Lockdown Lowdown

 

Jonathan Reisman

Six months ago, things looked bleak for the Democrats and the left in America. The economy was humming, unemployment was at historic lows for whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, men, women and every color in the LGBTQ rainbow flag. Consumer confidence was high and rising. Voter perception of economic performance and prospects is and has been the best predictor of whether the party in the White House is returned to power. Economic performance, perceptions and prospects elected Reagan in 1980 and 1984, Bush 41 in 1988, Clinton in 1992 and 1996, Bush 43 in 2000 and 2004, Obama in 2008 and 2012 and Trump in 2016. As 2020 opened, the strong performance of the economy made Trump’s reelection seem like a lock - until the Chinese virus lockdown.

Chicago Democratic politician Rahm Emanuel famously said “Never let a good crisis go to waste”, and that wisdom ensured his tenures as Obama’s Chief of Staff and Chicago mayor.  It would probably be the 11th Commandment for Democrats if Bible Study was a part of their training…but, well never mind. It could also be in Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book, admired by Obama, Clinton and Biden advisor Anita Dunn. The Chinese Communist Party Pandemic was an answer to Democratic prayers (not sure whom they were praying to, but it apparently involves kneeling in African robes). The pandemic was/is a crisis/opportunity to blame President Trump while simultaneously destroying the economy and Trump’s reelection chances. Democratic Governors, Speaker Pelosi and Senator Schumer recognized their opportunity to finally rid themselves of Trump, and the lockdown was on.

First, the hallowed “non-partisan” (but overwhelmingly Democratic) public health/science community latched on to an “unquestionable” (except by non-science believing Republicans and similar troglodyte skeptics/deniers) Imperial College-London model that predicted that the Chicom virus would kill 2.2 Americans by Labor Day. This was portrayed as a general population threat that justified the general lockdown/shutdown of the economy, and the suspension of economic and political liberty. Actual deaths will be less than a tenth of what was predicted, with the median age of death over 80. In other words, the predicate for destroying our economy, our liberty and President Trump’s reelection chances was a complete lie - just like Russian collusion fabrication and every other bit of resistance/coup crap the left has manufactured.

Even now, the legacy media maintains an Orwellian Ministry of (Un)Truth narrative. NPR reminds us that the Chi Com Covid fatalities are still three times the average flu season mortalities, and good luck finding any legacy media that openly reports and does not bury the median age of fatalities or the overwhelming majority of nursing home deaths. You cannot maintain a state of fear and submission if the truth gets out.

As an added anti-Trump bonus, the shock troops of the Democratic Party Black Lives Matter and Antifa - portrayed by the legacy media as “mostly peaceful protesters”, led a summer of violence, arson and looting designed to boost the Black vote, suppress the white vote and silence any and all conservative dissent as “racist”. Not to mention redefining “racist” as meaning voting for Trump and/or  not agreeing with and submitting to the Marxist Black Lives Matter agenda. When phrases like “White Fragility”, “anti-racism” and “implicit bias” get trotted out, that is what they really mean.

We are headed for a cataclysm in November. Half of America cannot stand to be governed by Trump and has resisted by any means necessary. They may well succeed in removing him, replacing him with a senescent corrupt swamp creature and a power-hungry faux “moderate” who slept her way to the top. What the resistance has forgotten (or perhaps never read) is Galatians 6, 7: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Whoever wins in November will find that the resistance is now a permanent feature of our fractured Republic. If Trump wins, the resistance/coup/riots/arson/ “mostly peaceful” protests will continue. If Biden prevails, the Trump voters will bitterly cling to their Bibles and guns and tell the Left in no uncertain terms that as you sow, so shall you reap.  

Jon Reisman is an associate professor of economics and public policy at the University of Maine at Machias. His views are his own.Mr. Reisman welcomes comments as letters to the editor here, or to him directly via email at [email protected].

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