The Practical Applications of ‘Hope and Change’

 

Check out the patriotic cover of Time Magazine for this Independence Day weekend. Headline: “America Must Change.” Powerful cover art. Lots of featured authors who apparently all think the same thing. Just in case there’s anyone out there who isn’t sure why all this chaos is happening right now – intentional economic shutdowns, riots in the streets permitted by Democrat mayors, cancel culture demanding complete submission to their demands of the day. Why now? Because “America Must Change.” And that change begins at the top, don’t you know.

Between now and November, the violence and unrest are only going to get worse. Because it must. The left understands that the only way to get Trump out of office is to make Americans hurt, make them blame themselves somehow for these assaults on their culture, and to make them seek to make all this go away by voting for new leadership. That’s all this is. It’s just the left’s approach to politics. Especially when they’re desperate. And the overwhelming success of President Trump so far makes them desperate. So they run every play in their playbook. It looks violent and nasty. But it’s just politics.

Leftism in general, and Democrats in particular, have a violent history. This is not new. This is just how they do politics. And if you think they’re violent when they’re out of power, just wait until they’re actually in power. If you can’t imagine that on your own, just ask someone from Cuba. Or Venezuela. Or Nazi Germany. Or heck, Chicago.

This isn’t new or interesting. It’s just politics. Just leftist politics. This is how it’s done. No group of people will voluntarily give up their rights and property to strengthen the centralized control of the state. Trying to convince someone of the virtue of your leftist goals is hopeless. They’ll never vote against their own interests. At least, not willingly, or at least not unless they’re under extreme circumstances. So if things are going pretty well, the left must create extreme circumstances. To encourage everyone to play along. It’s not new or interesting. It’s just politics. That’s all this is. And our media would be exposing this for what it is. If we had a media.

Ah, well. Hang on tight – the next four months are going to be rough. And it’s by design. But hey – it’s just politics.

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  1. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Dr. Bastiat: Ah, well. Hang on tight – the next four months are going to be rough. And it’s by design. But hey – it’s just politics.

    Yep. Good summary of the whole year right there.

    • #1
  2. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    Unfortunately, Doc, I think you are exactly right. There are so many examples; for instance, the ridiculous impeachment farce, the many slanders against the president, the encouragement of riots and looting under the pretense of “protest,” and on and on. The Left knows that it doesn’t have arguments that reasonable people would agree with, so they turn to violence. Including violence against the language by giving words new meanings to suit their goals. “Silence is violence.”

    • #2
  3. StChristopher Member
    StChristopher
    @JohnBerg

    I’m in Portland, Oregon.  We’ve had riots every day.  Destruction of part of downtown continues.  Gov. Brown has called on the police to stop the cycle of violence.  

    • #3
  4. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    I am reminded of a day I happened to be listening to Rush Limbaugh during GW’s run for reelection. Rush said, “Look, folks, it’s going to be something every day. Every single day.” I still laugh when I remember this moment. :-) 

     

    • #4
  5. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Wow, Time is still out there?

    How come nobody noticed all of this immediate need for change before one cop kneeled on one black man in one incident?

    • #5
  6. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Dr. Bastiat:

    Leftism in general, and Democrats in particular, have a violent history.

    And little to show for it except the death and injury in the wake. They have worked the propaganda through our educational process and now they are taking advantage of that creation. But they are desperate so it gets violent. It is truly difficult to measure in real time how either side is doing in this political confrontation because a once reasonably reliable media is a one-sided propaganda machine for the Left now. It’s politics, everyday.

     

    • #6
  7. Maguffin Inactive
    Maguffin
    @Maguffin

    MarciN (View Comment):

    I am reminded of a day I happened to be listening to Rush Limbaugh during GW’s run for reelection. Rush said, “Look, folks, it’s going to be something every day. Every single day.” I still laugh when I remember this moment. :-)

     

    Ah, the good old days when it was just daily.

    • #7
  8. Jules PA Inactive
    Jules PA
    @JulesPA

    So, this thing we are experiencing is the back handed slap, and we should turn the other cheek, to dare them to give us the full throttle? 

    These riots are terrifying, but I kind of feel they are at a slow boil. 

    What I’m worried about is that singular incident which will escalate this. 

    I think President Trump has shown great restraint. Like a parent dealing with a raging toddler child who can’t manage their big emotions or understand reason. You just have to wait it out. I’m glad they are prosecuting the offenders. Someone will spill on the higher ups in this lawlessness.

    I’m just praying that people understand this thing we are experiencing is the overture. If the left gets in to power, it will truly be full-throttle unleashed. 

    Until then, prayers for safety. 

    • #8
  9. Some Call Me ...Tim Coolidge
    Some Call Me ...Tim
    @SomeCallMeTim

    Dear Dr. Bastiat,

    You read Time magazine?  I gave up on them years ago. 

    Very good post, as usual.  I enjoy reading your posts/comments. 

    Any update on how your daughter’s team zoom meeting went?  Please let us know if you feel it appropriate. 

    Sincerely,

    Tim

    • #9
  10. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    For those of you who, like me, thought that Time had fortunately gone under after it ceased to be relevant, here’s some news you can use from Wikipedia.

    Owner:

    Marc Russell Benioff (born September 25, 1964) is an American internet entrepreneur with a net worth of $7.1 billion as of May 2020.  He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Salesforce, an enterprise cloud computing company.  As of June 2020, he owned 3.36% of Salesforce shares, worth $4.8 billion.

    I guess when one is worth 7.1 billion, it’s OK that “America Must Change.” I mean, starting now, not before the 7.1 billion.

    Editor-In-Chief

    [Edward] Feisenthal graduated with an A.B. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1988 after completing a 149-page long senior thesis titled “The Super Tuesday Strategy: Democratic Response to Transformations in Southern Politics.”

    Well, we know why he’s mad.  Woodrow Wilson?

    • #10
  11. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    Some Call Me …Tim (View Comment):
    You read Time magazine? I gave up on them years ago. 

    One benefit of owning a doctor’s office is that you get lots and lots of magazines.  They just show up, like magic.

    My daughter’s Zoom call is tonight.  We’ll see how it goes.

    Thanks for your interest.

    • #11
  12. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    Jules PA (View Comment):

    These riots are terrifying, but I kind of feel they are at a slow boil. 

    What I’m worried about is that singular incident which will escalate this. 

    I absolutely agree.  I’m just waiting for a white guy from Alabama to defend his grocery store & shoot a black rioter.  Holy crap.  The longer these riots go on, the more likely it becomes that something horrible will happen.

    And then, oh my God…

    • #12
  13. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    • #13
  14. Some Call Me ...Tim Coolidge
    Some Call Me ...Tim
    @SomeCallMeTim

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    Some Call Me …Tim (View Comment):
    You read Time magazine? I gave up on them years ago.

    One benefit of owning a doctor’s office is that you get lots and lots of magazines. They just show up, like magic.

    My daughter’s Zoom call is tonight. We’ll see how it goes.

    Thanks for your interest.

    Dr. Bastiat,

    She really is between a rock and a hard place.  I will say a quick prayer that it goes well for her. 

    Tim

    • #14
  15. Jules PA Inactive
    Jules PA
    @JulesPA

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    My daughter’s Zoom call is tonight. We’ll see how it goes.

    Thanks for your interest.

    Praying for reprieve in the form of a broad scale power outage.

    • #15
  16. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Dr. Bastiat: Check out the patriotic cover of Time Magazine for this Independence Day weekend. Headline: “America Must Change.”

    Actually, I agree that America must change.  We must change back to a time when only men and women got married, when sex change operations required a rigorous psychological and physical evalution to determine that surgery was the only option, when American children were taught to respect the flag and recite the Pledge of Alligence, when families were intact and led by married parents (especially blacks), when . . . I could go on.

    Basically, when lunatics weren’t running the asylum . . .

    • #16
  17. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    “America Must Change.”

    Change to what?

    A Leftist paradise like the examples of North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or China?

    An authoritarian dictatorship like those prosperous, finely run countries of sub-Saharan Africa that have equal distribution of wealth? 

    A country of equal opportunity for people of all races, like China (perhaps the most racist country on earth) or Japan or Korea?

    A country of equal opportunity for women and men, like Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Iraq?

    A country of equal opportunity for people of all social classes, like India?

    [As you can tell, all of the above are sarcastic rhetorical questions.]

    Perhaps they’d prefer a country with rule by power rather than by law, such as Russia or (again) one of those sub-Saharan African countries. 

     

     

     

    • #17
  18. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):

    “America Must Change.”

    Change to what?

    A Leftist paradise like the examples of North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or China?

    An authoritarian dictatorship like those prosperous, finely run countries of sub-Saharan Africa that have equal distribution of wealth?

    A country of equal opportunity for people of all races, like China (perhaps the most racist country on earth) or Japan or Korea?

    A country of equal opportunity for women and men, like Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Iraq?

    A country of equal opportunity for people of all social classes, like India?

    [As you can tell, all of the above are sarcastic rhetorical questions.]

    Perhaps they’d prefer a country with rule by power rather than by law, such as Russia or (again) one of those sub-Saharan African countries.

    Very well argued.  But does it fit into the 280 characters debate format?  I wish more people could read this.

    • #18
  19. WI Con Member
    WI Con
    @WICon

    That’s a pretty good summary of the situation @drbastiat. I hope that Trump and other GOPer running for office, at all levels, bring this to the forefront in debates with the media & Democrats.

    I’m still surprised that the Dems/Left have been this brazen and gambled with letting cities burn, violence escalate, rioting, looting, browbeating their fellow citizens with never-ending charges of bigotry & racism, shutting down local & state economies, church services. Did they game this out (or the far Left game this out) and the Establishment Democrats have no choice but to back this play? 

    On the one hand, this seems like a coordinated strategy but on the other – its madness. 

    “The worse, the better!” That’s their plan for appealing to America in an election year. Unbelievable but there it is.

     

    • #19
  20. Cow Girl Thatcher
    Cow Girl
    @CowGirl

    WI Con (View Comment):

    That’s a pretty good summary of the situation @drbastiat. I hope that Trump and other GOPer running for office, at all levels, bring this to the forefront in debates with the media & Democrats.

    I’m still surprised that the Dems/Left have been this brazen and gambled with letting cities burn, violence escalate, rioting, looting, browbeating their fellow citizens with never-ending charges of bigotry & racism, shutting down local & state economies, church services. Did they game this out (or the far Left game this out) and the Establishment Democrats have no choice but to back this play?

    On the one hand, this seems like a coordinated strategy but on the other – its madness.

    “The worse, the better!” That’s their plan for appealing to America in an election year. Unbelievable but there it is.

    I’m starting to feel a little frightened. I have not personally been affected by rioting people, but it really does seem to be a calculated effort to destroy the America that exists now, because …. OrangeManBad. I keep thinking,  “No, there is no way that a political party would resort to destruction on this scale to get their person elected.”  But more and more, I think that the top leaders of the Democrat party are doing just that. Maybe they didn’t go out and tell people to riot, but I’m convinced that they would have the moral authority to get this under control, if they chose to do that. But, the danger doesn’t affect them personally, either,  because they have enough money and power to insulate themselves from the mess on the ground.

    When Pelosi made that statement about how the Republicans were responsible for the death of George Floyd, and NOT ONE reporter or front-desk newspeaker called her on it, it should have been obvious to everyone that lying is the only way they can win. I may have to just immerse myself in reading old books for a few months, because keeping up on current events is going to give me an ulcer.

    • #20
  21. Casey Way Inactive
    Casey Way
    @CaseyWay

    It’s just politics, but it’s always politics.

    Prayers for your daughter tonight Doc. I wrote a long response but I’ll directly message you.

    • #21
  22. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    If only they would. 

    • #22
  23. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Dr. Bastiat: No group of people will voluntarily give up their rights and property to strengthen the centralized control of the state.

    People will gladly give up their rights to acquire other people’s property. We aren’t designed to love freedom. We are designed to want free stuff. 

    • #23
  24. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Cow Girl (View Comment):
    But, the danger doesn’t affect them personally, either, because they have enough money and power to insulate themselves from the mess on the ground.

    You’ll note that Mayor Durkan shut down CHOP/CHAZ the day after they threatened her house.

    • #24
  25. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    WI Con (View Comment):
    I’m still surprised that the Dems/Left have been this brazen and gambled with letting cities burn, violence escalate, rioting, looting, browbeating their fellow citizens with never-ending charges of bigotry & racism, shutting down local & state economies, church services.

    They are basically running ads for Trump’s re-election campaign, and every Republican running for office in 2020 . . .

    • #25
  26. Ilan Levine Member
    Ilan Levine
    @IlanLevine

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    No matter how many times they threaten to.

    • #26
  27. Richard Fulmer Inactive
    Richard Fulmer
    @RichardFulmer

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    And those that hate it demand that more immigrants be let in.  Why isn’t letting more people into this leftist vision of Hell considered a hate crime?

    • #27
  28. Boss Mongo Member
    Boss Mongo
    @BossMongo

    Dr. Bastiat: “America Must Change.”

    No. It mustn’t.

    • #28
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