“Loose lips sink ships,” was a WWII idiom. It meant watch your mouth; enemies listen and react. President Biden’s mouth is dangerous, not because of what he is doing, but because of the impression left – that he does not know what he is doing. Words matter. Misuse of them matters. In some cases, misuse of words is profoundly dangerous, and can be provocative. He is at the line.
Within the past week, Biden has said things susceptible to misinterpretation by stressed, trigger-happy adversaries. In the present environment, watching your tongue matters. Wrong words could trigger an unexpected reaction, widening the conflict in Europe.
Biden is literally a loose cannon – someone needs to control his mouth. Get the index card right, keep him on it, stop letting him wander into a zone that invites misinterpretation and retaliation. This is not funny, not political, and not something to get on later. His handlers need to get on it now.
Last Friday, March 25, Biden was in Poland. Poland is a NATO member, one of our tightest, best, God-love-them allies. While there, Biden made various statements.
In one, speaking to the 82nd Airborne, referring to Ukraine – Biden said: “You’re going to see when you’re there – some of you have been there – you’re going to see women, young people, standing in the middle, in front of a damn tank, saying ‘I’m not leaving.” See, e.g., Biden tells US troops they’ll be in Ukraine in war gaffe;
This is reckless, seven ways from Sunday. Ukraine is not a NATO member, so if we – or any NATO country – interceded with offensive weapons or troop deployments, that tells Russia, we are stepping over the line, are in the game, in the fight, come at us.
If your goal is de-escalation, bad strategy. Implying you are thinking about it, expecting it, might do it – especially talking to the 82nd Airborne – is a bad plan. Putin saw that, guaranteed. He either thinks Biden is thinking about that, or Biden is not entirely with it, sloppy thinker.
Let’s hope the latter, not without risks, but better than thinking Biden is blabbing a classified plan he forgot not to talk about.
The statement is reckless also because, while he was likely thinking of training regimes deployed in past years, it sounds like we may have been recently in the country. That, too, is a bad message, provocative.
Then, like a school kid trying to impress the yard with mastery of cursing, Biden says the 82nd will – when there, which they are not supposed to be – see a Ukrainian “standing in front of a damn tank, saying ‘I’m not leaving.’”
If anything signals Biden’s tendency to mix messages, pull from the distant past, cross the dotted line, that statement is it. Ukrainians are confronting infantry and tanks, but the reference is really to “tank man,” a Chinese dissident who stood down a Chinese tank on June 5, 1989, in Tiananmen Square.
In any event, the statement was over-the-top, unnecessarily provocative, and, let us hope, just sloppy. The White House scrambled, trying to imagine away, reinterpret, correct, and bury the folly.
Next, on Saturday, Biden boldly declared – like FDR talking to Hitler in December 1941 or GWB talking about Saddam Hussain in 2003 – “Putin cannot remain in power.” See, e.g., Why Biden’s off-script remarks about Putin are so dangerous; France’s Macron warns against escalation after Biden says Putin ‘cannot remain in power’; Biden calls for Putin’s removal: ‘For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power’.
Wow, okay, that comes with some Biden-splaining. Is that because, unbeknownst to the world, we have a secret plan to oust him? Not likely. See, e.g., Ukrainian official says Russia is trying to split country in 2; Blinken walks back Biden regime remark: Live Ukraine updates.
Is that because Russians are throwing him out? No, don’t see that yet, not in the near term. Is that because Biden is king of the world and can make that happen? No, wrong again.
So, why say such a foolish thing, especially in a tone and with the conviction that you can make some alternate future happen? Was that necessary? Constructive? Likely to be received with a yawn? Not likely.
So, with a dozen other examples in the past month, here is the point. “Loose lips sink ships,” and in the world of bobbled, hobbling mid-war diplomacy, Biden’s loose, strange, unconsidered words can and may create a series of “circus mirror” reactions, intentional or accidental misinterpretations of what is said.
What we do not need is sloppy thinking, slopping words, or a sloppy – verbally unanchored – voice at the head of NATO, or in the role of Commander in Chief. Biden may not like it, may not want to be anything other than a hail-fellow-well-met, but he is the US President during a crisis, on the cusp of an expanded major war.
In short, Biden needs to get his act together, or those around him need to get the act together, stop these potentially significant verbal lapses. Our adversaries may think he is slipping, already slipped; that is bad enough. But if they resolve he means these things, it gets worse fast.
With the highest possible respect for the office, this president needs to tighten his grip on the English language, improve his verbal performance. Right now, his words – loose lips – are dangerous.
May the Democrat Party rot in disfavor for allowing the Biden spectacle to continue!!!!
He needs to think of the consequences before he opens his mouth. However I don’t think his brain works well enough to do that.
So True. Biden is an embarrassment to the office of President and to our country.
It is too late for Biden to get his act together! Most of us (US citizens), already know how incompetent he is. How can he get his act together? Neural Link perhaps?
And our last president was being bashed about dangerous political foreign policy? This idiot is clueless
Well RBC, allowing a third-rate politician, that was never too smart to begin with and who had obvious mental difficulties when running in 2020, to be POTUS is always going to be a dicey proposition. Even dangerous, depending on whether they allow him access to the nuclear football. Name another major world leader that is as cognitively challenged as Joe Biden is today.
There isn’t one.
People with dementia don’t improve over time. Their minds only deteriorate further, as the disease progresses. It is unrealistic to expect Joe Biden’s public performances will improve the longer he is allowed to remain POTUS. So expect the fallout from his constant gaffs to escalate.
President Cabbage Brain just needs to go
One can only wonder how long the left will put up with the stupid dialogue coming out of the POTUS mouth. Can’t wait when he wants to declare war on Greenland and Antarctica. Better start arming the penguins for self-defense.
Biden’s big mouth belongs encompassing…The big one. Phaq Joe Biden and his Marxist Nazi Regime of.
I couldn’t believe what I’d heard until the report was repeated later. For someone who committed to not putting boots on the ground or entering combat with Russia, biden comes perilously close to declaring war on a nuclear power headed by a KGB thug who won’t back down.
So, we have 2 people in charge of the most lethal nuclear weapons going at each other over land that neither occupies. One either levels the entire country or leaves Ukraine with egg on his face (won’t happen), and the other thinks 2 + 2 = delicious apples.
Our policy in Ukraine has always been (since the USSR fell) to use them as a pawn to bring down Russia. not just to dethrone Putin, but to destabilize Russia and break it up into 5 or more countries. Dementia Joe merely said the quiet part out loud.
Seriously, did anyone NOT see this coming??? Biden is a brain-dead moron and all his left wing handlers can focus on is instituting their socialist utopian wet dream. Yes, Biden is liable to gaffe us right into WWIII. But at least we got rid of the racist orange man and his mean tweets.
Joe Hidin’ Biden needs to do more hidin’ … he is making the Nation’s Presidency look like an escapee dummy from a mental institution. And he did come from Delunaware …. hmmmm.
Some time it is best to think before saying certain things….as Ukraine is not NATO
Biden is known to be a liar, plagiarist, cheater,babuser of his elected powers, etc. … not to mention a darling of the voters of Delunaware. His ascendency to the Presidency is one of the greatest tragedies of USA history.
Short and sweet- This man has and causes many problems for himself,his handlers, and the United States.In those famous words: THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS. He is serving his purpose. Fear the line of succession and the damage to come.
Clearly, this man should be removed from office as he is a loose cannon.
My dad, a WW 2 navy veteran, used to quote your opening sentence. In this case, SENILE lips may start a world war. Keep this clown at home, preferably in the basement. Just issue press releases authored by someone with an IQ over 75.
Biden and his administration are downright dangerous. They have no verbal (?) discipline as evidenced by the multiple gaffes of him, Kammellatoe, his SOS, SOD, NSA etc. Add in the sleepy Joe is old and senile with no filter on his mouth…somebody needs to reign him or something bad is going to happen. Like WW III.
If Biden is not a perfect example about why our election process needs to be “cleaned up” (to put it nicely), this Nation is in a true crisis and the Democracy of this Nation is in deep trouble. Elections matter, and rigged elections can produce disastrous outcomes. The only Constitutional remedy is impeachment … and you can bet your bottom dollar the Democrats will NOT support this action. Remember … the Democrats want to RULE the Nation, and not GOVERN the Nation based on a democratic Constitution.
This Administration has been destroying our great Country from Day one.
Giving aid and comfort to the enemy but telling them what we will and will not do,
used to be called treason. Now the Democrat media calls Biden a strong leader?
A fool and a madman walk into a bar… God help us all. 🙁
Keep Biden’s ice cream bowl filled and his mouth too! In attempting to talk will result in splattering ice cream all over and NO ONE could make any sense of what Joe is saying. This is good because who could take him seriously when spitting ice cream on everyone nearby?!
This clown can cost more of our military lives..
Thank you for the great article, Mr. Charles. I totally agree.
It would help if, like the Straw Man, Loopy Joe could sing, “If I only had a brain.” He says things before putting what’s left of his brain in gear. Of course, he’s been a moron for all 45 years in politics. But then, he is a Demo/Marxist.
What does it say about a spouse who put her man on the world stage to make a fool of himself. Knowing his condition he should never have run for the office but the corrupt Democrats needed a bobbing head to go up and down on their transformation agenda. And as a backup they put Harris in place as VP.Two clueless peas in a pod being manipulated by the puppeteers in the back room.!
Driving force..power and greed!
The corrupt creature whose handlers stole an election to plop his brain dead backside into the Presidency is not only Alzheimic but is also rabidly angry at the bad man that broke up his cash cow called Ukraine. like Old Yeller when he contracted rabies, Brandon needs to be taken out back and……..
This guy is just an empty suit/ a puppet. His strings are being pulled by the unAmerican elite of the world including Obama. I just don’t understand why he’s still in office, his oath was to protect our country not destroy it. So if he’s not keeping his oath how come nothing can be done to remove him. This is not a dictatorship so why is it continuing to be run as one and how come nothing came be done. Can anyone answer that?
Shortly after Biden’s infamous once again verbal gaffe to European members of NATO, shortly thereafter, talk of using the 25th amendment to get him removed is out there once again, not so surprising, problem is what to replace him with, that is the scariest part in all of this…
Bill… :~)
Hi Robert B. Charles
I let some coments from Europ, but at first , let me say thanks to Rebecca Weber, for all what she does for seniors with AMAC;
I was in the french army for my military service in Germany decades ago, i travelled at this time in tchecoslovaquia, yougoslavia, greece, it was before the end of the Berlin wall,i remember Praha, Athene,Belgrad, and so, i have thoughts to day for the American 2nd cavalry Regiment in Europ which is “Always ready”. The army can be a good job with smarts people, thoughts for the General de Gaule, Churchill and remember for the D day.
Disgusting!!!!!! Please get that man outta there!
This sick fraudulent criminal has noAuthority to speak as president..We only recognize Donald TrumpAs the duly elected Predident ofAmerica…the blue states canHave this Crook Bidenho
The pride of Delunaware is the Biden family. No telling how much wealth the Bidens have swindled out of Delunaware citizenry. And now he is messing up our Constitutional democracy of the entire Nation.
May the Democrat Party rot in disfavor for allowing the Biden spectacle to continue!!!!
He needs to think of the consequences before he opens his mouth. However I don’t think his brain works well enough to do that.
So True. Biden is an embarrassment to the office of President and to our country.
It is too late for Biden to get his act together! Most of us (US citizens), already know how incompetent he is. How can he get his act together? Neural Link perhaps?
And our last president was being bashed about dangerous political foreign policy? This idiot is clueless
Well RBC, allowing a third-rate politician, that was never too smart to begin with and who had obvious mental difficulties when running in 2020, to be POTUS is always going to be a dicey proposition. Even dangerous, depending on whether they allow him access to the nuclear football. Name another major world leader that is as cognitively challenged as Joe Biden is today.
There isn’t one.
People with dementia don’t improve over time. Their minds only deteriorate further, as the disease progresses. It is unrealistic to expect Joe Biden’s public performances will improve the longer he is allowed to remain POTUS. So expect the fallout from his constant gaffs to escalate.
President Cabbage Brain just needs to go
One can only wonder how long the left will put up with the stupid dialogue coming out of the POTUS mouth. Can’t wait when he wants to declare war on Greenland and Antarctica. Better start arming the penguins for self-defense.
Biden’s big mouth belongs encompassing…The big one. Phaq Joe Biden and his Marxist Nazi Regime of.
I couldn’t believe what I’d heard until the report was repeated later. For someone who committed to not putting boots on the ground or entering combat with Russia, biden comes perilously close to declaring war on a nuclear power headed by a KGB thug who won’t back down.
So, we have 2 people in charge of the most lethal nuclear weapons going at each other over land that neither occupies. One either levels the entire country or leaves Ukraine with egg on his face (won’t happen), and the other thinks 2 + 2 = delicious apples.
Our policy in Ukraine has always been (since the USSR fell) to use them as a pawn to bring down Russia. not just to dethrone Putin, but to destabilize Russia and break it up into 5 or more countries. Dementia Joe merely said the quiet part out loud.
Seriously, did anyone NOT see this coming??? Biden is a brain-dead moron and all his left wing handlers can focus on is instituting their socialist utopian wet dream. Yes, Biden is liable to gaffe us right into WWIII. But at least we got rid of the racist orange man and his mean tweets.
Joe Hidin’ Biden needs to do more hidin’ … he is making the Nation’s Presidency look like an escapee dummy from a mental institution. And he did come from Delunaware …. hmmmm.
Some time it is best to think before saying certain things….as Ukraine is not NATO
Biden is known to be a liar, plagiarist, cheater,babuser of his elected powers, etc. … not to mention a darling of the voters of Delunaware. His ascendency to the Presidency is one of the greatest tragedies of USA history.