 To those currently anonymous individuals seeking to guide President Joe Biden into advancing their own agenda, history has a very important message for you. Things do not always go as planned. History is filled with instances of counselors close to the throne who ran afoul of the "prince" with disastrous results, yet this may be one instance where a distracted and confused leader is the one who is victimized, leaving our nation at risk. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) |
Henry the VIII had Thomas Cromwell as his Privy Counselor with Cromwell playing a vital role in the King's personal, domestic, and international relationships.
Napoleon depended on Talleyrand as his Grand Chamberlain, a master diplomat who managed to serve King Louis XVI, the leaders of the French Revolution, and then Napoleon.
The last Tsar of Russia depended on Grigori Rasputin, a self-declared mystic and holy man who ministered to the ailing son of Nicolas II while providing the "Supreme Ruler of the Russians" with advice and counsel.
And just who counsels President Joseph Biden?
The official White House list offers titles and names including chief of staff Ron Klain, deputy chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon, senior advisor Mike Donilon, and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese but who are the Washington personalities and power players behind the scenes who have the President's ear, and by extension, play an enormous role in shaping the fate of our nation?
To those currently anonymous individuals seeking to guide the President into advancing their own agenda, history has a very important message for you. Things do not always go as planned.
Henry the VIII had that most trusted advisor, Cromwell, executed at the block for what the King decided was treason.
Napoleon saw Talleyrand sell secrets to France's enemies, with Napoleon telling his minister he could shatter him like glass but did not want to waste his time.
Rasputin was assassinated by members of the Tsar's court who apparently felt that his disastrous advice to Nicholas II during the early years of World War I was leading the nation to destruction. The Bolsheviks must have smiled over that premonition.
There are those now in Washington who are offering counsel to anyone who will listen. Published reports reveal that John Podesta, Bill Clinton's former chief-of-staff and senior counselor to Barack Obama, has sent a memo to every Democratic Congressman reminding them the party "must unite and act together" to pass Biden's "infrastructure" agenda, which allocates "under 6%" to roads and bridges. John Podesta, according to an email released from Wikileaks, had previously been approached by an advisor to Dominion Voting Systems "offering 'anything' that might defeat Trump." What was this advisor to a voting machine company offering?
The message was not surprising, but given the role of those in Congress who are now advocating socialist economic policies -- such as public or collective ownership of the means of production, central planning of the economy, emphasis on equality and economic security and a goal of reducing class distinctions -- more government control and seeking to dictate White House policy, that might be a tall order even for Talleyrand.
Podesta's older brother, Tony, was a long time mega Democratic lobbyist and fundraiser. His lobbying career has been resurrected with a New York Times report that the embattled Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has hired Podesta. Huawei was identified as a national security threat by the Trump administration and faces federal charges of racketeering and conspiring to steal trade secrets from American companies. One supposes that Podesta's retainer is in dollars and requires him to promote the interests of a company alleged to be an extension of the Chinese government.
All of this would be a footnote to how the Democrats have historically run Washington were it not for the chilling fact that President Biden told ABC News that he was NOT warned by the Pentagon to call off his demand that America retreat from Afghanistan. Under sworn testimony, his generals told a Congressional committee that they did, in fact, tell the president his plan was ill-advised. Those doomed by our withdrawal will demand to know whose recall is faulty.
This tragic episode compels America to demand to know: how good is the president's memory? And who exactly is within that circle of advisors -- both inside and outside the West Wing? Given Biden's curious response to ABC News, one could legitimately ask, just whose national policy are we actually pursuing? The president's or his advisors?
History is filled with instances of counselors close to the throne who ran afoul of the "prince" with disastrous results, yet this may be one instance where a distracted and confused leader is the one who is victimized, leaving our nation at risk.
Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
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