@Milajoy Don’t know where you grew up but in my neck of the woods, especially during that time, there was plenty of racial divide.
Schools on lockdown.. fist fights etc
Not the way I planned on spending my afternoon, but 7,600 comments should not be ignored! Bots, trolls and personal attacks notwithstanding, the critics of yesterday’s post were dominated by a large and vocal contingent who rushed to remind me that there’s “a difference between socialism and communism,” an obvious indication that they didn’t actually read the post.
Shelley Armour writes… “Mike! You know there is a difference between democratic socialism and communism, right?”
Hi, Shelley. Yes, I know there’s a difference, and I understand what the difference is. The larger point, and the fundamental flaw with your comment, is that you seem to believe the candidates within the Democratic Socialist Party are both “democratic and socialist" simply because that’s the name of their club. Well, maybe some of them are. I really couldn’t say. What I can tell you for sure is that more than a few have called for the complete dismantling of capitalism, free markets, representative government, property rights, borders, police, prisons, and the Constitution in general. My post referred to them, as well as a number of elected Democrats who have agreed to campaign on their behalf – including Gavin Newsom, who said, "The Democratic Party must accept the DSA in order to take back the Congress.” His words, not mine.
Tracey Steele writes…“Wow! I cannot believe Mike Rowe said this. He has a huge reach, and he is actually spouting the word “communism” like it’s the 1950s! Wow Wow Wow!”
Wow indeed, Tracey, and thanks for noticing the size of my reach! (Contrary to popular belief, size does matter!) To say it again, I am not the one “spouting” communism or conflating socialists and communists. The word is being “spouted” by members of the DSA who are using it to describe themselves. I am not accusing them; I am quoting them.
John Engles… Hey Rowe, what’s the difference between the Communists who want to run the country and the Nazi/fascist who currently is?
Several differences, John, but the only one relevant to this conversation is the fact that the communists currently running for office have clearly identified themselves as such. They do not dispute or reject the label. They embrace it. It is who they are, who they claim to be, and who they want to be. The president, on the other hand, has never claimed to be a Nazi or a fascist. That doesn’t mean he isn't, but it is worth noting he has rejected the accusation outright. Obviously, you are entitled to that opinion and the right to share it publicly, thanks to our Constitution. Unlike in a fascist, Nazi, or communist regime. (Also worth noting, Nazis and fascists are not the same thing.)
Chris Tomaloff writes… “Kinda like how the political right didn’t shout down the extreme rhetoric coming from their candidates?”
No, Chris, not like that at all. In the video I shared, we saw examples of prominent Democrats saying things like, “We need to elect more communists!” (Cea Weaver, Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office.) Mamdani himself literally tweeted, "Each according to their need, each according to their ability." That’s a direct quote from the Communist Manifesto.
But what exactly is the corollary from the right? Are prominent Republicans tweeting, “We need to elect more Nazis! We need to elect more fascists! Eat the poor!” I don’t think so. John Engles may think Trump is fascist and a Nazi, but Trump disagrees, and so do a majority of voters. Communists, on the other hand, say it loud and say it proud. I’m inclined to take them at their word.
Beto Ojeda… “Mike has always leaned to the Trumpian view of things but never states it, so as not to alienate anyone, but we know how to read between the lines. This “communist” talk is McCarthyism 2.0.”
I wasn’t around in the 1950s, Beto, but from what I’ve read, it was indeed a very difficult time to be a communist in this country. Lots of private citizens were dragged before Congress, made to take “loyalty oaths," and blacklisted in their places of work. I can’t justify it or condone it, but I can explain it. We had just fought a hot war against fascism and Nazism and just begun a Cold War against a communist regime. The existence of an organized Communist Party in this country at such a time strained the limits of tolerance. But do you really think we’re less tolerant today than we were seventy-five years ago? Do you really believe my comments about communists who claim to be communists are synonymous with another Red Scare? If you haven’t noticed, Chris, no one in the DSA, including the communists, is being dragged before Congress and made to swear a loyalty oath to the Constitution. Today, a communist in America can run for office…with the endorsement of the governor of California! And the tacit approval of a major political party! Seems to me we’re about as far from McCarthyism as we can get.
As for my desire not to alienate anyone, I suppose I am guilty of that. I run a foundation that is open to people of all political beliefs, and we’ve assisted lots of Americans who lean to the left. I also know for a fact that many Democrats have supported mikeroweWORKS historically, and I have no desire to run them off. But do you really have to “read between the lines” to understand where I’m coming from?
True, I’ve never endorsed a candidate or publicly encouraged people to vote. But I’ve been very transparent about the fact that I’m a registered Independent who favors policies and programs that often align with conservative principles. Obviously, I would not characterize those conservative principles as “Trumpian,” because a) they were around long before him, b) Trump is not a conservative, and c) I do not agree with or support everything the President says and does. So, is it possible, Beto, that your accusation is rooted in the fact that I have never publicly denounced the president to your satisfaction? Is it possible you think I'm a Trumper, simply because I've never called him a fascist, or a Nazi, or a liar, or a conman, or a traitor, or whatever else you believe him to be?
Gretchen Seipp… Mike, the fact that you still act as though you’re not political after all this time is a bit ridiculous. I still support your work and foundation because I believe in it, but the folksy act has worn thin.
Aw, shucks, Gretchen. Folksy? Lil' ole me?
Honestly, how am I acting as if I am “not political?” This entire conversation is the very definition of “political.”
Christopher Pugh… I would have voted for Mike Rowe and Freddie a few years ago before he went full-on MAGA, and I’m all in favor of his project, but it’s pretty clear the political direction that he’s moved in and the money trail that has influenced it.
It’s Freddy, not Freddie. (I don’t much care, but he’s a terrier and particular about such things.) As for the “full-on MAGA” moniker, is there something I did specifically to earn that designation? Is there some kind of general definition you can share? Or, are you coming from the same place as Beto? Is calling me “Full-On MAGA" your way of saying that I’ve failed to condemn Trump to your satisfaction?
For the record, MRW is supported by liberals and conservatives alike. I have no idea what “money trail” you are referring to. Also, regarding my personal politics, think about the implications of what I wrote. I said that the Democrats have been given a gift – an opportunity to appear reasonable by speaking the truth to their own party, just as Bill Maher has done. All they have to do is distance themselves from candidates who have called for the complete dismantlement of our Constitution. All they have to do is say, “Hold on, comrade. Our tent is not that big. We respect your right to hate America, but we don’t want you in our party, and we will not support your candidacy.”
If they say that, I think a lot of Independents would see them as they see John Fetterman, who has, in the eyes of many voters, become the most “rational” Democrat currently in office. If they don’t – if they actually welcome communist candidates into their party – then I’m afraid the Democrats, by default, will offer the American people a very simple choice in November – a party that disavows communism vs. a party that doesn’t. I think such a choice would be very positive for Republicans because I don’t think most Americans want to align themselves with a Democratic Party that welcomes communists. The question for you, Chris, is why would a “Full-On MAGA” like me encourage Democrats to act in a way that would disadvantage the Republican Party? And the answer is simple – it’s because I support the existence of a Democratic Party that believes America is still a fundamentally good place.
I think there’s a lot of room for improvement in our country, and I believe the best way to realize those improvements is for Democrats and Republicans to have continuous, robust and public debate about all the issues. But if one of those parties is affirmatively determined to transform our democratic republic into a communist state, then we’re no longer debating the various ways to make our country better; we’re debating the merits of destroying it. And really, what’s the point of tolerating that?
America is already a big tent, filled with hundreds of millions of people with wildly differing views and lots of political parties that represent those views. We’ve got the Green Party, the American Freedom Party, the Socialist Workers Party, the Constitution Party, and of course, the Communist Party USA, as well as the Democratic Socialist Party. America’s tent is so big, we can even tolerate fringe parties like the KKK, the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, and so forth. Why then, does Gavin Newsom want to make room in the Democratic tent for socialists and communists? There’s only one reason, and he’s already spelled it out for us – he believes the Democrats need them to win back the Congress. I think it’s a bad bet for the Democrats and for America. And if a prominent Republican reached out to the KKK with the same “big tent” offer, you’d better believe my vote would be in play.
Michael Tillman… When are you going to throw your hat into the ring, Mr. Rowe?
Ha! When it no longer fits my head!
@GOP_is_Gutless Well said. 👍
Trump is truly a man for the people, and he loves America passionately.
He couldn’t sit by idly and watch the Marxist Democrats destroy this nation.
We are blessed to have him!
Mr. President,
⠀
I don’t know if you’ll ever read this. Probably not. But I’m writing it anyway because my wife and I talk about this all the time, and somebody needs to say it out loud.
⠀
We can’t wait for the day you’re no longer President.
⠀
Not because we’re tired of you. The opposite. Because you deserve to go home. You deserve quiet mornings. You deserve to sit on your own porch without the weight of 330 million people sitting on your shoulders. You deserve your family back. You deserve peace.
⠀
You didn’t have to do any of this.
⠀
You had the money.
You had the name.
You had the life most men only dream about.
You could’ve spent the rest of your days golfing, traveling, watching your grandkids grow up.
⠀
Instead you stepped into a fire that nearly cost you everything.
⠀
They mocked you. They sued you. They raided your home. They tried to bankrupt you. They tried to lock you up. They dragged your wife and kids through the mud. They put a bullet through your ear and you got up with your fist in the air and kept going.
⠀
For what?
⠀
For us. Regular people. Truck drivers. Welders. Waitresses. Roughnecks. Farmers. Single moms working two jobs. Grandparents on a fixed income watching the country they built get handed away.
⠀
You didn’t owe us a thing. And you gave us everything.
⠀
You risked your name. Your legacy. Your safety. Your family’s safety. Your brand. Your freedom. All of it. So this country could have one more shot at being what it was supposed to be.
⠀
And the truth nobody wants to admit?
⠀
We didn’t deserve a President like you.
⠀
A nation this divided, this ungrateful, this asleep at the wheel didn’t earn a man willing to bleed for it. But God sent you anyway. And I’ll thank Him for that until the day I die. 🙏
⠀
So when the day finally comes that you walk away from that desk, I hope you sleep good. I hope your wife laughs again without looking over her shoulder. I hope your kids breathe easy. I hope you golf till the sun goes down and nobody bothers you for nothing.
Donald Trump works more than one week than Joe Biden worked in four years. Yeah.
⠀
You earned every bit of it.
⠀
Thank you, Mr. President. From a retired auto worker in Ohio, who prays for you often.
⠀
God bless you. God bless your family. And God bless the United States of America. 🇺🇸
A Hero 🔥
Dr. Kirk Moore SPEAKS OUT after charges DROPPED
In a powerful interview with a local reporter, the Utah plastic surgeon and Navy veteran made it crystal clear:
“I did what was right. I did what my patients wanted… I would do it again.”
He openly confirmed he handed out real vaccine cards (with real lot numbers) without giving the shot, discarded the government doses, and—only when parents requested it—gave kids a saline shot so they wouldn’t feel left out or get bullied at school.
His reason?
“You can’t give informed consent to people when you don’t know what they’re being injected with.”
No apology. No regret. Just a doctor who put his patients first when the government refused to offer a choice.
Charges dismissed mid-trial by order of the U.S. Attorney General.
A huge victory for medical freedom.
Watch the full interview and decide for yourself.
Hero? Absolute legend. ⚔️🔥
Thank you Jeff (@RX_forLiberty)
I’m forever grateful for you
During Covid, while you were boarding a plane to DC, I caught up with and in the nick of time for you to prescribe Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine and a breath inhaler for my dad and his wife
I remember asking you “Are you sure it’s safe?” You replied “Absolutely. I’d bet my practice on it”. You were 100% right
Both you and Dr. Zelenko were instrumental in saving my family’s lives
I remember the medical board’s threats and castigation towards America’s Frontline Doctors and you all did not back TF down
God bless you and your family
Xo-Tiff
Dear black folks,
This is what the Left thinks of you:
- You’re not evolved enough to get an ID.
- You’re too dumb to know what a computer is, or how to use the internet.
- You can’t compete with other races academically.
- Releasing unrepentant criminals back into your neighborhoods without proper sentencing is “criminal justice reform.”
- Illegals deserve everything while you’re still begging for scraps. You should be out there protesting for them, too.
… and you still vote for them. Aww…
No hugs. Our ancestors didn’t want this. They didn’t want any of this.
Zeek
Dear Cocoa Puffs,
No… your arrest wasn’t a groundbreaking civil rights issue. You’re not a victim of anything.
You went into a church and disrupted their service. Children cried because of you. Families were legitimately concerned for their safety. The church pastor had to nicely ask you to leave. No one in that church did anything to you to cause you to interrupt their service.
This wasn’t the march on Washington. This wasn’t crossing the Edmund Pettis bridge. This wasn’t Stonewall. This was a dude being a troublemaker in order to get some relevancy. Congratulations because you actually completed your goal for a change.
No hugs. Hugs are for people who are actually fighting against oppression, like women who are fighting to keep men out of their sports… although most women I know could tune you up.
Zeek
A woman goes thru a drive thru to get some coffee. She's having a bad day with the recent loss of her husband. The server at Dutch Bros Coffee notices and a few of the employees end up praying with her at the drive thru window once she explains why she's upset.