Global Research

As judged by their public records, Trump and Biden are unfit for the nation’s highest office.

Time and again, both figures showed that they serve privileged interests exclusively at the expense of ordinary people they’re dismissive toward.

It’s how Dem and Republican standard bearers consistently operate, the nation from inception a fantasy democracy, never the real thing.

Its ruling class members run things for their own benefit, most others exploited to serve their interests.

When elections are held, governance of, by, and for everyone equitably is off the ballot.

Same old, same old wins every time, wealth and powerful interests alone served.

This time is no different from any others earlier. The choice for voters is none at all when between the evil of two lessors.

That said, questions about Biden’s cognitive and physical fitness remain unanswered, but speculation is rife about his ability — or lack thereof — to serve in the highest US office.

Numerous US presidents were ill in office, including Trump with covid disease from which he’s reportedly fully recovered.

It’s likely given his marathon campaigning during which he’s shown no visible signs of physical impairment.

Eight former US presidents died in office, four from natural causes. Four others were assassinated.

Former presidents suffered from a range of serious illnesses while in office.

Throughout much of his tenure, George Washington was ill from a long laundry list of health issues, including  influenza, pneumonia, diphtheria, tuberculosis, smallpox, malaria, dysentery, and dental problems, along with visual and hearing impairment.

In 1944, Dem party officials knew Franklin Roosevelt was dying. So did close associates.

Yet he ran for reelection, won for the fourth time, took office in January 1945 and died around three months later in April.

Shortly before his death, Harry

Truman described him as “(p)hysically…going to pieces.”

Six former US presidents were incapacitated in office, including Woodrow Wilson from a severe stroke and Dwight Eisenhower after suffering a heart attack from which he recovered.

Little over a month after taking office, William Henry Harrison passed away in 1841.

Among other health issues, Andrew Jackson suffered from lead poisoning, Lincoln from smallpox, Grover Cleveland from cancer, Harding from congestive heart failure, Jack Kennedy from numerous illnesses.

Hospitalized over three dozen times when alive, JFK was given last rites three times.

Biden’s physical and cognitive health are matters of concern. Even WaPo last March said the following:

“It’s fair to speculate whether Biden is mentally fit to be president.”

If elected, he’ll be age-78 when taking office, his birthday on November 20.

He’ll be older than Ronald Reagan on the day he left office.

“There’s plenty of cause for concern” about whether Biden is able to handle the rigors of high office, said WaPo prior to his nomination as Dem standard bearer.

He’s made numerous misstatements while campaigning.

Earlier he said “I think we can win back the House” now controlled by Dems. He called Super Tuesday “Super Thursday.”

Campaigning earlier in South Carolina, he said:

“My name’s Joe Biden. I’m a (Dem) candidate for the United States Senate.”

Twice he confused Trump with GW Bush as his challenger for the White House.

Time and again, he’s been factually incorrect in explaining what he was involved in earlier, requiring damage control corrections from staff.

He falsely claimed to have worked with China’s Deng Xiaoping on the 2016 Paris Climate Accord. Deng died in 1997.

He claimed that “150 million people have been killed (by guns) since 2007” in the US — his false figure about 45% of the nation’s 330 million population.

He said Dems should “choose truth over facts.” Often he’s unsure what state he’s in.

He falsely called his late son Beau “the attorney general of the United States.”

He confused former UK Prime Minister Theresa May with Margaret Thatcher.

Most everyone makes gaffes at times and occasionally is forgetful. It’s part of the human condition.

For Biden, it happens repeatedly in public remarks. In August 2019, WaPo columnist Dana Millbank called him a “gaffe machine.”

In New Hampshire last year, he said: “What’s not to like about Vermont?”

He falsely said “Bobby Kennedy and Dr. King had been assassinated in the ’70s.”

Along with JFK in 1963, RFK and MLK were victims of state-sponsored assassinations in 1968.

While campaigning, Biden said “poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids.”

He falsely said mass-shootings in El Paso and Dayton occurred in Houston and Michigan.

He mistook the Second Amendment for the First one.

He called Obama “the first African American in the history of the United States.”

He once introduced Obama as his “Barack America” running-mate.

He also called him “the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean.”

He claimed Franklin Roosevelt appeared on television in 1929, long before it existed.

The gaffe list goes on endlessly. One thing about Biden is sure.

When unscripted — and even the other way around — when speaking publicly, it’s uncertain what he’ll say, mean, or understand.

Age isn’t the issue. It’s Biden’s physical and mental ability to handle the nation’s highest office, a condition that can be sound or impaired at any age.

After 1988 surgery for a brain aneurysm and pulmonary thrombosis, signs of Biden’s deterioration began appearing.

He’s not physically and mentally what he used to be long ago.

Yet what should be publicly explained is kept under wraps.

In public, he exhibited visible hand and body tremors that are common symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.

His handwriting is smaller than in earlier years. His frequent misstatements, confusion, and flawed memory are cognitive impairment symptoms.

If elected to succeed Trump, will running-mate Kamala Harris take over as president before end of his term in office?

They’re both tainted by considerable baggage, she notably by a disturbing prosecutorial and political history.

As Alameda County CA assistant DA, San Francisco DA, and California state AG, she blocked exculpatory evidence, defended unconstitutional practices, and prevented prosecution of wealthy individuals.

Loyola Law School Project for the Innocent in Los Angeles/Law Professor Lara Bazelon explained that when urged to embrace criminal justice reforms as a district attorney and then (as) state’s attorney general, (Harris) opposed them or stayed silent,” adding:

She “fought tooth and nail to uphold wrongful convictions that had been secured through official misconduct that included evidence tampering, false testimony and the suppression of crucial information by prosecutors.”

Given Biden’s uncertain physical and cognitive state, electing him on Tuesday may elevate Harris to the nation’s highest office — a figure whose public record shows consistent support for privileged interests exclusively and injustice over the other way around.

Whatever presidential and congressional race results on Tuesday, wealth, power, and privilege will benefit exclusively like most always before.

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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.