COMMUNISTS

Now Trump has his followers calling Democrats “communists.”  Carl has been calling me a communist for quite some time.  I’ve asked him repeatedly to tell me what he thinks communism is, and he never answers.

Either he doesn’t know, or he realizes that there’s a world of difference between Democratic socialism — i.e., Europe, basically . . .

. . . and communism — i.e., North Korea.

The most prominent features of Democratic socialism are things like universal health care, public education, and generous vacation time.

Among the most prominent features of communism are that the state owns all the “means of production,” like the factories and the farms; that the leader is an autocrat who prohibits dissent; and that the only people who live comfortably are the corrupt officials who carry out the decrees of the autocrat, who lives unbelievably well because he is even more corrupt.  The kind of ruler Trump admires and seems increasingly to emulate.

If Carl — who sends me two or three unhinged, hateful emails each day — does ever offer his definition of communism, I will faithfully reprint it.

REPUBLICANS

Things Republicans gave us (like recessions) — and things they opposed (like Medicare and the 40-hour work week) (90 seconds).

It really puts meat on the bones of D = Drive ; R = Reverse.