{"id":100490,"date":"2022-03-03T17:14:16","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T22:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=100490"},"modified":"2022-03-03T17:15:19","modified_gmt":"2022-03-03T22:15:19","slug":"the-daily-gouge-archive-wednesday-march-3rd-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=100490","title":{"rendered":"The Daily Gouge Archive, Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>It&#8217;s Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022&#8230;but before beginning, allow us a brief stroll down Memory Lane in which we recall not only The Obamao ridiculing Romney&#8217;s prescient warning (Hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day!) about the nature of Mad Vlad&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/afb022822dAPR20220228044505.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100455\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/afb022822dAPR20220228044505.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/afb022822dAPR20220228044505.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/afb022822dAPR20220228044505-300x214.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;but his critical role in creating the menace Putin poses today&#8230;\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MNxEDomUlXw?start=2&amp;end=19&amp;\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;a threat his feckless former #2 has only served to exponentially increase:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q8oHVg2YgE0?start=12&amp;end=31&amp;\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Come to think of it, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>#2<\/em><\/span> describes Joe Biden <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>to a T<\/em><\/span>.\u00a0 And no, we will not even <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>attempt<\/em><\/span> to endure what will most assuredly be an <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>uninterrupted cavalcade of lies and misinformation<\/em><\/span>&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/balls.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100495\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/balls.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"353\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/balls.png 353w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/balls-252x300.png 252w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 353px) 100vw, 353px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>purported<\/em><\/span> to represent the state of our union.\u00a0 (Hat tip to James Patrick for the 46* clip, and Balls for the Bingo card.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Now, here&#8217;s <em>The Gouge<\/em>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Since we&#8217;re on the subject of what brought us to where we are today, in an <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>absolute must-read<\/em><\/span>\u00a0forward from G. Trevor, the great Victor Davis Hanson takes us down&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><a style=\"color: #333399;\" href=\"https:\/\/amgreatness.com\/2022\/02\/27\/the-crowded-road-to-kyiv\/\"><u>The Crowded Road to Kyiv<\/u><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n<h3 class=\"mb-5 text-lg font-light text-center text-gray-400 lg:mx-16 md:text-xl font-byline md:mb-10\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/amgreatness.com\/2022\/02\/27\/the-crowded-road-to-kyiv\/\"><u>To retain our deterrence abroad, we must tighten our belts at home, pump oil and gas, start to balance our budget, junk wokeism as a nihilist indulgence, and recalibrate our military<\/u><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/download.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100479\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/download.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"291\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/download.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/download-300x208.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;<span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>One of the oddest commentaries about the Russian invasion of Ukraine is the boilerplate reaction that \u201cborders can\u2019t change in modern Europe\u201d or \u201cthis does not happen in the 21st century.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">But why in the world should the 21st century be exempt from the pathologies of the past 20 centuries?<\/span> Are we smarter than the Romans? <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">More innovative than Florentines?<\/span> Do we have more savvy leaders than Lincoln or Churchill? <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Are they more mellifluous than Demosthenes?<\/span> Does anyone now remember that some 130,000 were slaughtered just 30 years ago in the former Yugoslavia, as NATO planes bombed Belgrade and nuclear America and Russia almost squared off?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Has globalization, the \u201crules-based order,\u201d the Davos reset elite, the \u201cinternational community\u201d so improved the very way humans think that they have rendered obsolete the now ossified ancient idea of deterrence?<\/span> Will the Kardashians and Beyonc\u00e9 tweet our pathway to global peace?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">How about transnational NGOs?<\/span> NATO? <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHO?<\/span> The UN? <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Are all their recent records of service proof of our more exalted modern morality?<\/span> Will some new engineered Wuhan virus alter human nature, end its innate ancient pathologies, and so eliminate war as we knew it? <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Are we not the League of Nations because Putin is now chair of the Security Council?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>In truth, anything can happen to anyone, anywhere,\u00a0 at any time\u2014and <em><u>has and will<\/u><\/em> until the end of time.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>So let us walk down the crowded road to Kiev<\/strong><\/span>&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>And lest it be forgotten, <span style=\"color: #000000;\">on more than one occasion<\/span>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2017\/02\/04\/politics\/donald-trump-vladimir-putin\/index.html\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Trump&#8217;s been part of the caravan<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/a>, and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>still<\/em><\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/livecoverage\/russia-ukraine-latest-news\/card\/trump-calls-putin-s-invasion-of-ukraine-smart-blames-biden-for-not-doing-enough-JicGb9xT5GnCZpQdiBjN\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">hasn&#8217;t learned from his mistakes<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 As another Donald so often quoted, &#8220;There are none so blind as those that WILL not see!&#8221;, and we count Trump among their company.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In a related item courtesy of Fielding Cocke, <em>USA Today<\/em>&#8216;s David Rothkopf offers one to-be-wished-for outcome of Russia&#8217;s unprovoked invasion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\" data-test-locator=\"headline\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/putins-war-against-ukraine-might-220332378.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">Putin&#8217;s war against Ukraine might lead to regime change<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">. <a style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/putins-war-against-ukraine-might-220332378.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall\">In Moscow, not Kyiv<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Putin-bear.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100480\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Putin-bear.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Putin-bear.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Putin-bear-300x222.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>The story of\u00a0Ukraine\u2019s heroic struggle\u00a0against the brutality\u00a0of Vladimir Putin\u00a0and the Russian military has captivated the world\u2019s attention because it contains within it elements of almost every story we tell in an effort to make sense of this world.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Good vs. evil.<\/span> Courage vs. cruelty. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">David vs. Goliath.<\/span> Truth vs. lies. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Order vs. anarchy.<\/span> The past vs. the present.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><strong>It is also compelling because at every turn so far it has confounded conventional wisdom and undone the assumptions of both the powerful and pundits.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Many, including Putin, wrongly assumed the West would not come together to stand up to his threats. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">As he did, they predicted that the United States, in retreat since the catastrophe of Iraq and bitterly divided politically, would be too weak to effectively assume the role of leader.<\/span> As he did, they anticipated that Ukraine would be unable to resist the onslaught of Putin\u2019s massive, vaunted armed forces.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&#8230;<\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">The war could rage on, of course.<\/span> Putin could continue to be irrational. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">He could continue to rattle that nuclear saber.<\/span> But, because nuclear threats only underscore how dangerous Putin is, Western pressure on him is likely to grow stronger.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">On Sunday, Germany\u00a0announced a commitment to increase defense spending\u00a0to more than 2% of gross domestic product a year.<\/span> Germany, like other Western nations, are sending more weapons to Ukraine. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">New sanctions \u2013 blocking many Russian financial institutions from the use of the\u00a0SWIFT global financial clearing system,\u00a0isolating the Russian central bank \u2013 have real teeth and could devastate the already weak Russian economy.<\/span> More will follow.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">For Russia, now, the only question is what sort of defeat they are willing to negotiate.<\/span> Can Putin keep Crimea? <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">He should not be allowed to.<\/span> Can the Russians get a deal by which Ukraine renounces any desire to enter NATO? <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Possibly a short-term one.<\/span> But that too, frankly, should be off the table.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Indeed, it is unlikely that once the war is over the pain for Putin will stop.<\/span> He will never again be anything but a pariah. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">If he is prosecuted for war crimes and wants to avoid jail, he may never again be able to leave Russia.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>The damage he has done to Russia\u2019s standing and economy will endure long after this conflict is done. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">And of course, for him, the worst case scenario now possible is that the war he has waged to force regime change\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em><a class=\"link  broken_link\" style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/ukraine-invasion-by-russia-is-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-putin-and-his-friends)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" ylk=\"slk:may result in it happening in Moscow rather than Kyiv\" rapid_p=\"32\" v9y=\"1\">may result in it happening in Moscow rather than Kyiv<\/a><\/em><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Putin\u2019s only hope is that the West and Ukraine lose their nerve and make the mistakes they have failed to make so far. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">But that seems unlikely given the way the past few weeks have unfolded.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>And it is for <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>that<\/em><\/span> reason that at <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>this<\/em><\/span> moment, if Ukraine and the West <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>maintain their resolve<\/em><\/span>, it is not entirely irrational to think that at least in this one case, good may defeat evil, courage may triumph over cruelty, David may once again beat Goliath, truth will undo lies, order may prevail over anarchy and the world of the past may have to give way to the one of the future.<\/strong><\/span>&#8220;<\/p>\n<p><strong>To borrow a phrase from Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/edIi6hYpUoQ?start=374&amp;end=376&amp;\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Seriously, it <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>sounds great<\/em><\/span>, and, along with Charlie Cooke, it&#8217;s what\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2022\/03\/beware-wishful-thinking-in-evaluating-the-ukraine-crisis\/?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=NR%20Daily%20Monday%20through%20Friday%202022-03-01&amp;utm_term=NRDaily-Smart\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>we hope and pray comes to pass<\/em><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 And though could be wrong&#8230;after all&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/672ghg.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100476\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/672ghg.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/672ghg.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/672ghg-300x171.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/download-1.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100477\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/download-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/download-1.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/download-1-300x224.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;we wouldn&#8217;t bet the farm, or the Kremlin, it&#8217;ll be Mad Vlad on the menu.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Next, we continue our coverage of the COVID scam with an item from\u00a0<em>Frontpage Magazine<\/em>\u00a0courtesy of Jeff Foutch, in which Stephen Moore correctly concludes&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontpagemag.com\/fpm\/2022\/02\/end-sweden-did-it-right-stephen-moore\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #ff9900; text-decoration: underline;\">In the End, Sweden Did It Right<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<h3 class=\"subhead\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.frontpagemag.com\/fpm\/2022\/02\/end-sweden-did-it-right-stephen-moore\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The one country that mostly rejected lockdowns<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/672by2.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100474\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/672by2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/672by2.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/672by2-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;<span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>What if<\/em><\/span> two years ago, when COVID-19 first hit these shores, our politicians <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>hadn&#8217;t panicked<\/em><\/span>?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>What if<\/em><\/span> the government did what it has done <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>every time<\/em><\/span> we were confronted with a deadly virus, such as the Spanish flu or polio? <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Instead of locking down our schools, churches and businesses, the government could have <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>simply informed<\/em><\/span> citizens of the risks of getting sick and urged people to be extra careful about hygiene, stay out of crowded places and protect the vulnerable.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>It turns out there was <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>one country<\/em><\/span> that mostly rejected lockdowns and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>let life go on as normal as possible under dire circumstances<\/em><\/span>. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">That country was Sweden.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>There were <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>some<\/em><\/span> restrictions and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>temporary<\/em><\/span> lockdowns, but they were <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>minimal<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">The hero of this story is Anders Tegnell, Sweden&#8217;s chief epidemiologist.<\/span> He was Sweden&#8217;s Anthony Fauci, but <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>unlike the now-widely discredited Fauci<\/em><\/span>, Tegnell <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>eschewed<\/em><\/span> lockdowns.<span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"> The international media <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>pilloried him<\/em><\/span> for not following &#8220;the science.&#8221;<\/span> At first, it seemed the Swedish live-and-let-live strategy was a miserable failure. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Death rates soared higher than in other European nations.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>But to their credit, the Swedes <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>ignored<\/em><\/span> the &#8220;mad modelers&#8221; such as Britain&#8217;s Imperial College team, which predicted multiple times that the number of deaths around the world would be more than actually occurred.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Sweden made some mistakes at the beginning.<\/span> Like many states in the United States, the Swedes failed to protect elderly nursing home residents adequately, which was a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>significant reason<\/em><\/span> that deaths in Sweden were higher than in neighboring Norway or Denmark. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">But Tegnell argued that the collateral damage of lockdowns would outweigh what good they do on a societywide basis.<\/span> He was <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>proven right<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><strong>Two years later, Sweden&#8217;s COVID-19 death rate is 1,614 per million people \u2014 much lower than Britain (2,335) or the U.S. (2,836), which both had much more stringent lockdowns.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Sweden appears to have achieved herd immunity much more swiftly and thoroughly than other nations. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Deaths were higher at the start of the pandemic but fell much lower than other lockdown nations in succeeding months.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>What is clear today is that the Swedes <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>saved their economy<\/em><\/span>. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">This year, it&#8217;s projected to be 5% larger than before the pandemic, compared to a 2% gain for Germany and a 1% gain for Britain.<\/span> Moreover, the extra debt Sweden has had to take on is a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>fraction<\/em><\/span> of that of lockdown countries. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">So it will <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span> have to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>spend decades paying<\/em><\/span> for the costs of lockdowns.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Swedish schools stayed open with no face masks. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Test scores are up, and there is no talk in Sweden about &#8220;lost&#8221; years of education.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>What is sadly ironic about the Sweden story is this should have been the U.S. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">We&#8217;re the land of the free, not Sweden.\u00a0<\/span>We are the nation of rugged individualism, not Sweden, with its more socialist economy and collectivist mindset. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">We have more solid constitutional protections to guarantee citizen rights against heavy-handed government.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>But the politicians from local health officials and mayors all the way up to the top federal medical experts and lawmakers opted for deadly decisions to shut down the engines of our economy and lock people in their homes. <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Those policies did irreparable harm that will be felt for many years to come.<\/span> Those who supported this great mistake need to be held accountable.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">Sweden&#8217;s successful response strategy reminds us that we must <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>never again<\/em><\/span> shut down our businesses and schools.<\/span> I just pray we have all learned that enduring lesson before another virus wave arrives.<\/strong><\/span>&#8220;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s the juice: Anyone willing to actually institute an idea <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=81273\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>first put forward in a 14-year-old&#8217;s high school science project<\/em><\/span><\/a> would probably let the thoughts of an obsessive-compulsive teenager determine the economic future of the planet&#8230;\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fedelxn-liberals-20190927-copy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100475\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fedelxn-liberals-20190927-copy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fedelxn-liberals-20190927-copy.png 420w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fedelxn-liberals-20190927-copy-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;or ignore the very restrictions they placed on everyone else&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fauci.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100498\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fauci.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fauci.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fauci-300x169.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0CAFA95AD4AC4EAAAA06BDD31B3EE452.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100499\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0CAFA95AD4AC4EAAAA06BDD31B3EE452.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0CAFA95AD4AC4EAAAA06BDD31B3EE452.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0CAFA95AD4AC4EAAAA06BDD31B3EE452-300x169.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/garcetti-newsom-magic-maskless-pic.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100500\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/garcetti-newsom-magic-maskless-pic.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/garcetti-newsom-magic-maskless-pic.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/garcetti-newsom-magic-maskless-pic-300x169.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/a><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7Q8Hh1C7wag\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;while insisting such measures were a matter of life and death.\u00a0 Any questions?!?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Moving on, here&#8217;s a sextet of special selections certain to satisfy the curiosity of inquiring Conservative minds:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(1). Hollywood may be peopled with nitwits, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/steven-seagal-russia-invasion-ukraine-putin\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>Steven Seagal&#8217;s thoughts on Putin&#8217;s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine<\/em><\/span><\/a>\u00a0make him more than deserving of a dunce cap.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(2). Just when you thought Progressives had plumbed the depths of perversion, we learn a<\/strong><strong>n unnamed female UPenn swimmer has bravely revealed, \u201cIt\u2019s [the locker room] definitely awkward <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/madelineleesman\/2022\/02\/28\/upenn-officials-reportedly-ignore-complaints-about-lia-thomas-nudity-in-womens-n2603923?utm_campaign=rightrailsticky2\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>because Lia still has male body parts and is still attracted to women<\/em><\/span><\/a>.\u201d\u00a0 Sorry, but how does a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>dude<\/em><\/span> who <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>identifies as a woman<\/em><\/span> get a woody looking at &#8220;other&#8221; women?!?\u00a0 Unless, of course, he&#8217;s a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>transgendered lesbian<\/em><\/span>&#8230;with <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>his own built-in strap-on<\/em><\/span>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rX11rRMKyhE?start=35&amp;end=36&amp;\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(3). The powers-that-be in the District of Columbia school system <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/news\/d-c-schools-maintain-indoor-mask-mandate-in-defiance-of-cdc-guidance\/?utm_source=email&amp;utm_medium=breaking&amp;utm_campaign=newstrack&amp;utm_term=26876944\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>have given up even the faintest pretense of following the science<\/em><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 They are, in fact, totally bereft of common sense.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(4).\u00a0Jim Freeman informs us, even though Iowa doesn&#8217;t have one of the most competitive tax regimes in the country, Republican governor Kim Reynolds, who&#8217;ll be delivering the GOP response to 46*&#8217;s State of Disunion address, <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/is-this-taxpayer-heaven-11646174184?mod=djemBestOfTheWeb\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>sure has it moving in the right direction<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>As this from Balls suggests, were <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>we<\/em><\/span> giving the Republican response, it would be simple and straight-forward&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wtihds.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100494\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wtihds.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"420\" height=\"302\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wtihds.png 420w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wtihds-300x216.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>&#8230;accompanied only another graph showing grocery prices.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(5). Taking a sharp Left turn, based on this forward from George Lawlor, Kommielaa evidently believes&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Kamala Harris: &#8220;Elections matter. And when folks vote, they order what they want \u2014 and in this case they got what they asked for. I went off script a little bit.&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lMKmUc2yF3\">pic.twitter.com\/lMKmUc2yF3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShaneGoldmacher\/status\/1498400046307500038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 28, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>&#8230;as <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tedcruz\/status\/1498412670009200646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1498412670009200646%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fmedia%2Fkamala-harris-blasted-claiming-voters-got-what-they-asked-for-electing-biden\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>Ted Cruz tweeted<\/em><\/span><\/a>, those casting ballots for Biden wanted were voting for record Inflation, record border crisis, closed schools, a war on American energy, the Afghanistan disaster and a Russia invasion of Ukraine.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(6). Speaking of high-level government flunkies who provided unintentional comic relief, right on the heels of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/corner\/cdc-discovers-new-masking-science-right-in-time-for-bidens-state-of-the-union\/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=river&amp;utm_content=more-in-tag&amp;utm_term=second\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>the CDC&#8217;s patently political relaxation of masking guidelines just in time for 46*&#8217;s State of Disunion debacle<\/em><\/span><\/a>, <em>Townhall.com<\/em>&#8216;s Matt Vespa informs us FEMA cautions the country, in the event Putin pushes the button as a result of Biden&#8217;s utter ineptitude and you&#8217;re forced to seek shelter (like&#8230;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>where<\/em><\/span>?!?),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/mattvespa\/2022\/02\/28\/did-you-notice-what-was-ridiculous-about-femas-advice-about-a-nuclear-attack-n2603877\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>maintain 6&#8242; of separation from non-family members<\/em><\/span><\/a>, and PLEASE remember to\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>mask up<\/em><\/span>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Reports FEMA threatens non-compliance will result in ejection from one&#8217;s current shelter and a lifetime ban on future shelter access remain unconfirmed.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Which brings us, appropriately enough, to <em>The Lighter Side<\/em>&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aaa-7.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100457\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aaa-7.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aaa-7.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aaa-7-300x215.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ccc-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100458\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ccc-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ccc-1.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ccc-1-300x194.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/L-Rose.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100459\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/L-Rose.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"386\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/L-Rose.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/L-Rose-300x251.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/bbb-3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100460\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/bbb-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/bbb-3.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/bbb-3-300x197.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ddd-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100461\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ddd-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ddd-1.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ddd-1-300x212.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Image-2-28-22-at-8.31-AM.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100462\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Image-2-28-22-at-8.31-AM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Image-2-28-22-at-8.31-AM.jpeg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Image-2-28-22-at-8.31-AM-300x190.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Then there&#8217;s these from James Patrick&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crilley.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100451\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crilley.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"663\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crilley.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crilley-209x300.png 209w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;the lovely Shannon&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/shannon2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100452\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/shannon2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"476\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/shannon2.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/shannon2-291x300.png 291w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Shannon.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100453\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Shannon.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Shannon.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Shannon-300x262.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;Brenda Berry&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aaa-13.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100454\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aaa-13.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aaa-13.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aaa-13-300x292.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;and Balls Cotton:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100467\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"578\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls3.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls3-240x300.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100468\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"703\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls4.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls4-197x300.png 197w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100469\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls1.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls1-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100470\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls2.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls2-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Last, but certainly not least, here&#8217;s a photo of the American Freedom Convoy passing through the Memphis area taken by our comely sister-in-law Jackie:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Convoy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100493\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Convoy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"302\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Convoy.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Convoy-300x196.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reports a significant number of the truckers pulled over and tried to pick Jackie up remain unsubstantiated&#8230;but highly likely!\u00a0 And to think she doesn&#8217;t hold a candle to TLJ!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Finally, we&#8217;ll call it a day with another meme Balls sent us&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100466\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Balls-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;which gave us pause for thought:\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Too bad The Donald didn&#8217;t display this attitude in the run-up to the special election for Georgia&#8217;s two Senate seats.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Still, better late than never.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vD94dVu8lqQ\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Magoo<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em>Video of the Day<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ami Horowitz provides the perfect accompaniment to Biden&#8217;s State of Disunion address. No matter what lies 46* plied Tuesday evening, this doesn&#8217;t bode well for the Dims in November.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pSqoJTv0t2Q\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Tales of The Darkside<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ben Shapiro weighs in on Kommielaa&#8217;s last bit of buffoonery.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RMzrUtYbjgI\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em>On the Lighter Side<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>SNL belatedly wakes up to the reality the rest of us recognized almost two years ago.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2k6xroHtn-8\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022&#8230;but before beginning, allow us a brief stroll down Memory Lane in which we recall not only The Obamao ridiculing Romney&#8217;s prescient warning (Hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day!) about the nature of Mad Vlad&#8230; &#8230;but his critical role in creating the menace Putin poses today&#8230;\u00a0 \ufeff\ufeff [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1988,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1988"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=100490"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100548,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100490\/revisions\/100548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=100490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=100490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=100490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}