CTLawyer:
There’s a well-known story told from before the Holocaust. Each morning a young man and his Rav would walk past their non-Jewish neighbor and the neighbor would call out “nice day Herr Rabiner, do you agree?” The young man turned to his Rav and said, “did you ever notice how polite the Germans are, always ending their greetings with “Yes?” or “do you agree”? The Rav just nodded and said nothing.
Years later during the War, this young man was arrested by the SS and was brought before none other than his ex-neighbor. He had him tied up and he as he pulled out his fingernails one by one, he would say “It hurts Herr Rabiner, does it not?” “Very painful, yes?”
No I’m not comparing Biden to the Nazis, but to point out that polite speech does not guarantee
civility. In fact let’s look at who the “polite” Biden White House is considering appointing for key positions, in just the first week alone: Karine Jean-Pierre for White House spokesperson and Reema Dodin for Director of Legislative affairs, both of BDS-fame. And no denouncement yet of several Anti-Semitic statements from many other corners of his party just this past week. “I beg your pardon, but Israel is an oppressor and does not deserve our support.”