By Gene Jones, President, Florida Veterans for Common Sense

Democracy Offender: Matt Walsh, Owner/Editor/CEO of the Observer Media Group Inc. – for his attacks on our democracy.

In an editorial in the electronic edition of the Observer on June 2, 2022, Matt Walsh said, “We are at war in our own homeland. Our own government is attacking and destroying the people they [sic] allegedly serve.” He goes on to call President Biden, “Our non compos mentis President.”

Walsh says the President makes tyrannical decisions designed to tear down the United States. He asserts the President doesn’t want us to be free.

He cites no evidence for these lies. As you’d expect from an extremist, he doesn’t name even one of the “tyrannical decisions” although he asserts that we all know the list well. 

In his editorial, Walsh also complains about inflation and high fuel prices. He  blames the administration for both. He fails to acknowledge that any president has little control over inflation. 

Needless to say, Walsh offers no policy proposals to combat the ails for which he blames Biden. He only offers blather about less taxes and less regulation – both of which have proved to be failures. Failure to tax the super rich accounts for many of our current problems such as extreme wealth inequality. Without reasonable regulations, our air and water would be even dirtier.

Walsh Misdirects Blame

Certainly, Walsh knows that we live in a capitalist economy. He knows that companies set prices—not the government.  

He doesn’t mention that many big corporations are making record profits particularly in the energy sector. Last month, Shell reported its largest quarterly profit ever of $9.1 billion and BP made a $6.2 billion profit. Walsh ignores the fact that one reasonable explanation for inflation is price gouging. Who is surprised that in a capitalist economy, oil companies charge the highest prices that the market will bear?

In May, Democrats in Congress who were eager to address price gouging passed H.R.7688 – Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act. Not one Republican voted for this bill. Still, Walsh blames “government” for inflation, not the huge corporations that control the markets, or the Republicans who enable them.

Walsh wants President Biden “to take quick, decisive action” although Walsh knows Republicans stop reasonable price regulation. He doesn’t explain how the President could take action when hamstrung by obstructionist Republicans. 

Walsh concludes his screed by accusing President Biden of forcing his “climate change dreams and lies” on Americans. His language is so exaggerated it’s hard to know if it’s a willful lie or plain ignorance. There are no climate change dreams, or any other “dreams and lies,” forced on anybody. Walsh certainly doesn’t name any.

Walsh doesn’t understand, or is willfully ignorant, that clean energy can be cheaper than fossil fuels. Many companies and consumers choose clean energy over fossil fuels for that reason. Walsh should read the FLVCS Urgency and Action Report about climate change so he can learn about the climate change problem and solutions. Also, he should talk to our members who power their homes, boats, and cars with cheap solar power. They are not dreamers.

Matt Walsh – Democracy Offender

Matt Walsh is a democracy offender and extremist. He unfairly attacks our duly-elected President by calling him a liar and incompetent. Worse, Walsh blames our President and government for problems using the propaganda techniques of name calling, misinformation, and exaggeration without offering rational solutions. 

Walsh’s rant is appropriate for a political rag not a respectable newspaper.

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