The Goodness Grift
By David Bittinger
July 6, 2025
Their smiling faces seem not quite happy. Their talking points are deep as a bumper sticker.
They remind us that the children are our future, regard The New York Times as gospel, attend correct parties, and soak in virtual bubble baths of goodness. They always voice concern for the needy — by supporting all the needed government programs that always need increased funding. (Otherwise, people will die!)
They’re 21st century liberals, and they are very good people. Just ask them.
As liberals overact more frantically in their political morality play, they become more difficult to watch. Are they serious in progressing from venerating Teslas to vandalizing them, blocking drivers just trying to get to work, using profanity as a validation of integrity, turning malevolent hatred into a crusade? Yep. They’re berserk-serious.
When they decide a corporate executive or prominent Republican doesn’t deserve to live, liberal audiences now can cheer their barbarity. Where is such etiquette taught? Late-night TV, with advanced programs on campuses.
In the previous century, liberals were seldom sociopathic. For those unfamiliar with admirable liberals of that era, here are two examples of this vanished species:
John F. Kennedy was a naval hero of World War II who went on to be an effective, if brief-serving, president. His policies, including significant tax cuts, reversed a recession and strengthened America’s economy. A committed anti-communist who faced down Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba, he still recognized dire CIA problems after the Cuban Bay of Pigs fiasco. Kennedy privately threatened to challenge the CIA but did not live long enough to do so.
Eugene McCarthy, a baseball player and poet as a young man, became a highly principled professor and senator. In 1967 he was the only Democrat brave enough to challenge President Lyndon Johnson’s despotic, doomed war in Vietnam. In 1980 McCarthy endorsed Republican presidential candidate Reagan over the incompetent liberal incumbent of his party Jimmy Carter. Explaining his unexpected endorsement to a curious Reagan aide, McCarthy said he based it on policy issues and character.
A word’s meaning can change over time. “Awful” once meant “worthy of awe” as in “God’s awful majesty.”
The original meaning of “liberal” and “liberalism” would confound the panelists of The View (if it could somehow be explained to them).
“Lliberalism” originally derived from the word “liberty.” Scottish economist Adam Smith, the Enlightenment author of liberal economic theory, wrote that greater wealth and liberty are realized by keeping supply, demand, prices, and competition free from government regulation and by basing a society’s progress on material self-interest rather than altruism (much less, enforced altruism).
Modern “liberals” — with their illiberal hostility to private enterprise — turn Smith’s productive liberalism on its head. Their stone-dumb liberalism is based on constantly expanding government and spending: more taxation, more regulation, and more busy bureaucrats who have no experience managing a business yet are always trying to manage everything from multi-billion-dollar government agencies down to the endangered dung beetle.
Despite decaying cities, out-to-lunch governance, and worse-than-useless federal agencies,” progressive” dolts somehow keep preaching their fantasy that collectivist liberalism produces good government.
The one thing it does produce is debt, ours nationally racing now from $36 trillion toward $37 trillion.
Twenty-first century liberalism is not only fake good; it’s also truly flexible. Boy, is it flexible. A few whiplash examples:
Liberals championed equality for women’s sports through Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. (So did President Nixon, but the libs probably thought he looked suspicious signing the bill.) How did they react when athletes born with male musculature and other obvious equipment began demanding they be allowed to overpower females in competitive sports and watch mortified girls undress in locker rooms? Feeling they now had one more minority sure to vote for them, Democrats felt so much goodness that they did everything but champion a Creepy Men Education Amendments of 2012.
Once upon a 1960s time, liberals made a hero of César Chávez, who famously campaigned for legal immigrant seasonal workers and actively opposed illegal immigration, which he recognized drove farm wages down and harmed the workers he represented. Illegal immigration was also sensibly opposed — until around 2020 — by popular liberal Barack Obama and unpopular liberal Hillary Clinton.
What happened when Democrat power brokers began to see that their economic policies, increasingly harmful to working class Americans, threatened Democrat electability? They threw the southern border wide open, welcoming ten – twenty million people, almost all impoverished and unidentified.
That number is so uncertain because it was arranged to be uncertain. What is certain is that few of these new residents have the work experience required of legal immigrants but do have great appetites for free American benefits and entitlements.
And liberals coined one of their epic euphemisms, which liberal media (almost all media) repeated endlessly. These people weren’t illegal immigrants; they were worthy “undocumented” migrants.
The left already had an affectionate nickname for young or formerly young border hoppers: “dreamers.” Apparently leftists were able to infer that, back in 1963, what Reverend King had actually been dreaming of was a day when the Democrat party, seeing its once-reliably overwhelming support among Black and Latino American citizens begin to erode, would import millions of poor foreigners expected to replace those lost votes.
Democrat bean counters silently assumed the many millions of its invited illegal immigrants would provide them two valuable assets: increasing the number of easy-win congressional districts for Democrats, and soon enough voting for their party.
Here’s another liberal about-face from the era of one Democrat imperial, big-government presidency (Johnson’s) followed by a Republican imperial, big-government presidency (Nixon’s). Both presidents left office disgraced, their terms differing in some details but joined in the Vietnam disaster.
Nixon’s misdeeds, as enthusiastically reported by The New York Times, Washington Post, and Dan Rather-sound-alikes, were muscled up by federal justice and intelligence agencies. Nixon ordered the FBI to stay out of the Watergate problem. He and J. Edgar’s boys were so enemy-conscious that they even collaborated on tracking and trying to deport that dangerous subversive — wait for it — John Lennon.
Did every liberty-loving Democrat — and responsible Republicans — deplore Nixon’s political misuse of agencies designed to fight crime and protect national security? Of course they did, properly.
Flash forward to 2013. (Good move. This passes over the Carter presidency and the disco era.) Liberals’ attitude toward politicization of justice and intelligence agencies magically shifts from con to pro.
His Obamaness is showcased by Greek columns and worshipful media. His Attorney General calls himself “the president’s wingman.” Obama’s court is in the forefront of Democrats’ psychosis about Donald Trump, pushing the CIA and FBI to investigate — actually, to completely invent — a Trump collusion with Soviet spooks to rig the 2016 election.
How eager was the Obama administration to subvert perceived enemies? It secretly eavesdropped and leaked conversations of liberal Democrat congressman Dennis Kucinich, who dared oppose Obama’s unofficial war against Libya’s Qaddafi regime.
In 2012 Obama’s IRS targeted conservative activists singled out by IRS tax exemption picker Lois Lerner. After the election was over, a pointless apology was offered.
(In 1970, Nixon asked an aide to look into using the IRS as a political weapon. The answer then was no.)
In 2023 the Biden Handlers Administration became so eager to censor speech that it even went after longtime liberal journalist Matt Taibbi. Matt’s sin was reporting on the administration pressuring social media to censor speech it deemed unacceptable. The very day Taibbi was scheduled to give congressional testimony on that subject, the FBI came knocking on his door.
The Goodness Grift, full of sound and virtue signifying nothing, has two possible destinations:
A failed destination was shown by last year’s Kamala Harris zombie presidential campaign. The frantic infusion of a billion dollars — most of it from America’s real oligarchs — plus all the doomsday hysteria the left could muster, persuaded 14% of America’s counties to favor the cackling queen of goodness. Just 14%! Well, they love big, wasteful spending.
The other destination would be Grift success, triumphing over the republic established 238 years ago. The colossus behind the con is collectively powerful: the media machine trained by journalism schools and almost all other academia, the celebrity machine dominating Hollywood and the laugh track of television, the dependency of those inclined to work little or not at all, the self-interest of over 20 million government payrollers, plus the ego gratification of wealthy lefty posers. Tough to defeat.
But do what you can for victory. Push our country in the direction preferred by 86% of America’s counties. That’s the path of a nation truly good, not grifter good.
Afterword: That “children are our future” trope liberals love to keep crooning needs an extra verse, one about that $36 trillion-plus debt we’re bequeathing to those beloved children.
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Decades ago David Bittinger moved from Chicago to a land of sleepy supper clubs and Democrats less corrupt than Illinois’. Though he regretted leaving behind easy access to great Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts and occasionally good White Sox games, with every passing year he’s become more wary about even driving down there. Now he enjoys writing guest columns for JKN and posting articles on curveballcommentary.com, also being challenged by cosmology studies and his grandson James.
Comments 41
As poignant an analysis of au courant Loudmouths ( Progressives) as it gets, Me. Bittinger. I have never once met a Progressive with even a scintilla of altruism. The Progressive would not give a penny to a starving blind girl in a blizzard outside of Symphony Center on Chritsmas Eve. They do not see people. They have their eyes on a Marxist future,
Great work!
That’s MR. Bittinger, Me quick stab at submit ’twill be the ruin of me.
“Don’t be worry on you,” Pat me boy! Though we’ve not yet met, I feel like you are a pal of the JKN hearth.
Thank you for an educational and enlightening read this morning.
In his book, “It Didn’t Start with Watergate,” author Victor Laskey lays out the array of dirty tricks and schemes JFK had used against his political opponents including IRS audits, government surveillance, and reliance on compliant media. As much as Kennedy was my boyhood hero, as I grew into adulthood I learned of his participation in the dark political arts.
Thank you for mentioning the “sainted” Cesear Chavez for his opposition to illegal aliens which threatened the wages of his UFW. It is recorded on YouTube for any disbelievers. Nice column!
I did not know that info about Chavez – now I despise him a little bit less. A fine article to read with my morning coffee Sir. There are so few places left where the published material isn’t biased swill.
“Kennedy privately threatened to challenge the CIA but did not live long enough to do so.”- I see what you did there…great article.
So very true
Virtue signaling. That’s today. Democrats create victim classes, then make money by putting government grift around them. Marxism is the latest grift.
In the description of the author, he says he moved to Wisconsin. I always hated Wisconsin Democrats. They were true believers in Marxism from Milwaukee to Madison. Chicago Dems were sheep, and just wanted to get things done and make money off of it. Danny Rostenkowski etc. You knew there was a take, but maybe didn’t know the cost.
Ironically now, the Chicago Dems are gone replaced by Marxist Democrats like Brandon Johnson, Kim Foxx, Toni Preckwinkle, and plenty of others. They can join hands with their Marxist brethren in Wisconsin.
We saw the Wisconsites true face when they lost power during the Scott Walker administration.
I’ve lived in the Madison and Milwaukee areas, and Mr. Carter is right about the Democrats’ rule there. I was only trying to weigh the cheesy corruption of Wisconsin Democrats against the First Ward mob corruption of Chicago Democrats. I’d say that, back in the day, the corruption of East German Marxist stooges was similarly worse than that of Polish Marxist stooges.
Wonderful history lesson. Looking forward to reading more.
100% agree that “Liberals” have jumped the shark to “Progressives”, abandoning true liberalism. And they’re the demographic of educated folks with university degrees?! God help us.
I have skipped over from ‘Progressive’ to Leftist , swimming in luxury policies that apply to everyone but them
F, jay… no truer statement than yours.
Tom
Very true. These useful idiots should be reminded that when Pol Pot came into power in Cambodia, the first people he rounded up for torture and execution in his “reeducation camps” were the educated class. Many of them supported his revolution. Same thing in Nicaragua and Cuba. The last thing any dictator wants is someone who can teach the masses this thing called ” critical thinking”…
Enrique, Amen.
One additional point: Liberals see themselves as generous and caring, supporting all sorts of government programs, which spend other people’s money. But when it comes to voluntary contributions to charity, studies show that conservatives contribute higher percentages of income.
Well written.
Whenever a progressive (or a corporate type) uses friendly styled words or expresses “concern”: two things come to mind: a) what’s is going to cost and b) how badly am I going to get screwed over?
I had in university a class in English discussing weasel words; Progressives give a master class in this stuff.
Lastly, the map showing the 14% of the counties that are Blue. They are all at major metropolitan and large population centers and they carry a lot of gerrymandered electoral votes. BUT what also jumps out is all the Red counties are where Americans get their food, energy, transportation and manufactured items. Thats where real power resides.
Hillary always said she was “concerned”.
Words well written.
Thank you,
Excellent history lesson.
Points well made. Now Jabba the Pritzker is howling about empty food pantries being unable to feed the poor thanks to Donald Trump. This after he and his fellow Illinois Democrats blew through around eighty million dollars housing and feeding illegals. Kind of funny how the media is now constantly reminding us of the terrible stress illegals are going through trying to dodge immigration without stating the obvious. THE ILLEGALS CAN LEAVE THE COUNTRY. Simple solution. Problem solved. Plane ticket provided, food service included. Far nicer than what it took them to get here..
“Democrats silently assumed millions of invited illegal immigrants would provide them with two valuable assets: increasing the number of easy win congressional districts, and soon enough voting for their party.”
Yes sir!
More than five years ago I proposed to my liberal family a hypothetical: if we allowed 50 million illegal aliens into the USA and gave them citizenship on one condition; they can vote Republican or Independent, but cannot vote Democrat for 25 years, would they go for it?
Without missing a beat their answer was, “No!” Their compassion for the illegal is all about the votes.
Now that’s fascinating. Because those who managed somehow to walk here and get in, would take that deal in a heartbeat, but the big puffy Liberal white hand of hope is….something to run from
The lack of curiosity the marx-tarded liberals have about who exactly was President Autopen, and how the executive branch was administrated after 2021 tells us plenty.
“No Kings”?
“Threat to democracy”?
They rejoiced living under King Autopen.
Modern liberalism (socialism) is just a kinder, gentler name for authoritarianism. As Margret Thatcher said “Socialism (liberalism) is great fun until you run out of other people’s money”. Lose the power to confiscate other peoples’ money, and there will be no liberalism (socialism). Being a modern liberal (authoritarian) means you have to have control over the money, by taxation, of course.
Great line from Maggie. One to file in my best said quotes. Thanks for that. And great writing today from David. I have a new understanding of how “undocumented workers” is the new term for illegal immigrants. I never thought of it being purposely rebranded as such.
a few of you know me to be a Democrat now in Florida with all the retirees from everywhere else like my Jersey or your Wisconsin and Illinois,etc. But I am still a Democrat,never could vote for Trump.My party allowed bad candidates to make it easier for his victories. The housecleaning at the DNC has not happened and sadly,Pelosi won’t retire or those like her who made it worse. And yet,some of you still in Chicagoland villify Mr.Obama. He actually tried to compromise.Mitch McConnell refused and saw the path to victory was changing the Courts personnel on all levels.It worked out for him. At least,Obama got just enough support to keep the Affordable Care Act which is not close to perfect but it means insurers can’t just give polite denials to patients needing procedures. So,Democrats are now understanding how Republicans felt with the Clinton victories or the Obama reelection. Oh,and Osama Bin Laden was shot to death in a Pakistan white elephant mansion that took the CIA long enough to figure out on Obama’s watch. And if you want to villify Obama,for paving the way for Biden to win in 2020,fine. Biden blew it for his constituents with an open door immigration green light and unable to tame post pandemic inflation. Some of you are mature enough to remember worse Carter inflation in the late 70s but he did nice work with a hammer and saw after the Reagan victory. Pritzker and Newsom and the idiot Mayor to be in NYC won’t help Democrats regain the White House.It will take a middle of the road,willing to compromiser.Clinton had some of those qualities even as he screwed the middle class factories blue and white collar folks in shifting so much to Mexico. By the way,all this AI transition is also going to eliminate a lot of white collar jobs. Let’s see how overpaid CEOs make polite excuses as they consolidate their kingdoms.
Thank you for an educational and enlightening read this morning.
You certainly hit the proverbial nail on the head. Two key DP strategies: Weaponizing the government and forever spending with no end in sight. Obama had his cronies (Lois Lerner) in the IRS, and Biden had his boyz in the DOJ. Both egregiously wrong. And now, Mr. Trump seems to be following down their well trodden path, particularly when he suggests using the IRS against opponents. And of course Mr. Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill really does not address our incapacitating deficit but does make the tax code infinitely more complex and incomprehensible. Recall the last POTUS to actually demonstrate fiscal responsibility – with four years of federal surplus – was none other than that horndog, Bill Clinton … who looks better and better as the years go by. Like John said about Illinois – there really is only one political party … a combine. That seems now to apply to the country as well.
Bruce: Horndog lost the House & Senate, the first time in 60 years. He was a wounded rat who was forced to balance the budjet by Newt and the boys. While screaming and yelling he supported welfare reform vie work rules. Easy giving him credit for not much other than chassing the fat girl around the ovil office and ordering in pizza.
The only issues I have with your excellent column is that JFK was personally responsible for the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Ike left him a good plan. The arrogant little p***k ignored it, and remember, it was Nixon who threw open the doors to China trade.
David, thanks for highlighting what really is the change from “liberalism” to “progressivism”. Historic liberalism wasn’t completely devoid of logical thinking, wheras today’s progressivism is. Regarding the trope about the “children are our future” they really mean that “controlling the education of everyone else’s children is OUR (i.e, progressivism’s) future”. They certainly don’t really care about children, as their support for abortion on demand under any circumstances shows! I believe the nation allowed the destruction of 60-70 million babies under Roe v. Wade. Their promotion of it shows no concern for children at all.
“They’re berserk serious!” I love it. I may have to borrow it. They are also insufferable bores. I’ve been using that description a lot lately.
Great essay Dave. I completely remember your little trip down memory lane as well as the significance of each vignette you mentioned. Yes I just dated myself..i’m old…a Boomer. Too bad younger generations (GenZ, Millennials, I can’t keep them straight) won’t get it. They won’t get the idiocy of how liberalism has morphed into the snake oil that it sells today. There is such little integrity in politics, less principle in politics today. But thanx for remembering and reminding those of us who do get it that what once was is no more.
P.J. O’Rourke mapped out my own move from the Left as a kid to the Right as an adult. Nixon was thrown out for wanting to do what Obama succeeded in doing. My father was a Blue dog…..he would be a right wing fanatic today. He loved his god, his country, his wife and sometimes his eight kids with exceptions when we were jerks . The description of Liberals is a map of myself as a kid……after working in the roughest neighborhoods on chicago’s southside for 29 years….i came to realize that the 5% that the Left coddled, held the 95% hostage (these are the God fearing, country loving family people). The left destroys and then charges the victims for the pleasure of doing more damage to them.
That’s a great Comment, Robert. Final sentence has haiku-like depth. P.J. O’Rourke was a hero of mine.
This article is a keeper! Thank you.
Back at ya, Philip. I hope to have more for such valued readers.
A great essay, David, and good reminder of the way things were once upon a Camelot.
Eugene McCarthy. I almost forgot about him and I actually campaigned for him. Met him once. A very intelligent man and gentle but fierce spirit. He never stood a chance but his encore, revenge, was endorsing Reagan. That was sweet even though I was a John Anderson guy.
Your history lesson reminds me of an analogy I use. I used to be more liberal, dare I say a Dem, and liked its balance. But one day I fell asleep in my favorite chair in the family room, woke up later and the room had been completely remodeled. I hadn’t changed but everything around me had. I moved out with no regrets. Keep up the wonderful writing!
Thanks, John Goble. I finally met Eugene McCarthy myself, at a Mort Sahl performance in NYC actually, right around the time both political parties had turned into the uniparty. Better late than never.
I salute the alert way you woke up in the family room. To paraphrase a JK line, I will try to keep up “the wonderful writing” if you will keep up the wonderful reading.