America is celebrating our 245th year since the Declaration of Independence. Parades, concerts, flags, fireworks, and family picnics have us back close to a normal celebration.
The Biden Administration got in a pickle when they bragged that a picnic for 10 people would be 16 cents cheaper this year than in 2020. Maybe we should ignore the fact that last year Covid-19 kept us from even having a picnic. Saving 1.6 cents per person is a drop in the bucket compared to the higher cost of driving to the picnic.
By the way, our 2021 Fourth of July picnic for 10 is about $5 higher than in 2019. What Americans ought to be celebrating it that the entire meal costs less than $6 a person. Every year the American Farm Bureau calculates the cost. This picnic includes real meat (cheeseburgers, pork chops, chicken breasts). And potato salad, beans, strawberries, and fresh-squeezed lemonade. For dessert, ice cream and chocolate chip cookies. (I’m getting hungry just writing about it.)
This might be a good time to suggest that all current 2021 economic comparisons be made to two years ago. Life was “normal” in 2019. High employment, good wages, no shortages of food or toilet paper, and plenty to celebrate on the Fourth of July.
Back to our Independence Day. We celebrate. But no one forces us to celebrate. A mediocre athlete can steal the spotlight from the best two in her sport by dishonoring our flag and national anthem. A hundred people can come together to complain about unfair police actions, while being protected from those who disagree… by police.
While celebrating, we also argue and debate. The President is a Democrat and Congress is led by Democrats. Does that mean Republicans have to remain quiet for two years? Shucks, not even for two minutes.
China, meanwhile, is “celebrating” 100 years of Communism.
You won’t see anyone in China turning their back on their flag or wearing a shirt that says, ‘Impeach Xi Jinping.’ In China, like Russia, your criticism is your epitaph.
The Communist Dictator Xi Jinping announced in his “celebratory” speech that China will become #1 in the World and anyone who disagrees will suffer “broken heads and bloodshed.” If you believe this is just bluster and political jabbering, ask the Uighurs. And ask people in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Those two are “free” and produce 3 or 4 times as much per capita as does Communist China. But Xi is determined to bring them under his Communist rule, along with most of Africa.
If you don’t believe the part about busted heads and blood, you may not believe this either. In 100 years, the Communist Party in China has killed 40,000,000 to 80,000,000 of their own citizens. Mass starvation, being gunned down, poison, and diseases, including Covid. While we have lost 600,000 with Covid-19, China claims to have 4,636 deaths. In the country that created Covid and let it spread around the world. Sure.
So, if 95% of Chinese people are NOT Communists, why don’t they take back their country from the 5%? Well, unlike our colonists in 1776, those Chinese do not have muskets. No Colt 45s or AR-15s either.
Historic quotes by Will Rogers:
“There is a big communistic hold in certain parts of China. The influence is growing rapidly.” WA #520, Dec. 11, 1932
“The Chinese have the reputation, even among their friends, for being the most cruel nation in the world, even to their own people. If one is only going to get his head chopped off, he is tickled to death. That he (would be) unmercifully tortured before death is his fear.” WA #488, May 1, 1932
“And the speeches (on the Fourth)? Did you read them? Never was as much politics indulged in under the guise ‘freedom and liberty.’ There was 5 percent what George Washington did, and 95 percent what the speaker intended to do.” DT #2782, July 5, 1935