Naughty vs. Nice

Who should be on Santa's naughty and nice lists this Christmas?

*Naughty:

I'd give lumps of coal to:

Federal bureaucrats, whose rigid rules delayed COVID-19 tests. The CDC wouldn't allow private companies to sell COVID-19 tests until the CDC's own test didn't work.

President Donald Trump, for talking about cutting that red tape but not doing the hard work needed to get enough of it done.

Gavin Newsom, California governor, for eating with several other families, unmasked, while his state forbade that.

Trump for refusing to say that he'd accept the election results.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, for -- after her party made it illegal -- getting her hair done and then criticizing the salon owner.

Senator Ted Cruz, for killing a bill that would've given asylum to Hong Kongers fleeing the oppressive Chinese regime.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock for tweeting: "Pass the potatoes, not COVID," and "Host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners..." as he was boarding a flight to join his family for Thanksgiving.

Government's foreign policy bureaucrats, one of whom admits "playing shell games" to trick leaders into leaving more American troops in Syria.

Most Republicans, for refusing to criticize the president when he lied.

Teachers unions for putting the kids last. Before they would return to work, LA's union demanded "a moratorium on private schools, defunding police, increasing taxes on wealthy, Medicare for all..." Catholic schools opened to help kids. Union leaders helped themselves.

Almost all Republicans, for shutting up about debt once Trump was the big spender.

Rioters who hijacked Black Lives Matter demonstrations, wrecking lives and spreading hate.

Antifa's violent goons, and today's Proud Boys for being destructive jerks.

The media for utterly ignoring Hunter Biden, calling his emails a "distraction."

Twitter for blocking the NY Post's account for 16 days and labeling their links exposing Hunter Biden's emails "unsafe" and "harmful."

Google, for censoring search results to show only certain news outlets (and almost never showing the Daily Caller or Breitbart).

The media for constantly making life seem worse than it was.

And Trump -- for making everything about him.        

*Nice:

Merry Christmas to vaccine developers all over the world. Equally noble were the entrepreneurs who failed but spent their own money trying.

Innovative companies like Zoom that invented good things and let people use them for free.

Jeff Bezos for delivering packages right to my door. I don't mind that he's made $200 billion for himself. It's his money. He didn't take it from others. He created wealth.

Joe Biden, for declaring victory in a dignified, modest manner.

Donald Trump, for being first president in decades to leaves office without starting a new war or sending troops to a new conflict.

The founders of LBRY.tv, and Parler.com, for building social media options with less censorship.Doctors, nurses and EMTs who risked their lives helping others.

Doctors, nurses and EMTs who came out of retirement to help others.

Truckers, shelf-stockers, gas station workers, store owners, food processors and all the essential workers who kept working during COVID-19, making our lives better.

The politicians and bureaucrats who finally lifted years of stupid regulations to allow professionals to work in other states and let truck drivers drive when they want to drive.

People who wore masks even when they didn't need to, just to reassure those the media had made crazy.

Businesses that adapted to serve the vulnerable, doing things like switching to deliveries and starting senior-only hours.

Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator of Bitcoin, who launched a digital currency revolution that gives us an alternative to government currencies.

Citizen journalists like Andy Ngo and Tim Pool, who cover topics (like antifa) that most media barely touch.

Businesses that stayed open, to pay their workers, even when losing money.

Volunteers who helped people.

Notice the pattern here?

Most of the worst came from politicians and the media, who want to be praised for "serving" us.

The best came from free Americans doing what we think is right.

Merry Christmas, 2020.

John Stossel is author of "Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media." For other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.

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