It’s All About Control

 

There were some cold winters in the ’60s and ’70s.  The environmentalist movement was just getting started, and it suggested that the smoke from our car exhaust was blotting out the sun, making it colder here on earth.  They demanded that we drive smaller cars, to raise the earth’s temperature.  Then we had some warmer winters in the ’80s, and the environmentalists said that the exhaust from our cars was creating the greenhouse effect, making it warmer here on earth.  They demanded that we drive smaller cars, to lower the earth’s temperature.  Observing such inconsistencies, there were some who began to suspect that this wasn’t about weather, and it wasn’t even about cars.  Some conspiracy theorists even went so far as to suggest that this wasn’t about the environment at all, it’s all about control.

The more you read about our tax code, the more one point becomes absolutely clear:  The American tax code was not written to generate revenue for our government.  If you wanted to raise money to fund government activities, this is not at all how you would do it.  In fact, our tax code is impossible to understand – it makes no sense.  Well, it makes no sense unless you look at it as a means of controlling American citizens, businesses, and industry.  Unless viewed through the lens of control, our tax code makes no sense whatsoever.  Some conspiracy theorists go so far as to suggest that it’s not about taxes or revenue at all, it’s all about control.

We don’t have racism in America like we once did.  Events that would be recognized by, say, Martin Luther King as racist are, thankfully, somewhat rare now.  But from Rodney King to George Zimmerman to George Floyd, whenever something happens that might possibly be portrayed as racist, the left plays it up as a clarion call that we must fundamentally change America.  Some find it unhelpful that the role of racism in all those events is not entirely clear, but that may be a positive.  Because now the left can scream “RACISM!!!” when a white teenager shoots three white criminals in a white town in Wisconsin.  They can use fears of white supremacy to encourage you to vote against black candidates, like Larry Elder and the Virginia lieutenant governor.  Some conspiracy theorists are going so far as to suggest that this isn’t really about racism at all, it’s about control.

There are many more examples, of course.  But it seems clear that when the left talks about the environment, the tax code, racism, or nearly anything else, that they’re really talking about control.  It’s all about gaining control, by any means necessary.

Think of the fiasco along the Mexican border.  If Hispanic immigrants voted 75% for Republicans, do you really think that Democrats would be opening the border, and talking about the rights of people to live wherever they want?  Of course not.

So I’m gradually reaching the conclusion that when dealing with the left, the issue at hand really doesn’t matter.  It was something else yesterday, and it will be something else tomorrow (unless today’s issue helps the left).  We’re not really debating about transsexual wedding cakes.  Leftists don’t care about such things any more than I do.  We’re talking about control.

In much the same way as issues don’t matter, I don’t think that Democrat politicians matter.

Much has been made of President Biden’s mental status.  He may have a degree of dementia of some variety.  I’m not sure – he was never terribly bright, and maybe he’s just getting a bit older.  I don’t know.

But I don’t think Biden’s intelligence matters.  How would things be going differently if one of the other candidates had won the Democrat primary?  The top three in delegates won were Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren.  Buttigieg was also up there.  Would anything have changed if one of them had won instead of Biden?

Of course not.  The Democrat candidate was going to win this election.  And their policies would be about the same, and the Democrat Congress would be doing the same thing as they are now.

So if leftist issues don’t matter, and leftist leaders don’t matter, what does matter?

The only way we can stop the metastatic disease of leftism is to never allow these tyrants anywhere near power.  That’s all they want.  They don’t care about the environment, or taxes, or racism, or anything else that matters to you.  All they care about is control.

Remember that when you vote.  You’re not voting about whatever issue is on your mind.  You’re voting about control.  Government control vs individual freedom.

Choose carefully.  While you still can.

Issues of the day, fake compassion, and fear of uncertainty are simply tools used by wanna-be tyrants to gain control of the populace.  You shouldn’t be focused on separate graduation ceremonies for different races at colleges, or Greta Thunberg, or oil pipelines, or whatever the riot-of-the-week is about.  Those are all simply distractions from the left’s real goal.  Don’t be distracted by such things.

You should be focused purely on keeping leftists away from power.

Because we all know where that leads.

As the saying goes:  You can vote your way into socialism.  But you’ll have to shoot your way out.

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  1. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Dr. Bastiat: Some conspiracy theorists go so far as to suggest that it’s not about taxes or revenue at all, it’s all about control.

    I am not a conspiracy theorist.

    • #1
  2. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Start at 36:20 on this podcast and the guy explains all the racial stuff because of Herbert Marcuse. He goes on to 43:50.

    To summarize, capitalism makes the working class prosperous and it gives them a good life so they don’t want to be capitalists. It gives so much wealth that the workers can’t imagine how perfect Communism is so they go to football games and pay off a nice house with a garden. Those fools. Since workers didn’t much care for Communism once they became middle class, Herbert Marcuse suggested that Communist radicals focus on the ghetto population. To reach out to the ghetto population, we use overeducated college students filled with white guilt to radicalize the black population. Antifa are the radicalized white students and BLM are the radicalized black students.

    When Barack Obama became President, both white and black Americans and both conservative and liberal-lefty Americans felt hopeful that Barack Obama could be symbol of America’s progress and help usher in racial healing. The critical race theorists had to ramp everything up. This worked surprisingly well so they kept at it.

    This is why Kenosha is being heralded as a racial incident. It seems like racial incidents seem to get people  more riled up and make them more willing to give power to the government. This sort of nonsense happened when we had a black (arguably half-black) President for Truth’s sake.

    • #2
  3. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    Start at 36:20 on this podcast and the guy explains all the racial stuff because of Herbert Marcuse. He goes on to 43:50.

    To summarize, capitalism makes the working class prosperous and it gives them a good life so they don’t want to be capitalists. It gives so much wealth that the workers can’t imagine how perfect Communism is so they go to football games and pay off a nice house with a garden. Those fools. Since workers didn’t much care for Communism once they became middle class, Herbert Marcuse suggested that Communist radicals focus on the ghetto population. To reach out to the ghetto population, we use overeducated college students filled with white guilt to radicalize the black population. Antifa are the radicalized white students and BLM are the radicalized black students.

    When Barack Obama became President, both white and black Americans and both conservative and liberal-lefty Americans felt hopeful that Barack Obama could be symbol of America’s progress and help usher in racial healing. The critical race theorists had to ramp everything up. This worked surprisingly well so they kept at it.

    This is why Kenosha is being heralded as a racial incident. It seems like racial incidents seem to get people more riled up and make them more willing to give power to the government. This sort of nonsense happened when we had a black (arguably half-black) President for Truth’s sake.

    Great comment.  You should flesh that out into a post of its own.  Really good stuff…

    • #3
  4. DonG (CAGW is a hoax) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a hoax)
    @DonG

    I  just got some gas for my car.  I had to wait in line.  Half of the pumps were closed.   I did not like the 1970’s the first time around.

    • #4
  5. JustmeinAZ Member
    JustmeinAZ
    @JustmeinAZ

    Dr. Bastiat: There are many more examples, of course.  But it seems clear that when the left talks about the environment, the tax code, racism, or nearly anything else, that they’re really talking about control.  It’s all about gaining control, by any means necessary.

    You left out mandatory masks and vaccines. It’s all about control.

    • #5
  6. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    Dr. Bastiat: If Hispanic immigrants voted 75% for Republicans, do you really think that Democrats would be opening the border, and talking about the rights of people to live wherever they want?  Of course not.

    The proof is Democrats recinding the ‘wet foot, dry foot’ policy for escapees from Cuba, not to mention considering a policy to arbitrarily deny asylum claims to Venezuelans- while still letting in every one else.

     

    • #6
  7. Headedwest Coolidge
    Headedwest
    @Headedwest

    If Hispanic immigrants voted 75% for Republicans, do you really think that Democrats would be opening the border, and talking about the rights of people to live wherever they want?  Of course not.

    It’s not 75% but the Rio Grande Valley Hispanics are moving toward more Republican voting, and this week a state representative from that part of Texas left the Dems and joined the Republican caucus. 

    • #7
  8. Rightfromthestart Coolidge
    Rightfromthestart
    @Rightfromthestart

    I’ve written this several times, they told us back in the 60s , two quotations from 60s radicals.

    1 The issue is not the issue the issue is never the issue the issue is the revolution.

    2 Satisfy all of our demands and we’ll just give you 12 more.

    • #8
  9. CACrabtree Coolidge
    CACrabtree
    @CACrabtree

    DonG (CAGW is a hoax) (View Comment):

    I just got some gas for my car. I had to wait in line. Half of the pumps were closed. I did not like the 1970’s the first time around.

    Yeah, I started feeling malaise before even beginning to read the post, just because of that picture of Carter.  I’m sure that even today Carter is looking down at us and our “inordinate fear of Communism”.

    Politicians who cannot acknowledge their errors are pretty common but Carter clears the bar in his street shoes.

    • #9
  10. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):
    When Barack Obama became President, both white and black Americans and both conservative and liberal-lefty Americans felt hopeful that Barack Obama could be symbol of America’s progress and help usher in racial healing.

    I didn’t believe that for an instant and I thought people who believed it were naïve in the extreme (John McWhorter on Dennis Prager’s show). It had nothing to do with Obama’s race for me, it was all about his ideology. Leftists are not in the business of uniting the people and “healing” divisions. They’re revolutionaries (“five days away from fundamentally transforming. . .”). They’re the great destroyers, . . .  but they have only the best intentions, of course. /dripping sarcasm

    • #10
  11. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Instugator (View Comment):
    not to mention considering a policy to arbitrarily deny asylum claims to Venezuelans- while still letting in every one else.

    It’s not arbitrarily denying Venezuelans. The Venezuelans are so angered at Communism that they will vote Republican. 

    • #11
  12. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    Start at 36:20 on this podcast and the guy explains all the racial stuff because of Herbert Marcuse. He goes on to 43:50.

    To summarize, capitalism makes the working class prosperous and it gives them a good life so they don’t want to be capitalists. It gives so much wealth that the workers can’t imagine how perfect Communism is so they go to football games and pay off a nice house with a garden. Those fools. Since workers didn’t much care for Communism once they became middle class, Herbert Marcuse suggested that Communist radicals focus on the ghetto population. To reach out to the ghetto population, we use overeducated college students filled with white guilt to radicalize the black population. Antifa are the radicalized white students and BLM are the radicalized black students.

    When Barack Obama became President, both white and black Americans and both conservative and liberal-lefty Americans felt hopeful that Barack Obama could be symbol of America’s progress and help usher in racial healing. The critical race theorists had to ramp everything up. This worked surprisingly well so they kept at it.

    This is why Kenosha is being heralded as a racial incident. It seems like racial incidents seem to get people more riled up and make them more willing to give power to the government. This sort of nonsense happened when we had a black (arguably half-black) President for Truth’s sake.

    Great comment. You should flesh that out into a post of its own. Really good stuff…

    I don’t know what more I can add. I suppose I could say that if black-Americans became more like other groups that have historically been poor and then became not poor. They would be less inclined towards radical left-wing politics.  The success of black-America is inverse to the fortunes of the Democratic Party. Kinda weird how some things stay the same.  

    • #12
  13. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    Dr. Bastiat:

    You shouldn’t be focused on separate graduation ceremonies for different races at colleges, or Greta Thunberg, or oil pipelines, or whatever the riot-of-the-week is about.  Those are all simply distractions from the left’s real goal.  Don’t be distracted by such things.

    You should be focused purely on keeping leftists away from power.

    Ah. But these distractions make our arguments for us. We cannot justify keeping leftists away from power without showing what leftists do when they have it!

    • #13
  14. Gazpacho Grande' Coolidge
    Gazpacho Grande'
    @ChrisCampion

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat: Some conspiracy theorists go so far as to suggest that it’s not about taxes or revenue at all, it’s all about control.

    I am not a conspiracy theorist.

    That’s just what a conspiracy theorist would say.

    Thinking about that for a quick second:  If folks are conjecturing about what’s going on, in politics, in Congress, in state and local races, because they don’t really know what’s happening, they only know what they read or hear – they’re theorizing, too.  Making up theories based on (always) limited information, and drawing conclusions.

    Hm.  Maybe the infrequently exorcised Ricochet Conspiracy Theorists (RCTs) have more in common with the Resident Ricochet Armchair Pundits (RRAPs) than either group realizes.

    • #14
  15. Gazpacho Grande' Coolidge
    Gazpacho Grande'
    @ChrisCampion

    One big reason the Doc is correct:  Gas.

    What did Biden do when he first came into office?  ANWAR.  Leases for onshore/offshore drilling.  Fracking.  By shutting these things down, or slowing them, of course the idea was to increase the cost of gas (by making it scarce and harder to obtain), to force people into something they did not want or ask for (EVs).

    Now his administration is organizing a blue chip investigative group to see if oil companies are gouging consumers, because, y’know, the gov’t cares about you.  As part of this justification, recently Joe mentioned the disparity in per-gallon pricing between crude and gas at the pump, which ignores the built-in lags between purchase of crude, its processing and shipment, and hitting the pump – meaning you could have bought the crude six months ago on contract, but by the time its made into gas and sold, the world changes.

    They created their own crisis here, and are now creating a means to “fix” it – which will be to control you.  Anyone who thinks you can drive across the country today, or even in 10 years, easily or conveniently in an EV is lying to you.  Even with fast-charging, if you’ve switched tens of millions of people to EV, the lines of people charging at a new fancy-schmancy charging station will make the 70’s gas line look like a line to get into the Anthony Fauci bio flick.  Meaning short.

    • #15
  16. I Walton Member
    I Walton
    @IWalton

    Great article.  Most of what you say is clear.  However, why allow gas and oil prices to soar by cutting our own production?    Aren’t big oil companies  mostly big government supporters?    Is the super green nonsense critical to them?  Couldn’t they have both? It’s all pretend anyway.  China has to be pulling some important levers which the goods they have on Bidens allow.

    • #16
  17. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Dr. Bastiat: The more you read about our tax code, the more one point becomes absolutely clear:  The American tax code was not written to generate revenue for our government.  If you wanted to raise money to fund government activities, this is not at all how you would do it.  In fact, our tax code is impossible to understand – it makes no sense.  Well, it makes no sense unless you look at it as a means of controlling American citizens, businesses, and industry.  Unless viewed through the lens of control, our tax code makes no sense whatsoever.  Some conspiracy theorists go so far as to suggest that it’s not about taxes or revenue at all, it’s all about control.

    I dread signing our tax returns every year for fear the government will find an honest mistake and turn it into a Federal case . . .

    • #17
  18. RansomReed Inactive
    RansomReed
    @RansomeReed

    “Remember that when you vote.  You’re not voting about whatever issue is on your mind.  You’re voting about control.  Government control vs individual freedom.

    Choose carefully.  While you still can.”

    umm sorry to break it to you; That boat has sailed then it sank. Zero confidence in voting. If a red candidate wins it is a strategic allowance to show “hey look it’s not rigged” 

    • #18
  19. Misthiocracy got drunk and Member
    Misthiocracy got drunk and
    @Misthiocracy

    DonG (CAGW is a hoax) (View Comment):

    I did not like the 1970’s the first time around.

    Oh come on!  The 1970s gave us way better movies and rock music than what we’re getting now.

    • #19
  20. Misthiocracy got drunk and Member
    Misthiocracy got drunk and
    @Misthiocracy

    RansomReed (View Comment):

    “Remember that when you vote. You’re not voting about whatever issue is on your mind. You’re voting about control. Government control vs individual freedom.

    Choose carefully. While you still can.”

    umm sorry to break it to you; That boat has sailed then it sank. Zero confidence in voting. If a red candidate wins it is a strategic allowance to show “hey look it’s not rigged”

    Elections for county dogcatcher still have meaning.

    (But seriously, recent events have demonstrated how much sheriff, judge, and D.A. elections still have meaning. i.e. The positions that can nullify the orders of the executive by refusing to enforce them.)

    • #20
  21. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    RansomReed (View Comment):

    “Remember that when you vote. You’re not voting about whatever issue is on your mind. You’re voting about control. Government control vs individual freedom.

    Choose carefully. While you still can.”

    umm sorry to break it to you; That boat has sailed then it sank. Zero confidence in voting. If a red candidate wins it is a strategic allowance to show “hey look it’s not rigged”

    You may be right.  I hope you’re wrong.

    • #21
  22. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    I Walton (View Comment):

    Great article. Most of what you say is clear. However, why allow gas and oil prices to soar by cutting our own production? Aren’t big oil companies mostly big government supporters? Is the super green nonsense critical to them? Couldn’t they have both? It’s all pretend anyway. China has to be pulling some important levers which the goods they have on Bidens allow.

    The story is out today about Hunter Biden’s involvement (it is sometimes referred to as an investment) with a Chinese company in extracting cobalt from locations in Africa. This started while Joe Biden was Vice-President. This all connects with President Biden’s pledge to bankrupt the American oil and gas business. 

    • #22
  23. Norm McDonald Bought The Farm Inactive
    Norm McDonald Bought The Farm
    @Pseudodionysius

    I’m a conspiracy realist.

    • #23
  24. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Misthiocracy got drunk and (View Comment):

    DonG (CAGW is a hoax) (View Comment):

    I did not like the 1970’s the first time around.

    Oh come on! The 1970s gave us way better movies and rock music than what we’re getting now.

    Art often flourishes in horrible times. 

    • #24
  25. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    I Walton (View Comment):

    Great article. Most of what you say is clear. However, why allow gas and oil prices to soar by cutting our own production? Aren’t big oil companies mostly big government supporters? Is the super green nonsense critical to them? Couldn’t they have both? It’s all pretend anyway. China has to be pulling some important levers which the goods they have on Bidens allow.

    The story is out today about Hunter Biden’s involvement (it is sometimes referred to as an investment) with a Chinese company in extracting cobalt from locations in Africa. This started while Joe Biden was Vice-President. This all connects with President Biden’s pledge to bankrupt the American oil and gas business.

    You know he can get rich through regular corruption right? 

    Forgive me but this sounds like six degrees of conspiracy. Also, Trump spent five minutes with Putin somewhere so we are owned by the Kremlin or something?

    • #25
  26. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    You know he can get rich through regular corruption right? 

     

    I’m saying Hunter Biden established his Chinese business contacts using taxpayer provided resources made available to Joe Biden as Vice-President of the United States. Why do I need to know of the Biden Family’s other corrupt engagements?

    • #26
  27. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    You know he can get rich through regular corruption right?

     

    I’m saying Hunter Biden established his Chinese business contacts using taxpayer provided resources made available to Joe Biden as Vice-President of the United States. Why do I need to know of the Biden Family’s other corrupt engagements?

    It makes more sense to think that he wants to get rid of fossil fuels order to placate his Democratic base. 

    Flickr and the leader of Land of Confusion debate conspiracy theories. I can’t see why the Grand leader of Ricochet podcasts doesn’t steal the debate hands down but I thought he did. 

    • #27
  28. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    It makes more sense to think that he wants to get rid of fossil fuels order to placate his Democratic base.

    You think politicians function to please their base rather than for money?

    • #28
  29. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    Instugator (View Comment):
    not to mention considering a policy to arbitrarily deny asylum claims to Venezuelans- while still letting in every one else.

    It’s not arbitrarily denying Venezuelans. The Venezuelans are so angered at Communism that they will vote Republican.

    It is arbitrary in that is supposedly the only question they ask illegal immigrants they attempt to catch.

    • #29
  30. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    Misthiocracy got drunk and (View Comment):

    DonG (CAGW is a hoax) (View Comment):

    I did not like the 1970’s the first time around.

    Oh come on! The 1970s gave us way better movies and rock music than what we’re getting now.

    I’ll give you the music, but not the movies.

    • #30
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