Ted Lieu with the Power (Socialist) Fist?

Civil liberties and force are incompatible. If we want to be free, that status must include freedom from coercion.

Apparently, State Senator turned Congressional candidate Ted Lieu  (D-Torrance) does not agree. He supported tripling of the state car tax, and "the power to tax is the power to destroy". A massive voter reprisal forced him to pull the measure before he could introduce it for consideration. From the outset of his tenure in the state legislature, Lieu has passed micromanaging legislation, from banning tanning salons for youth to outlawing private puppy sales and protecting bears from hunting dogs, all while ignoring the pension crises and hostile regulations hurting California's economy.

Posing for a photo with the liberal activist group 99% Rise, Lieu retweeted:

Retweeted by Ted Lieu 99Rise @99rise  ·  Jul 2

@tedlieu Thank you so much for your support! One person, one vote! Money out of politics! #SACsitin #wethepeople

What?! This group claims to support one person one vote, yet at the same time represents itself with the Socialist Fist? Government power fights against individual liberty, and even when the right to vote exists, government coercion attempts to curb or corrupt the vote (consider the suspect voter turnout in Mississippi following the US Senate primary run-off)

Then I looked up "Socialist Fist" on Google, and the striking similarity between the fist on the poster and throughout the Internet demonstrates a disturbing connection with Socialism.

Like other statist political philosophies, socialism depends on government force and coercion to enforce "equality", which in fact turns into an equitable poverty, contrasted with a minute, elite minority taking advantage of everyone else. For a group which claims to represent the 99%, 99 Rise is actually promoting the very agenda which they claim to oppose.

State Sen. Lieu wants to overturn Citizens United, yet he has ignored the Tea Party backed candidate, David Brat in Virginia, who overcame a well-financed incumbent's campaign war chest, one which exceeded Brat's financing ten times over.

Let us also not forget that EBay CEO Meg Whitman and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina spent a combined $187 million for California statewide offices, and lost. Money in politics is neither as persuasive nor powerful as Lieu and 99 Rise would suggest.

Speaking of moneyed influence in politics, when will Lieu discuss getting union money out of politics? With the donations he takes in from public sector unions (coerced membership, forced dues, nothing about liberty here), including the violent, anti-liberty SEIU? He praised the Supreme Court decision which extended Fourth Amendment protections to our cellphones, yet he said nothing about Harris v. Quinn, which will force this labor group to return millions of forced dues to non-members.

While liberal groups rely on fists and force, the Supreme Court (and advocates for liberty and equality of opportunity) rely on reason and truth. Perhaps Sen. Lieu should associated less with bullying socialism and advocate individual liberty based on limited government. Otherwise, Lieu has no business serving in government.