Miami .
She identifies as GOP but voted for # Hillary and is leaning # Biden : She grabbed the mic , and melted hearts .
“ You have a great smile , ” she said .
“ You ’ re so handsome when you smile.
” In all this election ugliness , how great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author , with @ JZmirak , of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration .
You can follow him at @ StreamingAl .
And if you aren ’ t already , please follow The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

Two candidates, two town halls, two networks. And the two could not have been more different.
On NBC, Donald Trump endured a non-stop barrage of antagonistic questions and interruptions and false assumptions from “moderator” Savannah Guthrie.
On ABC, Joe Biden was massaged by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos like a patient in a rehabilitation center.
Guthrie did not stop pressing. The only thing pressed in the ABC town hall was Joe Biden’s dress shirt.
Actually, this was perhaps the best summary of the two presentations:
Stephanopoulos sounds like he's talking to a newborn. Savanah Guthrie sounds like she's screaming at an ex-lover. — thebradfordfile™ (@thebradfordfile) October 16, 2020
Nonetheless, the night belonged to a spunky voter in the NBC audience. But that’s for later.
The Joe Biden Town Hall Ignores the Elephant
The Joe Biden Town Hall was greatly social distanced. The candidate, moderator and attendees were so far apart none of them touched the elephant in the room.
Namely, the bombshell stories in the New York Post that A) demonstrate Joe Biden has been lying about his knowledge of his son’s Ukrainian dealings, and B) offer documentation that Hunter Biden was getting paid millions upon millions by Burisma and the Chinese for access.
Somehow Biden was not asked about the apparent corruption involving his family, and possible abuse of his office for personal family gain. Not by the audience, and most shamefully, not by George Stephanopoulos. (I guess when you worked for the Clintons, you look at the Post stories and say, “Corruption? You call that corruption?”)
Despite being offered an easy ride, Biden did manage to raise some eye-brows.
Court-Packing? We’ll See. Wink, Wink
Biden kept the door wide open for packing the court. He said he’s not a “fan” of court-packing, but “it depends on how this turns out.” When asked about taking a position before election day, he said “depends on how they handle this.” Let’s unpack his packing answer. If nominee Amy Comey Barrett is confirmed and he’s elected, he will move to add justices to the Supreme Court to create a progressive majority that will rule for generations.
His Crime Bill Was a “Mistake”
Biden called his championing of the 1994 crime bill a “mistake.” That bill ended up imprisoning countless millions of black Americans, largely for the same drug his son is pictured indulging in, punishment-free, in the newly released images.
That aside, let’s take a moment to assess. Joe’s biggest domestic accomplishment he now says is a “mistake.” His biggest foreign policy decision was approving and supporting the Iraq War. Which he also now calls a “mistake.” If your biggest foreign and domestic accomplishments were both mistakes, why in the world would we trust you with foreign or domestic policy?
Cops Should Shoot People in the Leg
Joe Biden insisted he doesn’t want to defund police … though we know the radicals propping up his campaign will insist on it. But he did demonstrate how little he knows about police work. Again at the town hall he suggested police officers should shoot suspects in the leg.
As any cop — even the K-9s —know, this is idiotic, for practical, tactical and legal reasons. Here’s a link to a good explanation.
He also wants to send social workers alone to “non-dangerous” 911 calls. As any cop knows, it’s dangerous to assume any 911 is non-dangerous. Especially in a climate where cops are being ambushed.
Three Policy Positions That Should Open Your Eyes … and a COVID Confession.
Joe Biden wants mask mandates.
Joe Biden wants to mandate vaccinations when a COVID vaccine becomes available.
Joe Biden admitted he didn’t call for any masks, or social distancing, or limits on social gatherings, in January … or February … or most of March.
Joe Biden wants 8 year olds to have the authority to “transition” … though studies show most kids who believe they are another gender grow out of it.
Joe Biden—who people tell us is not a radical—thinks 8 year olds should be able to be trans. This is complete far-left ideological insanity. pic.twitter.com/yveMveSuMx — David Reaboi (@davereaboi) October 16, 2020
Two Good Questions
Joe faced some decent questions. For example: “So my question for you, then is, besides ‘you ain’t black,’ what do you have to say to young black voters who see voting for you as further participation in a system that fails to protect them?”
Young African-American voter to Joe Biden: "Besides 'you ain't black,' what do you have to say to young black voters who see voting for you as further participation in a system that fails to protect them?" pic.twitter.com/acT4UWxUwe — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 16, 2020
Biden’s answer:
Making criminal justice system fair. (He wrote the bill that made it unfair. Trump fixed it.) A garbled sentence basically meaning, “help black Americans gain wealth.” (He had 47 years in the Swamp, including 8 as VP. That didn’t happen. However, incomes and opportunities, including opening small businesses, rose dramatically for blacks in Trump’s first three years.)
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Another good question: “Peace is breaking out all over the world, our troops are coming home, Serbia is talking to Kosovo and the Arabs and Israelis are talking peace… Does President Trump’s foreign policy deserve some credit?”
Biden Answer: “A little but not a whole lot.”
Guthrie Berates Trump
Meanwhile, on NBC, voters had a little time to ask Trump questions. But not a whole lot.
The Trump Town Hall was one hour. One hour for real voters to ask their President questions to their heart’s content. Savannah Guthrie spent the first 25 minutes berating Trump with gotcha questions, attack questions, asinine questions, questions that had zero importance to the life of average Americans.
She asked if he had pneumonia. She asked him about herd immunity as a COVID strategy, but only so she could interrupt and say how that strategy will kill people. (Ignoring the Great Barrington Declaration by top epidemiologists who are now saying lockdowns are the worst possible thing you can do going forward.) Trump answered, “The cure can’t be worse than the virus.”
She kept pressing him on masks and social distancing. He kept insisting a president can’t hide, and if people, like Gold Star families want to hug him, he’s not going to tell them no.
She asked him to, you guessed it, condemn white supremacy. Trump did so, repeatedly … as he has done repeatedly. Then asked why she wouldn’t ask Biden about Antifa.
Guthrie Orders and Accuses Trump
She ordered him to condemn QAnon. When Trump said he didn’t know much about what it is, she said, “I just told you what it is.” He responded, “What you tell me doesn’t necessarily make it fact.”
She asked him about a retweet of an allegation that UBL was not actually killed in Pakistan and there was a deadly cover-up. She did NOT ask him about Twitter shutting down his campaign’s Twitter feed today for sharing the New York Post article laying out the Biden Family corruption.
Later, she jumped on him about his taxes and releasing his taxes.
She accused him of wanting to sacrifice people with pre-existing conditions with his efforts to end Obamacare.
And of course, she demanded to know if he would accept the results of the election. (Days after Biden said the only way he will lose is through “chicanery.”)
Trump: Respectful, Engaging, Amiable
All told, Trump seemed pretty happy to swat back at her questions and interruptions. Mixing it up with an obviously biased and determined moderator as a way to wind down his evening. But Trump also worked to be agreeable and amiable. “We’re on the same side,” he told her more than once.
When there were questions from actual voters, he responded respectfully, engagingly … if sometimes vaguely, with his typical Trumpian asides. What a clear hint of what the night could have been, if Guthrie hadn’t been so determined to appease Never-Trumpers. Including her own NBC colleagues upset that the network scheduled the town hall against Biden.
Newsflash, Liberals: If your boy can’t take the competition he can’t take the heat of the Oval Office.
Tim Murtaugh of the Trump campaign summarized the town hall this way. “Even though the commission canceled the in-person debate that could have happened tonight, one occurred anyway, and President Trump soundly defeated NBC’s Savannah Guthrie.”
The Night’s Winner by a “Smile”
However well Trump may have done — or Biden, for that matter — the winner of the night is sweet and spry #PauletteDale. Paulette was at the NBC Town Hall in Miami. She identifies as GOP but voted for #Hillary and is leaning #Biden:
She grabbed the mic, and melted hearts.
“You have a great smile,” she said. “You’re so handsome when you smile.”
Voter to President Trump at #TrumpTownHall: “You’re so handsome when you smile." pic.twitter.com/KgJThAtAQg — NBC News (@NBCNews) October 16, 2020
In all this election ugliness, how great to have a moment of beauty.
Thank you, Paulette!
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with @JZmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl. And if you aren’t already, please follow The Stream at @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-10-16--If Americans Vote in Biden, It Means We’re Surrender Lemmings

The French army in 1940 was large and well-equipped , with more and better tanks and planes than the Germans .
Why did its morale collapse so quickly and completely ?
France went from a major power to a conquered Nazi province in just a matter of weeks .
It ’ s not as if the French have ever been cowards .
The nation of Napoleon , Louis XIV , and Charles Martel had a long , proud fighting tradition .
Just 25 years before , the French had fought a much less wicked and menacing German regime with bitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallied against a common enemy , sacrificing one in four Frenchmen of military age .
When the Kaiser ’ s men menaced Paris , ordinary citizens used buses and cars to ferry fresh troops to the front .
Why was the same nation , from the top tiers of government on down , so ready to surrender to the Germans after a single failed campaign in 1940 ?
It ’ s still something of a mystery .
If Joe Biden wins in 2020 , historians will ask similar questions .
How did the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attacks of September 11 , 2001 , collapse like a cheap tent thanks to Chinese biowarfare in 2020 ?
Don ’ t fool yourself .
If Biden takes the White House , that is what will have happened .
And the explanations for America ’ s collapse in 2020 will mirror those for France ’ s defeat in 1940 , as I ’ ll explain .
But the prospects for liberation will be far less hopeful for us , since China doesn ’ t face other enemies as Hitler did .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maybe this sounds nuts to you .
But what if in October 2019 , I ’ d told you that a Chinese virus would cripple our economy , close our churches , and strip us of the right of free assembly — except for violent , destructive , anti-police riots ?
That it would give Democrat governors virtual dictatorial powers , which they ’ d ruthlessly exploit , weaponizing public panic ?
Making a mockery of public health by dumping virus patients in nursing homes , while locking down churches ?
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the weakest candidates in their field , but exploit the effects of the Chinese virus to pull ahead in the presidential race ?
You ’ d have waved me off as a crackpot .
But that ’ s exactly what has happened .
Human Bioweapons , Flown All Over the World Remember , this disease originated in a Chinese bioweapons lab .
It likely escaped by accident , but what matters is what happened next .
After months of refusing international help or transparency , and lying to the world about how infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Communist leaders panicked .
They locked down all travel in China , and quarantined the province of Wuhan .
But they made sure that travelers from all over China , Wuhan included , kept flying around the world .
That way , China wouldn ’ t have to suffer alone , and wouldn ’ t lose comparative economic and military advantage .
Every infected person the Chinese put on a plane in subsequent months was an unwitting bioweapon , like a Japanese Zero headed for Hawaii in 1941 .
President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then from Europe where Chinese travelers and workers had spread the disease .
Democrats including Joe Biden damned him for “ xenophobia.
” Our media got the word from Chinese investors and censors that no one was to call the disease “ the Wuhan Flu ” or even connect it to China — as diseases have traditionally been named for more than 100 years .
And they obeyed .
China wanted to crash Western economies , but especially America ’ s .
The Democrats wanted to crash America ’ s economy too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So they eagerly seized on the most outlandishly frightful scenarios , and turned “ two weeks to slow the spread ” into “ locked down until this disease disappears.
” They helped this Chinese sabotage of our livelihoods and freedom , for crass political gain .
And they were rewarded .
Just so , our media got the word from the Biden campaign not to report on the proof that Hunter Biden sold access to Ukrainian kleptocrats , and sought bribes from Chinese Communist officials .
And they obeyed .
I turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with President Trump after 15 minutes , lest I smash a nice flatscreen with a Cole Haan thrown across the room like a hand grenade .
For that whole time , the U.S. president fielded idiotic , dishonest questions about a disease that China sent us .
And the “ moderator ” treated the president as if he ’ d been Patient Zero , the Typhoid Mary who ’ d spread the sickness , killing thousands .
How many past presidents who served during influenza or polio outbreaks faced questions like those ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew that deadly diseases come and go , and that man is a mortal creature , who may face death and judgment at any time .
Nowadays we see ourselves as little gods , but fragile ones , desperately afraid of facing the Abyss .
Too many self-styled Christians have soaked in this godless attitude from the culture .
Canceling Our 2016 Votes , by Any Means Necessary Our media , in thrall to the Democratic party , has been gleefully feeding the panic , using it to bring down a president whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , China has cracked down on Hong Kong , built more concentration camps for Uyghurs and Christians to work as slave laborers for Nike , and threatened war with India .
Its economy has largely recovered , while the West still cripples itself .
And the Democrats are all too happy to ride this catastrophe to power , as some Jew-hating Frenchmen were happy to collaborate with the Nazis .
Indeed , large numbers of Frenchmen regarded their own government in 1940 as illegitimate .
Members of Communist unions , on orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frenchmen hated other Frenchmen with different views more than they feared the Nazis .
Some far-right Frenchmen , who loathed their Jewish Prime Minister Leon Blum , joked “ Better Hitler Than Blum.
” How many Democrat voters today shrug at China ’ s cruelties and tyranny , but compare Donald Trump to Hitler , and his supporters to Nazis ?
Americans have been instructed to panic , and many of them obeyed .
They were ordered to make themselves poor , and many obeyed .
Now they ’ re being ordered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has-been , who promises to go on appeasing Communist China .
Will they obey ?
If they do , and the Democrats keep their promises to pack the Supreme Court , give amnesty to 20 million illegals , and add frivolous new states like Washington , D.C. , there may be no going back .
Media monopolies — that even now , with Trump in the White House and a GOP Senate , censor our speech — will be even more emboldened .
Political gangs like Antifa and Black Lives Matter that torch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll only get more aggressive , and a packed Supreme Court might very well torch our Second Amendment rights , leaving us helpless .
We will live in a different country altogether , my friends .
A defeated one , occupied by a regime that obeys its foreign masters , and licks their boots when they kick us .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

The French army in 1940 was large and well-equipped, with more and better tanks and planes than the Germans. Why did its morale collapse so quickly and completely? France went from a major power to a conquered Nazi province in just a matter of weeks.
It’s not as if the French have ever been cowards. The nation of Napoleon, Louis XIV, and Charles Martel had a long, proud fighting tradition. Just 26 years before, the French had fought a much less wicked and menacing German regime with bitter tenacity. A fractious, divided nation rallied against a common enemy, sacrificing one in four Frenchmen of military age. When the Kaiser’s men menaced Paris, ordinary citizens used buses and cars to ferry fresh troops to the front.
Why was the same nation, from the top tiers of government on down, so ready to surrender to the Germans after a single failed campaign in 1940? It’s still something of a mystery.
Joe Biden: Collaborator
If Joe Biden wins in 2020, historians will ask similar questions. How did the nation which rallied and responded fiercely to the attacks of September 11, 2001, collapse like a cheap tent thanks to Chinese biowarfare in 2020?
Don’t fool yourself. If Biden takes the White House, that is what will have happened. And the explanations for America’s collapse in 2020 will mirror those for France’s defeat in 1940, as I’ll explain. But the prospects for liberation will be far less hopeful for us, since China doesn’t face other enemies as Hitler did. We are the last real bulwark against it.
The Democrats Gleefully Aided Red China’s Sabotage
Maybe this sounds nuts to you. But what if in October 2019, I’d told you that a Chinese virus would cripple our economy, close our churches, and strip us of the right of free assembly — except for violent, destructive, anti-police riots? That it would give Democrat governors virtual dictatorial powers, which they’d ruthlessly exploit, weaponizing public panic? Making a mockery of public health by dumping virus patients in nursing homes, while locking down churches? And that the Democrats would nominate one of the weakest candidates in their field, but exploit the effects of the Chinese virus to pull ahead in the presidential race? You’d have waved me off as a crackpot. But that’s exactly what has happened.
Human Bioweapons, Flown All Over the World
Remember, this disease originated in a Chinese bioweapons lab. It likely escaped by accident, but what matters is what happened next. After months of refusing international help or transparency, and lying to the world about how infectious the Wuhan Flu really is, China’s Communist leaders panicked. They locked down all travel in China, and quarantined the province of Wuhan.
Tbe Communist Party locked down all travel in China, and quarantined the province of Wuhan. But it made sure that travelers from all over China, Wuhan included, kept flying around the world. That way, China wouldn’t have to suffer alone.
But they made sure that travelers from all over China, Wuhan included, kept flying around the world. That way, China wouldn’t have to suffer alone, and wouldn’t lose comparative economic and military advantage. Every infected person the Chinese put on a plane in subsequent months was an unwitting bioweapon, like a Japanese Zero headed for Hawaii in 1941.
Biden Wanted More Virus Patients Flying In
President Trump in January banned travel from China, and then from Europe where Chinese travelers and workers had spread the disease. Democrats including Joe Biden damned him for “xenophobia.” Our media got the word from Chinese investors and censors that no one was to call the disease “the Wuhan Flu” or even connect it to China — as diseases have traditionally been named for more than 100 years. And they obeyed.
China wanted to crash Western economies, but especially America’s. The Democrats wanted to crash America’s economy too, to force Trump out of office. So they eagerly seized on the most outlandishly frightful scenarios, and turned “two weeks to slow the spread” into “locked down until this disease disappears.” They helped this Chinese sabotage of our livelihoods and freedom, for crass political gain. And they were rewarded.
Biden’s Son Sought Bribes from Red Chinese Officials
Just so, our media got the word from the Biden campaign not to report on the proof that Hunter Biden sold access to Ukrainian kleptocrats, and sought bribes from Chinese Communist officials. And they obeyed.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
I turned off Thursday night’s town hall with President Trump after 15 minutes, lest I smash a nice flatscreen with a Cole Haan thrown across the room like a hand grenade. For that whole time, the U.S. president fielded idiotic, dishonest questions about a disease that China sent us. And the “moderator” treated the president as if he’d been Patient Zero, the Typhoid Mary who’d spread the sickness, killing thousands.
How many past presidents who served during influenza or polio outbreaks faced questions like those? None, in fact. Past generations knew that deadly diseases come and go, and that man is a mortal creature, who may face death and judgment at any time. Nowadays we see ourselves as little gods, but fragile ones, desperately afraid of facing the Abyss. Too many self-styled Christians have soaked in this godless attitude from the culture.
Canceling Our 2016 Votes, by Any Means Necessary
Our media, in thrall to the Democratic party, has been gleefully feeding the panic, using it to bring down a president whose legal election it never accepted anyway. Meanwhile, China has cracked down on Hong Kong, built more concentration camps for Uyghurs and Christians to work as slave laborers for Nike, and threatened war with India. Its economy has largely recovered, while the West still cripples itself.
And the Democrats are all too happy to ride this catastrophe to power, as some Jew-hating Frenchmen were happy to collaborate with the Nazis. Indeed, large numbers of Frenchmen regarded their own government in 1940 as illegitimate. Members of Communist unions, on orders from Stalin, sabotaged defense factories. Frenchmen hated other Frenchmen with different views more than they feared the Nazis. Some far-right Frenchmen, who loathed their Jewish Prime Minister Leon Blum, joked “Better Hitler Than Blum.”
How many Democrat voters today shrug at China’s cruelties and tyranny, but compare Donald Trump to Hitler, and his supporters to Nazis?
Will We Obey Foreign Masters?
Americans have been instructed to panic, and many of them obeyed. They were ordered to make themselves poor, and many obeyed. Now they’re being ordered to vote for a corrupt and compromised half-senile has-been, who promises to go on appeasing Communist China.
Will they obey? If they do, and the Democrats keep their promises to pack the Supreme Court, give amnesty to 20 million illegals, and add frivolous new states like Washington, D.C., there may be no going back. Media monopolies — that even now, with Trump in the White House and a GOP Senate, censor our speech — will be even more emboldened. Political gangs like Antifa and Black Lives Matter that torch our cities will be rewarded. They’ll only get more aggressive, and a packed Supreme Court might very well torch our Second Amendment rights, leaving us helpless.
We will live in a different country altogether, my friends. A defeated one, occupied by a regime that obeys its foreign masters, and licks their boots when they kick us.
Vote accordingly.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”


thestream--2020-10-16--Burisma Official Told Hunter Biden They Wanted to ‘Close Down’ Investigation Against Firm’s Owner, A

Burisma Official Told Hunter Biden They Wanted to ‘Close Down’ Investigation Against Firm’s Owner, According to Unconfirmed Email

An executive at Burisma Holdings told Hunter Biden in November 2015 that he wanted high-ranking U.S. officials to express their support for the Ukrainian energy firm as part of an effort to shut down investigations against the company ’ s owner , according to an unconfirmed email Fox News reported Thursday .
According to Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson , Vadym Pozharskyi , a Burisma executive , emailed Biden and his business associate , Devon Archer , on Nov. 2 , 2015 , laying out a series of “ deliverables ” he sought for the company .
Biden and Archer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directors at the time .
They were paid more than $ 80,000 a month in that role despite having no experience in the European energy sector .
At the time , the owner of Burisma , Mykola Zlochevsky , was the target of an investigation in the U.K. for bribery .
There is some dispute over whether he was under investigation in Ukraine as well .
According to Carlson , Pozharskyi told Biden and Archer that he wanted “ high-ranking U.S. officials to express their ‘ positive opinion of Burisma.
’ ” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization of a visit of a number of widely recognized and influential current and/or former US policy-makers to Ukraine in November , ” Pozharskyi wrote in the email , which was reviewed but not authenticated by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
He said the goal of the visit was to “ bring positive signal/message and support on Nikolay ’ s issue to the Ukrainian top officials above with the ultimate purpose to close down for any cases/pursuits against Nikolay in Ukraine.
” Pozharskyi was critiquing a consulting proposal from Blue Star Strategies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually worked for Burisma .
Hunter Biden served on the board of directors of the Truman National Security Project with Blue Star Strategies co-owner Sally Painter .
The documents are purportedly from Hunter Biden ’ s computer .
On Wednesday , the New York Post began publishing emails purported to be from the computer .
The origin of the emails has come under scrutiny because they fell into the hands of Rudy Giuliani , the personal lawyer for President Donald Trump who has led his own investigation into the Bidens ’ ties to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delaware said that a man he believed to be Biden dropped off the laptop for repair in April 2019 but did not return to retrieve it .
The shop owner said that an intermediary notified the FBI about the computer .
Federal prosecutors subpoenaed the device in December 2019 .
The shop owner said he made a copy of the computer ’ s hard drive before turning it over to authorities .
He provided the computer files to a lawyer for Rudy Giuliani .
Despite questions about the chain of custody for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not disputed the accuracy of any of the documents published so far , and Hunter Biden has not issued a statement on the matter .
The Post reported on Wednesday that Pozharskyi emailed Biden in April 2015 thanking him for “ an opportunity ” to meet his father .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has long denied talking about his son ’ s business activities , including his work for Burisma .
The Biden campaign issued a statement on Wednesday saying that Pozharskyi was not listed on Biden ’ s calendars from 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the day saying that if Biden met with the Burisma official it would have been a brief encounter on the sidelines of an event .
Republican allies of Trump have alleged that Joe Biden intervened to help Burisma because of his son ’ s position with the company .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

An executive at Burisma Holdings told Hunter Biden in November 2015 that he wanted high-ranking U.S. officials to express their support for the Ukrainian energy firm as part of an effort to shut down investigations against the company’s owner, according to an unconfirmed email Fox News reported Thursday.
According to Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, Vadym Pozharskyi, a Burisma executive, emailed Biden and his business associate, Devon Archer, on Nov. 2, 2015, laying out a series of “deliverables” he sought for the company.
Biden and Archer served on Burisma’s board of directors at the time. They were paid more than $80,000 a month in that role despite having no experience in the European energy sector.
At the time, the owner of Burisma, Mykola Zlochevsky, was the target of an investigation in the U.K. for bribery. There is some dispute over whether he was under investigation in Ukraine as well.
According to Carlson, Pozharskyi told Biden and Archer that he wanted “high-ranking U.S. officials to express their ‘positive opinion of Burisma.’”
“The scope of work should also include organization of a visit of a number of widely recognized and influential current and/or former US policy-makers to Ukraine in November,” Pozharskyi wrote in the email, which was reviewed but not authenticated by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
He said the goal of the visit was to “bring positive signal/message and support on Nikolay’s issue to the Ukrainian top officials above with the ultimate purpose to close down for any cases/pursuits against Nikolay in Ukraine.”
Tucker Carlson segment featuring new emails from Hunter Biden: "That’s how things really work in Washington. Your son has a lucrative consulting deal with a Ukrainian energy company, you tailor American foreign policy to help make him rich." pic.twitter.com/EhHvi4GvXe — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 16, 2020
Pozharskyi was critiquing a consulting proposal from Blue Star Strategies, a Democratic public relations firm that eventually worked for Burisma.
Hunter Biden served on the board of directors of the Truman National Security Project with Blue Star Strategies co-owner Sally Painter.
The documents are purportedly from Hunter Biden’s computer.
On Wednesday, the New York Post began publishing emails purported to be from the computer.
The origin of the emails has come under scrutiny because they fell into the hands of Rudy Giuliani, the personal lawyer for President Donald Trump who has led his own investigation into the Bidens’ ties to Ukraine.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
A computer shop owner in Delaware said that a man he believed to be Biden dropped off the laptop for repair in April 2019 but did not return to retrieve it.
The shop owner said that an intermediary notified the FBI about the computer. Federal prosecutors subpoenaed the device in December 2019. The shop owner said he made a copy of the computer’s hard drive before turning it over to authorities. He provided the computer files to a lawyer for Rudy Giuliani.
Despite questions about the chain of custody for the computer files, the Biden campaign has not disputed the accuracy of any of the documents published so far, and Hunter Biden has not issued a statement on the matter.
The Post reported on Wednesday that Pozharskyi emailed Biden in April 2015 thanking him for “an opportunity” to meet his father.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has long denied talking about his son’s business activities, including his work for Burisma. The Biden campaign issued a statement on Wednesday saying that Pozharskyi was not listed on Biden’s calendars from 2015. The campaign issued a statement later in the day saying that if Biden met with the Burisma official it would have been a brief encounter on the sidelines of an event.
Republican allies of Trump have alleged that Joe Biden intervened to help Burisma because of his son’s position with the company.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-10-16--Record-Breaking Year for Lies: How the Left Gets Away With It, and How You Can Help Stop Them

It isn ’ t just the lies , it ’ s the magnitude of the lies .
It isn ’ t just the magnitude , but that they think they can get away with them .
And it isn ’ t just that they think they can get away with them .
It ’ s that they do get away with them , to a disturbing degree .
Politicians have been lying since the world began , but this election season is one for the record books .
The Candidate Who “ Lies ” vs .
The Candidacy That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they see as Donald Trump ’ s lies .
There ’ s a difference , though , between a politician who tells some lies , and one whose very candidacy is a lie .
Joe Biden doesn ’ t have to speak a lie ; his whole run for president is an obvious sham .
If he doesn ’ t have what it takes to make it through a day in public without confusion , he sure doesn ’ t have what it takes to lead the country .
His handlers , whoever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee Formerly Known as Joe Biden ( TSCFKAJB ) ” my colleague John Zmirak calls them — think they can stay out of sight until their man gets safely elected .
So far it ’ s working .
They ’ re getting away with it .
I see it everywhere on the left .
Roy Speckhardt , executive director of the atheistic American Humanist Association , wrote a panicky article last week telling of Amy Coney Barrett ’ s “ strong aversion to legal precedence [ sic ] .
” What he really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or three prior Supreme Court decisions he ’ s afraid the Court might change .
He ’ s panicked that they might revisit what he calls “ matters that impact people ’ s basic liberties ” — meaning abortion , Obamacare , and LGBT privileges .
But his charge is breathtakingly , obviously false .
Does anyone think Judge Barrett made it to the 7th Circuit Court by having a “ strong aversion ” to legal precedent ?
Seriously ?
That ’ s not how the world works , and I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the left tells the lies , and they get away with it .
How ?
Part of the answer is ideology .
Speckhardt ’ s tribe won ’ t pick up on the obvious ; they don ’ t want to .
The same goes for the anti-Trump crowd .
They hate the president so much , they ’ ll take anybody or ( functionally ) nobody who ’ ll run against him .
Part of the answer is media censorship of facts that embarrass them — which includes unprecedented social media meddling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Part of it we can blame on old-fashioned traditional media bias .
Biden got a pass on his empty candidacy in last night ’ s Town Hall meeting ; Trump got hammered .
And then there ’ s the help that so-called fact-checkers give to the left .
You think Trump ’ s lies are bad ?
How do you know ?
Honestly , this has been a tough one for me .
I hear that Trump is chronically dishonest ; I want to know the truth ; I can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
The Washington Post says Trump made “ more than 20,000 false or misleading claims ” up to midsummer of this year , but the Post ’ s fact-checkers don ’ t always tell the truth .
That ’ s more than just a little bit problematic .
Surely some of those “ 20,000 ” really were falsehoods , but which ones , and how many ?
What good is a fact-checker if you have to fact-check it ?
Stopping the Machinery That Makes It Work Politicians lie .
There are exceptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a well-known occupational hazard .
It ’ s different this year , though .
We face most than just politicians messing with facts .
There ’ s an entire machinery of deception built upon intense hatred for Donald Trump , and propagated through traditional media and social media .
The left tells the lies .
They get away with it , and they ’ ll keep on getting away with it — as much as we let them .
Here are four steps you can take to slow the progress of the lies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so many of the lies are so obvious right on the surface , all it takes to detect them is common sense .
• Read broadly .
I write for a conservative website , but I read liberal information sources .
( I doubt many liberal journalists do conservative sources the same favor . )
Reading multiple sources may leave you confused as to what ’ s true , but it will also help protect you from falling for what ’ s false .
• Speak what ’ s true .
Be your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media .
We can ’ t stop their whole machine with all its broad influence , but we can at least do something .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books , including the recently released Too Good To Be False : How Jesus ’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality .

It isn’t just the lies, it’s the magnitude of the lies. It isn’t just the magnitude, but that they think they can get away with them.
And it isn’t just that they think they can get away with them. It’s that they do get away with them, to a disturbing degree. Politicians have been lying since the world began, but this election season is one for the record books.
The Candidate Who “Lies” vs. The Candidacy That’s a Lie
Liberal websites track what they see as Donald Trump’s lies. There’s a difference, though, between a politician who tells some lies, and one whose very candidacy is a lie. Joe Biden doesn’t have to speak a lie; his whole run for president is an obvious sham. If he doesn’t have what it takes to make it through a day in public without confusion, he sure doesn’t have what it takes to lead the country.
His handlers, whoever they may be — “The Secret Committee Formerly Known as Joe Biden (TSCFKAJB)” my colleague John Zmirak calls them — think they can stay out of sight until their man gets safely elected. So far it’s working. They’re getting away with it.
So False, So Obvious
I see it everywhere on the left. Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the atheistic American Humanist Association, wrote a panicky article last week telling of Amy Coney Barrett’s “strong aversion to legal precedence [sic].” What he really means is that Barrett disagrees with two or three prior Supreme Court decisions he’s afraid the Court might change. He’s panicked that they might revisit what he calls “matters that impact people’s basic liberties” — meaning abortion, Obamacare, and LGBT privileges.
But his charge is breathtakingly, obviously false. Does anyone think Judge Barrett made it to the 7th Circuit Court by having a “strong aversion” to legal precedent? Seriously? That’s not how the world works, and I’m pretty sure Speckhardt knows it.
But the left tells the lies, and they get away with it. How?
The Machinery: Ideology, Censorship, Bias, False Fact-Checkers
Part of the answer is ideology. Speckhardt’s tribe won’t pick up on the obvious; they don’t want to. The same goes for the anti-Trump crowd. They hate the president so much, they’ll take anybody or (functionally) nobody who’ll run against him.
Part of the answer is media censorship of facts that embarrass them — which includes unprecedented social media meddling in information relevant to a presidential election.
Part of it we can blame on old-fashioned traditional media bias. Biden got a pass on his empty candidacy in last night’s Town Hall meeting; Trump got hammered.
And then there’s the help that so-called fact-checkers give to the left. You think Trump’s lies are bad? How do you know? Honestly, this has been a tough one for me. I hear that Trump is chronically dishonest; I want to know the truth; I can’t find a source I can trust on it. The Washington Post says Trump made “more than 20,000 false or misleading claims” up to midsummer of this year, but the Post’s fact-checkers don’t always tell the truth. That’s more than just a little bit problematic. Surely some of those “20,000” really were falsehoods, but which ones, and how many? What good is a fact-checker if you have to fact-check it?
Stopping the Machinery That Makes It Work
Politicians lie. There are exceptions, but overall, it’s a well-known occupational hazard. It’s different this year, though. We face most than just politicians messing with facts. There’s an entire machinery of deception built upon intense hatred for Donald Trump, and propagated through traditional media and social media.
The left tells the lies. They get away with it, and they’ll keep on getting away with it — as much as we let them. Here are four steps you can take to slow the progress of the lies:
Use your head. When so many of the lies are so obvious right on the surface, all it takes to detect them is common sense. Read broadly. I write for a conservative website, but I read liberal information sources. (I doubt many liberal journalists do conservative sources the same favor.) Reading multiple sources may leave you confused as to what’s true, but it will also help protect you from falling for what’s false. Speak what’s true. Be your own source, among friends and on social media. Vote the lies down.
We can’t stop their whole machine with all its broad influence, but we can at least do something.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books, including the recently released Too Good To Be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality.


thestream--2020-10-16--New Apologetic Documentary Starring Kevin Sorbo in Theaters November 19

“ Apostle Peter says to us all , that we always should be ready to give a defense , apologia , to those that ask us a reason for the hope that is within us , ” mathematician , scientist , author and apologist John Lennox , Ph.D. said in an interview with The Stream .
A new documentary titled Against the Tide , featuring Lennox and Hercules actor Kevin Sorbo , will be released to theaters November 19 for one night only .
Against the Tide documents evidence for Christianity as explained by Lennox to Sorbo .
The two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union and to Jerusalem , investigating how Christianity holds up to the scrutiny of other world views .
The heart of the story is “ one man ’ s daring stand against the tide of contemporary atheism and its drive to relegate belief in God to society ’ s catalog of dead ideas.
” A decades-long apologist , Lennox defends Christianity to atheists in debates around the world .
“ I ’ ve done lots of videos and YouTube interviews and debates , ” said Lennox , “ but never before have I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] , and to my great surprise , it ’ s come out extremely well.
” He added : “ The film simply encapsulates the carefully crafted response to the naturalism that dominates the academy and secondly , tries … to explain the foundations of the Christian faith and why it is trustworthy.
” Watch the trailer for Against the Tide : Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

“Apostle Peter says to us all, that we always should be ready to give a defense, apologia, to those that ask us a reason for the hope that is within us,” mathematician, scientist, author and apologist John Lennox, Ph.D. said in an interview with The Stream.
A new documentary titled Against the Tide, featuring Lennox and Hercules actor Kevin Sorbo, will be released to theaters November 19 for one night only. Against the Tide documents evidence for Christianity as explained by Lennox to Sorbo. The two travel from Oxford to the former Soviet Union and to Jerusalem, investigating how Christianity holds up to the scrutiny of other world views.
The heart of the story is “one man’s daring stand against the tide of contemporary atheism and its drive to relegate belief in God to society’s catalog of dead ideas.” A decades-long apologist, Lennox defends Christianity to atheists in debates around the world.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“I’ve done lots of videos and YouTube interviews and debates,” said Lennox, “but never before have I done anything like [Against the Tide], and to my great surprise, it’s come out extremely well.”
He added: “The film simply encapsulates the carefully crafted response to the naturalism that dominates the academy and secondly, tries … to explain the foundations of the Christian faith and why it is trustworthy.”
Watch the interview with Lennox:
Watch the trailer for Against the Tide:
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-10-17--Try This Simple, Three-Step Maneuver When You’re Hit with a Barrage of Objections

Running the gauntlet is no fun .
Historically , it was a military punishment .
Offenders were forced to run between two lines of soldiers who would beat them with sticks .
Like I said , not a party .
Sometimes , though , you ’ ll have to run a gauntlet of sorts , too .
Occasionally you ’ ll be battered by a barrage of challenges coming at you in rapid-fire succession — sometimes from an individual and sometimes from a group ganging up on you with each one delivering his own broadside at your convictions .
Steamroller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piling objections on top of objections — are clear offenders here , and in Tactics I offer a precise strategy to manage their interruptions .
Many who make you run the gauntlet , though , are not malicious — the contenders aren ’ t necessarily rude or looking to draw rhetorical blood — but the sheer number of their challenges can still be overpowering .
You ’ ll confront the gauntlet in face-to-face encounters with others , but you ’ ll also confront it in print or on webcasts , in something you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s one example from an internet interview of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers by IndyCar racing icon Danica Patrick .
Rodgers had a seemingly rich religious life growing up as a Christian , but then his concerns about Christianity led him in a different spiritual direction : So , what do you do when you ’ re getting banged about by a bunch of challenges like these ?
I want to offer you a simple , three-step tactical maneuver to help you run that gauntlet without getting thrashed : slow down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when hit with a tsunami of objections , slow things down , especially when facing a group .
Part of the power of the gauntlet is its ability to disorient and confuse , so take a moment to collect your thoughts .
I ’ ve sometimes said , “ Wow .
There ’ s a lot there .
Give me a moment to take it all in.
” Do the same when reading or watching .
Don ’ t panic .
Instead , take a deep breath , pause , then ponder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the second step .
I carefully isolate the specific concerns , extracting them from the rhetorical noise .
The sheer volume of piled-on charges can seem overwhelming .
Isolating the claims breaks the larger challenge into parts I can deal with one at a time .
You might say , “ Let me see if I understand you .
It seems to me your concerns are … , ” then list them as clearly , as accurately , and as fairly as you can .
Don ’ t let an aggressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say , “ Hold on .
One at a time , please.
” Some charges are explicit and some are implied .
Get them all out in the open .
In Rodgers ’ s case , there are three .
One , religion can be a crutch people need to feel better .
Two , religion sets up binary “ us and them ” categories that seem abusive .
Three , a good , noble God wouldn ’ t “ want to ” condemn people to a fiery hell .
Assess the Challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Assess the challenges one by one , as you ’ re able .
What of the “ crutch ” claim ?
With this one , I always move towards the objection , * not away from it .
I embrace it .
Yes , Christ is a kind of “ crutch.
” That ’ s because handicapped people need crutches .
Everyone has a crutch ( even Rodgers ) since fallen people are disabled in different ways .
Here ’ s the real question : Can the crutch they ’ re leaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And yes , of course true forgiveness makes us feel better .
That ’ s a virtue , not a vice .
Now the “ binary ” issue .
Again , I move towards the objection .
Religion is binary .
Non-religion is , too .
Virtually everything important is clarified with binary categories .
With doctors it ’ s “ sick ” and “ healthy.
” With justice it ’ s “ innocent ” and “ guilty.
” With religious claims it ’ s “ true ” or “ false.
” With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divide people into binary categories ” and “ those who don ’ t , ” or maybe “ us progressives ” and “ them conservatives.
” It can ’ t be avoided .
What ’ s the alternative ?
What of the character of God ?
Notice the qualities Rodgers left out of his list : justice and holiness .
Isn ’ t God also good ?
And does a good God treat evil people the same as good people ?
Isn ’ t that precisely the complaint with the problem of evil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loving , sensitive , omnipresent , omnipotent being ” do something ?
These are questions Rodgers needs to answer , but they are not problems for us .
The assessment step is something you may need to do on your own , at your leisure , when the pressure is off .
That ’ s okay .
Most of us are not quick on our feet facing a barrage of challenges unless we ’ ve prepared for them in advance .
So , whenever you face a gauntlet , remember these three steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Second , isolate the objections .
Third , assess their significance .
It ’ s a good way to sidestep a thrashing .
*See Tactics , 10th Anniversary Edition , chapter 18 , for an explanation of this move .
Greg Koukl founded Stand to Reason in 1993 and currently serves as President of Stand to Reason .
An award-winning writer and best-selling author , Greg has written seven books , including The Story of Reality — How the World Began , How It Ends , and Everything Important that Happens in Between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Discussing Your Christian Convictions ; and Relativism : Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air .
Greg has been featured on Focus on the Family radio and has been interviewed for CBN and the BBC .
He ’ s been quoted in Christianity Today , the U.S. News & World Report , and the L.A. Times .

Running the gauntlet is no fun. Historically, it was a military punishment. Offenders were forced to run between two lines of soldiers who would beat them with sticks. Like I said, not a party.
Running the Gauntlet
Sometimes, though, you’ll have to run a gauntlet of sorts, too. Occasionally you’ll be battered by a barrage of challenges coming at you in rapid-fire succession — sometimes from an individual and sometimes from a group ganging up on you with each one delivering his own broadside at your convictions.
Steamroller types — critics who constantly interrupt, piling objections on top of objections — are clear offenders here, and in Tactics I offer a precise strategy to manage their interruptions. Many who make you run the gauntlet, though, are not malicious — the contenders aren’t necessarily rude or looking to draw rhetorical blood — but the sheer number of their challenges can still be overpowering.
You’ll confront the gauntlet in face-to-face encounters with others, but you’ll also confront it in print or on webcasts, in something you’re reading or watching.
Here’s one example from an internet interview of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers by IndyCar racing icon Danica Patrick. Rodgers had a seemingly rich religious life growing up as a Christian, but then his concerns about Christianity led him in a different spiritual direction:
Religion can be a crutch … something that people have to have to make themselves feel better. And because it’s set up binary, it’s us and them. It’s saved and unsaved. It’s heaven and hell. It’s enlightened and heathen. It’s holy and righteous and sinner and filthy …. What type of loving, sensitive, omnipresent, omnipotent being wants to condemn most of his beautiful creation to a fiery hell at the end of all this?
So, what do you do when you’re getting banged about by a bunch of challenges like these? I want to offer you a simple, three-step tactical maneuver to help you run that gauntlet without getting thrashed: slow down, isolate, and assess.
Slow Things Down
First, when hit with a tsunami of objections, slow things down, especially when facing a group. Part of the power of the gauntlet is its ability to disorient and confuse, so take a moment to collect your thoughts. I’ve sometimes said, “Wow. There’s a lot there. Give me a moment to take it all in.” Do the same when reading or watching. Don’t panic. Instead, take a deep breath, pause, then ponder.
Isolate the Specific Concerns
What do I ponder? That’s the second step. I carefully isolate the specific concerns, extracting them from the rhetorical noise. The sheer volume of piled-on charges can seem overwhelming. Isolating the claims breaks the larger challenge into parts I can deal with one at a time.
You might say, “Let me see if I understand you. It seems to me your concerns are …,” then list them as clearly, as accurately, and as fairly as you can. Don’t let an aggressive group gang up on you. Calmly say, “Hold on. One at a time, please.”
Some charges are explicit and some are implied. Get them all out in the open. In Rodgers’s case, there are three. One, religion can be a crutch people need to feel better. Two, religion sets up binary “us and them” categories that seem abusive. Three, a good, noble God wouldn’t “want to” condemn people to a fiery hell.
Assess the Challenges One by One
Now our third step: Assess the challenges one by one, as you’re able.
What of the “crutch” claim? With this one, I always move towards the objection,* not away from it. I embrace it. Yes, Christ is a kind of “crutch.” That’s because handicapped people need crutches. Everyone has a crutch (even Rodgers) since fallen people are disabled in different ways. Here’s the real question: Can the crutch they’re leaning on hold them? Christ can. And yes, of course true forgiveness makes us feel better. That’s a virtue, not a vice.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Now the “binary” issue. Again, I move towards the objection. Religion is binary. Non-religion is, too. Virtually everything important is clarified with binary categories. With doctors it’s “sick” and “healthy.” With justice it’s “innocent” and “guilty.” With religious claims it’s “true” or “false.” With Rodgers it’s “those who divide people into binary categories” and “those who don’t,” or maybe “us progressives” and “them conservatives.” It can’t be avoided. What’s the alternative?
Remember the Three Steps
What of the character of God? Notice the qualities Rodgers left out of his list: justice and holiness. Isn’t God also good? And does a good God treat evil people the same as good people? Isn’t that precisely the complaint with the problem of evil: Why doesn’t a “loving, sensitive, omnipresent, omnipotent being” do something? These are questions Rodgers needs to answer, but they are not problems for us.
The assessment step is something you may need to do on your own, at your leisure, when the pressure is off. That’s okay. Most of us are not quick on our feet facing a barrage of challenges unless we’ve prepared for them in advance.
So, whenever you face a gauntlet, remember these three steps. First, slow things down. Second, isolate the objections. Third, assess their significance. It’s a good way to sidestep a thrashing.
*See Tactics, 10th Anniversary Edition, chapter 18, for an explanation of this move.
Greg Koukl founded Stand to Reason in 1993 and currently serves as President of Stand to Reason. An award-winning writer and best-selling author, Greg has written seven books, including The Story of Reality — How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between; Tactics — A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions; and Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air. Greg has been featured on Focus on the Family radio and has been interviewed for CBN and the BBC. He’s been quoted in Christianity Today, the U.S. News & World Report, and the L.A. Times.
Originally published at STR.org. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-10-17--50 Questions #30: ‘Can Atheists Be Trusted?’

Part of an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison ’ s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian .
Read the series intro here .
Can atheists be trusted ?
Good question .
Guy P. Harrison starts this chapter with the story of “ an evangelical pastor ” who became an atheist after 25 years in the pulpit .
This pastor says “ he struggles with the ‘ hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance ’ required to maintain his position as a professional preacher while he seeks a secular job .
His congregation is unaware of his current belief status.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ though .
It ’ s about a group , when trust is generally a matter of individuals instead .
I have an atheist friend I ’ d trust with anything I own — because I know him , and I ’ m confident in his integrity .
But this chapter isn ’ t about individual differences , it ’ s about group differences , or at least different perceptions of groups , where prejudice can enter in all too easily .
Much In Common , But Not That Much We have much in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so ; it ’ s a lot better than the way he opened it .
The vast majority of atheists are “ regular , everyday people , ” he says .
They ’ re not immoral ; they ’ re trying to live decent lives .
I agree ; in fact , the Bible does , too .
Moral beliefs come from God , it says in Romans 2:14-15 ; and not just to His followers , but also to those “ without the law.
” We ’ re in this together .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I get .
But atheists and Christians disagree strongly on what the “ this ” is , that we ’ re all in .
We differ completely on the meaning and purpose of life , the meaning of morality , the nature of reality itself .
Our beliefs differ , and that ’ s bound to have an effect on our behavior .
Just One God Different ?
Harrison tries to downplay that difference with a warmed-over version of the lame atheistic trope , “ We all disbelieve in thousands of gods ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Christians are mostly atheistic , in other words .
We ’ re just a tiny fraction of a percent less atheistic than people who will openly admit to being atheists .
He couldn ’ t be more wrong about that .
“ One God more ” is no mere fractional difference .
That one God is the difference between an impersonal universe and a personal one ; the difference between a basically moral reality and a basically amoral reality .
God is the difference between life that matters for eternity , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ out , brief candle.
” Christians ’ “ one God more ” changes absolutely everything about all of reality .
It even alters the one thing on which Christians and atheists have most in common : our shared humanness .
Are we created in the image of God or not ?
That difference makes all the difference .
Harrison ’ s attempt to stave off prejudice by focusing on what we have in common got off to a good start .
It went quickly off the rails , though .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
And here we ’ d just read how important he thought it was for us to understand one another .
Trust is about individuals , but he wants us to think in terms of group differences .
So let ’ s go there with him .
This is a clear case of difference being defined by our worldviews .
Christ-followers ( fully committed Christians , that is ) have committed themselves to a worldview and a way that emphasizes love , sharing , self-sacrifice , honesty , and integrity , with real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Atheists , in contrast , have committed themselves to a worldview that teaches — that teaches — oh , nuts .
Atheists insist atheism isn ’ t a worldview , it ’ s the lack of a worldview .
Then it sure can ’ t teach any of the virtues Christianity teaches !
( It doesn ’ t hold weekly group meetings to support them , either . )
Most Western atheists actually do subscribe to a particular worldview , though .
It ’ s called philosophical materialism , the view that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing spiritual exists , but only matter and energy interacting according to what we call natural law .
It ’ s a worldview that specifically excludes ultimate morality and final accountability .
Atheists often assert humanism as a value .
It ’ s a bit vague , but I ’ ll still allow it ’ s better than nothing .
Yet it , too , excludes ultimate morality and final accountability , and if it has anything to say about self-sacrifice or love , that ’ s very arguably borrowed straight from Jesus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal commitment whatsoever .
And if America ’ s top humanist leader , Roy Speckhardt , is supposed to be the example , I ’ m not the least bit impressed .
Whom Would You Choose ?
So with those facts in mind , picture in your mind ’ s eye two groups , each with about a dozen or so people in them .
Picture them all looking much like yourself in age , clothing , race , and so on , so appearance plays no part in how much or how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know nothing about them , except one group consists of strongly committed Christ-followers , and the other is people committed to atheism .
Out of these two dozen people you need to choose one to trust , unsupervised , with your bank account .
From which group do you choose ?
Your choice could conceivably be right or wrong from either group , but which is more likely to be a good choice ?
If beliefs have anything to do with behavior — as they must !
— then obviously you ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christ-follower .
It ’ s not that atheism causes immoral tendencies ; not at all .
The number one cause for sin isn ’ t atheism , it ’ s simply being human .
But where people have tendencies toward dishonesty , Christianity provides an inherent check against those tendencies .
Atheism isn ’ t a thing , based on atheists ’ own insistence , so obviously it can provide … nothing .
Humanism ?
Maybe a little , but not nearly as much as Christian belief .
That ’ s not prejudice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in knowledge .
Here you ’ re using your knowledge , because worldview is both real and relevant .
So , “ Can atheists be trusted ?
” My preferred answer is , “ Yes , absolutely : If you know a trustworthy atheist , by all means trust him or her !
” But that ’ s answering a different question than the one Harrison asked .
I ’ m talking about individuals there , when he ’ s talking about atheists as a group .
Even for groups , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that differently , too .
I have no answer to , “ Can atheists be trusted ?
” Not without further information , especially , Which atheist ?
And trusted with what ?
If you want someone to teach atheism as if it were true , I ’ d say they ’ re a great group to trust with it , definitely the best group of all !
He didn ’ t ask his question that way , though .
How could he have ?
It ’ s too specific , too individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ ve done my best to answer it in the same very general terms .
Pick a random Christ-follower or a random atheist , on some random trust factor , and your odds are going to be better with the Christ-follower .
Worldview matters .
Beliefs affect behavior .
I think it ’ s the same answer Harrison himself would give , if he were wise .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : How Jesus ’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality .

Part of an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison’s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian. Read the series intro here.
Can atheists be trusted? Good question. Guy P. Harrison starts this chapter with the story of “an evangelical pastor” who became an atheist after 25 years in the pulpit. This pastor says “he struggles with the ‘hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance’ required to maintain his position as a professional preacher while he seeks a secular job. His congregation is unaware of his current belief status.”
Well, there’s a ringing endorsement for atheists’ trustworthiness!
Harrison asks a hard question, though. It’s about a group, when trust is generally a matter of individuals instead. I have an atheist friend I’d trust with anything I own — because I know him, and I’m confident in his integrity. But this chapter isn’t about individual differences, it’s about group differences, or at least different perceptions of groups, where prejudice can enter in all too easily.
Much In Common, But Not That Much
We have much in common. Harrison ends the chapter saying so; it’s a lot better than the way he opened it.
It is in everyone’s best interest, Christians and atheists, to understand one another, to cooperate, and to get along as well as possible. … Remember the common ground. … We are first human beings who share one world together.
The vast majority of atheists are “regular, everyday people,” he says. They’re not immoral; they’re trying to live decent lives. I agree; in fact, the Bible does, too. Moral beliefs come from God, it says in Romans 2:14-15; and not just to His followers, but also to those “without the law.”
We’re in this together. I’ll re-emphasize that every chance I get. But atheists and Christians disagree strongly on what the “this” is, that we’re all in. We differ completely on the meaning and purpose of life, the meaning of morality, the nature of reality itself. Our beliefs differ, and that’s bound to have an effect on our behavior.
Just One God Different?
Harrison tries to downplay that difference with a warmed-over version of the lame atheistic trope, “We all disbelieve in thousands of gods; atheists just disbelieve in one god more.” Christians are mostly atheistic, in other words. We’re just a tiny fraction of a percent less atheistic than people who will openly admit to being atheists.
He couldn’t be more wrong about that. “One God more” is no mere fractional difference. That one God is the difference between an impersonal universe and a personal one; the difference between a basically moral reality and a basically amoral reality. God is the difference between life that matters for eternity, and life that matters only until it’s “out, brief candle.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Christians’ “one God more” changes absolutely everything about all of reality. It even alters the one thing on which Christians and atheists have most in common: our shared humanness. Are we created in the image of God or not? That difference makes all the difference.
Harrison’s attempt to stave off prejudice by focusing on what we have in common got off to a good start. It went quickly off the rails, though. How? By his complete misunderstanding of Christianity! And here we’d just read how important he thought it was for us to understand one another.
Worldview and Trust
Trust is about individuals, but he wants us to think in terms of group differences. So let’s go there with him. This is a clear case of difference being defined by our worldviews. Christ-followers (fully committed Christians, that is) have committed themselves to a worldview and a way that emphasizes love, sharing, self-sacrifice, honesty, and integrity, with real accountability at the end of it all.
Atheists, in contrast, have committed themselves to a worldview that teaches — that teaches — oh, nuts. Atheists insist atheism isn’t a worldview, it’s the lack of a worldview. Then it sure can’t teach any of the virtues Christianity teaches! (It doesn’t hold weekly group meetings to support them, either.)
That’s not prejudice. Prejudice is making a decision not based in knowledge. Here you’re using your knowledge, because worldview is both real and relevant.
Most Western atheists actually do subscribe to a particular worldview, though. It’s called philosophical materialism, the view that reality at bottom is impersonal, that nothing spiritual exists, but only matter and energy interacting according to what we call natural law. It’s a worldview that specifically excludes ultimate morality and final accountability.
Atheists often assert humanism as a value. It’s a bit vague, but I’ll still allow it’s better than nothing. Yet it, too, excludes ultimate morality and final accountability, and if it has anything to say about self-sacrifice or love, that’s very arguably borrowed straight from Jesus Christ — to whom they hold no personal commitment whatsoever. And if America’s top humanist leader, Roy Speckhardt, is supposed to be the example, I’m not the least bit impressed.
Whom Would You Choose?
So with those facts in mind, picture in your mind’s eye two groups, each with about a dozen or so people in them. Picture them all looking much like yourself in age, clothing, race, and so on, so appearance plays no part in how much or how little you might trust them. You know nothing about them, except one group consists of strongly committed Christ-followers, and the other is people committed to atheism.
Out of these two dozen people you need to choose one to trust, unsupervised, with your bank account. From which group do you choose? Your choice could conceivably be right or wrong from either group, but which is more likely to be a good choice? If beliefs have anything to do with behavior — as they must! — then obviously you’ll have better chances if you chose a Christ-follower.
Worldview matters. Beliefs affect behavior. I think it’s the same answer Harrison himself would give, if he were wise.
It’s not that atheism causes immoral tendencies; not at all. The number one cause for sin isn’t atheism, it’s simply being human. But where people have tendencies toward dishonesty, Christianity provides an inherent check against those tendencies. Atheism isn’t a thing, based on atheists’ own insistence, so obviously it can provide … nothing. Humanism? Maybe a little, but not nearly as much as Christian belief.
That’s not prejudice. Prejudice is making a decision not based in knowledge. Here you’re using your knowledge, because worldview is both real and relevant.
Can Atheists Be Trusted?
So, “Can atheists be trusted?” My preferred answer is, “Yes, absolutely: If you know a trustworthy atheist, by all means trust him or her!” But that’s answering a different question than the one Harrison asked. I’m talking about individuals there, when he’s talking about atheists as a group.
Even for groups, I’d rather he’d asked that differently, too. I have no answer to, “Can atheists be trusted?” Not without further information, especially, Which atheist? And trusted with what? If you want someone to teach atheism as if it were true, I’d say they’re a great group to trust with it, definitely the best group of all!
He didn’t ask his question that way, though. How could he have? It’s too specific, too individual. He asked a very general question. I’ve done my best to answer it in the same very general terms. Pick a random Christ-follower or a random atheist, on some random trust factor, and your odds are going to be better with the Christ-follower.
Worldview matters. Beliefs affect behavior. I think it’s the same answer Harrison himself would give, if he were wise.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books, including the recently released Too Good To Be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality.