Correctly calling them commies

 A comical and absurd aspect of Marxism is that the state will supposedly 'wither away' in transitioning from big-state socialism to communism.

It's an example of how leftists are experts at word warfare and lying with language, choosing terms that sound positive among those things that essentially mean the same thing.

And now that they've finally come out of the collectivist closet, they prefer the positive-sounding word "socialist," which fits right in with society, socializing, being social, socialization, and, of course, social media, just as the U.S.S.R. did -- the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Contrasted this with the coarser-sounding communist.

This choice also avoids the sensitive subject of the idea that was once a part of their sales pitch for socialistic slavery -- that the state would eventually 'wither away' into a perfect communistic 'utopia'— making the ideal case for calling them commies and communists for these linguistic and historic reasons.

Because when lefties start screaming that we're not supposed to correctly call them commies, it's the perfect time to use the term. And it's just icing on the collectivist cake to constantly remind them of some of the more ridiculous schemes they've used to sell their socialistic slavery.

How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin.

--President Ronald Reagan

 

The labels 'communism' and 'socialism' arose in the early 1800s, spawned from older collectivist expressions during the days in which these concepts were tried around the globe, even in the United States, which at the time was a young and emerging superpower.

These new words entered the lexicon years before that infamous screed from Engels and Marx in 1848 and were defined very similarly, for example, in the 1842, 1845, and 1850 editions of An American Dictionary of the English Language.  Defined those words as follows:

COM'MU-NISM, n. [Fr. commune, common.] Community of property among all the citizens of a state; a new French word nearly synonymous with agrarianism, socialism, and [radicalism.

That is from: Webster, N. (1842) An American Dictionary of the English Language Page: 952.

There also was:

SOCIAL-ISM, (so'shal-ism,) n. A social state in which there is a community of property among all the citizens-a new term for agrarianism. See COMMUNISM.

That is from: Webster, N. (1842) An American Dictionary of the English Language Page: 994.

Decades later, the dictionary definitions changed over time (The old school-style stealth edit) to reflect 'newspeak' versions of reality, with the modern-day Merriam-Webster dictionary referencing a transition in the definition of Socialism:

3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done.

Lefties always referenced this 'transition' from socialism to communism, such as a recent example of a top leader of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) admitting in a video, "Our goal is communism."

Just what are they transitioning?

Communism and socialism grew out of the same ancient concepts, with essentially the same meaning, so how could their 'transition' from one to the other? Lefties will often try and fail to fill in the blanks of this awkward question with Bolshevik B.S., so what is the change that is taking place?

Well, that's where the "magic" of Marxism comes into play, because the lefties of old decided that there were to be two phases of communist society. With the lower phase, known as socialism, and the higher phase known as communism.

But wait, there's more.

With the higher phase, the state is supposed to mythically and magically 'wither away.'

Marxism-Leninism teaches that with the abolition of classes and class distinctions, in the higher phase of communism, the State will become unnecessary and will gradually wither away.

Yes, you read that correctly. The people were scammed with a colossal bait and switch that at some mythical, magical point in the future (what the folks over on the People's Cube call the 'Glorious world of Next Tuesday').  The overarching oligarchical leftie command and control structure would just disappear all by its lonesome, or 'wither away' in their words. And if you think that happened, we'd like to sell you a bridge over Brooklyn.

While they walked back many of these assurances as soon as they attained power, the Lefties still lied to the people with grandiose promises, just off in the near future, such as this forecast by the Soviet Union from 1951 of the attainment of communist utopia by 1960:

COMMUNIST UTOPIA IS FORECAST BY 1960; ‘Socialist’ Soviet Is Seen Nearing Goal of ‘Distribution’ According to Need’ In Transition Period Targets Specified.

Color yourself surprised to learn that the Lefties lied and that this never happened, and the commies of today tend to avoid talking about this colossal scam.

Sounding social, the other reason lefties are trying to avoid the commie label like the plague.

The line from Shakespeare's Hamlet: ‘The Lady Doth Protest Too Much’ comes to mind when you witness their little temper tantrums over the proper use of the term, with some getting in touch with their inner 5-year-old with headlines like this: The GOP’s Big Red Scare Is Really Stupid, Ocasio-Cortez: GOP’s communist warnings ‘very silly.’  

And it wouldn't be the left without some good old-fashioned projection: Do Republicans Know What Communism Is? Some Republicans have taken to calling Democrats “communists.” It betrays a willful historical ignorance.

So why do the little darlings get so upset over commies and communists and prefer the more genteel term, socialist?

Well, the answer is right in front of you in the words: social, social media, socializing, sociable, socialization, sociably, sociableness, sociability, and finally, socialism. As in all those similar-sounding words surrounding the same concept, exemplified by this definition of sociable that incorporates socialist and social-ism in all the social terms:

SOCIABLE, companionable. (F .- L.) In Shak. K. John, i. 188.-F. sociable, 'sociable;' Cot .- L. sociabilis, sociable; formed with suffix -bilis from socia-re, to accompany. -L. socius, a companion, lit. ' a follower.'-L. base soc-, second grade of seq-, appearing in sequi, to follow; all from SEQ, to follow; see Sequence. Der. sociabl-y, sociable-ness, sociabili-ty. From L. socius is also formed the adj. socialis, whence E. social, with the adv. social-ly, also social-i-ty, social-ise, social-ist, social-ism. Also socie-ty, L.L.L., iv. 2. 166, from MF. societé,' society,' Cot., which from L. acc. societatem. Also dis-sociate, as-sociate.

That is from: Skeat, W. (1924) An etymological dictionary of the English language Page 578

Being social, sociable, etc. is all a 'positive' attribute of society, with many of those terms tied directly back to – you guessed it – socialism. It just sounds so nice and friendly. A recent video from Nate Friedman had a DSA communist touting the 'community' of socialism.

All the more reason to properly call them commies and communists and see if they know and can explain that whole 'wither away' BS from Engels and Marx. Lefties have no problem engaging in word warfare, hurling the racist and Hitler slurs at the drop of a Democrat KKK hood, so it's time to return the favor. Maybe they'll finally learn something about their loser collectivist ideologies.

D. Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, and student of history, former director of communications for a civil rights organization, and a long-time contributor to conservative websites.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/correctly-calling-them-commies

Don Lemon Seeks Dismissal Of Federal Charges Over Minnesota Church Protest

 by Savannah Hulsey Pointer via The Epoch Times,

Former CNN host Don Lemon has asked a federal judge to dismiss the charges brought against him in connection with an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a Minnesota church.

The January protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations interrupted a worship service at the church. Lemon, who was charged with violating federal civil rights laws, argued that he was not participating in the protest but was there only to document the events.

Lemon’s attorneys filed a motion on Aug. 7 claiming the indictment against their client was the result of “vindictive prosecution.” The filing called the charges “flagrant and blatant efforts to punish a journalist for his protected conduct warrant further discovery into the government’s motive and an evidentiary hearing.”

They cited President Donald Trump’s previous negative comments about Lemon as evidence of bias.

On Jan. 18, Lemon attended a protest at Minneapolis Cities Church at the height of ICE action in Minneapolis. He was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles on Jan. 29.

He and eight other defendants were charged with one count of “conspiracy against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship” under 18 U.S. Code § 241 in February of this year.

The defendants are also charged with one count of injuring, intimidating, or interfering with the right of religious freedom at a place of worship under 18 USC § 248.

Together, the charges carry a fine of up to $20,000 and a maximum of 10 1/2 years in prison.

Lemon pled not guilty in February, denying any wrongdoing. The YouTube creator argued that the protests were an exercise of the demonstrators’ federally protected rights and were not in violation of any laws.

Federal prosecutors announced in early June that dozens of anti-immigration enforcement protesters who interrupted the Minnesota church service will not face state criminal charges.

However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is continuing to pursue criminal civil rights charges against 39 people, including Lemon.

Footage of the event shows demonstrators in the aisles, chanting anti-ICE slogans, and the indictment alleges they hindered those in the church from exiting, even allegedly harassing children.

Demonstrators were seen chanting “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to a woman fatally shot by federal agents in connection with anti-ICE protests.

The DOJ eventually charged dozens in connection with the church protest. St. Paul City Attorney Irene Kao commented on the decision not to charge some of the protesters, saying a review of the footage and other evidence available to criminal prosecutors caused her office to determine that not all those involved should be prosecuted under Minnesota statutes.

“Current evidence is insufficient to meet that standard for criminal charges under Minnesota state statutes,” Kao said, adding that the decision not to prosecute “should not be interpreted as an endorsement of unlawful behavior or public disorder.”

The decision not to charge some of the protesters was criticized by one of the pastors of the church where the protest took place.

“According to the St. Paul City Attorney’s logic, it is perfectly fine for agitators to invade a mosque, a cathedral, or a temple, intimidate the families and children inside, and shut down their religious gathering. Just call it a ‘protest,’” Cities Church lead pastor Jonathan Parnell said in a statement.

Lemon’s livestream was at the center of the investigation, and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon responded to the video on X, quoting Lemon, saying that a house of worship isn’t a forum for public protest.

“It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws!” Dhillon, who leads the Office of Civil Rights, said in a Jan. 18 post. “You are on notice!”

The DOJ did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/don-lemon-seeks-dismissal-federal-charges-over-minnesota-church-protest

Remnick Interviews 'Privileged Idiot' DSA Co-Chair With Absolute Porridge For Brains

 The Democrat party has been freaking out about the Democratic Socialists of late - despite striking similarities between their policies - because while Democrats are happy to sweet talk voters into socialist ideas that signal maximum virtue, they don't actually want to enact policies that would make blue-city budgets even more dire than they are. 

In short, the party is panicking because the voters they radicalized are electing radicals... 

So what better way to let progressives see what they're voting for? Trot out a co-chair of the DSA with maybe two brain cells to rub together, ask her simple questions, and watch her implode. 

Megan Rromer 'Velociraptor Claw', Screenshot via Stephen Miller 

To wit: co-chair Megan Romer was given a softball interview by New Yorker editor David Remnick, in which he asked Romer "What does ‘taxing the hell out of them’ mean?" in regards to a core DSA position of 'taxing the rich.'

Romer stumbled hard... 

Romer: Uh, yeah, you know, again, I don’t have like a solid…

Remnick: But shouldn’t you? If you’re the co-chair of the DSA, shouldn’t you be more specific than ‘taxing the hell’ out of something? What exactly do you mean?

Romer: Um, that’s a good question. "So again, it’s democracy, right? And we have to look at what we have to spend and what we need. We don’t want to depend on the existence of millionaires because that means people are still getting exploited."

Watch:

"They went to campus and had their heads filled with junk and have never been challenged on any of this for their entire life, by anyone," said commentator Stephen Miller, adding "An entire generation of privileged idiots."

Romer was then asked about open borders - and once again, cogent answers left the chat...

She was also asked the very loaded question about whether DSA believes Israel 'has a right to exist.' 

And instead of something about how Palestinians also have a right to exist, asymmetric warfare, or Israel using the US to fight a proxy war in Iran based on decades of being 'two weeks away' from a nuke - Romer once again failed to formulate anything resembling a response one might expect from a DSA honcho (or not, nevermind). 

Just wow...

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/watch-privileged-idiot-dsa-co-chair-has-absolute-porridge-brains

RadNet Q2 2026 revenue rises 25%, ups 2026 imaging center revenue, adjusted EBITDA, FCF guidance

 

RadNet Q2 2026 revenue rises 25% to $622.7M as it raises 2026 imaging center revenue, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow guidance ranges

• Company delivered record adjusted EBITDA in Q2 2026, alongside 25% revenue growth to $622.7 million.

https://finviz.com/stock?t=RDNT&p=d

'Bloomberg: Trump Pressures Billionaire Donor to Exit Venezuela Oil Assets'

 The Trump administration has escalated its campaign to remove entrenched corporate interests from Venezuela, targeting Florida oil magnate and Republican donor Harry Sargeant III.

The U.S. Treasury Department froze his offshore assets on Friday, intensifying pressure on the billionaire to divest from his lucrative South American energy ventures.

The move marks a sharp escalation against an executive who previously operated as a crucial intermediary between Washington and the former government in Caracas.

Concurrently, the Treasury issued a specific license enabling Sargeant to dismantle his holdings within the targeted offshore entity, according to Bloomberg.

Targeting Offshore Assets

The Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Bluewave Properties Ltd., an enterprise registered in the British Virgin Islands, for violating a 2018 executive directive.

That order authorized the seizure of property linked to individuals or organizations supporting the previous Venezuelan political leadership.

Although the company was absent from the official public sanctions registry by Saturday morning, internal operations are proceeding under the assumption of active penalties.

The Treasury uses various financial restrictions to penalize entities that contradict U.S. foreign policy objectives, with insiders characterizing Friday's measures as strict sanctions.

Neither Sargeant nor the Treasury Department offered immediate statements regarding the enforcement action.

A Trump administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, outlined the core U.S. strategy for the South American nation as focusing on stabilization, recovery, and transition.

The official noted that the government will continue to promote “responsible and transparent investment in Venezuela for the benefit of the US and Venezuelan people.”

Severing Diplomatic Influence

Through Bluewave, the former U.S. Marine pilot maintains a minority stake in North American Blue Energy Partners.

The firm ranks as the second-largest private oil producer in the country, trailing only Chevron Corp. Crude extracted by the operation is routinely processed into asphalt to pave American streets.

For years, Sargeant leveraged his unique position to navigate complex geopolitical landscapes, cultivating substantial energy deals despite severe political risks and U.S. sanctions.

He routinely traveled between Donald Trump’s Palm Beach golf course and the presidential palace in Caracas.

During these visits, he maintained direct dialogue with key figures of the previous regime, including Nicolás Maduro, who is currently held in U.S. custody, and Acting President Delcy Rodríguez.

His diplomatic maneuvering proved instrumental in the 2025 release of American hostages held within the country. However, his outsized influence generated significant animosity within the White House after Washington installed a new U.S.-backed leadership in Caracas.

The relationship between the executive and the administration fractured publicly following a media report detailing his extensive involvement in the region. President Trump explicitly repudiated his diplomatic status in February.

“He has no authority, in any way, shape, or form, to act on behalf of the United States of America, nor does anyone else that is not approved by the State Department,” Trump stated.

https://clashreport.com/world/articles/trump-pressures-billionaire-donor-to-exit-venezuela-oil-assets-ura2lmtqs6q

Sources:

Bloomberg

'NYT: Inspired by Ukraine, Taiwan Ramps Up Drone Production to Deter China'

 Taking cues from Ukraine’s deployment of uncrewed systems, Taiwan is rapidly assembling vast fleets of airborne drones and unmanned attack vessels to deter a potential Chinese invasion.

The strategic pivot centers on flooding the Taiwan Strait with autonomous weaponry to severely complicate any amphibious assault.

U.S. military planners describe this asymmetric defense doctrine as a "hellscape." It relies on overwhelming approaching forces with coordinated waves of drones, missiles, and mobile artillery.

Taipei is already putting the doctrine into practice. During the annual 10-day Han Kuang military exercises, Taiwanese troops deployed drones for reconnaissance and practiced neutralizing hostile uncrewed aerial vehicles, according to The New York Times.

The shift marks a stark departure from traditional procurement strategies.

“Our drone and counter-drone efforts started relatively late, and initially we were trying things out as we went along,” Lt. Gen. Huang Wen-chi, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry’s strategic planning director, told lawmakers.

Domestic Production Surge

To insulate itself against a potential blockade, Taipei aims to manufacture 100,000 drones monthly by 2030. The defense ministry plans to acquire more than 210,000 airborne and maritime systems.

Political factions in Taipei agree on the necessity of this buildup, though they differ on funding. The current administration proposed a $6.5 billion expenditure over five years, while the opposition Nationalist Party countered with a $7.4 billion, six-year package emphasizing domestic production requirements.

Private defense contractors are actively positioning themselves for these lucrative contracts. Thunder Tiger and U.S.-based Shield AI recently conducted joint trials for maritime drones designed to identify and destroy enemy vessels.

Strategic Reorganization

Procuring hardware is only the initial phase of Taipei’s strategic overhaul. Operationalizing a drone-heavy defense requires fundamental doctrinal shifts across the armed forces.

Taiwan recently established a Littoral Combat Command to integrate autonomous systems with mobile artillery and coastal defense missiles. President Lai Ching-te personally observed prototype drone strikes during recent maneuvers in the island's south.

However, defense analysts warn that hardware acquisition alone is insufficient. Taiwan risks becoming “focused on the technology more than the equally essential organizational and doctrinal changes that are needed to implement a hellscape concept,” noted Stacie Pettyjohn of the Center for a New American Security.

The View From Beijing

China, located just 110 miles across the strait, maintains its claim over the self-governed island and refuses to rule out the use of force. Beijing is simultaneously expanding its own arsenal of drones, warships, and electronic warfare capabilities.

Recent purges within the People’s Liberation Army command have raised questions about its immediate combat readiness.

Yet, Chinese forces are heavily investing in counter-drone jamming technologies to neutralize Taipei's asymmetric advantage.

“Remember, the Chinese are also watching everything the Ukrainians are doing,” noted Mick Ryan, a retired Australian major general and Lowy Institute senior fellow.

Exporting Autonomous Capability

Beyond domestic defense, Taiwan is maneuvering to become a central node in the global uncrewed supply chain.

Taipei aims to provide democratic allies with reliable alternatives to Chinese-manufactured components.

In the first quarter of 2026, Taiwanese drone exports reached $115 million, eclipsing the total export volume for all of 2025.

The Czech Republic serves as the primary destination, with research indicating that much of this hardware ultimately reaches the frontlines in Ukraine.

https://clashreport.com/defense/articles/inspired-by-ukraine-taiwan-ramps-up-drone-production-to-deter-china-bbggsq0303b

Sources:

The New York Times