When Did California Democrats Turn Into ‘Democrat Socialists’?

With the horrid Hamas attack on Israel last weekend, we are seeing the best of humanity in the face of the worst of humanity. Outpourings of sorrow, pain, love, comfort, assistance, shelter and contributions are plenty in the face of the brutal attacks, murders, rapes, beheadings and torture on the Israelis.

However, we are also stunned at the torrent of vile, barbarous, and evil claims of support for Hamas by Black Lives Matter chapters, university student groups (31 at Harvard), Democrat politicians (through their silence – Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Cory Bush), as well as a declaration of solidarity with Hamas and Hezbollah, by elected Democrat politicians with Democrat Socialists of America groups.

Without social media, most of us would not know of this inhumane behavior. Be sure remember all of the corporate American companies who took a knee to BLM and conscientiously paid their reparations to Patrice Cullors: Doordash, Amazon, Microsoft, Airbnb, Nabisco, Dropbox, Fitbit and many more the Daily Signal has listed.

BLM founder Patrisse Cullors in 2015, calling for the eradication of Israel:

“Palestine is our generation’s South Africa…if we don’t step up boldly and courageously to end the imperialist project called Israel, we’re doomed."
pic.twitter.com/pFkOku9ZIk

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) October 11, 2023

Former Ambassador and DNI Ric Grenell, asked Christy Gilbert Holstege, a California politician about her affiliation with the Democrat Socialists of America. “Outgoing Palm Springs Mayor, Running for #AD47 Social justice attorney Repro justice advocate New mom Millennial LGBTQ She/her/hers,” her bio on X/Twitter says. And now she’s running for State Assembly.

Grenell asks:

Are they lying? They list you as a member in good standing. Are you disavowing @DemSocialists?

Are they lying? They list you as a member in good standing.

Are you disavowing @DemSocialists? https://t.co/1jhSbPdWkL pic.twitter.com/rF5C6K5wDf

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) October 11, 2023

The Globe emailed Holstege and her top assistants to ask her directly if she is a member of the DSA, and if not as she claimed on Twitter, why do they list her in good standing?

We not get a response from Holstege prior to publishing, and Grenell got a word salad from her:

I’m not a member. Never have been. Never been endorsed. I’m Jewish. I’ve been endorsed by Jewish organizations in this race. Smearing the only Jewish candidate in this race with lies is disgusting. Repeating those lies once you know they’re untrue is terrible. Shame on you.

— Christy Gilbert Holstege (@christyholstege) October 10, 2023

“Shame on you.” She sounds like Greta Thunberg (we will update the article if we receive a response from Holstege).

What is Democratic Socialism?

The DSA website says this:

Capitalism is a system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit. We must replace it with democratic socialism, a system where ordinary people have a real voice in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and society.

The DSA implies its members do not live a life of capitalism… except they do enjoy a life of capitalism in the United States, and the freedom of the First Amendment to complain about it.

Here’s where they really get it wrong:

We want to collectively own the key economic drivers that dominate our lives, such as energy production and transportation.

In America, DSA members are free to invent better ways to produce energy and smarter, more efficient ways to move people from point A to point B. But they don’t get to “collectively own” it.

Economist Stephen Moore wrote in 2012 at the Wall Street Journal about free market capitalist and economist Milton Friedman – some describe him as the “The man who saved Capitalism”:

In the 1960s, Friedman famously explained that “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” If the government spends a dollar, that dollar has to come from producers and workers in the private economy. There is no magical “multiplier effect” by taking from productive Peter and giving to unproductive Paul. As obvious as that insight seems, it keeps being put to the test. Obamanomics may be the most expensive failed experiment in free-lunch economics in American history.

Next to Ronald Reagan, in the second half of the 20th century there was no more influential voice for economic freedom world-wide than Milton Friedman. Small in stature but a giant intellect, he was the economist who saved capitalism by dismembering the ideas of central planning when most of academia was mesmerized by the creed of government as savior.

Thomas Buckley, writing at the Globe, just addressed the DSA issue with Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon. Buckley asks why District Attorney Goerge Gascon has said nothing about the Hamas attack on Israel. Could it be that Gascon is the favorite son of the chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America?

The Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys said:

For the last three years, District Attorney George Gascón has seldom missed a chance to insert himself into the news cycle.  He has commented on the deaths of famous artists and politicians.  He has shared his views on Supreme Court decisions.  He has even opined on international conflicts in Ukraine and, just last month, in Armenia and Azerbaijan. But for the last five days, he has said nothing about the indiscriminate massacre of innocent civilians in Israel. And his silence has caused significant concern among his employees, especially those who are Jewish.”

The Sacramento City Council has one DSA member we can confirm, although two others are deeply suspected of at minimum, sympathizing the the DSA. Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela proudly posted her Democratic Socialists of America announcement upon winning her election:

And here is the DSA’s announcement of solidarity with Palestine:

DSA is steadfast in expressing our solidarity with Palestine.

Today’s events are a direct result of Israel’s apartheid regime—a regime that receives billions in funding from the United States.

End the violence. End the Occupation. Free Palestine. 1/5

— DSA (@DemSocialists) October 8, 2023

Valenzuela does events with the DSA – note that they charged $25 to attend the event. Why wasn’t it free?

Thankfully, there are some in positions of authority who aren’t sitting idly by while DSA members and University educated spoiled brats declare their solidarity with Hamas and Palestine.

Fox Business reported:

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman called on Harvard to release the membership lists of more than 30 student groups that signed a letter blaming Hamas’ terror attacks over the weekend solely on Israel.

Ackman, the CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, who received both his bachelor’s degree and MBA from Harvard, called on the university to release the names so he and other executives could avoid inadvertently hiring them in the future.

He’s kicking ass and taking names:

I have been asked by a number of CEOs if @harvard would release a list of the members of each of the Harvard organizations that have issued the letter assigning sole responsibility for Hamas’ heinous acts to Israel, so as to insure that none of us inadvertently hire any of their… https://t.co/7kzGOAGwp9

— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) October 10, 2023

UPDATE: After we published this article, Christy Holstege’s campaign spokeswoman messaged us with this: “This is Amelia Matier, spox for the Christy Holstege campaign. Christy is not and has never been a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Thanks!” We asked if they could explain why she is listed as a member? Spokeswoman Matier replied: “She is not listed as a member — And for any further questions about DSA membership, you will need to ask them. As I have said, she is not and never has been a member of the DSA.”