by James C. Sherlock
Socialism and communism are so 19th and 20th centuries.
Under socialism, individuals would still own property. But industrial production, which was the chief means of generating wealth, was to be communally owned and managed by a democratically elected government.
Socialists sought change and reform, but sought to make those changes through democratic processes within the existing social and political structure, not to overthrow that structure. Socialism was to be based on the consent of the governed. Communism sought the elimination of personal property and the violent overthrow of existing social and political structures.
So what has changed for today’s progressives who have taken over the Democratic party, especially in Virginia?
A lot.
First, Industrial production is no longer the primary means of generating wealth.
Second, the left no longer needs violence to overthrow the existing social and political structures.
Third, that consent of the governed thing is out. Tell the voters what they want to hear to get elected and cover up everything they don’t. Then make massive changes to government and society that were never the subject of the political discussion during the run-up to the election. Then lose the mid-terms, but who cares?
It is a well worn playbook. Just a couple of years in power is all they have ever needed.
Once in control of the executive and legislative branches of government, radical progressives can overthrow basic governing structures through hyperactive executive orders, legislation, regulation, taxation, licensing, permitting and, in schools, control over student and teacher evaluations and thus their lives. All can be and are used as forms of control and of destruction of opposition to Leftist political dogma.
Virginia, which shifted in 2019 from decades of Republican control to Democratic control of the constitutional offices and the General Assembly, has turned into by far the most active laboratory to watch those changes in action.
Pack the Courts. The Virginia Court of Appeals set to get six new judges. All at once. All Democrats. “This bill is certainly not motivated by a desire to add judges,” said Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax, during a committee hearing last month. Good to know.
Change election laws. The Democrats hold as their ultimate goal the old saying – one person, one vote, one time. Once in power, they change the voting rules and, as soon as possible, will at the national level change citizenship rules to flood polling places with “new” voters. Those whom they presume to be Democratic voters.
Photo ID’s – racist. Certain races must not photograph well. Felons; illegal immigrants; out-of-state college kids in Virginia schools? Just seeking access for all.
Virginia Democrats in 2020 and again this year made extensive changes to Virginia’s Election Laws.
- Voter ID required, Yes. Valid photo id required? Not any longer, even though they were provided for free by the state. See 2020 HB 19 and SB 65 – Voter identification; repeal of photo identification requirements. Effective date: July 1, 2020. A voter can present a copy of a current utility bill containing the name and address of the voter as a sole and valid identification for voting.
- Want to pack the Board of Elections? See 2020 HB 236 and SB 856 – Elections, State Board of; increasing membership and terms, role and eligibility, report.
- Mail in voting for students. 2020 HB 232 – Mail voter registration application forms; distribution to certain public and private institutions. Effective date: July 1, 2020
- A felon and want your voting rights restored? Gov. Northam restored voting rights to 69,000 former felons in a single action.
Deny permits to shut down energy supplies.
Want to prevent increased use of natural gas? No need for a law. Drag out the pipeline permitting process as long as it takes to make the projects economically unfeasible.
Write motor vehicle regulations out of sight of the public. Want everyone to drive electric cars? Do it by regulation, not a law on which the General Assembly would have to vote. Allow the State Air Pollution Control Board to set emissions standards and allow them to take money from private interests who may have a economic dog in the fight. See HB 1965, which has been signed by Gov. Northam.
And the “best” part, don’t let the public comment on the new regulations.
“2. That the regulations required to be adopted by the State Air Pollution Control Board pursuant to §10.1-1307.04 of the Code of Virginia, as created by this act, shall be exempt from the requirements of the Administrative Process Act (§2.2-4000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia). Such regulations shall become effective upon filing with the Virginia Registrar of Regulations.”
Transform schools into leftist dogma indoctrination centers.
Get them early. Want every kid to learn and regurgitate the tenets of Critical Race Theory? Check out Albemarle County. The county’s official statement on curriculum and instruction reads:
“The Board and Division shall implement an anti-racist curriculum and provide educational resources for students at every grade level.”
With a vengeance.
Parents of children in Albemarle County Schools report that this year’s course work, homework and tests fully integrate Critical Race Theory and require its regurgitation by teachers and students. Not just history, but Spanish homework and tests, math homework and tests, the entire curriculum.
Freedom of expression and inquiry are gone. Hostages are taken: the futures of students, teachers and principals are put at direct risk if they do not kneel at this Marxist altar.
In their zeal, the Albemarle County School Board in February of this year made two budget changes.
- They banished police School Resource Officers and replaced them School Safety Specialists (called coaches); and
- imaginatively retitled Critical Race Theory as Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) and made it a required certification credential for all teachers.
The six “coaches” would not be armed nor have the authority to arrest people, but
“They’re going to establish themselves as part of our school culture by being an active and front-facing change agent through caring and problem-solving with the staff and the kids that they serve,” said Kevin Kirst, the division’s executive director of special education and student services.
High probability Kevin learned that in graduate education school. Gang-bangers beware.
Those two changes increased the budget by $650,000 a year. No problem.
Hyperactivity and crisis leverage. The left, always hyper active, floods the zone with everything on their agenda all at once, knowing that calm consideration allowing time for reflection is not in their favor and people can’t follow it all, even if the press reported it.
Every goal is turned into a crisis need.
Anything that does not support their agenda, like child trafficking and drug smuggling at the border and public safety in Virginia streets, is not only not a crisis but also is not a proper subject for discussion — and racist to bring up.
Then there is the ultimate black swan, COVID. Democrats redefined COVID response in terms of their agenda and Democratic governors like Ralph Northam tried to take control of everybody, everywhere, 24 hours a day. They could not hide their delight in ruling by decree. Emmys were awarded. Book deals.
Return to normalcy was never what the Democrats wanted, especially before the election, and they played games with even the smallest restorations of Constitutional freedoms as if they were gifts that were theirs to give. The Virginia Supreme Court was complicit. That continues today.
What to do. The culture, academia, many large corporations, big tech and most media are marching ever leftward in lock step. The only way to stop it is at the ballot box.
Virginia Democrats hope their massive intervention in the voting system will produce enough new, ignorant and grateful voters to strengthen their majorities while friends in the media cover for them.
Virginia Republicans hope the people have seen and understood enough to revolt at the polls.
Parents of school children of all races and ethnicities have seen what is happening in the public schools both with the in-person teaching bans and the introduction of CRT dogma. Those same parents saw their neighbors’ kids in Catholic schools since August without significant issues.
Businesses small and large have been jerked around and severely damaged or destroyed by Northam’s combination of incompetence, narcissism and political goals. Unfortunately his combination of traits was not unique among Democratic governors.
The people watched Gov. Northam stumble through his embarrassing press conferences as the media played along and Virginians suffered beyond his imperial gaze. As for the competence of his administration, the less said the better.
Republicans believe that the media lies, refusal to ask hard questions, ignoring of stories that don’t support their narrative and their all around Democratic cheerleading will not mask that.
We’ll see.
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