Kamala Harris has made a prediction about the upcoming election. The opposite is guaranteed to happen. The vice president has predicted that Joe Biden will beat Donald Trump again (perhaps in the 100-meter wheelchair dash). And Democrats will even‚ she has said‚ beat any other Republican candidate. Good news for Trump supporters: Firstly‚ Kamala Harris’ words guarantee that the former president will be the candidate for the White House; and secondly‚ they certify that he will comfortably beat the Democrats. READ MORE from Itxu Díaz: Biden Lashes Out at the Half of the Country That Refuses to Vote for Him The Left is worried about Trump’s landslide victory in the Iowa caucuses. You can see it in the newspapers and on progressive TV. It’s almost as if they don’t believe their own polls and are shocked to find that the support respondents show for Trump is real and might actually translate into votes later. Generally speaking‚ these days‚ the entire Left is going through the first stage of grief for the caucus: “denial.” That’s why Kamala Harris talks as if Trump has been defeated this week‚ even though the exact opposite has happened. But while in the denial stage‚ Kamala Harris could be visited in her living room by a freaking tyrannosaurus rex waving Trump flags‚ traveling from the past in order to vote for the Republican nominee‚ and not be shocked‚ surprised‚ or convinced. And the grief will run its course. You know‚ the next stage will come along‚ which is anger‚ and we’ll then see them foaming at the mouth wherever they go with no one knowing exactly what’s wrong. Anger is like a BLM covenstead‚ but‚ on the inside‚ it happens at gut level. Anger is almost always paired with resentment. The Left does it well because resentment and envy are the ideological underpinning of all socialism and all communism. That is why the Left is so good at getting angry. The Right isn’t as constant.  After the anger will come bargaining‚ in which they will face‚ for the first time‚ the reality of majority support for Donald Trump without screaming involuntarily and getting twitchy eyelids. Perhaps they will bargain among themselves to try to change the strategy‚ but it is not going to be easy: Having a zombie as party leader does not seem a good start if you’re going to attack the most charismatic Republican candidate. So next they will fall into depression‚ although I don’t know if before or after the elections. They will calm down‚ they will see that there is more to life than politics‚ and they will think that‚ after all‚ democracy is about the people choosing freely. I’m kidding! Of course they won’t calm down if Trump goes ahead with this popular support‚ because he was the first of contemporary conservative world leaders to hold a mirror up to wokist leftists to show them their folly‚ even before Javier Milei could do so. And when the postmodern Left looks in the mirror‚ it goes mad. So‚ all we can do is hope and pray that the last stage‚ that of acceptance‚ is real and‚ if possible‚ stays constant before and after the election. The bad news is that the Democrats have already hinted that in these elections we are choosing between democracy or Trump‚ which implicitly implies that they do not plan to accept the outcome if the winner happens to be the former president. In any case‚ Trump will have his work cut out for him from day one: They also wanted to take to the streets to rob Milei of what he‚ and he alone‚ earned at the polls‚ and he had to send the police in to clamp down on the rioters. As soon as he told the unions that he would bill them for any street vandalism‚ the miracle happened — the initial rioting ceased. I don’t mean to give Trump ideas‚ but‚ yes‚ I do mean to give Trump ideas. Enough of the Left using street violence to coerce voters. Translated by Joel Dalmau. READ MORE: Of Course Trump Won Iowa Iowa Knockout: A Caucus Turns Into a Coronation Bitter Ron DeSantis Beats Defiant Nikki Haley for Second Place in Iowa Caucuses The post The Left’s Stages of Grief Over the Iowa Caucuses appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

The 7.5 earthquake and resulting tsunami that shook Japan on New Year’s Day set the stage as the faultless metaphor that will reverberate throughout 2024 and beyond. With the impending presidential election aside‚ the tremors of improbability arrived a month earlier when the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear a case with profound implications for the federal income tax.  Moore v. U.S. will decide if the federal government can tax unrealized capital gains not yet received under the 16th Amendment. The justices agreed to hear Charles and Kathleen Moore’s appeal as the couple wanted their $14‚729 refund against which the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled. The 9th Circuit‚ known in legal circles as the “9th Circus‚” has the worst record of any appeals court before the Supreme Court. (READ MORE: Time to Throw Chevron Overboard: Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo) Like Roe v. Wade did last year‚ this case will have a huge and lasting ripple effect on future taxation.  Time to Replace the Income Tax It is no secret that the nation is accruing debt that is unsustainable. The day of reckoning approaches. The irony is that the case is named Moore — indeed‚ “more” income through taxation. Over a century of income tax laws has resulted in thousands of pages of decrees that carve out craters of exemptions in a labyrinth of directives. The tax code is a bloated‚ crony-orchestrated‚ lobbyist-measured disaster for those unable to manipulate it by hiring all those cunning accountants and attorneys who are paid handsomely to circumvent it. When was the last time a member of Congress did his or her own taxes? A fundamental reckoning from the ground up is long overdue to bury the income tax‚ along with the IRS‚ and replace it with a consumption or flat tax.  What Is Income? To tax unrealized capital gains not yet received is extreme. The power to regulate and tax is the power to destroy. Congress’ authority to tax does not include reinvested capital and personal property as income. Income is money received.  Assets may increase in value‚ but until they are collected as interest‚ dividends or sold‚ there is no income. If you cannot spend it‚ it is not income.  You can’t pay the rent or fill your gas tank with paper gains or the appreciation of your home. When you gain on any financial instrument but do not sell‚ you earn a “paper profit.” If unrealized gains are taxed‚ and the taxpayer has no cash to pay‚ a forced liquidation would be necessary for payment.  Are you prepared to pay a tax because your assets go up in value? House‚ car‚ pets‚ trading cards‚ comic books‚ Auntie Estelle’s antique coffee table — where does it end? Provided market values decline‚ would monies be refunded? Stop laughing — that was no joke.  Uncle Sam wants all the golden eggs without having to buy the hens‚ the henhouse‚ and the chickenfeed. The power brokers in Washington believe everything‚ real or imagined‚ is subject to taxation.  An Economic Nightmare It is pitiful that this case is even necessary.  A tax in bad faith resulted in a revolution nearly 250 years ago. Such taxation realizes the socialist dream of equal outcome regardless of effort‚ ingenuity‚ innovation‚ or lack thereof. Ayn Rand’s nightmare is finally realized.  The Supreme Court’s decision is expected in June right in the middle of the presidential campaign. Provided the government loses‚ Democrats will condemn the decision as a political red herring. But the Supreme Court’s job is not to maximize taxable income for Uncle Sam but to interpret if this tax is constitutional. A ruling in favor of Uncle Sam would unleash Congress’ taxing power and devastate our economic system as we know it. Going forward‚ all unrealized income would become whatever the government says it is.  The income tax has been around since 1913‚ and its ability to produce revenue has never been assuaged by politics. The United States has a spending problem‚ not a taxing problem. Revenue is up‚ but it can’t compete with current spending levels.  A ruling in favor of the government would only exacerbate such spending.  The post <;i>;Moore v. US<;/i>;: Income Tax’s <;i>;Roe v. Wade<;/i>; appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Johns Hopkins University recently got caught with its hand in the DEI cookie jar when its chief diversity officer‚ Dr. Sherita H. Golden‚ in her January 2024 Monthly Diversity Digest newsletter listed “privilege” as the Diversity Word of the Month‚ causing an uproar by describing roughly 101 percent of the American population as undeserving racists who plundered their success not by working hard but simply by popping out of a womb. “Privilege is a set of unearned benefits given to people who are in a specific social group‚” Dr. Golden wrote. “Privilege operates on personal‚ interpersonal‚ cultural and institutional levels‚ and it provides advantages and favors to members of dominant groups at the expense of members of other groups.” (READ MORE: Ramaswamy is Absolutely Schooling Woke‚ Inc.) There’s nothing the least bit offensive about that description‚ other than that it’s a little wordy. However‚ in the following part of the newsletter‚ Dr. Golden dipped her toe in the piranha-filled moat of contemporary tolerance and came out with a stump: In the United States‚ privilege is granted to people who have membership in one or more of these social identity groups: White people Able-bodied people Heterosexuals Cisgender people Males Christians Middle or owning class people Middle-aged people English-speaking people As someone who checks off every single one of those boxes‚ I am here to defend Dr. Golden’s ambitious‚ if somewhat clumsy‚ foray into the culture wars. Dr. Golden clearly was not trying to enflame the already roaring bonfire that is consuming the good name of diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion. She was simply trying to boost morale by mimicking the tomfoolery that we all enjoyed when watching Pee-wee’s Playhouse in our youth. Pee-wee Herman would reveal that day’s secret word at the start of each show‚ and whenever someone said that word‚ everyone in the immediate area would suddenly scream really loudly. So‚ picture the instructional surgeon saying the following in a Johns Hopkins’s operating theater: “Class‚ even though this incision I’m making along this heart patient’s breastbone could go horribly wrong if I’m distracted‚ it is nonetheless my privilege to show you—” “YAAAAAAAAAAAY!” (Sounds of surgical instruments clattering on the floor.) What’s wrong with trying to liven things up around the operating room? It’s such a grim place to begin with. Close-minded critics fail to grasp that Dr. Golden was describing herself as being privileged. Here’s proof: She speaks English — or‚ at least‚ tries to write it. That falls under one of her nine categories of unearned privilege. Also‚ according to Wikipedia‚ she’s married and has a son. I didn’t go to Johns Hopkins‚ but I’m pretty sure that means she’s cisgender‚ unless she’s somehow a transgender woman who adopted a child and is married to another man who — wow‚ maybe I should’ve gone to Johns Hopkins. At any rate‚ she likely gave birth to her son‚ so I’m calling it. She’s cisgender. Also‚ she’s an accomplished physician who’s been practicing close to 30 years and teaches at one of the most prestigious hospitals on the planet. I doubt she’s renting space in a trailer park‚ which means she falls comfortably into the “owning-class people” category‚ which I didn’t even know existed until reading her newsletter. She’s not a white male (phew‚ thank goodness she avoided that trainwreck) and either is firmly ensconced in middle age or just about out the door. I don’t know if she’s Christian‚ and‚ for Dr. Golden’s sake‚ I pray that she isn’t because she’s checked off five of her nine privileged categories. Hatemongers — including Elon Musk‚ who tweeted‚ “This must end!” about the brouhaha — are caught up on her describing Christians — every last single one of the little buggers — as privileged. Last I checked‚ African Americans are overwhelmingly Christian in the United States‚ some devoutly so. I for one am glad Dr. Golden is calling out her own race for its privilege. It’s a 4D chess move because what she’s saying is that practically every member of society is privileged in one way or another and doesn’t even realize it‚ including apparently her. I mean‚ assuming everyone on the planet lives to an average human life expectancy‚ we all will be privileged between the ages of 40 to 60 and likely buying a Corvette or a Gucci bag that we can’t afford. For whatever reason‚ Dr. Golden caved and issued an apology‚ stating‚ “The intent of the newsletter is to inform and support an inclusive community at Hopkins.” Absolutely! Nothing screams inclusivity like separating categories of people on whom we should cast suspicion. She continued‚ “[T]he language of this definition clearly did not meet that goal. In fact‚ because it was overly simplistic and poorly worded‚ it had the opposite effect…. I retract and disavow the definition I shared‚ and I am sorry.” Retract your apology‚ Dr. Golden! In fact‚ please repost it and include three identities to your privilege list: liberal‚ Biden‚ and Fauci. Only then can we fully identify undeserved privilege and reach maximum inclusivity. Matt Manochio can be found on X @MattManochio. The post Johns Hopkins Defines ‘Privilege.’ Good for It! appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Terrisa Bukovinac is not your typical pro-lifer‚ and she isn’t your typical presidential candidate‚ either. Bukovinac is challenging President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary to protest the party’s pro-abortion stance and to bring attention to the victims of abortion.  READ MORE from Liliana Zylstra: The Next Battle Over Abortion May Be Coming to Florida Bukovinac‚ who is an atheist and an animal rights activist‚ wasn’t always pro-life. She started questioning her stance when a friend showed her images of abortion victims and asked how she could fight for animal rights while neglecting the rights of unborn children. Bukovinac later met Monica Snyder‚ a pro-life atheist‚ and realized that she wasn’t the only atheist who had problems with abortion. In 2015‚ pro-life activist and investigative journalist David Daleiden released undercover footage showing Planned Parenthood executives discussing how they would profit from selling the body parts of aborted children. Bukovinac told The American Spectator that when she watched the videos‚ “Something broke in me… I knew that I was never going to have a normal life.”  Bukovinac left her job in the luxury fashion industry to found the group Pro-Life San Francisco in 2016. Later‚ during the 2020 election‚ she traveled to every Democratic debate to demand pro-life representation in the party. In 2021‚ Bukovinac founded the Washington‚ D.C.–based Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising‚ or PAAU. The next year‚ she and PAAU Director of Activism Lauren Handy discovered what they say were the bodies of 110 first-trimester and five second- and third-trimester babies being transported from the Washington Surgi-Clinic. PAAU claims that three of the bodies showed evidence that they had been born alive.  “Holding those babies in my hands‚ seeing their faces up close‚ knowing who these children were‚ seeing their lives be ripped away from them in such a horrific and cruel and unjust way‚” Bukovinac said‚ “I cannot come back from that.” Bukovinac Campaigns for Life Following in the footsteps of pro-life activists Randall Terry‚ Missy Reilly Smith‚ and Ellen McCormack‚ Bukovinac is using her candidacy to show ads featuring footage of those babies. Federal law requires that television stations run the ads of presidential candidates‚ giving Bukovinac a platform free of censorship. She knows that this strategy isn’t popular‚ but she maintains that showing the victims of abortion is necessary to bring about social change.  “Yes‚ it disturbs people’s consciences‚” she said‚ “but that’s the point.” Bukovinac and members of her organization also participate in a form of activism they call “rescue.” This “nonviolent direct action” involves entering abortion facilities or crossing property lines to attempt to persuade women from having abortions and to challenge the legitimacy of these facilities. Sometimes‚ these actions result in arrests.  In July 2022‚ a group of activists associated with PAAU were charged with trespassing at an Alexandria‚ Virginia‚ abortion facility. Bukovinac was sentenced to four days in jail. In August of 2023‚ five activists‚ including Lauren Handy‚ were convicted for allegedly violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances‚ or FACE‚ Act for a 2020 rescue at the very facility where Handy and Bukovinac discovered 115 fetuses in 2022. The activists are currently incarcerated and awaiting sentencing. The FACE Act carries a possible sentence of up to 11 years in prison. Notably‚ Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly prevented the defendants from bringing up evidence they believed suggested that federal crimes were committed at the Washington Surgi-Clinic. Bukovinac hopes her ads will empower other pro-life Democrats to stop voting for pro-choice candidates. “It’s very obvious to me that the problem is in blue states and the Democratic party‚” she said. “I think we have a chance of really damaging that toxic relationship between the abortion industry and the Democratic party. And once that relationship is broken‚ the abortion industry will not have power in this country anymore.” The post Meet Terrisa Bukovinac‚ the Democrat Standing Up to Biden’s Abortion Extremism appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Chicago’s Field Museum is covering some Native American displays after the new federal regulation from the Biden administration went into effect requiring museums and researchers to obtain consent from Native American tribes before they can exhibit or research Native American remains and cultural artifacts. In this episode of The Spectator P.M. Podcast‚ hosts Ellie Gardey and Aubrey Gulick discuss this new regulation and the importance of using Native American artifacts in telling the American story. They speculate on the difficulty that museums and researchers will face in the coming years in trying to track down the original tribal owners of ancient artifacts. (READ MORE: Biden Urged Oppressed to Cross Border. Now There Are Caravans.) Like and share The Spectator P.M. Podcast‚ and be sure to tune in to our next episode! Read Aubrey and Ellie’s writing here and here. Listen to the Spectator P.M. Podcast with Aubrey Gulick and Ellie Gardey on Spotify. Watch the Spectator P.M. Podcast with Aubrey Gulick and Ellie Gardey on Rumble.  The post <;i>;The Spectator P.M. Podcast<;/i>; Ep. 14: Biden Administration Forces Museums to Yank Native American Artifacts appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

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