Sorry If You’re Offended, but Socialism Leads to Misery and Destitution (Updated)

David Harsanyi

Nearly half of American millennials would rather live in a socialist society than in a capitalist one, according to a YouGov poll. That said, only 71 percent of those asked were able to properly identify either. We can now see the manifestation of this ignorance in our elections and “The View” co-host Joy Behar

A commuter walks through the Petare neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, a district hard-hit by shortages of food, medicine, and water.

"On the same day that Venezuela’s “democratically” elected socialist president, Nicolas Maduro, whose once-wealthy nation now has citizens foraging for food, announced he was lopping five zeros off the country’s currency to create a “stable financial and monetary system,” Meghan McCain of “The View” was the target of internet-wide condemnation for having stated some obvious truths about collectivism.

"During the same week we learned that the democratic socialist president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, is accused of massacring hundreds of protesters whose economic futures have been decimated by his economic policies, Soledad O’Brien and writers at outlets ranging from GQ, to BuzzFeed, to the Daily Beast were telling McCain to cool her jets.

"In truth, McCain was being far too calm. After all, socialism is the leading man-made cause of death and misery in human existence. Whether implemented by a mob or a single strongman, collectivism is a poverty generator, an attack on human dignity, and a destroyer of individual rights.

"It’s true that not all socialism ends in the tyranny of Leninism or Stalinism or Maoism or Castroism or Ba’athism or Chavezism or the Khmer Rouge—only most of it does. And no, New York primary winner Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doesn’t intend to set up gulags in Alaska. Most so-called democratic socialists—the qualifier affixed to denote that they live in a democratic system and have no choice but to ask for votes—aren’t consciously or explicitly endorsing violence or tyranny.

"But when they adopt the term “socialism” and the ideas associated with it, they deserve to be treated with the kind of contempt and derision that all those adopting authoritarian philosophies deserve."

"But look: Norway!" . . .

This might come as a surprise to some, but every penny of the $21,206 spent in Ocasio-Cortez’s district each year on each student, rich or poor, is provided with the profits derived from capitalism. There is no welfare system, no library that subsists on your good intentions. Having the state take over the entire health care system could rightly be called a socialistic endeavor, but pooling local tax dollars to put books in a building is called local government.

Full article here.    
Hat tip to Derrick Morris at Mark Levin's Fan Club of Intelligent, Thinking Women (and Men)

UPDATE: This comment came from a reader in the dairy country of south Tillamook County, Oregon, home of Tillamook Cheese and Tillamook Country Smoker meat products:

 Several years ago now a delegation from Russian countries , about a dozen or more people , were at OSU for some kind of learning conference...Floyd brought them to the farm one day as they were tired of the class room and the city...(they came back another day also and wanted to split wood, crazy! They loved it here.)
Floyd brought them to our house at lunch time and we got to visit with them, along with their KGB type woman interpreter...
They were so enthralled with everything. Before they came in the house they were fascinated by our new concrete floor in the pole barn..they had never seen smoothed out concrete...they just pour and level theirs...one man in the group saw our forty five or fifthy year old John Deere tractor...said his dream was to operate one...he said they only had enough petrol to operate their tractors for about 13 days a year so they had to plan their farm work that had to get done...
They came in the house and the women were chattering amongst themselves and smiling...
They wanted to use the rest room...next thing I know they were all scurring down the hall and all piled into my bathroom
I went down the hall and asked if they were ok...they were all enamored with my bathroom and chattering amongst themselves...they said their accommodations were meager at home..I wanted to send it with them and share our bounty.
While we all crowded around the table and spilled out into the living room they shared pictures and told us of their lifestyles...I felt so sorry for them....to wait in line for bread, to not have enough of what we all take for granted here...a counter with a hot plate and a curtain draped under the counter...one sausage maker Stephan said his dream was riding the John Deere, so George brought it out in the field between our house and the barn and he drove it around, hot rodded it for a couple of minutes too, he was so appreciative.....
And these young idiots want to live under socialism???
They need a dose of reality instead of the brainwashing they have received!

Tulsi Gabbard and the anti-Trump channel

Gabbard was interviewed on CNN, accusing the US of going to war with Iran. I just had to respond against her not accusing Iran of declaring war on our country and to think she did it on the very site called "American Pravda": CNN.

My letter to her site:

I cannot disagree more fervently with you  over Iran. Mr. Trump did not begin a war with Iran; Iran declared war on America 40 years ago and still chants for our death while holding their own people under their oppressive thumb. Finally we have a President that, however abrasive he may be, is not ashamed of those nation as far too many Democrats are.  Please do not allow yourself to be a tool of CNN with your point of view; your military service has been too honorable to let them cheapen it.

The Tunnel Dweller. Below is evidence of how the Tunnel Wall regards Mr. Zucker's propaganda channel

CNN: Remember when they called it "the most trusted name in news"?
Why?
Read the quality of information CNN wants to pass on to us. They provide the very darkness that the WaPo fears "democracy will die in".

Oscars to Go Hostless as Viewers Tune Out the Woke Award Show

Beeler

Breitbart via Doane Barile  "It was once one of the most highly coveted gigs in comedy. Now no one wants the job as viewers at home are tuning out in droves.
"The Oscars ceremony will once again go hostless, leaving this year’s white elephant of an awards show without an emcee to keep the proceedings moving. The ceremony has been moved up by nearly a month to Sunday Feb. 9, as part of organizers’ efforts to juice plummeting viewership and shorten Hollywood’s interminable awards season.
"Variety reported Wednesday that Karey Burke, the head of ABC Entertainment, confirmed that the upcoming telecast will have “no traditional host” during a talk at the Television Critics Assn. winter press tour.
"Last year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences opted to go host-less for the first time in decades. Comedian and actor Kevin Hart had been tapped to host the show but abruptly stepped down after journalists dug up the star’s old tweets.
"That show featured a slew of political moments from director Spike Lee urging the audience to “mobilize” against President Trump; actress Maya Rudolph warning Trump that Mexico won’t pay for a border wall, and actress Emilia Clarke saying U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — like her Game of Thrones character Khaleesi — is “a woman who has spent her career at the forefront of the fight against gender discrimination.”
"Hosting the Oscars has quickly become a job that few comedians wish to take on, due to unrelenting criticism from social media and overly censorious entertainment journalists.
"The show, which usually clocks in well over three hours, is a challenge for even the most skilled comedians, requiring a light touch and an ability to find humor in what is essentially a stiff and lugubrious evening.
"Ratings have fallen consistently since 2014’s high of 43.7 million viewers. In 2018, the show only managed to draw an audience of 26.5 million, its biggest yearly decline. That was the year the show was hosted by the anti-Trump Jimmy Kimmel, who feuded with President Donald Trump after the commander in chief mocked the ratings in a tweet." . . .

The McConnell-Pelosi show

Tony Branco

How McConnell Outplayed Pelosi  "Mitch McConnell was clear when he addressed the Senate December 18: Any impeachment trial of President Trump would follow the precedent established by the trial of President Clinton 20 years ago.
""Clinton's trial was divided into pieces. The Senate agreed unanimously to begin with a briefing, opening arguments, questions from senators, and a vote to dismiss. Whether to hear witnesses or introduce additional evidence were questions decided later. "That was the unanimous bipartisan precedent from 1999," McConnell said. "Put first things first, lay the bipartisan groundwork, and leave mid-trial questions to the middle of the trial."
"The arrangement satisfied Chuck Schumer back when he was a recently elected junior senator from New York. Funny how times change." . . .

Pelosi Broadcasting Service  . . . "It’s not Nancy Pelosi’s show anymore. As President Trump says, we’ll have to wait and see what happens."

Pelosi: House will move to transmit impeachment articles next week  . . . "The decision to release the articles came as fellow Democrats in recent days had started to voice frustration and impatience with the speaker's approach. They stressed the urgency with which impeachment was treated at the end of 2019 and questioned why the House would then delay a trial by using articles as leverage." . . .

CNN: Pelosi says she'll miss the Niners playoff game: “I have, unfortunately, responsibilities to save our country from peril”  . . . "Some in the briefing room laughed at the remark. Pelosi did not elaborate on what "peril" exactly means." . . .

Pelosi defiant as Democrats grow restless over impeachment delay  . . . "The House can impeach a president on a simple majority vote, but the Senate needs a two-thirds majority to convict and remove a president from office. Democrats would need 20 Republicans to join them for Mr. Trump to be convicted.
"Mr. McConnell told GOP senators that he expects the articles to be delivered to by Friday, suggesting a trial could start early next week." . . .

Iran’s Options in a Showdown with America Are All Bad

Victor Davis Hanson

Trump governs the tempo of the confrontation.

"After losing its top strategist, military commander, and arch-terrorist, Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian theocracy is weighing responses.
"One, Iran can quiet down and cease military provocations.
"After attacking tankers off its coast, destroying an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, shooting down a U.S. drone, and being responsible for the killing and wounding of Americans in Iraq, Iran could now keep quiet.
"It might accept that its strategy of escalation has failed to lead to any quantifiable advantage. Trump did not prove a passive “Twitter tiger,” as his critics mocked. Instead, he upped the stakes to Iran’s disadvantage and existential danger.
"The chances, however, for such a logical and passive readjustment by Iran are nil.
"Iran believes that Trump’s beefed-up sanctions have all but destroyed its economy and could now extend to secondary boycotts of nations trading with Iran. U.S. sanctions have also squeezed Iranian expeditionary efforts to forge a permanent hegemony and a Shiite crescent extending to the Mediterranean." . . .

. . . "Given the quick criticism of Soleimani’s killing from Trump’s progressive domestic opponents, and given the Obama administration’s past appeasement in response to Iranian provocations, Tehran might conclude that a hit-and-pause strategy is preferable.It could incite Trump’s political opponents to brand him a warmonger who acted illegally by “assassinating” Soleimani." . . .

 Trump Calls the Ayatollah’s Bluff  "The successful operation against Qassem Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, is a stunning blow to international terrorism and a reassertion of American might. It will also test President Trump's Iran strategy. It is now Trump, not Ayatollah Khamenei, who has ascended a rung on the ladder of escalation by killing the military architect of Iran's Shiite empire. For years, Iran has set the rules. It was Iran that picked the time and place of confrontation. No more." . . .

 And indeed, this is what the Democrat/Ayatollah alliance is doing:
Democrats pile on to blame America for downing the Ukrainian plane
"It's hard to recall, but once upon a time, the majority of American politicians, including Democrats, were able to set aside partisan bickering for at least a moment in the face of foreign aggression against the United States.  After 9/11, for example, Congress spontaneously responded by singing Irving Berlin's "God Bless America.' "

Investigate Obama stopping Project Cassandra

Don Surber

Meanwhile, though, most of the media has ignored a larger scandal called Project Cassandra. Politico was the exception.

. . . "The investigation began under President George Walker Bush. Obama stopped it as a favor to his friends, the ayatollahs.

"The story said investigators "followed cocaine shipments, some from Latin America to West Africa and on to Europe and the Middle East, and others through Venezuela and Mexico to the United States. They tracked the river of dirty cash as it was laundered by, among other tactics, buying American used cars and shipping them to Africa. And with the help of some key cooperating witnesses, the agents traced the conspiracy, they believed, to the innermost circle of Hezbollah and its state sponsors in Iran.

" 'But as Project Cassandra reached higher into the hierarchy of the conspiracy, Obama administration officials threw an increasingly insurmountable series of roadblocks in its way, according to interviews with dozens of participants who in many cases spoke for the first time about events shrouded in secrecy, and a review of government documents and court records. When Project Cassandra leaders sought approval for some significant investigations, prosecutions, arrests and financial sanctions, officials at the Justice and Treasury departments delayed, hindered or rejected their requests.' "

Image by Ghenghis Gary

The Democrat-CNN/MSNBC alliance: a great threat to this country

I feel our main threat is the Ayatollahs-Democrats-CNN/MSNBC alliance that makes such a perfect home for Trump-Haters who are made more vindictive by the Presidents taunts. TD

Photosnark by Rich Terrell

Killing terrorists is how you...kill off terrorism   . . . "Thank goodness we have a president who understands that the way to reduce terrorism is to cut off the funding and take out the terrorists themselves instead of leave them to maim and kill at will, including Americans. 

"Most of the media make the world much more dangerous as they cheer for whatever Democrats say and seek to destroy Trump no matter how much good he does to strengthen and protect Americans." . . . 

Democrats implicitly are advising tyrants to give terrorists an official title so they will be protected from harm  . . . "Then they can roam the world, working with other terrorist groups to plan and execute attacks.  If a leader of any country decides that these terrorists should be killed, he will be said to have escalated tensions by assassinating a government official.  If that sounds stupid, it is." . . .

Most of the media make the world much more dangerous as they cheer for whatever Democrats say and do and seek to destroy Trump, no matter how much good he does to strengthen and protect Americans.

Trump is Damned if He Does and Damned if He Doesn’t

"President Trump announced that tensions with Iran have eased Wednesday after Iran fired off wild missile shots missing US personnel. There won’t be a war. The president’s good news was quickly contested by his two leading Democrat critics, Damned if He Does and Damned if He Doesn’t"  Comedian Argus Hamilton

[California] Dem Rep Blames Trump for Iranian Plane Crash  . . . "Rep. Jackie Speier (D., Calif.) on Thursday said that Iran's shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner was collateral damage from President Donald Trump's killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

"CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer had asked Speier if she believed Iran confused the commercial flight for a U.S. military plane, suggesting that "it certainly sounds like it was a mistake by the Iranians." Speier did not mention Iran in her response, only implicating Trump in the downed flight.' . . .

CNN Fails to Disclose Its Iranian Guest Threatened to Kill American Hostages in 1979

Legal Insurrection
“She herself said she would personally shoot U.S. hostages in the head if American troops came to liberate the hostages.”

. . . "Tyler O’Neil reports at PJ Media:

CNN Gives Friendly Interview to Iranian Woman Who Said She Would Kill U.S. Hostages in 1979

On Tuesday night, CNN aired an interview between its international anchor Christiane Amanpour and Masoumeh Ebtekar, currently Iran’s vice president for women and family affairs. Amanpour did not once mention Ebtekar’s connection to the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979, however. Ebtekar was one of the pro-Islamic Revolution students who seized the U.S. Embassy. She herself said she would personally shoot U.S. hostages in the head if American troops came to liberate the hostages.

In a brief segment cut from a 15-minute interview, Amanpour asked the Iranian leader whether the strike that killed Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani had brought Iranians together.

“I’m saying that the American government — the American president — made a serious miscalculation. They made a serious mistake by assassinating, by taking this terrorist action against Commander Soleimani,” Ebtekar said.

"Amanpour shared the segment on Twitter: . . ."

Comedian Argus Hamilton sized up CNN's reputation as a news source pretty quickly:
"Iran’s Major General Qaissim Solieman’s casket was carted through the streets in Teheran to a memorial service Tuesday. The huge crowd broke into a stampede, killing fifty mourners. That evening, CNN was reporting that President Trump killed fifty people during a Muslim funeral service"

CNN deserves every pox it gets

Court documents, Nicholas Sandmann v. CNN  I love those words. TD

Couldn'ta happened to a better bunch of guys.

CNN's Tehran Reporter Throws Softballs, Eggs On Iranian Spokesman to Echo CNN on Trump   "On Monday evening CNN's Brian Stelter tweeted that is patriotic to question and be skeptical of leaders who may stumble into a war. Apparently such sentiment only goes one way at CNN as CNN's Fred Pleitgen was in Tehran for a softball interview on Tuesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif that ended up being just another one of the network's many anti-Trump segments.

"Pleitgen asked Zarif, "Your government and your leadership and the military here has vowed to take action against the United States. What kind of retaliation is that going to be?" Zarif then rattled off his talking points:" . . .

. . . "At that point Pleitgen could've challenged Zarif. Why was Kata'ib Hezbollah trying kill Americans in Iraq, despite the fact that we are there with the permission of the Iraqi government? Why was Soleimani in Iraq? If the desire of the Iraqi people is that the U.S. leave, then why has the Iran-friendly prime minister been forced to resign? Why did the Sunni and Kurdish parties boycott the vote he referenced?

"But he didn't:" . . . 

What serious press agency would ever hire any of these people from CNN? I had respected Jake Tapper but cannot fathom why he chooses to stay part of that disreputable demagogue press. TD

Gambling With Lives: Acosta Claims Trump Had ‘Dangerous Night at the Casino’

CNN: making America better! Report: Nancy Pelosi Got Idea to Withhold Articles of Impeachment by Watching CNN

Hundreds of restaurants closed in San Francisco in 2019

KRON4  "It’s a disturbing trend in a city where foodies come from all over the world to taste the treats.
"A new report by Yelp shows that nearly 500 restaurants closed in San Francisco last year — and some local restaurant owners say they don’t see that trend stopping.
"Jardinare, which closed in the spring after 21 years in business, was one of 464 restaurants that closed its doors in 2019. 
"That number also includes food trucks and deli’s like Lucca Ravioli in the Mission, which shut down after 94 years.  
"The owners of Dosa, a small chain of South Indian restaurants, shut down it’s Valencia Street location in September after 15 years.
"“It’s not surprising to me at all, I think we’re witnessing the death of restaurants as we know it in San Francisco,” said Ben Bleiman, San Francisco Bar Owner’s Alliance. “I think it’s a slow extension but it’s happening and I think 2020 is gonna be even worse.”
"Bleiman is with the San Francisco Bar Owners Alliance.
"One of his businesses is a bar and restaurant in the Mission called Dr Teeth.  
"He says the City of San Francisco makes it very hard and very expensive for small businesses with employer mandates like Healthy SF, skyrocketing payroll tax, as well as taxing things like tables and chairs. 
"He says that financial burden of doing business is passed on to the customers, which makes going out more of a luxury.

“It doesn’t make financial sense to go out anymore. At my bar Dr. Teeth a burger and a beer, a burger with cheese and a beer after taxes tips and fees is $27 and we can’t blame millennials or whoever.”
"He says the high cost of food is due to policies implemented by the City of San Francisco. 
“The reason the burger and the beer is $27 is primarily because of policies that our San Francisco City Hall have implemented in the last 10 years that have forced us to raise our prices to the point where some tenable,” he said. " . . .

Ted Cruz Blasts Pete Buttigieg for Blaming Downed Ukrainian Plane on Trump Administration

Such a lack of class, especially from someone I expected better of. This is more the style of Warren and Biden. But we knew it would happen from this party of demagogues. TD

Breitbart  "Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) blasted Pete Buttigieg (D) after the former South Bend mayor claimed that the 176 individuals aboard the Ukrainian airliner that crashed after taking off from Tehran were victims of an “unnecessary and unwanted military tit for tat” spurred by the Trump administration.

"The Ukrainian airliner’s crash coincided with Iran launching over a dozen ballistic missiles targeting Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops. U.S. officials suspect that the plane may have been shot down by Iran, calling the scenario “highly likely.”

“ 'Innocent civilians are now dead because they were caught in the middle of an unnecessary and unwanted military tit for tat,” Buttigieg tweeted in part, subtly hinting at President Trump’s decision to eliminate Iran’s top terror chief, Qasem Soleimani: . . ."

. . . "Cruz took issue with Buttigieg’s implication that the Trump administration was responsible, in part, for the tragic loss.

“ 'Uh, Pete, they weren’t ‘caught in the middle.’ They were shot down BY IRAN. Military incompetence by the leading state sponsor of terrorism,” Cruz responded.

“ 'Just because Dems hate Trump doesn’t justify false equivalence w/ Iran,” he added. “Soleimani was a brutal terrorist who killed hundreds of Americans”:  . .  .