Who should be on Santa’s naughty and nice lists this Christmas?
Naughty:
I’d give lumps of coal to:
Federal bureaucrats, whose rigid rules delayed COVID-19 tests. The CDC wouldn’t allow private companies to sell COVID-19 tests until the CDC’s own test didn’t work.
President Donald Trump, for talking about cutting that red tape but not doing the hard work needed to get enough of it done.
Gavin Newsom, California governor, for eating with several other families, unmasked, while his state forbade that.
Trump for refusing to say that he’d accept the election results.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, for — after her party made it illegal — getting her hair done and then criticizing the salon owner.
Senator Ted Cruz, for killing a bill that would’ve given asylum to Hong Kongers fleeing the oppressive Chinese regime.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock for tweeting: “Pass the potatoes, not COVID,” and “Host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners…” as he was boarding a flight to join his family for Thanksgiving.
Government’s foreign policy bureaucrats, one of whom admits “playing shell games” to trick leaders into leaving more American troops in Syria.
Most Republicans, for refusing to criticize the president when he lied.
Teachers unions for putting the kids last. Before they would return to work, LA’s union demanded “a moratorium on private schools, defunding police, increasing taxes on wealthy, Medicare for all…” Catholic schools opened to help kids. Union leaders helped themselves.
Almost all Republicans, for shutting up about debt once Trump was the big spender.
Rioters who hijacked Black Lives Matter demonstrations, wrecking lives and spreading hate.
Antifa’s violent goons, and today’s Proud Boys for being destructive jerks.
The media for utterly ignoring Hunter Biden, calling his emails a “distraction.”
Twitter for blocking the NY Post’s account for 16 days and labeling their links exposing Hunter Biden’s emails “unsafe” and “harmful.”
Google, for censoring search results to show only certain news outlets (and almost never showing the Daily Caller or Breitbart).
The media for constantly making life seem worse than it was.
And Trump — for making everything about him.
Nice:
Merry Christmas to vaccine developers all over the world. Equally noble were the entrepreneurs who failed but spent their own money trying.
Innovative companies like Zoom that invented good things and let people use them for free.
Jeff Bezos for delivering packages right to my door. I don’t mind that he’s made $200 billion for himself. It’s his money. He didn’t take it from others. He created wealth.
Joe Biden, for declaring victory in a dignified, modest manner.
Donald Trump, for being first president in decades to leaves office without starting a new war or sending troops to a new conflict.
The founders of LBRY.tv, and Parler.com, for building social media options with less censorship.
Doctors, nurses and EMTs who risked their lives helping others.
Doctors, nurses and EMTs who came out of retirement to help others.
Truckers, shelf-stockers, gas station workers, store owners, food processors and all the essential workers who kept working during COVID-19, making our lives better.
The politicians and bureaucrats who finally lifted years of stupid regulations to allow professionals to work in other states and let truck drivers drive when they want to drive.
People who wore masks even when they didn’t need to, just to reassure those the media had made crazy.
Businesses that adapted to serve the vulnerable, doing things like switching to deliveries and starting senior-only hours.
Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator of Bitcoin, who launched a digital currency revolution that gives us an alternative to government currencies.
Citizen journalists like Andy Ngo and Tim Pool, who cover topics (like antifa) that most media barely touch.
Businesses that stayed open, to pay their workers, even when losing money.
Volunteers who helped people.
Notice the pattern here?
Most of the worst came from politicians and the media, who want to be praised for “serving” us.
The best came from free Americans doing what we think is right.
Merry Christmas, 2020.
Photo by Mike Arney on Unsplash
Thanks so much for this list. You nailed it!
Spot on but I’d include in the naughty list the new democratic Hawks that distanced themselves from Iraq and Afghanistan after voting to fund it and now decry Trump being a traitor for bringing soldiers home.
Mr Stossel, i have liked your news/opinion stories for years. but i think you got Zoom on the wrong list, because latest info is that it was china sponsored and therefore almost certainly spying on meetings, which people thought were just seen by those they invited.
Zoom’s service is nice. If there’s anything underhanded, that’s a separate matter for the courts.
“Joe Biden for declaring victory in a dignified, modest manner?” I love your work, John. I love the fact that you expose the hypocrisy, whatever it’s source. But, here, you’ve lost me. Because you simply cannot praise this man without mentioning not just the suspicions but the facts: He’s a cheat. He’s a plagiarist. He’s spent 47 years in “public service” and using his position to enrich his family. He’s also, as judged by his actions, a racist, although those around him and the media have done a great job of gaslighting us into believing that it’s Tump who’s the racist and not Biden, who’s marquee work in his 47 years was the disastrous crime bill. Worst of all, he’s quite clearly a sick man; no one gets that close to kids without being twisted and sinister. Keep exposing the truth. That means talking about Biden, too.
I’m surprised at you John. Your list is lacking.
I don’t suppose you could admit that practically the whole Democratic Party impeached the President for NOTHING!!!! It seems that should fall in the “Naughty List” don’t you think?
Also in your naughty list is, “most Republicans, for refusing to criticize the president when he lied.” Really? Nothing about the FACT that just about ALL the Congressional Democrats LIED about the President and continue to do so, on the record, with NO penalties!!!
So the “media” and “twitter” ignored and blocked information. So what? How about the heads of the FBI and CIA? They did the same thing. No lying or misdirecting there, huh?
Dang John, there’s so much out there and this is what you give us??
As a teacher, I’m very offended that you seem to think we all deserve to be on the naughty list. THIS is why we face a National teacher shortage. People like you who want to lump all teachers together and accuse us all of being selfish. What about that hundreds of thousands of teachers who’ve been doing two times the work teaching digitally AND in-person? What about those of us teaching in-person with the added stress of cleaning, mask enforcement, having students in and out of quarantine, watching family members get sick and wondering if we are the ones that brought it home, or KNOWING we brought it home to every member of our family as well as ourselves? Our jobs are harder and more dangerous than ever before, and the vast majority of us show up every day. I invite you to come spend a day in the shoes of a teacher. There are LOTS of us who deserve to be on the nice list. Why does everyone hate teachers so much? Literally the only time we are regarded warmly is when we die for our students. I love my job, and I’m fortunate to be in a great school in a great community where, at least on the local level, we are generally appreciated. But I see what the future holds for teachers just starting out. I personally tell those thinking about becoming teachers to think twice.
Notice that you’re *not* on the list. John specifically called out Teacher Unions. Please don’t play the false victim.