Michael Kennedy

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From Chicago Boyz commenter Miguel Cervantes comes the sad news that Dr. Michael Kennedy has died.

Michael was a prolific contributor to Chicago Boyz from 2008 to 2024. His posts are here. He also posted a huge number of comments in response to other contributors’ posts here.

Michael’s personal blog is here. He contributed to a wide variety of other blogs (including lefty blogs that, Michael occasionally complained, banned him as a dissident). Neo has a lovely post about Michael here.

He self-published two books: A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine and a memoir, War Stories: 50 Years in Medicine. (I read “War Stories” and highly recommend it.) Michael’s Amazon bio hints at other fascinating books yet to be published — alas.

Michael was obviously a brilliant man, accomplished, full of energy and with many interests. He must have been an excellent physician. He was a student of history, a skilled and experienced sailor, and a father. His observations on politics, current affairs, technology and other topics were always well informed and insightful. I will miss him.

RIP. Alav hashalom.

Condolences to the Kennedy family.

Random Thoughts (5): Trump Bestriding the World

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Since the election (which was only four weeks ago), Trump has not only been more consequential on the world stage than Biden but he has been more visible, period. Perhaps we’ll see more of Biden over the next few weeks as there are still family members who are going to need pardons before Jan. 20.

No truth to the rumors that Chief of Staff-designate Susie Wiles (who, given that she is Pat Summerall’s daughter, probably had turducken for Thanksgiving) has been spending time in the West Wing and asking Biden people to step out of their offices and wait in the hall so she can take measurements and prep for the move-in. Wouldn’t surprise me though, seems like the Biden people, as with their boss, are just mailing it in.

Not Trump who has been super-busy on the world stage, getting things done. As Biden is flying on Air Force One to far-off Angola, presumably to walk-off into another jungle, Trump has been meeting world leaders and making demands. Shock and awe baby. Biden isn’t being overshadowed so much as buried.

I wonder if any world leaders still take Biden’s calls? Probably not. They’re too busy trying to get Trump on the phone.

1) First on the list was Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, flying to Mar-a-Lago to receive a tongue-lashing from Trump over tariff policy and the inability of Canada to patrol its southern border.

When Trudeau complained that Trump’s proposed tariffs would kill the Canadian economy, Trump answered that if that was the case then the US would annex Canada as the 51st state and Trudeau could become governor.

2) So on Saturday, France will officially reopen the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral after a devastating fire wrecked it five years ago. It will be a grand social event and the US will be represented by Jill Biden for what will be her last international event as First Lady. Her turn to shine one more time during one of the great spectacles of the year.

So given what it will mean to her, of course French President Macron invites Trump. Why? Because they have important business to discuss, they need to plan the future. So not only is Macron telling Jill Biden that her husband is a has-been, but he is going out of his way to make sure she is overshadowed at the event of the year by the Sun King that is Trump.

I would pay good money if somebody could produce a Manning Cast-type production for Saturday with cameras following both Jill Biden and Trump around during the ceremony.

3) Trump reboots for 2024 the classic 1980 flick “Reagan and the Iranian Hostages” by announcing that there will be “all hell to pay” if the American hostages in Gaza are not released by January 20.

As the linked article reports, several of the families have felt that this type of a statement has been long overdue; there are Americans being held hostage by a genocidal terrorist organization and we’re treating them with kid gloves. Wonder no more. Trump is here.

Watch out, world. We’re only four weeks in and the inauguration is still almost seven weeks away.

The Hunter Biden Pardon

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A Political Theory of Relativity would dictate that what you see depends on where you sit. Where one sees Trump and his incoming cabinet as a modern-day incarnation of The Untouchables coming to take the crooked city down to the studs, others see such an endeavor as something worse than Watergate. It just depends on where you are sitting.

Kamala Harris spent more than $1 billion on her 100 day campaign and she still lost. That’s a lot of money to push out the door in such a short time, so where did all the money go? A clue lies in the revelation that the Harris campaign had donated $500,000 to Al Sharpton’s nonprofit ahead of a friendly interview.

While it is hard to imagine Sharpton ever doing an unfriendly interview with Kamala, there was a commonality of interest. She had the need to spend money that other people had given her and he liked to spend the money that other people gave him. In fact Sharpton has used his past as an inciter of antisemitic riots and racial hoaxes to good effect because he, like mobsters and politicians, understands that the difference between a donation and extortion depends on where you sit.

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