You may remember George Orwell’s book ‘Animal Farm’ from high school. An allegory written during WWII, it’s an important, cautionary tale of what communism portends. In the book, farm animals stage a rebellion against their human farmer in order to create a utopian bliss based on equality, freedom, and happiness. They adopt seven commandments, the most important of which is “All animals are equal.”
Our own Declaration of Independence states, “All men are created equal” and noted the unalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” But leftists across much of our country appear hell bent on making sure everyone is not free and cannot pursue their happiness. Exhibit A are new lockdowns and closures. The most draconian is in California, where Governor Gavin Newsom has imposed new stay at home orders by region. Most controversial is a ban on outdoor dining since late November. A number of experts have suggested that goes too far, as scientific evidence suggests virus transmission is incredibly low outdoors.
The California Restaurant Association won a round last week when a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that county officials must produce scientific evidence to justify the outdoor ban, scheduled to be in effect for three weeks. But the same day, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued his own city wide ban saying, “It’s time to hunker down. It’s time to cancel everything.” No more playgrounds. No more haircuts. If you’re a small businesses trying to make ends meet, it’s just too bad for you in most of the Golden State. But big box stores are powerful and have clout and thus get a pass to remain open. Evidently there’s no coronavirus in those.
Leftists in California and elsewhere apparently believe in shared misery. If everyone suffers together, then fairness is achieved. In one video gone viral, Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill owner Angela Marsden, whose restaurant is within L.A. county, called out her mayor and governor over being unable to serve patrons outside. She even purchased a tent for $80,000 to try to comply with safety protocols. She vented her frustration by showing how a film tent was put up just yards away from hers. A special permit was granted for some of Hollywood’s elite of NBC’s Good Girls to enjoy a catered lunch outside. NBC’s Sunday Today aired the video but edited out that their network benefitted from the exemption. Reporter Meagan Fitzgerald dismissively noted, “Businesses and livelihoods hit hard. But the toughest toll of all is losing loved ones.”
But it’s not just arbitrary rules that “The Left” is pressing but ideology too. The latest viral video shows a “woke Santa” who made a boy cry with this liberal lecture—“No guns, not even a nerf gun. Nope. If your dad wants to get it for you, that’s fine.” Reaction was swift and scathing on social media.
Back to “Animal Farm”— the socialist paradise that the animals agreed to unravels in the end, and the seven Commandments are abridged to one. “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” It’s a most fitting depiction of how so many liberals wield power over us today.
Jeff Szymanski works in political communications for AMAC, a senior benefits organization with over 2.3 million members.