Tag: New York

The End of the Socialist Experiment: People are tired of high property taxes to fund Democrat dreams

The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, recently stood up at a forum and essentially begged the wealthy who have fled her state to return and keep paying the bills that fund her vision of big government. She said something along the lines of, ” Go down to Palm Beach, see who you can bring back home, because our tax base has been eroded. She admitted that New York is now in direct competition with other states that impose a lighter tax burden on corporations and individuals, and that Wall Street businesses are looking to Texas instead of staying captive in Manhattan. This is the same Kathy Hochul who, just a couple of years earlier, had told political opponents to jump on a bus and head down to Florida, where they belong, if they didn’t represent New York values. Now she’s pleading for those same people—and their money—to return so she can keep the generous social programs afloat. It’s a stunning reversal that proves exactly what I have been saying for four decades: liberal policies, built on endless taxation, endless spending, and the assumption that people will stay put and keep writing checks, are collapsing under their own weight. The free market is working exactly as it should, and people are voting with their feet. 

I was recently talking with folks in my local community here in Butler County, Ohio, about the Lakota Local School District, and the conversation crystallized everything happening on the national stage. Lakota had put a massive $506 million bond issue and levy on the ballot in November 2025—one of the largest school funding requests in Ohio history—tied to a master facilities plan that would demolish and rebuild buildings, supposedly to accommodate growth and modernize things. The district discussed reducing the number of buildings from 21 to 16, improving safety, and freeing up money for students. But voters saw through it. The levy was rejected by a decisive 61 to 39 percent margin. Even with promises that the actual net tax increase would be phased in later and capped at something like $93 per hundred thousand dollars of appraised value, thanks to debt roll-offs and state matching funds, people said no. They were tired of the trajectory. They didn’t want more property taxes funding a system that keeps growing its administration, its facilities wish list, and its social agenda while the real value delivered to families keeps getting questioned. This isn’t just a local story. It’s the same story playing out in New York, in California, and in every high-tax, high-spending blue state or district where the easy-money days of the past have finally run out. 

For decades, people tolerated these large social programs and bloated public education budgets because the economy seemed to be working in their favor. Compound interest in savings accounts was real. Home values kept climbing year after year, creating paper wealth that let families cash out when the kids grew up—sell the house, pocket half a million or more, and move into something smaller while still feeling ahead of the game. Property taxes felt like a tolerable price to pay for nice communities, decent schools that acted as reliable babysitters during work hours, and the social approval that came with supporting “the kids.” You could afford to be a little generous at the next neighborhood gathering or school board meeting because your net worth was rising faster than the tax bill. But that scheme is over. Inflation has eroded real returns. Interest rates have fluctuated wildly. Home appreciation isn’t the guaranteed golden ticket it once was for everyone. People are looking at their tax bills, looking at what their money is actually buying in public schools, and saying enough. The taxation trajectory that propped up liberalism for generations is now pointing downward, and the people who built their political power on it are panicking.

Look at what Hochul and her fellow Democrats are confronting. New York has been bleeding residents and businesses for years. Domestic migration data from the U.S. Census show New York losing hundreds of thousands of people, net, to lower-tax states like Florida and Texas. California is in the same boat, with net losses exceeding 200,000 annually in recent cycles. Florida alone has gained hundreds of thousands of domestic migrants, and Texas even more. These aren’t just retirees heading south for the weather. They are working families, entrepreneurs, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals who have had it with sky-high income taxes, property taxes, regulatory burdens, and the cultural policies that come attached. New York’s per-pupil spending is among the highest in the nation—often topping $30,000 per student—yet educational outcomes measured by national assessments like NAEP remain middling at best. Florida and Texas spend far less per pupil, around 12,000 to 14,000, and deliver competitive or better results in many categories while keeping taxes lower overall. No state income tax in either place. That is real competition, and Hochul is finally admitting it out loud even as she tries to guilt-trip people into returning for the “patriotic” duty of funding her programs. 

This is liberalism eating itself. For years, I have pointed out that every socialist experiment in history required walls—literal or figurative—to keep people from leaving. North Korea has its borders sealed. Cuba had its rafters and its political prisoners. East Germany built the Berlin Wall because people were fleeing to the West. China, even with its economic openings, maintains tight control because the alternative is mass exodus. The Soviet Union collapsed when the pressure to contain its people became unsustainable. Here in America, Democrats have relied on the soft walls of economic dependency, guilt, and cultural pressure. But those walls are crumbling because people can move. They can load up a U-Haul, drive to a free state, and never look back. Florida, under Governor Ron DeSantis, has become a magnet precisely because it refuses to play the high-tax, high-regulation game. Texas is booming for the same reasons. And here in Ohio, we are seeing the early stages of the same shift. People are coming to us from the collapsing blue states, and the lesson is clear: competitive models win. Punitive taxation and endless government expansion lose.

The property tax itself is at the heart of this fight, and it always has been a flawed, almost feudal concept dressed up in modern language. Its roots go back to William the Conqueror in 1066 England, where the king claimed ownership of all land and extracted perpetual payments from tenants and knights. The American version evolved through the Northwest Ordinance and the general property tax of the nineteenth century, which treated land and personal property as subject to state taxation indefinitely in exchange for “protecting” them. It was never truly about voluntary contribution; it was rent paid to the government for the privilege of owning what you thought you owned. Critics have long called it the most hated tax in America for good reason. It punishes ownership, discourages improvement, and ties local services—especially schools—to ever-rising assessments that have nothing to do with a family’s ability to pay. In places like New York and California, it became a weapon to fund expansive social programs that many residents never asked for and no longer support. Florida is leading the charge to change this. Governor DeSantis and state lawmakers have advanced multiple constitutional amendments to phase out homestead property taxes over time, ultimately eliminating them. Proposals include massive increases in exemptions—hundred-thousand-dollar jumps annually until nonschool property taxes on primary residences disappear. Ohio has its own movement gathering signatures for a 2026 ballot initiative to ban real property taxes altogether. Even some national voices aligned with President Trump have floated ideas for broader relief or elimination as part of a freedom agenda that recognizes property rights as fundamental. Why should anyone be penalized year after year simply for owning a home? It is a socialist march concept from the beginning, and people are waking up to it. 

Here in Butler County and at Lakota specifically, the failed levy is a microcosm of the larger revolt. The district wanted hundreds of millions for bricks and mortar, for renovations, and for a smaller footprint that supposedly saves money in the long term. Yet the community looked at the track record: rising administrative costs, questions about curriculum priorities, and the reality that public education has been turned into something far beyond basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. Parents are sick of teacher strikes or walkouts that leave kids without instruction while unions demand more pay and less accountability. They are tired of seeing resources funneled into social experiments—coloring hair purple, pushing premature discussions of sexual lifestyles on young children, and ideological lessons that many families consider inappropriate or even damaging. Schools were supposed to be trusted babysitters that prepared kids for smart, productive lives. Instead, too many have become vehicles for cultural agendas that parents never voted for and refuse to subsidize with their property taxes. When the easy-money era ended, and families started feeling the real pinch, the willingness to keep writing blank checks vanished. One more mill or two more mills might not sound like much on paper, but when it is attached to policies people actively oppose, it becomes unacceptable—even if it is just one extra dollar.

The same dynamic plays out with every other government service funded by these taxes. Look at the TSA—Transportation Security Administration—as a perfect example of what happens when critical infrastructure is handed to unionized government workers attached to the Democratic extortion economy. Long lines, delays, sickouts, threats of shutdowns whenever funding fights arise. People who once flew without a second thought are now choosing sixteen-hour drives rather than enduring the inefficiency and the political games. Airlines struggle to maintain themselves while government mandates and union leverage create artificial bottlenecks. Taxpayers are funding something broken, something that punishes them for trying to travel freely, and they are done with it. Democrats love to attach these unionized workforces to essential services because it gives them leverage—hold the public hostage, blame Republicans or “underfunding,” and demand more money. It is the same playbook with public schools, public transportation, and welfare systems. When people can no longer afford it or no longer support the ideology behind it, they stop paying voluntarily. They move. They vote against levies. They support politicians who promise reform.

I have been part of the no-more-taxes, lower-taxes movement my entire adult life because I saw this coming. High taxes deter growth. They drive away the productive. They reward inefficiency. In New York, California, and places like them, the richest were supposed to stick around for the social clubs, the prestige, the elbow-rubbing with the political class. Instead, they took their money, their businesses, and their talent to Florida, Texas, and increasingly to states like Ohio that are positioning themselves as the next frontier of opportunity. Ohio’s future cannot be more government, more spending, more taxes. It has to be the opposite. We have legislators and potential future leaders who understand that. We have a governor’s race and local movements that are aligning with the national shift toward lower costs, smaller government, and actual freedom. Property tax relief is coming—whether through caps tied to inflation, homestead exemptions that grow dramatically, or outright abolition in some form. Sales taxes can be reformed or reduced. Income taxes, where they exist, must be kept competitive. The gravy train that funded reckless social spending is over because the people who pay the bills have decided they no longer consent to the product being delivered.

This is why the walls of the old order are failing. In communist countries, the only way to keep the system intact was violence and threats—shooting people who tried to cross to freedom. Here, Democrats assumed guilt, cultural inertia, and the inability to leave would suffice. But remote work changed everything. The pandemic accelerated the realization. Free states with lower taxes, better governance, and respect for individual rights became irresistible. People are not afraid anymore. They are packing up and leaving New York, California, Illinois—anywhere the liberal model has run its course. The tax base erodes, the deficits grow, the pleas become more desperate, and the cycle accelerates. Hochul’s Palm Beach pilgrimage is just the latest symptom. She and the supermoms and the big-government cheerleaders who built careers around this model are late to the party. Bernie Sanders-style socialism always sounded good in the abstract until the bill came due and people realized the cost to their communities, their families, and their futures. Now the bill is here, and the payers are walking away.

Locally, Lakota and districts like it will have to adjust. No more assuming taxpayers will fund every wish list. Superintendents and boards will need to trim administration, focus on core education, respect parental values, and operate within realistic budgets. If that means fewer buildings, fewer non-essential programs, or actual efficiency reforms, so be it. The same applies statewide. Ohio cannot import the failing model from the coasts. We have to export the successful low-tax, high-freedom model. That is how we attract the people and businesses fleeing the collapse. That is how we keep our own residents from looking elsewhere. Competitive states win. Coercive ones lose.

I have warned about this for forty years because the math was always inevitable. Socialism requires coercion. When the coercion fails—when people can leave or vote no—the system collapses. We are watching it happen in real time. New York’s tax base is eroding. California is eroding. The liberal dream of endless spending funded by other people’s money is dripping through their fingers like water. They cannot hold it. They cannot force it. And they certainly cannot guilt-trip a free people into submission when better alternatives exist just a moving van away.

The future belongs to the states and communities that understand this. Florida is already moving toward eliminating property taxes on primary homes. Texas thrives without an income tax. Ohio has the chance to lead the Midwest in the same direction. Property tax abolition movements are gaining steam nationally because people are tired of being treated like tenants on their own land. Schools will be funded differently—perhaps through choice, vouchers, or learner operations that actually deliver value. Overall, government services will shrink because the public will no longer subsidize failure. TSA lines will either improve through competition and accountability, or people will keep driving. Either way, the extortion ends.

This is the movement of the world now. Anti-tax sentiment is rising everywhere because people have lived through the consequences of big government. They have seen the waste, the indoctrination, the inefficiency, and the cultural decay funded by their dollars. They voted for change at the national level with President Trump and the Republican wave because they want a different kind of government—one that does not punish success, ownership, or families trying to raise children in line with their values. Fraud in elections will continue to be exposed. The 50-50 split on paper was never real; it was propped up by manipulation. When people vote their true preferences without interference, the results will be even stronger.

For anyone still clinging to the old model, the message is simple: it is over. The easy money is gone. The guilt trips no longer work. The walls are down. People are free, and they are choosing freedom. Here in Ohio, in Butler County, at Lakota and beyond, we will learn the same lessons New York is learning the hard way. Budgets will be cut. Priorities will be realigned. Taxes will come down. And communities will thrive—not because government spends more, but because it spends less and interferes less.

I have always been clear on this. Beware of any politician who wants higher taxes. They are dangerous. They are going out of fashion fast. My book, Gunfighter’s Guide to Business, lays out the philosophy of self-reliance, competitive thinking, and the rejection of coercive systems that have guided my warnings for decades. It is more relevant now than ever. Subscribe, read it, and join the fight. The future is bright for those willing to embrace lower taxes, smaller government, and genuine freedom. The collapse we are witnessing is not the end of America—it is the end of a failed experiment. And the rebirth that follows will be something worth building.

Footnotes

1.  U.S. Census Bureau migration estimates, 2024-2025 data releases.

2.  Tax Foundation State Business Tax Climate Index, 2026 rankings.

3.  National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports on per-pupil spending vs. outcomes.

4.  Historical analysis of property tax origins from feudal England through the U.S. Northwest Ordinance.

Bibliography for Further Reading

•  Fox News coverage of Hochul’s Palm Beach comments and tax base erosion (March 2026).

•  Cincinnati Enquirer and local Butler County reporting on Lakota levy failure (November 2025).

•  U.S. Census Bureau State-to-State Migration Flows tables (2023-2025).

•  Tax Foundation reports on property tax relief proposals in Florida, Ohio, and national trends (2026).

•  The Atlantic historical piece on feudal roots of American property tax (2016, with updates in policy debates).

•  DeSantis administration statements on Florida homestead tax elimination proposals.

•  Hoffman, Rich. Gunfighter’s Guide to Business (self-published, available via subscription platforms).

•  Additional data from NAEP/Nations Report Card and state education spending comparisons.

These sources provide the factual backbone while the analysis reflects four decades of observation on tax policy, education funding, and the failure of coercive governance models. The era of unchecked liberalism is ending, and the evidence is everywhere for those willing to see it.

Rich Hoffman

More about me

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About the Author: Rich Hoffman

Rich Hoffman is an independent writer, philosopher, political advisor, and strategist based in the Cincinnati/Middletown, Ohio area. Born in Hamilton, Ohio, he has worked professionally since age 12 in various roles, from manual labor to high-level executive positions in aerospace and related industries. Known as “The Tax-killer” for his activism against tax increases, Hoffman has authored books including The Symposium of Justice, The Gunfighter’s Guide to Business, and Tail of the Dragon, often exploring themes of freedom, individual will, and societal structures through a lens influenced by philosophy (e.g., Nietzschean overman concepts) and current events.

He publishes the blog The Overmanwarrior (overmanwarrior.wordpress.com), where he shares insights on politics, culture, history, and personal stories. Active on X as @overmanwarrior, Instagram, and YouTube, Hoffman frequently discusses space exploration, family values, and human potential. An avid fast-draw artist and family man, he emphasizes passing practical skills and intellectual curiosity to younger generations.

The Communist Mamdani in New York: Its time to pull away the masks

The election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City marks a turning point in American politics. For decades, the Democrat Party has flirted with socialist ideas under the guise of progressivism, soft-selling policies that inch toward state control while maintaining a capitalist façade. Figures like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden represented this strategy—identity politics and incremental reforms masking deeper ideological ambitions. But Mamdani’s victory strips away the pretense. Running openly as a democratic socialist, he secured 50.4% of the vote, defeating establishment candidates and signaling that the radical wing of the Democratic Party is no longer content to operate in the shadows.

This is not an isolated phenomenon. It is the culmination of decades of ideological conditioning in public schools and universities, where Marxist thought has been normalized under academic freedom. The result? A generation of voters who see socialism not as a foreign threat but as a moral imperative. Mamdani’s platform—price controls, free transit, and housing guarantees—echoes the promises of past revolutions. His rhetoric of affordability resonates in a city where 1 in 5 residents cannot afford $2.90 for transit fare, a statistic he cited during his Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump. But beneath the compassionate language lies the same economic logic that has historically led nations down the path of stagnation and authoritarianism.

To understand the implications of Mamdani’s rise, one must revisit the Cuban Revolution. In 1959, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara overthrew Fulgencio Batista, promising justice, equality, and prosperity. Initially, they were hailed as liberators—a narrative strikingly similar to Mamdani’s portrayal of them as champions of the working class. Yet within two years, Cuba declared itself a Marxist-Leninist state aligned with the Soviet Union, cementing a system that would devastate its economy and freeze its society in time.

The revolution’s human cost was staggering. Che Guevara personally oversaw firing squads at La Cabaña fortress, where at least 151 executions occurred under his orders, and estimates suggest 5,600 Cubans died by firing squad overall during the early years of communist rule.  These were not isolated acts of violence but systemic purges designed to eliminate dissent—a grim reminder that revolutions promising equality often deliver tyranny.

Economically, Cuba became dependent on Soviet subsidies, which accounted for 20–25% of its GDP. When the USSR collapsed in 1991, Cuba’s GDP plummeted 35% between 1989 and 1993, imports fell 75%, and caloric intake dropped by 30%, causing widespread malnutrition. The island remains a museum of mid-20th-century technology, with 1950s cars still on the roads—a testament to how communism halts progress. These outcomes were not accidents; they were the inevitable result of policies that prioritize ideological purity over economic reality.

New York City is not Cuba, but the ideological blueprint is eerily familiar. Mamdani’s proposals—free bus fare, price controls on groceries, and expanded public housing—mirror the early promises of Castro’s regime. These measures appeal to voters crushed by rising costs, yet history warns that such policies rarely solve the underlying problems. Price controls distort markets, leading to shortages and black markets. Free services strain public budgets, necessitating higher taxes or debt financing, which in turn discourage investment and innovation.

The danger lies not in the intent but in the trajectory. Once the state assumes responsibility for housing, transportation, and food, the logic of control expands. Businesses become targets for regulation, then expropriation. Property rights erode, and with them, the foundation of capitalist prosperity. This is not speculation; it is the documented pattern of every Marxist experiment from Cuba to Venezuela. The question is not whether Mamdani’s policies will work—they won’t—but how far they will go before the economic engine of New York stalls.

Against this backdrop, Donald Trump’s meeting with Mamdani on November 21, 2025, was a study in strategic restraint. Despite branding Mamdani a “communist lunatic” during the campaign, Trump extended an olive branch, emphasizing shared priorities like crime reduction and housing. “The better he does, the happier I am,” Trump remarked—a statement that projects confidence while hedging against failure.  This was not mere politeness; it was a calculated move to position himself as the voice of reason should Mamdani’s socialist experiment implode.

Yet beneath the cordiality lurks an ideological fault line. Trump represents a populist capitalism that thrives on deregulation and private enterprise. Mamdani embodies democratic socialism, which seeks to redistribute wealth and expand state control. Their meeting was less a dialogue than a prelude to conflict—a clash of systems that cannot coexist indefinitely. If Mamdani’s policies trigger economic decline, Trump will claim vindication, framing the episode as proof that socialism fails.  The stakes extend far beyond New York City; they touch the core of America’s identity as a capitalist nation.

The Mamdani election is not an anomaly; it is the logical outcome of decades of ideological drift. For years, the left has advanced Marxist principles under softer labels—progressivism, social justice, democratic socialism—while conservatives clung to a crumbling center. That era is over. The façade has fallen, and the raw contest between capitalism and communism is back on the political stage. History offers a clear verdict: societies that embrace Marxism stagnate, starve, and silence dissent. Yet history also warns that complacency is fatal. If America fails to articulate and defend the merits of capitalism—innovation, property rights, individual liberty—the allure of “free everything” will prevail, and the cost will be measured not in dollars but in freedom.

The fight ahead is not about bike paths or zoning laws; it is about the system that will define America’s future. Will we remain a nation of entrepreneurs and private property, or will we slide into the gray uniformity of state control? The answer begins in New York City, with a mayor who calls himself a democratic socialist but walks the well-worn path of Marxist revolution. The question is whether we have learned enough from history to stop it.  And what did anybody expect when generations of youth trained in public schools toward outright communism are now the voters picking representatives?  Of course, they will want communism; they have been told all their lives that capitalism is bad and that communism is the future.  And now the future is here.  Bernie Sanders was always the populist wing of Democrats, and if they had not pushed him aside for Hillary and Biden, a communist would have been their presidential candidate.  Communism is what Antifa has wanted.  It’s what most of the minority disruptions have been pushing for.  It’s what all taxation on private property seeks to impose.  And while people might be shocked to see how Trump handled Mamdani, it was nothing short of how fighters treat each other before a big match.  Trump showed graciousness before the gloves had to be put on.  But the fight will occur, and I think it’s a good time for it.  People need to see this communist attempt without the smokescreen of identity politics to hide it.  And rather than worry about the results, the choice is better when all the factors are known.  Because when people have had to deal with open communism, they have suffered and turned away from it.  And that will be the same result in New York, as well as everywhere.  Take away the façade and show things as they always, really, have been.

Rich Hoffman

Click Here to Protect Yourself with Second Call Defense https://www.secondcalldefense.org/?affiliate=20707

Modern Piracy: How Private Equity Looters Are Killing American Enterprise

In the heart of America’s industrial backbone, a quiet but devastating transformation is underway. Private equity and hedge fund takeovers of privately owned businesses are reshaping the landscape of capitalism—not through innovation or value creation, but through extraction, manipulation, and short-term profiteering. Having spent a lifetime affiliated with private ownership, I’ve witnessed firsthand the strength of entrepreneurial risk-taking, long-term stewardship, and the pride that comes with building something meaningful. But now, I find myself on the front lines of a hostile shift—watching a company in West Chester, Ohio, where I’ve long been involved, fall prey to the very forces that threaten the integrity of American enterprise. These financial entities, often cloaked in the language of capitalism, are anything but capitalist in nature. Their methods—leasebacks, dividend recapitalizations, strategic bankruptcies, and forced partnerships—are not tools of growth but instruments of plunder. They are not builders; they are pirates in suits, looting the value created by others and leaving behind hollowed-out shells of once-thriving companies.  This isn’t capitalism—it’s cannibalism. Private equity firms have become modern-day pirates, looting companies and leaving wreckage in their wake. From my personal experience in dealing with what I would consider an industry full of really stupid people, I intend to expose their tactics, highlight real-world consequences, and draw parallels to Atlas Shrugged’s prophetic warnings.  While the honeymoon is over for significant political change, it’s now time to do the real work and be honest about what we see, and determine if, as a culture, we dare to do what we need to.

The tactics used by private equity firms are as predictable as they are destructive. Leasebacks strip companies of their real estate assets, forcing them into long-term leases that drain future earnings and profits. Dividend recaps saddle businesses with debt to pay out investors, often exceeding the original equity investment. Strategic bankruptcies are engineered not from mismanagement but from deliberate overleveraging, allowing firms to walk away with profits while workers and communities bear the cost. Forced partnerships and roll-ups dilute control and homogenize operations, eroding brand identity and operational efficiency. Tax avoidance schemes shift liabilities away from investors and onto the companies themselves, while layoffs, price hikes, and quality cuts are implemented to fund the looting behavior. These are not isolated incidents—they are systemic. Brands like Toys ‘ R ‘ Us, Friendly’s Ice Cream, RadioShack, and countless others have been gutted by these practices. The result is a managed decline, not a capitalist renaissance. It’s a form of economic socialism, where wealth is redistributed—not to people with low incomes, but to the politically connected elite who manipulate the system for personal gain.

This phenomenon is not just economic—it’s deeply cultural. The people behind these financial maneuvers often hail from urban centers like New York, where they assume superiority over the so-called flyover states that actually produce the goods, labor, and logistics that drive the economy. They view the Midwest as backward, failing to grasp the value of raw materials, highway interchanges, and the human capital that exists outside their echo chambers. Their arrogance is matched only by their ignorance. They are not deep thinkers, nor are they builders. They are short-sighted opportunists who measure success by the size of their boats, the exclusivity of their golf clubs, and the social currency of their wealth. This mindset is perfectly captured in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, where Lillian Rearden scoffs at the bracelet made from her husband’s revolutionary steel—not because it lacks beauty, but because it lacks social status. She is the embodiment of parasitic elitism, living off the efforts of others without appreciation. Today’s private equity managers are Lillian Reardons—dismissive of innovation, obsessed with optics, and blind to the value of creation. They destroy what they do not understand, and they do so with the full complicity of a political system that feeds off their donations and influence. 

The Rise of Private Equity

Private equity emerged in the 1980s during the leveraged buyout boom. Initially marketed as a way to unlock value, it quickly devolved into a system of extraction. Firms like KKR pioneered debt-fueled acquisitions, setting the stage for decades of corporate cannibalism.

The Playbook of Plunder

  • Sale-Leasebacks: Selling real estate to raise cash, then leasing it back at inflated rates.
  • Dividend Recaps: Loading companies with debt to pay investors massive dividends.
  • Strategic Bankruptcies: Using bankruptcy as a tool to shed obligations while owners profit.
  • Roll-Ups: Forcing mergers that destroy brand identity and operational efficiency.
  • Tax Schemes: Exploiting carried interest loopholes and offshore havens.

Mainstream Brand Casualties

  • Toys ‘R’ Us: Acquired by Bain Capital and KKR, saddled with $5B debt. Bankruptcy wiped out 33,000 jobs.
  • Sears & Kmart: Eddie Lampert’s hedge fund stripped assets, sold prime real estate, hollowed out iconic brands.
  • J.Crew: Leveraged to pay dividends, collapsed during COVID.
  • Payless ShoeSource: PE-backed buyout led to liquidation and 16,000 job losses.
  • Gymboree: Multiple bankruptcies under PE ownership.
  • RadioShack & Pier 1 Imports: Victims of debt-driven roll-ups.
  • Healthcare: Steward Health Care cut staff, and ER mortality rose 13.4%.

Atlas Shrugged Parallels

Hank Rearden represents builders—innovators who create value. James Taggart and Orren Boyle symbolize individuals who exploit systems for personal gain. Today’s private equity firms are Taggart incarnate: thriving on the virtue of producers while dismantling their creations. This is Lillian Rearden syndrome—obsession with optics over substance.

The Cultural Fallout

Communities hollowed out. Factories shuttered. Innovation stifled. From West Chester to Wichita, towns lose their lifeblood as PE firms chase short-term gains. Quality declines, prices rise, and workers bear the brunt of greed.

The Data Doesn’t Lie

  • 56% of large bankruptcies in 2024 were PE-backed despite only 6.5% of GDP.
  • $80.4B in dividend recaps in one year.
  • ER deaths up 13.4% post-acquisition.
  • Tens of thousands of layoffs annually.

Regional Devastation

Ohio’s manufacturing belt gutted by PE roll-ups. Texas hospitals closing under Cerberus Capital. California retail chains liquidated for real estate flips. Each region tells the same story: extraction over creation.

Solutions & Call to Action

  1. Tax Reform: End carried interest loopholes.
  2. Bankruptcy Oversight: Stop strategic bankruptcies.
  3. Ownership Incentives: Reward long-term stewardship.
  4. Transparency: Mandate disclosure of debt and payouts.
  5. Cultural Shift: Celebrate builders, shame looters.

Private equity is not capitalism—it’s piracy. Unless we act, America becomes a ghost ship. Builders must rise, looters must fall. Draw the line. Stop the plunder.  If we are serious about restoring economic integrity and making America great again, we must confront this modern piracy head-on. That means protecting private ownership, incentivizing long-term stewardship, and reforming the laws that allow financial looters to operate unchecked. We need tax reform that eliminates carried interest loopholes, bankruptcy oversight that prevents strategic exits, and transparency requirements that expose the true nature of these deals. We must elevate above-the-line thinking—solution-based, accountable, and proactive—over the victim-based, reactive mindset that dominates our administrative state. The Oz Principle teaches us that cultures thrive when they are led by people who ask, “What else can I do?” rather than “Who can I blame?” Private equity firms operate below the line, dragging down the businesses they acquire and the communities they affect. If we want a thriving economy, we must draw a line in the sand. We must stop the plunder, protect the creators, and reject the parasites. Only then can we preserve the legacy of American enterprise and ensure that the companies built by hard-working families are not sacrificed on the altar of short-term greed.

Rich Hoffman

Click Here to Protect Yourself with Second Call Defense https://www.secondcalldefense.org/?affiliate=20707

Big Tish James Needs to Do Big Time in the Big House: Destroying the communists in our courts

Don’t forget how Big Tish James, the New York Attorney General, looked at President Trump every day in court when she was purposely trying to bankrupt him over some evaluation prosecution in his company, the Trump Organization.  Big Tish went for blood—and then some—eventually fining over $ 515 million in penalties against Trump, which, through the appeals process, was just relieved this past month as excessive.  But for a grueling several years, the case dragged on, and if Trump had not been a billionaire, too big to drain financially like she was trying to do, he would not have survived the process.  Lucky for him, during this year of 2024 Truth Social went public and Trump essentially made back all the money he had lost in these court cases, in fees and legal costs, and it essentially put the case James was trying to form out of reach and it was a miserable loss for her and the corrupt New York judge Arthur Engoron, on all fronts.  But don’t forget what she tried to do, because this happens way too often.  The communists of our culture feel they have control of the courts, and essentially, they do.  We have trusted the courts too much without oversight, and the situation has gotten out of control.  We had been wondering about it, but this case against Trump by Tish James made it clear to everyone, and she really thought she was going to get away with it.  So it was more than a little satisfying that with all the charges she was trying to impose against Trump, like most Democrats who conduct social policy where they try to deflect from things they are actually guilty of, we learned that the Attorney General was guilty of far worse.  And now that we know, there can’t be any mercy for her.  She has to be made an example of.

So in that context, I think we can all root for the worst possible to happen to that corrupt communist, Big Tish James, and that she will do big time in the big house for her audacious crimes.  Audacious because she had tried to blame Trump for manipulating the values of his properties for better bank interest rates, which she indicated was a form of fraud.  She set the bar where it is now, and from which she is now judged.  Because now she is being prosecuted for much more obvious fraud, which she undoubtedly knew.  It’s so audacious that mistakes are impossible; she knew what she was doing, and that was to deceive the public and lenders to get benefits on real estate she owned.  As the Attorney General of New York, she can’t say she was ignorant of the law.  She had just tried to prosecute the President of the United States using the same logic.  She clearly knew where to look because she was guilty of the same thing, so this is an easy case being led by prosecutor Lindsey Halligan, one of Trump’s personal lawyers, formally.  Big Tish is being prosecuted for bank fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1344: knowingly misrepresenting the property’s use to obtain a favorable loan and making false statements to a financial institution.  Specifically, James signed a “second home rider” on a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage, certifying that a three-bedroom house would serve as her second residence and qualifying her for a lower fixed interest rate of 3%.  The loan terms, which she openly violated, prohibited renting it out as an investment.  And according to the court documents, Big Tish was clearly trying to save $18,933 over the life of the loan. 

These people were always communists, these kinds of Democrats, so it’s appropriate to indicate who they really are and what the movement intends.  Just as is reflected in this mayor race in New York, all this communist sentiment has snuck up on many people, biting them now that it’s too late.  Big Tish was elected by people who called themselves Democrats in an America that doesn’t like communists.  So they just changed their name so that people would vote for them.   But ideologically, they are all capitalist-hating communists, and they meant to gain control over our institutions, which has obviously happened in our court system, at all levels.  Most lawyers, even though they might not identify as communists by name, have beliefs about the world that are very much from the pages of Karl Marx.  And with the strength of that assumption, Leticia James thought she would get away with destroying the financial life of one of New York City’s most famous people and richest, and make an example of him with a different kind of execution.  It might have left him alive, but the case intended to destroy the Trump Organization so that the President wouldn’t have any wealth to defend himself.  She meant to personally bankrupt a former and future president of the United States, and enough people in New York who identify as communists supported her in that effort of destruction.  So let’s not kid ourselves here.  The communists who linger in this country in the background are looking for blood and to advance their party more deeply into power with fear.  Big Tish was showing the world that she controlled the courts and could destroy anyone in the legal process.  And she put everything she had into the effort regarding state power.  Trump was not supposed to survive. 

So when we talk about the grace of God in this case, I say let him do what he wants with her eternal soul.   I would recommend her destruction and to make it as public as possible.  Show absolutely no compassion for her in any way.  I would like to see her publicly humiliated to the utmost extent that the law will allow, and to see her permanently ruined for her efforts.  Because this is more than just a war of ideas, this is a communist invasion that has resided behind a kind of curtain that the Democrat Party put up to let these people gain hold of important public offices.  And their purpose was the destruction of the American way of life.  And they meant to control all of us by scaring people with what they did to popular people with a lot of money, like Trump.  The case with Trump, as I said in the very early days, was never going to stick.  Big Tish thought the courts were corrupt enough to make anything stick.  But legally, they had all kinds of problems.  But when that same prosecution by the New York Attorney General gets caught actually committing the crimes she was trying to paint on Trump, well, you have to throw the book at her.  And the kitchen sink as well.  She deserves destruction and no mercy.  For what she and her supporters tried to do to Trump and this country, we have to view it as treasonous, and nothing less.  This was no accident or a meaningless banking transaction.  No, this is the intent to gain control of a legal system to destroy political opponents personally.  And now the shoe is on the other foot, and Trump has a chance to take action that will be meaningful for centuries.  And I’m thrilled to see him do it.  There are many people who need to be punished for what they did.  And Big Tish James is just the start of it.

Rich Hoffman

Click Here to Protect Yourself with Second Call Defense https://www.secondcalldefense.org/?affiliate=20707

The Painted Concrete: Let the lover leave and learn the hard way

In the unfolding political drama of New York City, Zohran Mamdani has emerged as a compelling figure—a charismatic, progressive candidate whose platform promises sweeping reforms aimed at increasing affordability, promoting equity, and advancing social justice. As a self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani has galvanized a significant portion of the electorate, particularly younger voters and working-class communities, with proposals that include rent freezes, city-owned grocery stores, fare-free public transportation, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030. His campaign is not just a political movement; it is a cultural moment, a rebellion against the status quo, and a romanticized vision of a city reimagined through socialist ideals.

But beneath the surface of this enthusiasm lies a more profound concern—one that echoes through history and personal experience alike. The allure of radical change, especially when framed as a rebellion against perceived injustice, often blinds people to the long-term consequences of their decisions. Just as the excitement of an affair might tempt a spouse, voters may be seduced by the promises of a candidate like Mamdani, not because they fully understand or agree with his policies, but because they are rebelling against what they see as a broken system. The danger is not in the ideas themselves, but in the romanticization of rebellion, in the belief that anything different must be better.

And I would argue that sometimes the most effective way to confront such movements is not through resistance, but through allowance. Let the people vote for Mamdani. Let them experience the reality of his policies. Let them see, before it’s too late, what socialism and communism look like when implemented in a city as complex and economically diverse as New York. The goal is not to punish or shame, but to reveal—to strip away the green paint from the concrete and expose the cold, hard surface beneath.  When they say the grass is always greener on the other side, let them discover that it’s really just painted concrete, a cold and complex reality.

Mamdani’s platform is a communist one. He proposes freezing rent for nearly a million New Yorkers, building 200,000 affordable housing units, and strengthening tenant protections through expanded enforcement. He wants to create city-owned grocery stores that bypass traditional market mechanisms, eliminate bus fares, and provide free childcare for all children under the age of five. These ideas are undeniably appealing, especially to those struggling with the city’s high cost of living. But they also represent a fundamental shift away from market capitalism toward centralized control—a shift that history has shown to be fraught with unintended consequences.

I would attribute this lucrative challenge to the heartbreak of a cheating spouse. When someone is determined to leave, to chase the illusion of something better, no amount of pleading or logic will stop them. The best course of action, I would argue, is to open the window and let them go. Let them discover that the grass on the other side is not greener, but painted. Let them roll around in it and feel the concrete beneath. Only then will they understand the value of what they left behind.

This metaphor applies seamlessly to the current political climate. Mamdani’s rise is not just about policy—it’s about emotion, rebellion, and the seductive appeal of radical change. His supporters are not merely voting for a candidate; they are voting against a system they believe has failed them. They are climbing out the window, chasing a lover across town, convinced that the romance of socialism will heal their wounds. But romance fades, and reality sets in. The cost of these policies—economic stagnation, reduced investment, increased taxation, and bureaucratic inefficiency—will eventually become clear. And when it does, the pain will be real.

Rather than trying to stop this movement through opposition, a wiser strategy may be to let it unfold. Let Mamdani win. Let his policies be implemented. Let New York become the case study in what happens when idealism overrides pragmatism. This is not a call for sabotage or cynicism, but for strategic patience. Just as a parent might let a child touch a hot stove to learn a lesson, the city may need to feel the heat of socialism to understand its consequences.

This approach is not without risk. The damage could be significant, including economic decline, increased dependency, and a loss of competitiveness. But the alternative—prolonged resistance that only fuels the romanticism of rebellion—may be worse. By fighting against Mamdani’s movement, opponents risk turning him into a martyr, a symbol of suppressed hope. By letting him lead, they allow reality to do the teaching.

In business, this principle is well understood. Companies that fail to address cultural issues—such as a lack of motivation, poor work ethic, and resistance to change—cannot be saved by spreadsheets and whiteboards. They must confront the root of the problem, even if it means letting certain elements fail. Only then can proper restructuring occur. The same applies to politics. If voters are determined to embrace a candidate like Mamdani, let them. Let them see the results. Let them learn.

This strategy also respects the intelligence and autonomy of the electorate. It does not treat voters as children to be protected from themselves, but as adults capable of learning through experience. It acknowledges that people are not always honest with themselves or others, that they often need to see the consequences of their actions before they can change. It is a strategy rooted in respect, not condescension.

Mamdani’s campaign is built on the promise of a better life. He speaks to the pain of working-class families, the frustration of workers, and the despair of renters. He offers solutions that are bold, compassionate, and deeply appealing in their communist utterances. But he also represents a shift toward centralized control, higher taxes, and reduced market freedom. These are not just policy choices—they are philosophical ones. And they carry consequences that must be understood, not just imagined.

My advice—to let people go, to let them experience the consequences—is not about giving up. It is about choosing the most effective path to truth. It is about trusting that reality, not rhetoric, will ultimately shape public opinion. It is about believing that people, once they see the results of their choices, will return with a clearer understanding of what works and what doesn’t.

In the case of New York, this means allowing Mamdani’s vision to be put to the test. Let the city-owned grocery stores open. Let the rent freezes take effect. Let the buses run for free. And then, let the city measure the impact. Let businesses respond. Let investors react. Let residents feel the impact of these changes in their daily lives. The results will speak louder than any campaign ad or political debate.

This is not a strategy of cruelty, but of clarity. It is rooted in the belief that truth is the most potent force in politics. And sometimes, the only way to reach it is through experience. Just as a spouse who leaves for an affair may eventually return with a new appreciation for what they had, voters who embrace socialism will look back and see the value of market capitalism. But they must be allowed to make that journey.

Do not romanticize rebellion. Do not make it more appealing by resisting it. Instead, strip away the romance. Let reality do the work. Let people see the painted grass for what it is. Let them feel the concrete. And when they do, be there to help them rebuild—not with bitterness, but with wisdom.  Zohran Mamdani’s campaign represents a decisive moment in New York’s political history. It is a movement driven by hope, frustration, and the desire for change. But it is also a test—a test of ideas, of governance, and of the electorate’s ability to learn through experience. The best way to meet this moment is not through resistance, but through revelation. Let Mamdani lead. Let his policies be implemented. Let the city feel the consequences. And then, let the truth emerge. In that truth lies the path to real progress, grounded not in fantasy but in reality.

Rich Hoffman

Click Here to Protect Yourself with Second Call Defense https://www.secondcalldefense.org/?

We Have To Teach People Why Capitalism is Good: The Vivek Ramaswamy approach to Zohran Mamdani

I think people misread Vivek Ramaswamy’s comments about Zohran Mamdani incorrectly, for the most part.  However, when Vivek placed an ad in New York challenging the socialist candidate for mayor to a debate, it raised several interesting questions that will undoubtedly be part of future discussions about politics.  Vivek, of course, is jumping into the conversation about New York politics because, as a capitalist who made a lot of money in New York and is now planning to be the governor of Ohio, he is uniquely positioned to have a debate with what the political left thinks of as a bright young star, in Mamdani.  But critics of communism and socialism expect a more visceral hatred of Mamdani than Vivek shows to people.  I’ve had the fortune of knowing Vivek personally, and this is true for most people: bright individuals who can debate any topic with anyone don’t have to get defensive every time a challenge arises to their belief system.  So Vivek can have a very cerebral discussion about Mamdani without getting too upset that the trend in Democrat politics is a radical leaning towards far-left, Marxist policies.  And most people have been taught, through years of Cold War policy from the over 50s crowd and onward, that we are to approach communists and socialists with anger, like they are the invaders we saw in the movie Red Dawn.  Vivek comes from a much younger generation, and that’s a good thing because, in the post-Trump years, many things are going to change.  People are realizing right now, and with Mamdani, just how dangerous all the socialist instruction in our public schools has been.  And most young people have had extensive exposure to it through public education. For too many voters, this issue has snuck up on them, evoking a lot of fear in people like Mamdani.

I have been warning everyone about the problems with socialism for many years.  And while public schools don’t overtly have classes teaching Marxism in general, it is implicit in the background of almost everything done in the teaching process, including in kindergarten, when the teacher instructs you to share your toys with your neighbor.  And that everyone is equal.  Vivek Ramaswamy’s approach to the communist problem is to debate it, because he can.  Not to fight them in the streets or call them names.  There are many young people, like Zohran Mamdani, who will be able to utilize social media to capture the attention of young voters who lack opportunities to surpass their parents’ achievements.  For many young people who can’t afford to buy their own home or have children, life seems unappealing and not worth fighting for.  While most MAGA supporters of today’s politics likely have their own car, their own home with lots of property, maybe even a boat.  Several kids.  A pretty good life, and something that they want to defend from people who want to take all that from them.  Vivek understands that the under-50 crowd has vastly different motivations and perspectives, and that they don’t feel the need to fight for anything, because, from their perspective, they don’t have much to fight for.  Their minds have mainly been rotted out by the public education experience that taught them all the wrong Marxist things about social equality and the value of private property ownership.  Therefore, portraying our political enemies as revolting figures will not win over new voters, because those new voters essentially share Mamdani’s perspective. 

That’s why the future of the MAGA movement needs to include people like Vivek Ramaswamy and J.D. Vance, who can debate any issue with anyone, anywhere.  And Vivek certainly can, and that is the way to win over the next generation of voters.  If, during the Trump years, the goal was to overcome all the lies that had been told to us by a government that sought global socialism as its governing principle, now the shoe is on the other foot.  It’s not enough to question the government of socialists and to run them out of office.  The problem that J.D. Vance and Vivek Ramaswamy will face with young people is that many of them have to be taught the virtues of capitalism from scratch.  We can’t just hold up Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations and tell them to read it.  They need to understand it relative to their thoughts as young socialists who we have let get out of control, rob away their hopes and dreams.  Fighting socialism and communism with the kind of Cold War hatred that we have in the past won’t work on today’s social media.  Capitalism has to be sold to people all over again.  It will help to have a successful Trump administration to point to so that young socialists can see for themselves how much better a capitalist system is than their socialist and communist teachings.  In the world’s plans, they never thought a Trump character would ever hold a position of power, revealing just how powerful capitalism could be.  His election was crucial in many ways at this particular point in history.  But do not assume that the new generation will have a hatred for communism as previous generations in America have.  It’s quite the opposite.  Most young people will have to be taught from scratch why capitalism is so much better, because they certainly haven’t been taught why in school, or entertainment, or their social groups. 

The shock everyone has felt at hearing Mamdani utter outright communist sentiment, wanting to be the mayor of New York City, what many think of as the capitalist capital of the world, is the reality that this new generation of young people is more prone to accept elements of Marxism because it’s all they know.  And for many, this issue snuck up on them as they realized how much of modern-day social media is dominated by young people who are just like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and now Mamdani.  We say today they won’t and can’t win elections if this is what the Democrat Party is.  However, this is what the Democratic Party has been for quite some time.  They just hid it all behind a social mask, but it’s always been there, and now that people see it and hear them talk, the realization they have toward it is hatred.  However, be cautious not to demonize all these young socialists, as the goal is to win over that generation in a competitive race for the minds of a new generation.  And understand that capitalism has to be sold to them because they were not taught its value, and they do not have a natural love for it.  It will take someone like Vivek Ramaswamy to explain it to them and show them why it works.  They can’t expect just to read Adam Smith’s book and draw their conclusions.  They will have to be taught, with considerable debate.  And Vivek is just the right mind for all that.  He understands the problem all too well, even as many are just now waking up to it and have been caught off guard.  The next generation in America has to be mainly taught from scratch.  Their minds have been ruined.  And hating them won’t convince them to join you.  We have to earn them to our side person for person. 

Rich Hoffman

Click Here to Protect Yourself with Second Call Defense https://www.secondcalldefense.org/?affiliate=20707

Trump’s West Point Speech: Its all about gaining “momentum” in life

I thought Trump’s speech to West Point for their commencement was remarkable and not discussed enough.  The theme of the entire speech was momentum, which was excellent advice that you usually don’t hear coming from a President of the United States, nor do you hear such a thing discussed at any military academy.  Military endeavors, like political experiences, are typically about conformance to a static norm.  Not gaining momentum in life by challenging that static order.  And as examples of capturing momentum in life, Trump mentioned military figures like Billy Mitchell, who was court-martialed and forced into retirement for insisting that the army adopt aerial strategies that utilized the airplane.  Trump mentioned Patten and others who openly challenged the static norms of their day to gain strategic momentum for a tactical advantage, which was excellent advice.  As he was speaking, I thought of the way the great Claire Lee Chennault, the leader of the Flying Tigers, was treated by the military.  There is a long history of clashes between inside-the-box thinking and challengers from the outside.  Yet what is being celebrated at any graduation ceremony is conformance.  The school you are graduating from sets up rules you must learn and comply with, and if you successfully do so, you get a paper from them saying you graduated, and that the world can trust you to play by the rules that are set up.  That’s what employers think they are looking for when they hire people through their human resources department.  If they want a college graduate, they want someone who will follow the rules and not challenge them, and their graduation from an educational institution provides that proof.  However, instead of celebrating compliance, Trump was advocating for rebellion. 

Trump told the inspiring story, but with a sad ending, of William Levitt, who developed Levittown with his family’s company, Levitt & Sons, on Long Island from 1947 to 1951. This development defined the concept of a planned community that has been copied all over the United States ever since.  Bill Levitt was known for walking his building sites picking up nails to save money and pushing his teams to be very frugal on expenses, and Trump indicated that the key to the success of Levitt was his strong work ethic that captured momentum in life and that through that momentum, he achieved a lot of success.  However, Levitt found it challenging to sustain that momentum after achieving success, and by 1968, they were facing mounting debts and struggling to manage the company’s growth.  They got too far out over their skis and started failing with everything they worked on, leaving Levitt as a crumpled-up old man by the time Trump met him in the 1980s at a party with other very influential real estate developers.   Trump found him in the corner of the party of the big shots, sitting alone, with nobody talking to him.  And when President Trump spoke with him, Levitt told him regretfully that he had lost momentum in life and didn’t have it in him anymore, which is an unfortunate story, but it’s essential and motivational because of what it means to the human race.  Playing it safe is not the path to success.  Neither is doing what other people tell you.  Most people who experience the most tremendous success in life work very hard, take a lot of risks, and manage those risks with significant momentum, riding one success story to another with sheer force.  And if they lose their edge, they start to find all their projects failing. 

Remarkably, Trump discussed the momentum killers in life that impacted Bill Levitt, such as his three marriages, most of which were under the strain of collapsing financial circumstances, and the sale of Levitt & Sons to ITT in 1968 for $92 million.  Levitt had gone from that frugal construction site leader picking up nails to buying lavish mansions and purchasing a yacht.  Then, he moved to a house in southern France.  And he blew through his money quickly and wanted to get back into the game, but had to wait ten years due to a non-compete clause preventing him from developing any real estate in the U.S. until 1978.  And after this period, Levitt tried to make his comeback, but failed miserably, until he was the crumpled mess that Trump saw at the party of tycoons in New York City, broken and pushed aside.  And when Trump asked him what happened, the old man said that “he had lost his momentum.”  This was very valuable information for a group of graduating students from a military academy.  Not the kind of things they typically teach in places like West Point.  However, it is very accurate, and one of those topics we should study more.  And Trump would know.  His life had gone through many of those same types of momentum killers.  However, Trump, guided by his basic philosophy of the Power of Positive Thinking, never lost his momentum.  No matter how bad things got, Trump never stopped being that guy on a construction site who picked up nails.  And he always worked hard and long.  Sure, he married three times, but the women could wait until he was done with work for the day, long after most people go to bed.  Rising early and working until everyone else is sleeping is a great way to maintain momentum in life.

And that’s the point of Trump’s commencement speech to the graduates of West Point in 2025.  It’s one thing to bring in a motivational speaker who says these things, and many consultants out there talk a big game, but they don’t stick around long enough to fight through things and do real work.  The world is starving for these kinds of people who say lots of pretty words, but lack the work ethic to be on a job site picking up nails to save money.  I receive numerous offers to be one of those talkers.  But to Trump’s point, you have to do more than talk in life.  You must be genuinely successful, and one key to achieving this is maintaining momentum.  Not to get sidetracked with fancy boats and expensive vacations, or to live in a house in the south of France.  But to think out of the box and break the rules with an all-in bid to gain momentum.  And once you get it, to keep it, you must work harder than everyone else.  And not listening to the negative people who want to break your momentum so that they can compete with you.  Trump’s West Point speech was wonderfully anti-institutional to a group of people who were graduating from a very rigid institution.  The advice about success is one that few people ever realize in life, but Trump, as a President who had to overcome a lot to even be in that position, gave free advice that was worth many millions of dollars.  And it is valuable to anyone who listens, and it is the key to making America Great Again.  Greatness is not achieved by doing what people tell you to do.  It is achieved by capturing momentum and using it to achieve success where others fail, and avoiding challenges to momentum that might stop it and force people to be just like everyone else in life, stuck in the mud, and complaining that their life is meaningless.  Some people gain momentum in life for a short period, such as when they are teenagers moving out of their parents’ home.  Or as business leaders who happen upon a good thing.  But few people ever get it and maintain it.  And Trump’s advice to the West Point graduates was good in that it told them how to keep it so that their graduation ceremony wouldn’t be the best thing to ever happen to them, but rather, just the beginning of an extraordinary life to come. 

Rich Hoffman

Click Here to Protect Yourself with Second Call Defense https://www.secondcalldefense.org/?affiliate=20707

Trump is Doing a Rally at Madison Square Gardens: Kamala is so bad, nobody will ever believe she could win

The differences couldn’t have been more clear between President Trump and the ridiculously disastrous presentation of Kamala Harris than at the Al Smith Dinner in New York in October 2024.  Trump was hilarious and spoke well. He attended the live show that traditionally invites both candidates to speak during election campaigns and raise charity money.  While Trump showed that he could have a sense of humor, he demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt that he isn’t afraid to go into the lair of a beast and to slay it directly.  He was very tough on Chuck Schumer when he told him that “because Democrats are so woke, that if Kamala doesn’t win, that he could still be the first woman president.”  Trump also lit up the former mayor, Bill de Blasio, without any pretense of being friendly.  He doesn’t like him and Trump made it quite clear.  It was a very emotional evening, just a few weeks before voters decided on the direction of America, which indicated a Trump win.  And with all the stakes present, Kamala Harris didn’t go, as she has shown real difficulty in doing live events.  Kamala, as the sitting Vice President, had so little faith in herself and her staff that she recorded a video and sent that to the event, which was horrendous.  Kamala couldn’t do that by herself; instead, she brought in a Saturday Night Live comedian to do most of the talking, which was embarrassing.  Seeing how little Kamala’s team thinks of us was a shame.  But then again, it confirms what we have all suspected all along.  That they believe invisible hands control our presidency and that they don’t have to do events like the Al Smith Dinner.  They can win the presidency anyway with tricks and election fraud. 

So, one of two things is going to happen.  The Kamala Harris team is either dumber than anybody thought or completely tone-deaf to reality, and they will lose in a fiery crash.  Or we have no control over our election system and are going to have to take back our country with physical force.  Trump has gone all in and is putting such an exclamation point on the entire race, pulling well ahead of Kamala in early polling, that he has booked Madison Square Gardens as a campaign rally location.   Internal polling shows that Trump has a chance in areas that typically Republicans don’t, and Kamala is so bad that he believes he has a chance.  Trump even held a rally recently in California, where over 100,000 people showed up.  Kamala has struggled with all live performances, including Bret Baier on Fox News.  The more she spoke, the worse she did, and the public could see how phony she was.  This has left the door open for Trump to dominate in public appearances with no real competition for the public’s need for leadership. The choice couldn’t have been more stark.  So Trump has done the boldest thing possible and gone to places where he was at risk of being rejected, and Madison Square Gardens in downtown Manhattan is one of those statement rallies.  For Trump to fill the arena when Kamala Harris couldn’t even come close is more than just spiking the football after a tough election.  It’s a declaration of winning this election in a “too big to rig” fashion because nobody will believe it if Kamala Harris suddenly wins the election when she couldn’t even show up in a friendly setting to do the Al Smith Dinner. 

With Trump booking Madison Square Gardens, he is filling a venue that psychologically has deep roots in the American mind as one of the largest in the world, and as they used to say about New York, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.  And this assumption that New York is off limits to any Republican is being challenged by Trump.  Should things be the way many fear and Kamala Harris did win the presidency with serious election fraud, people will never believe it.  With Trump filling Madison Square Gardens for a rally to hear him speak, when Kamala couldn’t fill a kid’s pool, is a statement to make this election all about too big to rig.  By Trump filling that massive building on the most significant stage in the world, he is essentially showing that he has done all he can do and more to present an opportunity for authentic leadership to the American people.  And they are voting by attending his rallies.  Meanwhile, the real trouble lurking in the background has been exposed, and traditionally, to cover their menace, they have relied on control over the media and public sentiment to hide their ruse.  And under tremendous pressure, they have not been able to answer because Trump has been so good.  Going into the stretch of the election season, Kamala and her people couldn’t answer the call because of the way they have been selling communism to people for decades.  And now it was all coming down around them right in the heart of Democrats’ politics at its core, New York City, first with the Al Smith Dinner, then Trump speaking at Madison Square Gardens.  That the same people who swapped out Joe Biden and put in Kamala Harris think they have that much control over the American people tells you everything you need to know.

Trump, going to New York in the last weeks of the election, says he is confident in the battleground states, especially Pennsylvania and Georgia.  Interestingly, Florida and Ohio aren’t even toss-up states anymore, and Democrats aren’t even trying to maintain the illusion.  This is a stark difference now than it was in prior elections.  If it used to be hard for Republicans to win any election, what Trump has done is flip the script entirely on Democrats, and now the uphill battle is ultimately on their shoulders.  As it looks now, Trump is set to have a blowout win over Kamala Harris and the Democrat Party in general.  They have run out of runway.  Nobody even believes that Joe Biden won his seat.  The Democrat Party has only confirmed the suspicions by the way they have treated him once he showed that he wasn’t going to be able to beat Trump and replaced him with Kamala.  Then, under tremendous pressure at the Al Smith Dinner, knowing they were struggling to sell their message in an honest election, they turned to Saturday Night Live to attempt to sell Kamala to the public.  And it wasn’t working.   So Trump booked Madison Square Gardens to make the election too big to rig.  No matter what happens with digital voting machines and drop boxes, nobody in the aftermath can steal this election.  That doesn’t mean they won’t try.  And if they did present the world with Kamala Harris the way they removed Joe Biden without any votes and tried to give America that mess, clearly Trump has been the president over the last four years, and he was being elected by the people once again.  And that’s why booking Madison Square Gardens was so important.  Suppose they try to give us Kamala Harris on election day. In that case, nobody will believe she won, and a war will be more than merited against forces of tyranny that have seeped into our system of government that can’t be dealt with any other way than by force.  Because we tried peaceful elections, and the Democrats didn’t respect it.   

Rich Hoffman

Click Here to Protect Yourself with Second Call

‘Melania’: A book review, the power behind the President

I said I couldn’t wait to read Melania Trump’s new book, so when it came out during the first week of October 2024, I read it just for pleasure.  Then, I reread it a few more times for the perspective it was trying to communicate because I think of it as something quite extraordinary.  Not just because it is the hottest-selling book in the world right now but also because it was a well-placed October surprise of its own from the Trump campaign, a brilliant strategy to soften Trump’s image to women and independents.  Without question, the purpose of the book Melania was to be a campaign platform from her perspective to say to the world, “Vote for Donald Trump; if things get a little too crazy, he listens to me.  And you can trust me.”  I believe he does listen to her more than anybody has been led to believe.  I’ve had a chance to meet Melania a few times and have wondered about her marriage to President Trump.  Melania is the same age as my wife, so I understand her background.  My wife was also a model, so I knew what that work was like.  Melania took the business to a new level in high society by modeling in Paris and New York, which put her in contact with one of the world’s most successful people, Donald Trump.  But Trump was the age of my wife’s parents, so it would be weird to have the in-laws over for dinner but to have them be the same age as the husband.  So I, along with everyone else, wondered what there could be for a woman like Melania to have a husband like Trump, given the age difference.  And I’d say that this book, Melania, answered all those questions quite well.  And it said a lot more.  However, she is very optimistic about why she married President Trump when she could have had access to just about any man on earth. What attracted her to Trump is that he is one of the best examples of the power of positive thinking in the world.  And as a couple, that is what brought them together.

When he met Melania, Trump collected beautiful women like baseball cards and lived his best life as a New York high society playboy.  However, at that time, Trump was going through a maturing phase.  That playboy life is good for telling your enemies what a magnificent person you are with beautiful women on your arm to convey the sentiment, but it doesn’t make a very good life partner.  In Melania, Trump saw in her a beautiful woman who was very smart and optimistic and who he could partner with.  She made him better, which is quite evident in the book, as what Melania got out of the relationship is a path to inner peace, as she is very private.  Trump also got someone who was very positive, had never been crushed in life before, and who he could bounce off of in positive ways.  She was not a drag on his active lifestyle but enhanced it.  And that relationship carried over into the White House in very positive ways.  President Trump’s White House was very classy, and because of Melania, she maintained an administration that allowed him to be everywhere all the time and still have a White House that broadcast excellence to all who visited and certainly raised the level of expectation as to what it meant to America. 

Here’s a poll for you. They can’t keep Melania’s book in stock at Target. But they can’t give away Kamala’s or Hillary’s. I took this picture the day of this article and watched this shelf all week. Melania’s has refilled several times. None of the other books moved.

Melania is an immigrant who is very proud to become an American citizen and achieve what she has in life.  What’s unique about a couple like Trump and Melania is that older relationships usually don’t center on the value of being bedmates but on actually helping each other achieve common goals.  Marriage has been so trashed by the vile elements of our present society that very few people in the modern media can relate to what a healthy relationship even looks like.  So they assumed Melania slept her way to the top because she was beautiful.  But that was not the case.  Melania Trump is not just another pretty face.  She’s very classy, sophisticated, independent (fiercely), and she’s brilliant.  And again, knowing she’s the same age as my wife, and I see it in her eyes, Melania is still a rebel fashion model from Slovenia who has always nurtured a spark of defiance that she never put away.  She has raised her son Barron and is now an empty nester with a husband who has been harassed and nearly killed many times now. After the FBI raided her home and invaded her privacy, she decided to be more of an active part of the campaign.  And with a fashion sense for the extraordinary, she waited until now to pitch herself for the White House, to finish what she started in her own right.  The book Melania is a job application, taking readers through her many experiences and asking voters to give her a chance to do much more in a second term, which she wants to do.  Trump isn’t dragging her along.  Melania Trump likes helping people, and now, with a grown son, she is ready to be a mother to America and bring health to a country that could use pure love and care. 

This book was distinctly different as I read Melania, which is put together like many books from former first ladies I have read over the years.  Because Melania is such a unique person, it was interesting to get her report of some of the world’s most extraordinary events, especially in the final year of their first term, from the perspective of the White House, the year of Covid and election fraud where Melania showed that rebel side of herself more than a few times.  By the time you add the assassination attempts against her husband, the lawfare, the impeachments, the January 6th incident, and her first-hand report on most of the influential people around the world, you come away from this book with a real sense of something extraordinary going on in the world.  And Melania Trump, through her good looks and grace, has been able to elevate the human race in ways never before.  It all points back to the power of positive thinking, as represented by Melania Trump’s Be Best initiative.  Melania wants to help the world be better and looks forward to President Trump’s second term in the White House.  She isn’t being drugged into it, but I would say that if not for Melania, President Trump would still be Donald Trump, the entertainment mogul and splashy media personality.  He’d be successful.  But he wouldn’t have ever been president.  Nor would he be trying to do it again.  Melania Trump is the secret sauce in the background with very high standards.  She wants those high standards returned to the United States because she genuinely loves America as an immigrant.  And she wants to bring that love to many people for all the right reasons. Her book, Melania, is an extraordinary collection of thoughts and a strategic necessity for the Trump campaign in the final weeks of a long election journey.  And I can’t recommend it enough. 

Rich Hoffman

Click Here to Protect Yourself with Second Call Defense https://www.secondcalldefense.org/?affiliate=20707

Why ‘The View’ Hates Melania Trump: Making American Great Again by making woman beautiful again

Typically, there are natural rules, and if you are a slack-jawed loser, you likely won’t have a good-looking woman on your arm at social engagements.  But women on The View are ordinary and easy to get and they tend to get the lazy, useless men who don’t put a lot into their efforts. Most always loser men have an ugly woman like Whoopi Goldberg or Joy Behar as wives, which is why they are all so angry all the time.  Ugly women do not get the same advantages in life, the same access to high-quality, attractive men.  So secretly, deep down inside, the hatred of Melania Trump for marrying President Trump back when he was just a very successful real estate mogul is due purely to looks and physical appearance.  And you can hear that hatred in the voices of the people who talk about Melania Trump.  But it’s not Melania’s fault that she is beautiful or that she was a successful fashion model well before she ever met Donald Trump.  It doesn’t matter about the superficial elements of a marriage, where someone like Donald Trump wanted a beautiful woman to hang on his arm to show sexual domination over rival males; it is just a fact of life.  Nor did it matter that Melania offered herself up in such a fashion so that she could live in a golden palace overlooking Central Park in New York.  Watching Donald and Melania Trump over the years, and meeting them a few times, I have watched them grow together in ways that long marriages tend to, where personal looks and sexuality become much less important over time.  Initially, however, it is everything in life. Successful men need to let rivals know of their sexual prowess by being seen in public with the best-looking women. It is up to the most beautiful women to force a society of degenerate males to step up their game and be the best version of themselves that they can be so that a gorgeous woman might give them the time of day. Attractive women have and always will make the world a better place by making men perform better to live in it.

But Melania Trump is more than just another pretty face.  She is a classy and sophisticated woman too, someone who has deep thoughts about things and for brain-dead slugs who look like used-up toilet paper, like the women who are typically on The View, or as I say about school levy supporters who are much the same, and whom I say often have asses the size of car tires and diamond rings to match as Latte Sipping Prostitutes, ugly people tend to turn toward socialism to try to use powerful central governments to make the world more fair and much less competitive because the last thing they want is to be in a room and have someone like Melania Trump come into it and steal away their husbands, which is as good as they are ever going to get.  But once Melania Trump opens her mouth and starts talking in one of her five languages, any hopes of competition with her fly out the window, so all these other women over the last several years since Trump was in office picked on Melania relentlessly out of frustration because they can’t compete with her on any front. Intelligent women are just too much for women who are short on resources, and let’s face it, that’s most of the human population.  It’s not fair to Melania to have been treated as she has just because she’s beautiful.  But changing the way the human race deals with each other won’t be altered overnight.  It will take many thousands of additional years, and likely the ability to become multi-planetary, where fundamental values about success and sexual customs change over time.

When you think of beautiful women, not all are criticized on The View.  Heidi Klum is an interesting case because she is also a former supermodel, even more successful than Melania.  But she is very popular with other women, so why is that?  Well, Heidi takes her clothes off a lot as one of the hosts of America’s Got Talent, but she doesn’t do it in a sexy way; she does much of her nudity in a music festival mosh pit kind of way that makes all the derelicts of the world feel like she is downplaying her looks for their benefit.  And with all her beauty, she is married to a much younger man; the current guy is kind of a beta male guitarist who writes songs that lets other women know that Heidi isn’t looking to steal away their husbands because she is attached to a douchebag just like they are.  Not somebody who thinks his stuff doesn’t stink, who is very competitive like Trump, and puts his woman in a golden palace in New York society to live in or to reside in the summers in Mar-a-Lago.  Heidi Klum sells herself to the public as a typical party girl, and other women who have debased themselves over the years with public intoxication and various states of passed-out undress see her as one of the girls.  But Melania is their worst nightmare because instead of growing older and more compromised, Melania still has an outward projection of herself that has turned inward toward her privacy instead of letting down her guard to be one of the droopy slugs in life like Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar.

All this has come about because Melania Trump is becoming more present in President Trump’s campaign with the release of her new book, Melania.  She took a few years off to raise her son as a stay-at-home mom, which has ticked off the women of The View.  Again, I have very personal experience with this.  My mom was a stay-at-home mom and was deeply ridiculed by other women for it.  My wife’s whole life has been as a stay-at-home mom, and she experienced very harsh treatment from other women for her decisions to stay home and not be part of the feminist movement.  I have never put her in a position to commit herself to a boss and work outside the home.  And my two daughters have the same expectations and are currently stay-at-home moms.  They have their own businesses, but their lives center around their children as their primary focus.  Beyond looks, other women who are not as committed to their children or would like to be hate other women who are.  And when I say “hate,” I think there needs to be a stronger word.  So Melania, as a former supermodel married to a billionaire and having very high standards in life, who stayed home with her son to teach him the traditional way is detrimental to the life choices of below-the-line thinkers, who trend toward socialism as a management of the public.  But many people are reluctant to admit that the roles women have played in our society have been wrong, and they want Melania’s message.  This is coming about just in time to melt the faces of The View and the old Oprah crowd, and for all the right reasons.  It wasn’t so bad during Trump’s first term in office because Melania stayed quiet and to herself.  They made fun of her Christmas decorations in the White House, but otherwise, Melania stayed comfortably in the background.  But not this time.  This time, Melania is presenting herself purposefully in a much more public way, and in her own way, she is uncovering some deep, dark secrets looming in the background.  It’s about time to make America great again by starting with moms and beautiful women.  Nothing improves the actions of others, especially men, than a woman with high standards and the looks to sell it to a hungry public.  And other women know it, and this is precisely why they hate Melania Trump and any other beautiful women because of their personal choices and the states of their personal neglect.  In such a world, they can’t compete, and that is the root cause of most of their anger, which has been holding down our society needlessly.

Rich Hoffman

Click Here to Protect Yourself with Second Call Defense https://www.secondcalldefense.org/?affiliate=20707