COVID-19 and the Democrat Party Wish List

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

The liberal left Democrat Party leadership has been jazzed about the coronavirus.  It truly has been an opportunity for them to do what they could not normally do under normal circumstances.  Their big government goals, hatred for conservatism and Christians, and environmental agendas all hinge on increasing government power over the individuals, and for collectivism to become a stronger philosophy in an otherwise individual-minded American public.  Mandates, fear, and economic strife all need to work together for them to get what they want, and with the coronavirus, it was like a god-send to them (from whatever god they worship, I guess).  So here's a list of things that the coronavirus has caused that the Democrat big government progressive socialist commie leadership is excited about:

1) Christians can't go to church.
2) Tea Party Groups and Republican clubs can't assemble.
3) Capitalism and the Free Market is suffering under the downturn.
4) Due to unemployment, more people have become dependent upon government benefits.
5) Less driving is happening, which means less CO2 is being spewed into the air by combustible engines.
6) People are staying home.  They are easier to control that way.
7) Parks, State Parks, and National Parks are closed, keeping those dirty humans out of nature.
8) The virus primarily kills old people, who are usually conservative, anyway.
9) Government has gotten more involved in health care during the "crisis".
10) New vaccines are on the way, and a pandemic gives them the excuse to make them mandatory.
11) Government has gotten away with mandating what people can wear (face masks).
12) The ability to buy and sell has come under more government control.
13) There is fear among the people in the population.
14) Community (collectivism) is able to be pushed more easily ("We are all in this together").
15) Sports has been cancelled (leftist leadership hates "competition", it's too capitalistic).
16) Gun Shops are closed in places they are considered "non-essential".
17) Democrats have been able to shove legislative wish-list items into coronavirus bills.
18) The Democrats were able to get a new federal paid leave program in place.
19) Food Stamp benefits have been expanded.
20) Travel is restricted, and in some places people must show papers revealing they have permission to be on the road (such as going to a job in an essential industry).
21) Persons are being cited for unnecessary travel.
22) Dissent is easier to squash during this "pandemic".
23) Using the pandemic as an excuse to push more for a government takeover of health care.
24) Americans are becoming conscious about their health (for immunity reasons) and are increasingly considering vegetarian diets.  While I do believe we should be conscious about our health and nutrition, some Democrats have demanded that such thinking and activity be mandated by the government.
25) It has given government the ability to make demands on private businesses (restaurant closures, hospital staffing and equipment, pharmaceutical activities and products).
26) The coronavirus is another tool in the tool belt for the claim that we have to save the planet (climate change, globalism).
27) The pandemic has given progressive international organizations more influence on our lives (United Nations, World Health Organization).
28) Created an excuse to increase the call for more federal funding into federal programs and departments.
29) Created a situation where the federal government has more position to dictate to the States what they can or can't do.
30) Lying to the public has become easier.
31) The coronavirus has diverted everyone's attention away from issues like Muslim terrorism, illegal immigration, and what was at one time a booming economy.
32) A new misinformation campaign has been created that can hurt President Trump (such as that he has been slow to respond, even though on January 31st - for example - he banned travel from China while the Democrats were ignoring the coronavirus, and still trying to impeach him).,
33) The Stock Market is crashing.
34) Oil prices have crashed.
35) Big Tech has a bigger excuse for shutting down conservative voices.
36) More people are staying home to watch the brainwashing offerings by the media and Hollywood.
37) It has given the liberal left more opportunity to play their "we are pro-science" card.
38) Democrats are able to push "vote-by-mail" (for safety reasons, of course.......)
39) Coronavirus provides a greater excuse for federal subsidies, bailouts, and stimulus plans.
40) Government-mandated restrictions on citizen's participation in their daily lives.
41) Denial of constitutional principles to the citizens.
42) Consolidation of power at the executive level (in the States, anyway).
43) The free movement of goods has been hindered.
44) The whole world is moving towards policies more based on central planning.
45) Patriotic picnics are against the law.
46) Independence Day has a chance of being cancelled.  Isn't it interesting that Oregon's liberal leadership chose the lockdown to expire on July 6?
47) They have proposed as a part of coronavirus legislation the following (and I dare you to tell me any of it has anything to do with a virus):

• New tax credits for solar and wind energy.
• Increased collective bargaining and other special favors for big labor.
• Required same-day voter registration and early voting.
• Publication of corporate pay statistics and race statistics for all corporate boards.
• $300 million apiece for the National Endowment of the Arts and the National Endowment of the Humanities.
• $35 million for the John F. Kennedy Center of Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
• Democrats in the Senate also were pushing for expanded solar and wind tax credits, new collective bargaining power for unions, and higher fuel emission standards for airlines.
• A ban on corporate buybacks.

But, there was no proposal for more real funding for hospitals, which you would think would be a Democrat Party priority in the face of a pandemic, right?

Instead, they accused President Trump of reducing or cutting funding to agencies that would be a benefit to battling a coronavirus scare ... except they were lying.  While Trump did recommend a cut in funding to two federal health agencies, overall, Congress never agreed, and all of the agencies the Democrats are claiming Trump reduced or cut funding for actually received increases in their federal funding.  From FactCheck.org: Congress passed, and Trump signed, a budget that increased CDC funding by $420 million.

The Democrats also accused Trump of closing global pandemic offices that were created by Obama.  Again, it was a lie, and in this case, it was sent into full throttle rumor mode by Joy Behar.  While President Trump did suggest a reduction in funding, all of the offices have remained open, and in the long run they all received an increase in their budgets.

In short, regardless of what one thinks about the coronavirus situation, one thing is clear, the Democrats were originally not bothered by the coronavirus, and didn't change their narrative until they realized it could be used as a political weapon, and that it could serve as an opportunity to change the structure of America, and the world, so as to fit their leftist agenda more perfectly.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary