When ideology replaces meritocracy or provides immunity from the consequences of illegal behavior‚ systemic mediocrity follows.Under toxic National Socialism‚ Stalinism‚ and Maoism‚ millions of cronies and grifters mouthed party lines in hopes that their approved ideology would allow them to advance their careers and excuse their lawbreaking.The same thing has happened with the woke movement and the now-huge Diversity-Equity-Inclusion conglomerate.Grifters and opportunists mask their selfish agendas under the cloak of neo-Marxist care for the underprivileged or victimized minorities. Meanwhile‚ they seek to profit illegally as if they were old-fashioned crony capitalists.During the disastrous COVID-19 lockdown‚ Californias Democratic governor‚ Gavin Newsom‚ pontificated about leveraging the quarantine to ensure greater equality: There is opportunity for reimagining a [more] progressive era as it [relates] to capitalism . We see this as an opportunity to reshape the way we do business and how we govern.Meanwhile‚ Newsom did not seem very progressive when he was caught in one of Californias most expensive restaurants dining with sidekick lobbyists while violating the very same mask and social-distancing rules he had mandated for 40 million others.Newsom also bragged about social equity when he signed a new California law mandating $20 an hour for fast-food workerswhile many of his own employees at his various company-controlled eateries made only $16 an hour.And he allegedly gave a unique exemption from his wage law to one particular bakery/restaurant chain‚ Panera‚ one of whose franchisees is an old friend and major campaign contributor.Newsom apparently feels that the more progressively he postures‚ the less hell be called out for his own hypocrisy and self-interested agendas.In another egregious case‚ the now-imprisoned felon‚ Sam Bankman-Fried‚ may have been the greatest con artist in American history. He siphoned billions of dollars from his cryptocurrency company‚ destroying the fortunes of thousands when his multibillion-dollar Ponzi empire collapsed.How did Bankman-Fried and his two Stanford law professor parents manage to accumulate millions of dollars in resort properties and perks without getting caught until after their empire collapsed?Answer: Bankman-Fried showered millions of dollars on left-wing politicians to advance their progressive crusades. His parents justified this family giving as a form of effective altruism.That catchy phrase masked the reality that his crusade for social justice was just an incredibly effective get-rich-quick scheme.The Bankman-Fried family apparently reasoned that their devotion to this woke form of altruism would translate into riches for themselves‚ albeit bankruptcies for investors.Another example: In Georgias Fulton County‚ District Attorney Fani Willis ran for office‚ promising to indict supposed right-wing monster Donald Trump.She raised campaign money on her woke credentials. Often‚ when challenged‚ she played the race victim card.Meanwhile‚ Willis hired as a special prosecutor her secret paramour‚ the incompetent Nathan Wade‚ although he had never tried a single felony or even criminal case.She and Wade then went on expensive junkets. She claimed that she reimbursed him with cash that was‚ of course‚ unverifiable.Given their woke ideology‚ both assumed they were entitled to splurge at taxpayers expense‚ offer likely-false testimony under oath‚ and violate canons of professional behavior for lawyers.She wasnt alone in her corruption. After the death of George Floyd‚ the founders of the left-wing Black Lives Matter movement went on a house-buying rampage. The more corporations filled their coffers with millions‚ either from guilt or as protection money‚ the more new homes the directors purchased.One co-founder‚ Patrisse Cullors‚ a self-described Marxist‚ splurged by spending $3.2 million in BLM money to buy herself four upscale residences.And the most radical Democratic members of Congressthe so-called Squadapparently feel that the more they level accusations of racism‚ the more they can profit without fearing any consequences for their wrongdoing.One squad member‚ Rep. Ilhan Omar‚ D-Minn.‚ redirected $2.8 million of her offices allotted government money to her husbands political consulting company.Still another member‚ the radical leftist Rep. Cori Bush‚ D-Mo.‚ often harangued the country to defund the police. Now‚ the FBI is investigating her for stealthily paying tens of thousands of campaign dollars to her own husband for security.Woke and DEI activists may not necessarily be any more innately mediocre‚ corrupt‚ or conniving than other politicians and activists. But they seem so‚ because they loudly broadcast that they are for diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusionand thus assume themselves to be exempt from all scrutiny and free to profit in any way they please.The woke/DEI project is enticing thousands of shysters‚ careerists‚ and mediocrities‚ all keen to enrich themselves on the premise that they are noble fighters for social justice who deserve immunity from any scrutiny.How odd it is that America is wasting billions of dollars hiring DEI czars and electing woke politicians who so often accuse others of a multitude of sins‚ largely as a way of enriching themselves‚ hiding their own culpability‚ and making a mockery of the law.The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.The post DEI Cronyism and Woke Grifters appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The heartbreakingkilling of NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller during aMarch 25traffic stopin Queensreminds Americansof the dangersthatour cops facedaily. Unfortunately‚ the accused gunman fatally shot Diller‚ 31‚just below hisbullet-resistant vest.Enough is enough!The time is nowto give New York Police Departmentofficersthe trailblazing protective gear they desperately need and deserve.Todays standard-issue body shields leave officers exposed to perpetrators increasingly lethal weapons. But groundbreaking innovations like liquid armor and ultra-high-strength composites could revolutionize police protection‚ creating lightweight‚ flexible equipment that lets cops operate more securely.AI-powered sensors and real-time data analysis could enhance authorities situational awareness and decision-making. On the horizon: Lighter and more comfortable smart long johns that officers could slip beneath their uniforms.Breakthroughs in smart helmetsalso could prevent deaths. Advanced composites of Kevlar‚ carbon fiber‚ and thermoplastics could help craft headgear that are more nimble‚ easier to wear‚ and far tougher on hostile fire.Much of this R&;amp;D is already underway‚ driven largely by the Pentagons quest for better military gear. These improvements often feature importantlaw-enforcement applications. Predictably‚ the usual suspectscop-haters‚ criminal apologists‚ and the defund the police crowdcomplain about the militarization of local precincts.But what kind of society deploys police officers without the best safeguards?Criminals will never stop trying to outgun the police‚ says retired NYPD Capt. Ed Mamet‚ co-host of WABC radiosCop Talk podcast. We owe it to our uniformed officers to keep up with the technology and give them the best protection as swiftly as possible.Better equipment could save civilians‚ too. Officers who feel invulnerable are less likely to resort to force while fearing for their own lives. Nobody wants to turn police into robocops‚ but supplying them with 21st-century armor makes common sense for them and those they shield from criminals.Advanced defensive materials eventually will become more affordable. 3D printing already slashes costs in other industries.But critics of police will do everything they can to scuttle relevant R&;amp;D. Only relentless public pressure from law-abiding citizens will keep this initiative on track.Politically‚ Americans who back the blue should derail the defunders. Indeed‚ Republicans should give those who rant against the cops the opportunity to vote on lifesaving paraphernalia.Whatever they might think about police head count levels and patrol tactics‚ do the likes of Reps. Ayanna Pressley‚ D-Mass.; Jamal Bowman‚ D-N.Y.; and Ilhan Omar‚ D-Minn. and their state and local comrades want Americas cops to be more or less likely to die under fire? If the haters want cops merely restrained‚ but not dead‚ they should vote accordingly on Capitol Hill and in U.S. statehouses and city halls.However‚ if the cop-loathing Left really wants to make it easier for criminals tokill police officers‚ then these lawmakers should be honest about the deadly depths of their cop-hatred. Police supporters then should educate voters on such facts.Government spending should flow from woke nonsense to high-tech police protection. President Joe Bidens latest budget earmarks billions for nebulous gender equity projects. A second Trump administration should reallocate these funds to perfecting and deploying safer law-enforcement equipment.And if the U.S. Houses notorious Squad opposes those defensive devices‚ they should lose the earmarks that‚ maddeningly‚ they scored in last months budget cliffhanger. If‚ for instance‚ Pressley opposes this gear‚ it should be curtains for her $400‚000 PowerUp Latinx Business Initiative. Ditto Omars $1 million People Serving People Elevator and Bowmans $1.65 million Mt. Vernon Green Tech Park. Those funds should underwrite police-safety R&;amp;D.Diller made the ultimate sacrifice while upholding his oath. America should honor his memory by giving his uniformed brothers and sisters every possible advantage in their vital and dangerous work. Its time to move heaven and earth to armor the NYPD and other police squads and make it much easier for them to stay alive when criminal bullets go flying.The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.The post NYPD‚ Other Cops Deserve Next-Gen Protective Gear appeared first on The Daily Signal.

When President Joe Biden pleaded for Congress to increase the budget of the Internal Revenue Service by more than $80 billion he claimed that he would use that money to go after ";the rich."; Well‚ he got his money. So did he fulfill his promise? It turns out‚ ";no"; is...

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