Communism makes a comeback

Communism makes a comeback 

Of all the unhinged reactions I expected from the left in response to conservatism's new American ascendancy, going full communist wasn't necessarily one of them. It's not that I put turning to an ideology that killed more people in the 20th century than the Spanish Flu, polio and AIDS combined past the children who thought Hillary Clinton was the answer. It's just that wrapping themselves in the red and yellow just because the flyover rubes are wearing "MAGA" hats seems extreme. Granted, they don't call it "communism," anymore. Now, it's "Democratic Socialism." They can call it "Unicorn Poo" for all I care; the goal is the same: a world in which everyone, except them, lives equally... miserably. (See also: every place communism has been imposed, e.g., Venezuela).

And yet, witness the shooting star that is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. After winning the Democrat primary for New York's 14th Congressional District, the dimpled darling is knocking down the kind of PR for which Hillary Clinton paid Uranium One-level money to shady, Russia-connected, consulting firms. And the Democrats are trotting her out like Led Zeppelin on a reunion tour with a reanimated John Bonham. She's making the rounds, from Midwest campaign stops for third place candidates, to fawning Hollywood interviews with amateurish comedians, to wine-and-cheese gabfests with the political dilettantes who have grabbed liberalism's wheel and yanked to port. Judging by the meteoric rise of the 28-year old "democratic socialist," the outside observer might think she's the next Barack Obama. And, in a way, she is. A virtual unknown before now; she's TV-palatable, socially conscious and has absolutely no idea what the hell she's talking about, most of the time.Ocasio-Cortez's script since taking her show on the road contains all the usual far left bons mots; promises of "free" health care, college tuition and whatever else can be charged to John Q. Public's American Express card. Her brilliantine offerings have included a pronouncement that unemployment is low because "everyone is working two jobs." She even hinted at "solving" the problem of homelessness by appropriating empty, privately owned apartments to house the homeless population. With the Democrats now standing against both the 1st and 2nd Amendments, I suppose I shouldn't be stunned that a Democratic Socialist communist would find a way to oppose the 3rd. As per usual, nothing in her act contains an explanation of how John Q. Public will pay the bill, nor even a mention of the existence of the bill.

But Ocasio-Cortez didn't win a close race in a swing district. She beat one of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's top goons; and she did it in a district which is only slightly to starboard of Brezhnev's dacha. Her leap into the limelight is due in no small part to the fact that her predecessor, Rep Joe Crowley, has all the charm of unflavored oatmeal. Given Crowley's formulaic liberalism — he holds a 100 percent rating from the anti-life group NARAL, supported the Obamacare fraud, opposes border security, and favors punitive tax increases on working Americans — it doesn't take a Nobel to see that Miss Ocasio-Cortez got lucky because the Democrats got lazy; not because her message is one which will reshape America. At least she's perky and adorable. The comely Ocasio-Cortez represents a marked improvement over the hammer-and-sickle's previous standard bearer. Big brown eyes — even crazy ones — are damned sight better than "Doc Brown from Back to the Future."

Socialism is political cancer. It literally ruins every place in which it's tried; routinely with attendant casualties in the millions. But its message of "free stuff, and the rich guys pay for it" sells to millennials, their burnt-out hippie parents, and their college philosophy professors; none of whom realize that once they've gotten rid of the rich guys, there's no one left to pay for anything. Nonetheless, the Democrats are bringing it back. It's the perfect complement to their "pussy" hats and Che' t-shirts — and losing.

— Ben Crystal