SOTU – 2023 A Long Pointless Speech

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Darrell Castle talks about the State of the Union Speech delivered by President Joe Biden on February 7, 2023.

SOTU-2023 A LONG POINTLESS SPEECH

Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today’s Castle Report. This is Friday the 10^th day of February in the year of our Lord 2023. I will be talking about the State of the Union Speech delivered Tuesday night, February 7^th by President Joe Biden. I call the speech pointless because it has become just another campaign speech filled with lies and boondoggle promises of things that can’t and should not be afforded. There are always a lot of promises of a glorious new future, but it is hard to see how this old politician can lead us into such a future.

Yes, it was filled with lies or if you wish to be kind just a lot of political puffery. This entire Castle Report could be filled with nothing but a list of lies in the speech but what would be the point. I always dread the speech even if given by a president that I personally voted for let alone this one. This would have been a good year to return to the Jeffersonian practice of writing a letter and having it read to congress assembled by a clerk. Egos are just too strong, the allure of the TV cameras and the world press too much for today’s politician to resist.

The speech to a joint session is supposed to be a time for the United States to put the majesty and glory of its political system, its achievements, and its power before the world for all to see. So, the 80-year-old politician walks up to the podium and delivers a speech written by others but supposedly with his advice and approval. He brags about the economy and tells us that 12 million new jobs have been created on his watch, but he knows it is more like two million or not quite enough for each migrant he has invited. He doesn’t mention that millions of families struggle every week to buy groceries which are up in price more than 20% on his watch. Those same families struggle to buy gas to get to work since it is now over $4.00 per gallon for many.

 The whole world sees this octogenarian president shouting, whispering, and lying his way through the speech. I wonder if they know it is mostly lying as the Republicans in the room seem to know. The atmosphere is raucous more like a British Parliament speech and reminds me of the way they shouted at Trump. I wonder if they know as American families know that even for those with a decent salary, inflation outstrips wage growth causing them to lose ground each month. He tells us that America is a unique nation, one that always bounces back from adversity stronger than before. For evidence he cited Covid which shut down our businesses, closed our schools, and robbed us of so much today, but thanks to his efforts Covid no longer controls our lives.

Well, no, Mr. President, Covid did not do all those horrible things, but the health authorities backed by government force did. I’m saying it was not Covid but your reaction to Covid that caused the problems. I point to Sweden as evidence because Sweden did not lock down and close businesses and that country suffered far less than we here in the U.S. did. I would suggest an apology to the millions of people whose lives were torn apart, their jobs taken away, their children barred from school rather than portraying yourself as some kind of conquering hero. Apology and accountability are in order, and we demand it from you and the government you lead.

Perhaps the president’s most cringeworthy moment was when he claimed that two years ago our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War. That statement at least made me cringe and wonder how many people accept his claptrap as the truth. The truth is that two years ago we had an election in which people voted. The results of that election were contested but those who contested it didn’t claim we should have no more elections. They didn’t demand that we should stop being a democracy and go back to being a republic again although we should.

No column of tanks rolled down Pennsylvania Avenue. No general stepped in front of a microphone and announced that he was the head of a military coup that would run the government from now on. Generals and defense contractors with their revolving doors do not have to make such crude demands because they already have control, and the government does their bidding. They make wars and then they build weapons to fight them. Everybody makes out except the soldiers and civilians who fill the cemeteries.

He had a few thoughts about energy and coincidentally made an interesting admission. He chastised the oil companies for making record profits, buying back stock etc. and chided them for not investing in new drilling and new wells to produce more and hold down prices. This man who has done so much to hinder, limit, and destroy the oil and gas side of energy production lectured those same companies on producing more. He admitted that a company executive asked him why his company should invest more in light of the negative business atmosphere for oil and gas projects.

The companies say we are afraid you are going to shut down all oil wells and all oil refineries. So, why should we invest in them? The president then said that he told them we are going to need oil for at least another decade and beyond. To that admission the Democrats booed and hissed, but his statement is an admission that the oil industry does not invest in new production because it doesn’t trust him not to bring about the industry’s destruction.

Attempts to destroy the oil industry are foolish in light of the fact that we need that industry to energize the planet. Renewables are fine and a helpful complement to oil and gas if used and developed properly. A friend in the industry pointed that out to me after he heard the president’s remarks. Renewables then should serve along with oil, not in place of it. Replacing oil and gas with renewables right now would be impossible unless we have a desire to return to the 19^th century. My friend also sent me a chart which shows that oil and gas are expected to grow and make up a majority of energy production beyond 2050.

When the president warned us about the scourge of fentanyl Republicans screamed secure the border, and it’s your fault. That reminded me a little of the time when congressman Joe Wilson shouted you lie at Barack Obama and was treated rather badly for it. These are different times, less civil times, and revenge is a meal best served cold as the poet says. When you are bombarded with 70 minutes of in your face lying while the liar knows he is lying and you know he is lying and he knows that you know he is lying, I suppose self-restraint is difficult. It is his fault, by the way, because the importation of fentanyl cannot be stopped or slowed with a wide open border so he must know that.

The Constitution, in Article ll says only that the president “shall from time to time give to congress information of the State of the Union.” It does not say that every year he gets a 90 minute campaign speech for free while his political opponents are to remain silent. Every year it’s the same old nonsense as this speech has turned into another political event or campaign rally. More laws, more spending, more things we don’t need and can’t afford, more wars, more weapons, more claptrap from more irresponsible politicians. It’s all just a state financed lie fest so why should it be expected to go unchallenged.

What about China? There was barely a mention even though representative Marjorie Taylor Greene paraded around the chambers before the speech carrying a white balloon on a stick. The trick was to remind the congress and anyone at home if the cameras got her that a giant Chinese balloon was allowed to complete its journey across the entire United States before the commander in chief acted. China’s spying, she said, if anyone asked her about the balloon. The president said this: “Today we are the strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world. I’m committed to work with China where we can advance American interests and benefit the world, but make no mistake about it, as we made clear last week, if China threatens our  sovereignty, we will act to protect our country and we did.”

The balloon 200 feet tall and weighing more than 2000 pounds floated across the country, clearly visible from the ground for a week. It surveilled the U.S. land based nuclear arsenal unchallenged. I know it’s suspicious because nations use satellites for surveillance and they are more effective than balloons but I still see this as a Chinese middle finger to the United States. What if it were a Chinese aircraft or God forbid a Chinese missile, would he act.

I’m intentionally not saying much about the Republican response since it is largely irrelevant. The president focused primarily on economics and the Republican response delivered by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders focused on what we used to call social issues. She said the difference, or the divide is no longer left versus right, but is now normal versus crazy. There’s truth in that, but I point out that today even normal is crazy.

So, what is the real state of the union? 1. We are on the verge of war with Russia which could go nuclear at any time. 2. The president told China twice that we would defend Taiwan militarily. 3. Migrants flood our borders with 250,000 coming in December alone. There are so many flooding our cities that mayors are busing them to other places including Canada. 4. Open borders for people means open borders for fentanyl which is killing people in record numbers. 5. Violent crime is also killing people in record numbers, in fact, under new catch and release DA’s many crimes aren’t even crimes anymore. 6. Homeless flood our cities and many of them are migrants. 7. The two things everyone needs including groceries and fuel are up 20% for groceries and fuel over $4.00 per gallon for most. 8. The Chinese send a spy balloon across the entire continental  U.S. and nothing is done until it reaches the ocean. 9. The nation needs leaders with integrity, honesty, and most of all honor

Finally, folks, as to the State of the Union Speech my advice to the president is just write a letter.

At least that’s the way I see it,

Until next time folks,

This is Darrell Castle,

Thanks for listening.