Dictators are Bad – Unless Trump Stops Them

www.americanthinker.com

We’ve seen this movie before -- abortion absolutism, COVID authoritarianism, gender fluidity by fiat, and the supposed joys of European health care. But nothing exposes Democrat double standards and hypocrisy faster than a real-world test.

Start with health care. A decade ago, Sen, Bernie Sanders advocated health care reform in the United States, seeking a “more efficient government-managed programme” as in European countries such as Denmark and France. Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr listened to Bernie and did just that, overhauling America’s childhood vaccine schedule “to resemble Denmark's.”

It appears that Both-Ways Bernie achieved what he and his fellow Democrat socialists wanted: Danish-style health care. Yet Bernie urged RFK Jr to resign over his vaccine stance.

Which is it, Bernie?

The pattern is the same: demand radical action when it’s theoretical, denounce it when it happens under Trump. Now enter Nicolás Maduro.

Image by ChatGPT

Current outrage is over Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro being arrested by U.S. law enforcement, with military support, and brought to New York City to face justice for drug and weapons offenses.

No it’s not another endless war, instead just a high profile arrest of an indicted criminal couple.

Useful idiot paid protesters are marching and protesting to have Maduro released from prison. A few weeks ago, many of these same protesters marched in “No Kings” rallies, calling President Donald Trump a dictator, and today are demanding freedom for a true dictator. The irony is rich.

Some protesters, when interviewed, have no idea what they are even protesting. Yet they are practicing capitalism, getting paid for their services, as they protest capitalism. Democrat logic at its finest. It’s not just the paid protesters but also our bought-off politicians who initially supported Maduro’s ouster before they were against it. Hat tip to ZeroHedge for chronicling such hypocrisy.

Start with Sen. Chuck Schumer. In 2020, he criticized then-President Trump for not ending Maduro’s reign, saying, “The President brags about his Venezuela policy? Give us a break. He hasn't brought an end to the Maduro regime."

Flip-flop Chuck sang a different tune last week, telling George Stephanopoulos, “It's a violation of the law to do what they did without getting the authorization of Congress.”

Wrong, Chuck. This was a law enforcement action, not an act of war. Operational security and the safety of U.S. law enforcement and military depended on no leaks. Members of Congress have the Washington Post and New York Times on speed dial and would have likely tipped off the media, endangering American lives.

Another Congressional windbag, Sen. Chris Murphy, just last year called Maduro a “brutal dictator,” causing “8 million Venezuelans to leave that country, most of which destined for the United States.” He also claimed that Maduro “clearly lost” his last election and that we are working with our allies to “force him to accept the results of this election.” Going back further, in 2019, Murphy announced, “getting rid of Maduro is good for the United States.”

What changed Chris, other than which party controls the Senate?

Last week, he did a classic flip-flop from the Democrat diving board. Now he asserts, “The invasion of Venezuela has nothing to do with American security. Venezuela is not a security threat to the U.S. This is about making Trump's oil industry and Wall Street friends rich.”

Someone needs to remind this sitting U.S. Senator that the U.S. has been a net exporter of oil for over four years. Yet in Democrats’ hive mind, Trump’s actions are always “about the oil.”

Another Senator, Chris Van Hollen, famous for flying to El Salvador to sip patio drinks with “Maryland Man” alleged MS-13 gang member and human trafficker Kilmar Abrego Garcia, in 2024 claimed that Maduro “lost” the election and was clinging to legitimacy.

Last week he changed his tune. saying, “Trump's actions in Venezuela and his Administration's national security strategy are making our nation - and the world - less safe.”

Is Maduro bad -- or only Trump’s actions? Schumer and Murphy alone demonstrate the point. Van Hollen merely confirms it.

Not all Democrats are tap dancing and flip-flopping. Sen. John Fetterman thoughtfully admitted, “As a Democrat, I don’t understand why we can’t acknowledge a good development for Venezuelans — and how deft our military’s execution of that plan was.”

He went on, wearing his America hat rather than the usual Democrat dunce cap, "I don't know why we can't just acknowledge that it's been a good thing. We all wanted this man gone, and now he is gone. I think we should really appreciate exactly what happened here."

Ya think? Placing American interests ahead of partisan gotcha politics. Democrats are trying to reframe reality through twisted pretzel logic.

Media cranks also flip-flopped. Take Rachel Maddow, who in 2024 lumped Maduro with other dictators like Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jung Un and asserted, "They want no one anywhere to think it is possible, let alone desirable to throw a strongman out." At least until Trump did just that. Now Maddow is furious, believing that “very few Americans have any idea why Trump did this.”

Besides being an illegitimate president, a narcoterrorist, exporting thousands of dangerous gang members into the U.S., and allowing Russia, China, and Iran to gain a foothold near the United States, I, as an American, have no idea why Trump did what he did.

Even former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris weighed in. Last year, their administration offered $25 million for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro.” Who gets to collect? Trump, Rubio, or Hegseth?

Kamala quickly changed her tune after Trump did as she and Joe asked, tweeting, “Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable. The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to.”

I could go on, but the point is clear: Democrats only show situational outrage, and they forget that the internet is forever. It’s unfortunate that corporate media largely ignores past statements and refuses to call out their hypocrisy.

Then again, corporate media ignored or missed the biggest fraud scandal of our time, in Minnesota and other blue states, while a citizen journalist in his early 20s was the one to break the story while big media slept.

This also illustrates Trump Derangement Syndrome. If Trump had taken out Osama bin Laden, Manuel Noriega, or Adolf Hitler, they still would have found a reason to criticize him.

It’s no wonder only 18 percent of voters approve of Democrats in Congress. Whether Republicans take advantage of this or not remains to be seen. But the reactions to Maduro’s arrest confirm Democrats as the clown party of America.

Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a physician and writer. Follow me on Twitter @retinaldoctor, Substack Dr. Brian’s Substack, Truth Social @BrianJoondeph, LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph, and email [email protected].