Freedom of speech is under <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/censorship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attack</a>, not just in authoritarian regimes like Russia, North Korea, or Venezuela, but also in Western nations that once championed it. I know because I’ve lived through it before.
I was born and raised in Venezuela, where opposing the socialist regime came at a high cost. From a young age, I spoke out against tyranny. In a country that does not tolerate dissent, that meant facing real consequences. I was expelled from my university simply for questioning communist propaganda in class. Soon after, I was accused of being a “terrorist” for my political beliefs.
Now, living in the United States, I cherish the ability to speak freely. But that appreciation comes with deep concern. I am now witnessing Western nations — once bastions of liberty — embrace restrictions on speech under the guise of fighting hate and misinformation. What’s even more alarming is that many young people in my own generation champion this threat to free speech.
<h3>Thought Police In Action</h3>
In February, CBS <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/germany-online-hate-speech-prosecution-60-minutes/">aired</a> an interview with German officials who openly admitted that the German government is using its power to criminalize &#8220;hate or toxic speech.&#8221; When journalist Sharyn Alfonsi asked whether publishing an insult or a lie was a crime, the German prosecutors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-claims-free-speech-caused-the-holocaust" target="_blank" rel="noopener">answered</a> without hesitation, &#8220;Yes.&#8221; In Germany, law enforcement raids homes, fines citizens, and even imprisons those whose speech is deemed offensive, controversial, or false.
Sadly, Germany is not the only country to adopt this Orwellian totalitarianism. In the United Kingdom, a nation with a rich history of constitutionalism, common law, and freedom, people are now being <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cev9nxnygzpo">investigated</a> for tweets, and others are being fined or imprisoned for posting memes. Nations that should represent the best of civility and debate are sailing the seas of totalitarianism, where the state dictates what can and cannot be said.
Many Americans might dismiss this as a European problem, convinced such extreme measures could never take hold in the U.S. Nevertheless, the same mindset is creeping into American universities, where ideological obedience is enforced at the expense of free and open debate.
<h3>American Students Are Turning Against Free Speech</h3>
A <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/college.pulse/viz/2024CollegeFreeSpeechRankings/2024CollegeFreeSpeechRankings?publish=yes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (<a href="https://www.thefire.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FIRE</a>) revealed that most students would reject speakers with different views on some of the most important issues in our society. For instance, only 29% of students would allow a speaker who believes that transgender people have a mental disorder to speak on campus, and just 43% would accept an advocate for the abolition of abortion. In addition, only 37% of students believe it is never acceptable to stop a speaker, and 27% believe that violence may rarely, sometimes, or always be an acceptable response to prevent a talk on campus.
These statistics are shocking. A significant number of young people believe conservatives do not have the right to speak on campus — and some would even be willing to use force to prevent them from speaking. This mindset is a stark departure from the principles upheld by America&#8217;s Founding Fathers, who believed strongly in protecting free speech for even the most controversial opinions.
<h3>Why Free Speech Matters</h3>
The purpose of free speech is not to protect speech that pleases politicians, the government, or the majority. Free speech exists precisely to protect those who say controversial things or want to challenge power. As Thomas Jefferson <a href="https://oll.libertyfund.org/quotes/jefferson-s-preference-for-newspapers-without-government-over-government-without-newspapers-1787">pointed out</a> in 1787: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
The danger of adopting the term “hate speech” is that it is completely subjective and can be used as a political weapon. Who defines what is hateful? The answer is clear: those in power. In Venezuela, the Maduro regime branded my views as hate speech — and I’m sure some American progressives would agree. This is exactly why the right to determine what is true or false, right or wrong, must belong to individuals, not politicians.
We often claim that politicians are corrupt liars who only care about their own self-interest. So, why would we give these people the power to decide what we can say? If we truly value free speech, we must resist censorship in all its forms — no matter who enforces it or what justification they use.
* * *
Franklin Camargo is a Venezuelan-born political activist who fled his homeland due to political persecution. Now a proud advocate for liberty, capitalism, and free speech, Franklin is a political science graduate from Liberty University, a former Univision host, co-author of After Socialism, Freedom, and a <a href="https://www.prageru.com/video/franklin-camargo-i-fled-venezuela-to-fight-for-america">PragerU personality.</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Wire.

Sunset behind the illuminated Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor

I Fled Censorship In Venezuela. I Now See It Spreading In The West.

Censorship

Communism

Free Speech

Immigration

Marxism

Opinion

Propaganda

Socialism

Venezuela

***WARNING: Although the historical events that took place throughout President Ronald Reagan&#8217;s life are well-documented, this article may contain spoilers with regard to the framing and overall presentation of the film.***
The political Left does not appear to want the American people to see &#8220;Reagan&#8221; — at least, not until after the 2024 presidential election is settled.
Actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dennis-quaid-says-facebook-is-censoring-the-free-flow-of-ideas-throttling-reagan-movie-promos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dennis Quaid</a>, who portrays the titular president, said weeks ago that Facebook was &#8220;throttling advertising and promotion&#8221; for the film, &#8220;once again censoring the free flow of ideas, deciding what’s best for us to see and hear.&#8221;
It&#8217;s true that the American Left never liked Reagan, which could be reason enough for some to think it worth scuttling a movie about him. But after seeing the film myself — and some of the reactions to it — I realized that it goes much deeper than that. They don&#8217;t just hate Reagan the president: they hate Reagan the man. What&#8217;s more, they hate everyone who values the things Reagan stood for, the things that drove him.
Full disclosure: I was a child of the Reagan years. Born in 1979, I never really saw the havoc wrought by President Jimmy Carter&#8217;s administration. The first political speech I remember was Reagan&#8217;s address to the nation in the wake of the Challenger disaster in 1986. I watched the explosion live from my first-grade classroom and saw my teacher quietly crying at her desk — and later, at home, I watched as the president paid solemn tribute to the lives lost in that tragedy. I was eight years old when, just over a year later, I watched Reagan stand in front of the Brandenburg Gate and forcefully urge Mr. Gorbachev to &#8220;tear down this wall!&#8221;
That was all I knew of American presidents, and so that became what I expected of American presidents: someone who could speak with sincerity and solemnity to a nation in pain, but also someone who showed no fear in the face of adversaries on the world stage. I saw flickers of those same things from President George W. Bush in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724361346607000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZhyOQfEkxcMH_D1Ago3CQ">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
Now, the Left is terrified that people will notice those things are not to be found in Vice President Kamala Harris — and even more terrified that they just might see them in former President Donald Trump. That&#8217;s where the &#8220;Reagan&#8221; movie fits in: whether intentionally or not, it draws parallels that are difficult to ignore and even more difficult to explain away.
<h4>They don&#8217;t want a president staying strong in the face of an assassination attempt top of mind.</h4>
The movie begins with a literal &#8220;bang,&#8221; the March 30, 1981 attempt on Reagan&#8217;s life. We get Reagan&#8217;s quip to his wife, Nancy — &#8220;Honey, I forgot to duck&#8221; — and to his surgeons — &#8220;I hope you&#8217;re all Republicans.&#8221;
&#8220;Today, Mr. President, we are all Republicans,&#8221; was the reply from Dr. Joseph Giordano, a liberal Democrat.
Trump may not have lost half of his blood volume when he was shot in the head on July 13th, as Reagan did in 1981. But Trump&#8217;s immediate response to the shooting, despite Secret Service attempts to keep him under cover, was to stand and show his supporters that he was okay. He raised his fist, shouting, &#8220;Fight! Fight! Fight!&#8221; before agents were able to usher him off the stage.
He later described the moment he knew he&#8217;d been hit, saying that at first, it felt like &#8220;a really big <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-bullet-felt-like-mosquito-bite-turning-his-head-saved-his-life-bret-baier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mosquito</a>.&#8221;
<h4>They don&#8217;t want you seeing value in an unorthodox leader who sometimes ignores his closest advisors.</h4>
Whatever else could be said about Reagan, he had his own negotiating style — whether with foreign leaders, an adversarial Congress, or his own advisors. One of the great examples of this is his Brandenburg Gate speech. His advisors warned him not to unnecessarily provoke Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, with whom he had been discussing nuclear disarmament, by demanding the destruction of the Berlin Wall.
But Reagan, with just a year left in his second term, did so anyway. Two years later, the wall came down. Two years after that, the Soviet Union was no more.
The comparison here is obvious. Trump is nothing if not unorthodox, and he often does or says things against the wishes of his advisors — sometimes with more success than others. A reminder that unorthodoxy can be both necessary and effective is not something the Left wants voters thinking about when they head to the polls.
<h4>They really don&#8217;t want you to remember what it was like to have a man of faith in the Oval Office.</h4>
In American politics, we are accustomed to politicians who go to church for the optics. The current president, for example, often talks about his deep and abiding Catholic faith — and although we do see him attending Mass, we also see him making the Sign of the Cross at an abortion rally. We see him embracing the Pope, but inviting trans-identifying influencers to attend White House events with children present.
Reagan was different, on a number of levels. He rarely attended church while he was president — not because he didn&#8217;t want to, but because he worried that attending the service would disrupt the service at best, and endanger his fellow worshipers at worst.
Still, Reagan&#8217;s faith was what planted the seed that blossomed into the president&#8217;s lifelong crusade against communism — a crusade that began when in Hollywood and came to fruition in the White House. As a young man, Reagan sat in the congregation and listened intently as a Soviet dissident explained that the first thing the communists took was their churches. For Reagan, who had always seen church as a refuge from a tumultuous home life, that was a bridge too far.
<h4>They really, REALLY don&#8217;t want you thinking about the enduring threat of socialism.</h4>
In the movie, Reagan mentions the summer he spent as a lifeguard on a river, and explains how he learned to &#8220;read the currents,&#8221; both on the surface and beneath it. Sometimes, he said of the people he rescued on that river, &#8220;I knew they were in trouble before they did.&#8221;
That ability translated to politics, giving Reagan an ability to read the currents driving both global politics and culture — and to predict how they might interact.
Trump has been less effective at this so far, but he has made it clear that he sees the threat of socialism — and that he knows it is coming, at least in part, from within the United States. In his 2019 State of the Union, Trump vowed that America would never be socialist.
&#8220;Here, in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country. America was founded on liberty and independence — not government coercion, domination, and control. We are born free, and we will stay free,&#8221; he said.
In addition, Trump&#8217;s recent efforts to build a coalition — including former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii — may not have brought in a tidal wave of &#8220;Trump Democrats,&#8221; but they have given him a populist boost that Vice President Harris failed to match with a &#8220;bounce&#8221; from the Democratic National Convention.
For these reasons and more, the political Left clearly does not want you to see the parallels. Rolling Stone <a href="https://x.com/RollingStone/status/1832796110198280409" target="_blank" rel="noopener">panned the film</a>, calling it a &#8220;tedious biopic that shows the American political right will always value propaganda over compelling human drama.&#8221; On <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dennis-quaid-biopic-reagan-outperforms-expectations-earns-high-audience-rating" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rotten Tomatoes,</a> the movie scored a dismal 20% from critics who tend to lean all the way to the Left.
The audience told a different tale, however, giving the film a positive 98%. I&#8217;m with them.

Ronald Reagan At Rancho del Cielo

Here’s Why The Left Hopes You Won’t See ‘Reagan’ — Before The Election, Anyway

Here's Why The Left Hopes You Won't See 'Reagan' — Before The Election, Anyway

Hollywood

Movies

Nancy Reagan

Politics

Readers Pass

Ronald Reagan

Rotten Tomatoes

Soviet Union

Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro ordered the arrest of presidential opponent Edmundo González on Monday as the country looks to quell dissent over the results of its recent election that Maduro claims without evidence that he won.
Venezuelan prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia on Monday for claiming that Maduro stole the election.
Maduro asked for the arrest of Gonzalez Urrutia, a retired diplomat who went into hiding shortly after the election.
Prosecutors have charged him with &#8220;&#8216;usurpation&#8217; of public functions, &#8216;forgery&#8217; of a public document, incitement to disobedience, sabotage, and &#8216;association&#8217; with organized crime and financiers of &#8216;terrorism,'&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/venezuelan-prosecutors-seek-arrest-of-opposition-presidential-candidate-official-ee005e09">AFP</a>.
A Venezuelan court authorized the arrest warrant on Monday evening.
The U.S., European Union, and multiple Latin American countries have not recognized the results of the recent election, casting doubts on its legitimacy as there is no proof that Maduro won. To the contrary, data published by the opposition indicates that Maduro may have lost by a significant margin.
Maduro&#8217;s government has killed dozens of people who have protested the results of the election in an attempt to silence dissent.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said that the arrest warrant proves &#8220;Maduro has lost all touch with reality.&#8221;
&#8220;The arrest warrant issued by the regime to threaten President-Elect Edmundo Gonzalez crosses a new line that only strengthens the resolve of our movement,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Venezuelans and democracies around the world are more united than ever in our quest for freedom.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Maduro has lost all touch with reality. 
The arrest warrant issued by the regime to threaten President-Elect Edmundo Gonzalez crosses a new line that only strengthens the resolve of our movement.
Venezuelans and democracies around the world are more united than ever in our… <a href="https://t.co/QxwAuDmZwn">pic.twitter.com/QxwAuDmZwn</a>
— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaCorinaYA/status/1830752875279954271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2024</a></blockquote>

‘Gran Marcha Mundial por la Paz’ March In Support Of Nicolas Maduro

Maduro Orders Arrest Of Presidential Opponent After Election Results Disputed

Nicolas Maduro

The U.S. Department of Justice seized the plane of socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro on Monday after determining that it was illegally obtained.
U.S. officials seized the aircraft in the Dominican Republic and transferred it to the Southern District of Florida due to violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws, the DOJ <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-seizes-aircraft-used-nicolas-maduro-moros-violation-us-export-control-and">said</a> in a statement.
Maduro&#8217;s Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft, purchased for roughly $13 million, was illegally purchased sometime between late 2022 and early 2023 by Maduro&#8217;s associates from a company in Florida.
The aircraft was illegally exported out of the U.S. and since then has &#8220;flown almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela and has been used for the benefit of Maduro and his representatives, including to transport Maduro on visits to other countries.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724361346607000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZhyOQfEkxcMH_D1Ago3CQ">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
The DOJ noted that sanctions signed by former President Donald Trump &#8220;prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of, the Government of Venezuela, including as a member of the Maduro regime.&#8221;
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/02/politics/us-seizes-venezuela-president-maduros-airplane/index.html">noted</a> that the plane, which has been described as &#8220;Venezuela’s equivalent to Air Force One,&#8221; was undergoing maintenance in the Dominican Republic when it was seized.
“This sends a message all the way up to the top,” a U.S. official told CNN. “Seizing the foreign head of state’s plane is unheard-of for criminal matters. We’re sending a clear message here that no one is above the law, no one is above the reach of US sanctions.”
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida said the seizure illustrated &#8220;our unrelenting commitment to enforcing U.S. export control laws and imposing U.S. sanctions for any violations.&#8221;
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&#8220;This successful seizure was the result of planning, coordination, and execution by the United States government, with invaluable assistance by the authorities in the Dominican Republic,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work to forfeit this plane and all other assets that circumvent the law.&#8221;

US-VENEZUELA-DIPLOMACY-SANCTION

U.S. Seizes Socialist Dictator Nicolás Maduro’s Plane

Argentina President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/javier-milei" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Javier Milei</a> riled the far-Left in Spain late this week while he visited the country and slammed their political ideology as cancerous and evil.
During his first speech in the country on Friday, the right-wing libertarian political leader and economist <a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/spain-deputy-pm-accuses-milei-of-sowing-hatred-1a41d091" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>: &#8220;Let us not let the dark, black, satanic, atrocious, horrible carcinogenic side that is socialism prevail over us.&#8221;
Far-left Spanish Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz, who is also a deputy prime minister, had accused Milei of spreading &#8220;hate&#8221; with his freedom-loving ideas.
&#8220;There aren&#8217;t many who sow hate, but they make a lot of noise and flood everything,&#8221; said Diaz. &#8220;Milei and other governments of hate are back with their austerity measures and authoritarianism.&#8221;
Milei said that his policies were putting his country back on track after being on &#8220;a decline of more than 100 years&#8221;.
Milei has made major cuts to the country&#8217;s spending and cut the size of its government, along with other measures, which have resulted in its inflation rate plummeting and the government recording surpluses for the first time in nearly two decades.
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Prior to his visit to Spain, Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente insulted Milei, claiming that he was using drugs.
Milei&#8217;s office responded to &#8220;the slander and insults&#8221; from Puente by slamming the government of socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, saying that it had &#8220;more important problems than what to deal with, such as the accusations of corruption that fall on his wife, an issue that even led him to evaluate his resignation.&#8221;
&#8220;For the good of the Kingdom of Spain, we hope that justice acts quickly to clarify such a corruption scandal that directly affects stability of his Nation and, consequently, the relations with our country,&#8221; the statement said.
The statement slammed the socialist government for putting women at risk by allowing hoards of illegal immigrants in and endangering the middle class with socialist policies that &#8220;only bring poverty and death.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/javier-milei-tells-ben-shapiro-the-ideas-of-americas-founding-fathers-will-save-argentina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Javier Milei Tells Ben Shapiro The Ideas Of America’s Founding Fathers Will Save Argentina</a>

Javier Milei

Argentina President Javier Milei Causes Leftist Meltdown In Europe While Ripping ‘Satanic’ Socialism

Argentina

Europe

Global Politics

World

“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” – Winston Churchill
Socialism is a terrific idea in theory. Who would not want everyone in society to have a house with a white picket fence, the job of their dreams, 2.5 kids and a dog? But plain vanilla socialism has failed every single time it has been implemented — the Soviet Union, Cuba, Yugoslavia, Venezuela — and it turned each of those countries (and others) into a totalitarian state.
In a socialist state, success is pushed down, and failure is elevated. This is how equality of outcome is created. In the Soviet Union’s version of plain vanilla socialism, we were taught to hate the wealthy and empathize with the poor. This empathy was easy for us because everyone (with the exception of the tiny ruling-class bureaucrats) was poor.
Capitalism does not offer the sexy, utopian promise of socialism, but it works in practice. Capitalism has lifted billions out of poverty; but it is now under threat, ironically, from those who have benefited the most from it — academics. Universities  have been among the biggest beneficiaries of the wealth created by capitalism. 
As Margaret Thatcher once said, “Socialism is a great idea until you run out of other people’s money.”
Universities used to be spartan gyms for our minds, places where opposing ideas collided and gave birth to new ones and where our thinking got challenged through healthy debate. This growth came with healthy pain, the type that accompanies and stimulates intellectual growth.
Today, many universities have been turned into day spas, where, for <a href="https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/ivy-league-tuition-and-fees-2022-23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$300,000</a>, a student’s mind will be pampered and coddled. Now they are “safe places” from opposing ideas, which are <a href="https://www.thefire.org/news/absurd-uva-microaggressions-case-shows-just-how-badly-schools-can-abuse-professionalism-codes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considered</a> as microaggressions. This is where free speech goes to die, unless it calls for the genocidal extermination of Jews; then you can speak your mind.
It seems today’s college administrations are afraid to upset their spa customers (I mean students). They do not seem to be focused on challenging their thinking and producing the brightest but are instead fixated on making students feel better about themselves.
I was not surprised to learn that socialism is slowly poisoning our universities, but I was surprised by its new avenue — the socialization of grades. Professors at a local law school are required to grade to a B+. When professors submit their grades, if the average is below a B+, the system will reject it. The university is afraid of making students feel bad about a low, albeit deserved grade and wants every student to have a high grade-point average upon graduation.
However, what is inflation for one group is deflation for another. This practice punishes hard working students, as their work may result in a lower grade than they deserve, compared to classmates who are preoccupied with attending “TikTok University” during lectures.
Universities are on a quixotic mission to right a wrong — they are fighting against grade inequality. This is what socializing (equalizing) outcomes looks like. In fact, this seemingly innocent practice of equally high grades has the familiar ring of a Karl Marx slogan that I heard endlessly in the Soviet Union: “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.” Law students need a B+, so they get a B+. 
With each graduating class, our capitalistic (equal-opportunity) society is being slowly diluted by equal-outcome dogma (socialism).
Grade inflation appears to be happening in virtually <a href="https://www.gradeinflation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">every college</a> across the country. Colleges should not receive all the blame for this, however. Unfortunately, it starts in high schools, where super grade inflation is on the rise — grades have gone up while reading and math skills have fallen, with <a href="https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/secured/documents/Evidence-of-Grade-Inflation-in-English-Math-Social-Studies-and-Science.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">minorities experiencing</a> the largest grade inflation. 
Bad grades are a necessary part of education. How else would you know you had not learned something as well as you thought you had? I failed English as a freshman in college. I had been in the US for two years. My English was objectively horrible. I’m glad I didn’t receive special (woke) treatment for being “fresh off the boat.” I studied a lot harder, retook the class and passed it my senior year. If I had not, my English would not have improved and I would not have written several books or received national awards for writing.
The beauty of the Declaration of Independence is that you are guaranteed the “pursuit of happiness” — you are given an equal chance to pursue it. You are not guaranteed the outcome, just the opportunity. There is enormous value, and yes even happiness and meaning in the pursuit of happiness. This pursuit will often take you down a harder road, but it will result in the best version of you and bring a sense of pride and accomplishment.
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-semitism-wokeness-and-why-a-strong-america-is-essential-to-israels-survival-part-1-a-small-country-with-a-big-story">READ: Anti-Semitism, Wokeness, And Why A Strong America Is Essential To Israel’s Survival, Part 1: A Small Country With A Big Story</a>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-semitism-wokeness-and-why-a-strong-america-is-essential-to-israels-survival-part-2-wokeness-is-destroying-america-one-student-at-a-time">READ: Anti-Semitism, Wokeness, And Why A Strong America Is Essential To Israel’s Survival, Part 2: Wokeness Is Destroying America — One Student at a Time</a>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-semitism-wokeness-and-why-a-strong-america-is-essential-to-israels-survival-part-4-one-way-to-save-america-and-israel">READ: Anti-Semitism, Wokeness, And Why A Strong America Is Essential To Israel’s Survival, Part 4: One Way To Save America And Israel</a>
* * *
Vitaliy Katsenelson is CEO of <a href="https://imausa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://imausa.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1647635730858000&amp;usg=AOvVaw30zrUEAHOucJkCFFh3YMfC">IMA</a> – a value investing firm in Denver. You can read his articles on  <a href="http://contrarianedge.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://ContrarianEdge.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1647635730858000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Ak6ognAG7cu6Z8Bx_j7L8">ContrarianEdge.com</a>. He is the author of <a href="https://soulinthegame.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://soulinthegame.net/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1647635730858000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0w8zHUpuqxRre_0scGo3hI">Soul in the Game</a> – The Art of a Meaningful Life (Harriman House, 2022).
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

optical form of an examination with pencil

Anti-Semitism, Wokeness, And Why A Strong America Is Essential To Israel’s Survival, Part 3: The Socialism Of Grades

College

Education

Universities

Woke Culture

Newly inaugurated Argentinian President Javier Milei blasted Western leaders and warned of the dangers of “collectivism” during a Wednesday speech at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual meeting. 
World leaders gathered in Davos, Switzerland, beginning on Monday, where they will hold speeches and panel discussions on issues ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) and climate policies to the ongoing wars between Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Hamas. On his way to Davos, Milei said he was attending the WEF conference to advocate for freedom, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/17/argentina-president-javier-milei-urges-davos-elite-to-reject-socialism.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CNBC. 
“Today, I’m here to tell you that the Western world is in danger,” Milei began his remarks at the WEF meeting. “And it is in danger because those who are supposed to have to defend the values of the West are co-opted by a vision of the world that inexorably leads to socialism and thereby to poverty.”
“Unfortunately in recent decades, motivated by some well-meaning individuals willing to help others and others motivated by the wish to belong to a privileged class, the main leaders of the Western world have abandoned the model of freedom for different versions of what we call collectivism,” Milei added. “We’re here to tell you that collectivist experiments are never the solution to the problems that afflict the citizens of the world. Rather, they are the root cause.”
The Argentinian libertarian president then said that there is no better than his country “to testify to these two points.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Javier Milei: “We are here to tell you that collectivist experiments are never the solution to the problems that afflict the citizens of the world. Rather, they are the root cause.”
 <a href="https://t.co/x4GACiPzqN">pic.twitter.com/x4GACiPzqN</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1747666044670324923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Milei took center stage in Argentina last year, winning a shocking victory in November as he rode a wave of anti-establishment sentiment. He <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/javier-milei-argentina-president-inauguration-9574d812" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pledged</a> to gut federal government agencies and slash government spending by around 40%, warning against Argentina’s high inflation rate, which has blown up to more than 200%, and the socialist policies that put the country in a dire economic position.   
After taking office, the Argentinian president <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/17/economy/milei-argentina-speech-world-economic-forum/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">devalued</a> his country’s currency and is pushing to abolish Argentina’s central bank and privatize its pension system. 
At the conclusion of his speech, Milei added, “Do not surrender to the advance of the state! The state is not the solution; the state is the problem itself.” 
“Long live freedom, dammit!” he said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Javier Milei going off at the WEF in Davos:
&quot;Do not surrender to the advance of the state! You are the true protagonists of this story! Long live freedom, dammit!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/xgFETgj2lS">pic.twitter.com/xgFETgj2lS</a>
&mdash; Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1747640466537853292?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

President Javier Milei

Javier Milei Slams Western Leaders In Speech At WEF: They Have ‘Abandoned The Model Of Freedom’

Javier Milei Slams Western Leaders In Speech At WEF, Says They Have 'Abandoned The Model Of Freedom'

Economy

Globalism

Switzerland

World Economic Forum

Daily Wire Editor Emeritus <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ben-shapiro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Shapiro</a> said that leftist governments in Latin America will eventually crash into the “rocks of reality” as their socialist policies wreck their countries, in the latest episode of his YouTube show <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/you-should-be-worried-about-the-pink-wave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Facts.”</a>
In the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpSfP_Xm708" target="_blank" rel="noopener">episode</a>, Shapiro pointed to the “wonderful” election of Right-leaning libertarian Javier Milei in Argentina as a sign that the leftist governments that had risen to power throughout the region during so-called Pink Waves were faltering.
“That Pink Wave isn’t an iron wall, as it was with Soviet-occupied Eastern Europe – it is popularly elected Leftist governments in South and Latin America that have increasingly pursued not only economic redistributionism and nationalism of industry, but outright tyranny and anti-Americanism,” Shapiro explained. 
Shapiro pointed out how the American press often talked of the danger of authoritarianism abroad while ignoring the threat of socialism, which has taken hold of many Latin American countries.
Throughout the rest of the episode, Shapiro explained the history of the first and second Pink Wave in Latin America and how it was propelled forward by the Sao Paolo Forum, a conference of leftist parties in the region that was founded in the 1990s to rebrand socialism and communism after the Soviet Union collapsed.
The first Pink Wave took place after the Cold War with leaders like Hugo Chavez taking power in Venezuela and Lula da Silva being elected in Brazil in 2003. This wave later floundered in the years following the Great Recession in 2008. However, after 2018, leftist parties again began to take back power in countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Honduras, and Chile.
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The consequences of leftist rule in these countries have been disastrous, Shapiro said. For example, countries like Venezuela and Argentina have faced rampant inflation, while corruption constantly plagues countries like Mexico and Bolivia.
“The pink tide that has risen, receded, and risen again will ultimately crash against the rocks of reality as it has in the past. Corruption and lack of rule of law create the preconditions for dissatisfaction with any government, but Left-wing governments in Latin and South America have channeled that dissatisfaction into anti-democratic centralization of power and impoverishment of their own citizenry,” Shapiro concluded, saying that he hoped that Milei’s election was only the beginning of a shift away from Left-wing politics in the region.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="You Should Be Worried About The Pink Wave | Facts Ep. 7" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VpSfP_Xm708?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Facts Intro Still

Ben Shapiro Predicts Leftist Governments In Latin America Will Crash Into ‘Rocks Of Reality’

Central America

South America

Michigan Democrat Rep. Shri Thanedar renounced his membership in the largest socialist organization in the United States after the far-Left group promoted an anti-semitic rally in the wake of barbaric terrorist attacks on Israel from Hamas.
&#8220;Today, I am officially renouncing my membership in the Democratic Socialists of America,&#8221; Thanedar wrote in a <a href="https://twitter.com/RepShriThanedar/status/1712181950176186851?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>. &#8220;After the brutal terrorist attacks on Israel, which include the indiscriminate murder, rape, and kidnapping of innocent men, women, and children, I can no longer associate with an organization unwilling to call out terrorism in all its forms.&#8221;
The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which its <a href="https://www.dsausa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> claims has over 92,000 members and chapters in all 50 states, promoted a rally in Times Square on Sunday alongside other organizations. At that rally, roughly 1,000 demonstrators celebrated Hamas&#8217; deadly attacks on Israel that has so far left more 1,200 Israelis — and 22 U.S. citizens — dead, and nearly 3,000 injured.
&#8220;Sunday&#8217;s hate-filled and anti-semitic rally in New York City, promoted by the NYC-DSA, makes it impossible for me to continue my affiliation,&#8221; Thanedar continued. &#8220;I stand with Israel and its right to defend itself.&#8221;
&#8220;There is no place for moral equivocation in the face of unadulterated evil as we have seen from Hamas,&#8221; he said, in part. &#8220;My ideals have not changed at all. I strongly believe that ending my association with DSA serves my constituents&#8217; interests as they expect me to represent them by helping to build a better, more just world, not fanning the flames of hatred.&#8221;
Thanedar&#8217;s response toward the socialist group&#8217;s demonstration joined a number of other political lawmakers who have distanced themselves from remarks that were said at the event.
&#8220;We are here in solidarity with the Palestinian people who are fighting 75 years of Israeli settler colonialism, settler violence, and 16 years of military blockade of Gaza,&#8221; Munir Atalla, a 30-year-old Palestinian Youth Movement group member, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nypd-to-conduct-perimeter-searches-around-synagogues-mayor-urges-religious-leaders-to-hire-extra-security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> said. &#8220;What we saw yesterday was the people of Gaza breaking out of their open-air prison.&#8221;
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), one of the now five DSA members in Congress, reportedly called the &#8220;bigotry and callousness expressed&#8221; during the rally &#8220;were unacceptable and harmful in this devastating moment.&#8221;
&#8220;It should not be hard to shut down hatred and antisemitism where we see it. That is a core tenet of solidarity,&#8221; she said in a news release on Monday <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/10/aoc-pro-palestine-nyc-rally-00120684" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by POLITICO.
She added the event &#8220;also did not speak for the thousands of New Yorkers who are capable of rejecting both Hamas&#8217; horrifying attacks against innocent civilians as well as the grave injustices and violence Palestinians face under occupation.&#8221;
DSA member and New York Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani (D-Queens) also criticized the rally.
&#8220;My support for Palestinian liberation should never be confused for a celebration of the loss of civilian life,&#8221; Mamdani said in a statement. &#8220;I condemn the killing of civilians and rhetoric at a rally [on Sunday] seeking to make light of such deaths.&#8221;
NYC Democratic Mayor Eric Adams condemned the organized rally.
&#8220;At a moment when innocent people are being slaughtered and children kidnapped in Israel, it is disgusting that this group of extremists would show support for terrorism,&#8221; Adams reportedly wrote in an X-post on Monday. &#8220;I reject this. New York City rejects this. Do not use our streets to spread your hate.&#8221;
NYC-DSA officials reportedly claimed they did not organize the rally, adding the group opposes harming and targeting civilians.
Steering Committee Member Nadia Tykulsker said the group promoted the event &#8220;at the request of a coalition partner because we believe in equality and justice for all Palestinians and Israelis, and we know that war will take more lives.&#8221;
&#8220;It is shameful that politicians in our state are exploiting this moment to target a socialist organization and divide the vibrant left in New York — whose sole aim in politics is to grow the power of working people for freedom against exploitation and oppression — instead of focusing our attention where it should be: on the atrocities and tragic loss of life in the region,&#8221; she added.

Congressional Progressive Caucus New Members

Dem Congressman Renounces Membership With Nation’s Largest Socialist Org Over Hamas Praise, Anti-Semitic Rally

Dem Congressman Renounces Membership With Nation's Largest Socialist Org Over Hamas Praise, Anti-Semitic Rally

Anti-Semitism

Democratic Socialism

Hamas

Israel

Michigan

New York City

Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, the man who became known as &#8220;Joe the Plumber&#8221; during the 2008 presidential campaign, has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 49, his family announced Sunday.
In 2008, then-candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/barack-obama" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barack Obama</a> infamously told “Joe the Plumber” that he believed, “When you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.” That interaction cemented in many Americans’ minds that Obama and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/democratic-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democratic Party</a> were quickly becoming socialist. In turn, &#8220;Joe&#8221; became somewhat of a media fixture on the Right as GOP candidate Sen. John McCain used the gaffe to highlight the differences between him and his Democratic opponent.
After that moment thrust him into unexpected fame, Joe went on to marry his wife Katie and have three children. In July 2023, Joe announced his illness.
&#8220;Our hearts are broken. We lost a beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend. He made an impact on so many lives,&#8221; Katie <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/joe-plumber-rose-fame-confronting-obama-2008-campaign-trail-dead-49" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement given to Fox News.
Katie explained, &#8220;I don’t think of him as losing his battle. Because he knew Jesus, his battle was won.&#8221;
&#8220;My heart goes out to everyone whose lives are impacted by cancer,&#8221; she added. &#8220;There are so many ups and downs but we tried to find joy in every day. He fought long and hard, but is now free from pain.&#8221;
His surviving wife also described why she fell in love with him.
&#8220;When I met Joe he was already known by everyone else as ‘Joe the Plumber’ but he wrote something to me that stood out and showed me who he truly was: ‘just Joe,’&#8221; she said to Fox News. &#8220;He was an average, honorable man trying to do great things for the country he loved so deeply after being thrust into the public eye for asking a question.&#8221;
After the announcement of his passing, conservatives memorialized the man on X — formerly known as Twitter.
&#8220;Horrible news,&#8221; writer Derek Hunter said. &#8220;My good friend Joe Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, passed away this morning at the age of 49 from pancreatic cancer. He was a good man and an exceptional friend. Please consider helping his widow and young children here.&#8221;
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Horrible news. My good friend Joe Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, passed away this morning at the age of 49 from pancreatic cancer. He was a good man and an exceptional friend. Please consider helping his widow and young children here <a href="https://t.co/oFczc0urX2">https://t.co/oFczc0urX2</a>
&mdash; Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekahunter/status/1695872001691324522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;RIP To Joe &#8216;The Plumber&#8217; Wurzelbacher,&#8221; Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said. &#8220;Joe was @JudicialWatch legal client who the courts allowed Ohio state bureaucrats to abuse without consequence after they rifled through his gov&#8217;t files for his daring to ask a tough question of Barack Obama.&#8221;
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RIP To Joe &quot;The Plumber&quot; Wurzelbacher. Joe was <a href="https://twitter.com/JudicialWatch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JudicialWatch</a> legal client who the courts allowed Ohio state bureaucrats to abuse without consequence after they rifled through his gov&#39;t files for his daring to ask a tough question of Barack Obama. 
On Sunday, October 12, 2008,…
&mdash; Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomFitton/status/1696175645607248022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This is sad,&#8221; Ryan Girdusky, founder of the 1776 Project Pac said. &#8220;I met Joe back in 2009 in Missouri and he couldn’t have been a nicer guy. My condolences to his family and loved ones.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is sad. I met Joe back in 2009 in Missouri and he couldn’t have been a nicer guy.
My condolences to his family and loved ones. <a href="https://t.co/j4ZmlLyA60">https://t.co/j4ZmlLyA60</a>
&mdash; Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanGirdusky/status/1696219350150029707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A fundraiser set up to assist his family has already raised <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/G9Y76" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than $147,000</a>.

Joe The Plumber

‘Joe The Plumber’ Dead After Battle With Pancreatic Cancer

'Joe The Plumber' Dead After Battle With Pancreatic Cancer

Barack Obama

John McCain

Obituaries

&#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/global-warming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global warming</a>&#8221; is out, &#8220;global boiling&#8221; is in, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced Thursday.
“Humanity is in the hot seat,” Guterres <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jul/27/scientists-july-world-hottest-month-record-climate-temperatures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at a press conference. “For vast parts of North America, Asia, Africa and Europe, it is a cruel summer. For the entire planet, it is a disaster. And for scientists, it is unequivocal – humans are to blame.&#8221;
The science is settled, according to Guterres, but it would seem the fear-based propaganda hasn&#8217;t worked in scaring enough of the world into submission. And so, Guterres and his team have changed the talking points.
“All this is entirely consistent with predictions and repeated warnings. The only surprise is the speed of the change. Climate change is here, it is terrifying, and it is just the beginning,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The words &quot;global warming&quot; didn&#39;t work.
The words &quot;climate change&quot; didn&#39;t work.
So now the UN Chief is using the words &quot;global boiling&quot; to push his radical green agenda. <a href="https://t.co/rzYZJSZgzI">pic.twitter.com/rzYZJSZgzI</a>
&mdash; Daniel Turner (@DanielTurnerPTF) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielTurnerPTF/status/1684645966584958977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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It&#8217;s easy to imagine that Guterres and the gang at the UN have a yellow notepad that looks something like this:
<blockquote><del datetime="2023-07-27T23:03:02+00:00">Global Warming</del>
<del datetime="2023-07-27T23:03:02+00:00">Climate Change</del>
<del datetime="2023-07-27T23:03:02+00:00">Extreme Weather </del>
Global boiling?</blockquote>
Would it surprise you to find out that Guterres is the former president of the Socialist International and a firm believer that the planet can only be saved by a team of &#8220;experts&#8221; and government control?
No, it probably wouldn&#8217;t surprise you; you&#8217;re a Daily Wire reader equipped with critical thinking skills. It&#8217;s easy to draw those conclusions if you pay attention.
Yet, it&#8217;s worth <a href="https://www.socialistinternational.org/fileadmin/uploads/si/Documents/Congresses/Paris_1999/AG_Address_Paris_1999.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reviewing</a> anyway that in 1999, Guterres gave an address outlining his desire for global socialism, and how his vision for the world would depend upon international organizations like the UN, global regulations, and cooperation between non-government actors.
He ended his speech, saying, &#8220;Dear friends and dear comrades &#8230;&#8217;We must not abandon utopia because the antagonism between ideas and reality is both the major dilemma of democratic socialism and its fascinating driving force.'&#8221;
Guterres is still pursuing that &#8220;utopia&#8221; and is using &#8220;global boiling&#8221; to enact it — with a sense of urgency, too. Don&#8217;t think, just do it, Guterres seems to be saying.
&#8220;It is still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C and avoid the very worst of climate change but only with dramatic, immediate climate action,&#8221; he said Thursday. &#8220;We have seen some progress &#8212; a robust rollout of renewables and some positive steps from sectors such as shipping &#8212; but none of this is going far enough or fast enough. Accelerating temperatures demand accelerated action.&#8221;
Yet Guterres is wrong. The experts are not all-seeing Gods who can predict the future, much less the weather. As best-selling author George Gilder has long touted, the sort of central planning supported by Guterres cannot account for &#8220;human creativity, which always comes as a surprise to us. If creativity didn’t come as a surprise, we wouldn’t need it, and socialism would work.&#8221;
What can work?
Gilder is out with a new book, titled &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-after-Capitalism-George-Gilder/dp/1684512247" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Life After Capitalism</a>.&#8221; The book isn&#8217;t against capitalism — rather it argues that its critics and many of its defenders get capitalism wrong. The driving force of capitalism is not greed, rather it&#8217;s &#8220;creativity and faith in the future.&#8221;
In the book, which casts doubts on global <del datetime="2023-07-27T23:03:02+00:00">warming</del> boiling, Gilder writes, &#8220;Let&#8217;s assume, hypothetically, that Co2 somehow becomes a problem. Capitalism deals with problems by pursuing opportunities.&#8221;
Socialism deals with problems through more government control.
&#8220;Government mandates and directorates and global resets will not shape the future,&#8221; Gilder predicted in &#8220;Life After Capitalism.&#8221;
&#8220;They can only retard progress, and only so far as we let them, if we live in democratic countries. What will really shape the future is human creativity, and a new wave of technological entrepreneurs,&#8221; he added.
Gilder also warned, &#8220;More than ever in America, we face the prospect of a life after capitalism in its most negative sense: a life of scarcity, deprivation, and fear.&#8221;
And that is exactly what Guterres has to offer: Our time left to save the planet is scarce — so is clean air. So we must deprive ourselves of modern technologies, conveniences, and abundant resources of energy. If you don&#8217;t, everybody you know will die from &#8220;global boiling.&#8221; The experts will save the day.
What a load of bunk. Socialists never change, but the words they use to sell their ideology does.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

United Nations, Antonio Guterres

‘Global Warming’ Is Out. ‘Global Boiling’ Is In, United Nations Secretary-General Says

'Global Warming' Is Out. 'Global Boiling' Is In, United Nations Secretary-General Says

Capitalism

Climate Change

General

George Gilder

Global Warming

United Nations

On the afternoon of December 28, Luis Fernando Camacho was riding in his car and was a half block from his home when an unmarked white van pulled in front of him. Armed men dressed in black jumped out. They rushed Camacho’s car, smashing his windows and demanding he get out.
Camacho calmly replied, “I’m here. You don’t need to do any more.”
The men responded with violence, throwing Camacho to the ground. They handcuffed his arms behind his back and drove him away.
Not having any more information, one would be forgiven for thinking that Camacho must be a drug kingpin or some other nefarious actor. But no, he is the current governor of the department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Bolivia has nine &#8216;departments,&#8217; their version of states, and Santa Cruz is the largest and most populous of the departments. Not only that, but it is also the richest and most productive department in Bolivia. In 2021, Camacho won his election with 55% of the vote and became governor of the department.
Camacho came to prominence politically in 2019. Protests had erupted throughout the nation in response to alleged overt electoral fraud. The common refrain in Santa Cruz during the protests was, “We will not be Venezuela!” Camacho took on a leadership role in the opposition to then-President, Evo Morales.
<div id="attachment_486260" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-486260" class="size-large wp-image-486260" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-1245941890-866x576.jpg" alt="" width="866" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245941890-866x576.jpg 866w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245941890-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245941890-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245941890-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245941890-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245941890-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245941890-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" />RODRIGO URZAGASTI/AFP via Getty Images</div>
With the country roiled in protests, Camacho traveled to La Paz, the capital, and went to the Government Palace with a Bible and a letter of resignation for the president to sign, but Morales had already fled.
Many high-ranking officials resigned, including the president and the vice president. The Bolivian constitution was followed to find the line of succession and Jeanine Añez, the second vice president of the Senate, became interim president.
But even though most of the leadership resigned and fled, their socialist party remained in control of many of the systems of power in Bolivia.
In 2020, elections were held, and the socialist party won back the presidency. A few months after regaining power, they arrested the interim president Añez, and she remains incarcerated to this day. She has been accused of inciting the supposed coup d’état of Evo Morales with additional counts of terrorism and sedition.  
And now, they have taken Camacho prisoner as well. They have sequestered the opposition leader to the socialist government. The men dressed in black with assault rifles driving an unmarked van were actually police officers sent by the federal government to arrest Camacho. Allegedly, no arrest warrant was presented at the time of his sudden arrest, but <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-64113400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an arrest warrant was drafted back in October.</a> The civic leaders in the city of Santa Cruz, however, do not like to call it an arrest since he is the rightfully elected governor of the department of Santa Cruz. Instead, they call it a political kidnapping.
In response to the arrest, the people of Santa Cruz immediately started protesting and demanding the release of the governor they elected. They have said that the federal government is politically persecuting the entire department of Santa Cruz by this arrest and they are willing to defend democracy no matter the cost.
As the protests continued, there were increasing claims of abuse and violence from the police against the protesters. Videos have surfaced of police lighting cars on fire, destroying street lights, and even lighting their own motorcycles on fire. The claim is that if the police can demonstrate violence on the part of the people of Santa Cruz, then they can bring in the military to turn Santa Cruz into a police state.
<div id="attachment_486358" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-486358" class="size-large wp-image-486358" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-1245866970-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245866970-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245866970-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245866970-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245866970-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245866970-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245866970-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1245866970-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />RODRIGO URZAGASTI/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Burned out cars now litter the streets, and the city looks as though a war has already started. Tear gas is used so often that neighborhoods have started putting out barrels with water, ready to extinguish the grenades.
And yet, in the face of this oppression and violence, the people of Santa Cruz continue to protest and march, saying that they will not stop until the political prisoners are released. At this point, though, it does not seem like the federal government is budging, either. The government is attempting to intimidate and terrorize the people so that nobody would dare to stand up to them.
This creates a very dangerous situation for the people of Bolivia. When tensions are high, any little mistake can cause an incredible amount of loss of life. Governor Camacho has a blood disorder for which he requires medical treatment. If, by accident, Camacho were to die, the Bolivian people would not believe that it was an accident. They would believe he was murdered by the government. This could quickly devolve into an actual civil war.
<div id="attachment_486305" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-486305" class="size-large wp-image-486305" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-1246020946-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1246020946-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1246020946-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1246020946-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1246020946-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1246020946-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1246020946-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/GettyImages-1246020946-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Isaac Ibanez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</div>
That is the tight-rope that the civic leaders in Santa Cruz are attempting to traverse. They are attempting to balance peacefully protesting to obtain the release of the governor that they elected. While at the same time, if they push too hard and can be blamed for some violence, then the government will have a pretext for sending the military in to oppress the population.
But the Bolivian people have done it before, and they can do it again. They joined together with one voice to protest socialist leader and dictator Evo Morales, and he had to resign. The people of Santa Cruz need the rest of Bolivia to join them, and they have started to do just that. More and more cities and departments are protesting and marching in solidarity with Santa Cruz, but more importantly, against oppression. Even as the government tries to scare the population into submission, the Bolivian people are coming together once again to fight against this socialist tyranny.
Michael Warren lived in Santa Cruz, Bolivia for five years and continues to have close contact with family and friends there. He recently released a new book titled Live Deliberately. A professional land surveyor, he lives in Sacramento, California with his wife, Esther, and their two kids, Daniel and Zoey.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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‘We Will Not Be Venezuela’: Bolivians Erupt In Protest Following Arrest Of Governor, Socialist Opposition Leader

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