I join Kelly Scoles, author of the Gazette's "Second Opinion," in wishing all of our readers a Merry Christmas - "to those who treasure the celebration of the "Good News" of the New Testament and the joys of the season..." Of course, the "Good News" is the proclamation of the Incarnation - that God had become Man as Savior - as promised after the fall of Adam and Eve, opening the gates of eternal salvation. So, Hallelujah!

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After wishing everyone a Merry Christmas I wish I could honestly expect a Happy New Year as well, but I doubt that will happen. Because of the unprecedented military weakness in which Joe Biden has placed us, I believe we will be unable or unwilling to react to expected attacks from China and Russia against our allies, Taiwan and Ukraine. Biden's surrender to the Taliban, after 20-years of war, is the new standard of cowardice our enemies now expect, and they will take full advantage of it. It is a "...betrayal of people who have sided with the United States against its enemies and who, in the aftermath of American withdrawal, face a future of oppression, brutality, and death." (Peter Wehner, The Atlantic).

It's not only his flair for stupid policies that worries me, it’s his embarrassingly incompetent Cabinet appointments. What enemy would be afraid of bumbling Blinkin, or war fighters like Lloyd J. Austin III, or Gen. Mark Milley? Abandoning Afghanistan was not, as some characterize "a botched withdrawal." It was a deliberate decision to betray our allies. No president can make such a string of deadly policy catastrophes as Biden has done and have reasonable people believe they are simply accidents due to feeble mindedness. While Trump left office with the affairs of state strong and in order, Biden has replaced that order with weakness, betrayal, and confusion.

The Afghanistan debacle, open borders (millions pouring in), closure of energy sources (cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline), extreme inflation, foolish fixation on climate change, and the feminization of our fighting forces, spells near term disaster for the nation.

Had Donald Trump not had the 2020 election stolen from him (mathematical studies alone prove this, and all deniers are challenged to show otherwise; no takers), I would not be concerned for America's future because of his firm control and the respect our enemies had for him. It's beyond dispute that Big Tech billionaires funded Biden's win, and Arizona election audits are now providing more proof. Much more is expected. Furthermore, he and family members have been clearly exposed for enriching themselves through criminal dealings with China, et.al., while Joe was Vice President, and later. (see: Tony Bobulinski, former Navy lieutenant and business partner of Hunter Biden.) This story (a game-changer) was blocked by Facebook, Twitter, et. al. weeks before the election. It's worth re-reading.

Big Tech (Facebook, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon - the Big Five) with Democratic Party and radical Progressive Congressional members, conspired to give the American nation the weakest, most unqualified (mentally and experientially) presidential candidates in US history. The Big Fraud did the rest. Just imagine Kamala Harris as president!

Joe Biden's profound corruption, incompetence, and mental disability show that he is not only a harbinger of Afghanistan-esque failure, he is a truly evil man.

From our bleeding border, to coming attractions in the Far East, Biden's first year in office has inflicted upon America uninterrupted disasters, done deliberately, methodically, according to plan.

Merry Christmas! But this will not be a Happy New Year.