Politicians Portray Peaceful Portland Paradise and...Pinot Noir

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Donald Trump announced that he was sending the National Guard to protect ICE agents and residents from Antifa terrorists who riot daily in the city. 

He used his typically hyperbolic style of social media post to announce the decision, grossly offending Oregon State and local politicians, who challenged the president's portrayal of their city. 

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I have to admit that they are doing a great job showing the nicer side of Portland, although I also noticed that a large number of the photos they post include remarkably few people in public places on what appears to be a glorious Sunday. 

We are being treated to a travelogue of beautiful images from the city, and in the spirit of CNN, I will acknowledge that the city is "mostly peaceful," meaning that not everywhere is awful and filled with drug addicted homeless people pooping in the street and living from overdose to overdose. 


But anybody familiar with the decline of the city is quite aware that it is plagued by drugs, homelessness, a "vibrant" Antifa-led culture of violent "riots," and a declining business climate due to crime. People are fleeing downtown because it is dangerous to work there. 

I personally know 5 people--quite liberal people, actually--who have left Portland over the past few years. It is one of the few reasons I have followed its decline with sadness; that, and the fact that I actually like cities filled with quirky people, weird cultures, and good food. We all benefit from having such places around, as long as they don't destroy themselves. Lefties who actually like peace, love, and weird things are a nice leavening to a bourgeois culture. 

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Unfortunately, places like San Francisco and Portland are committing suicide, and proud of doing so because it upsets people like us. They really would prefer to burn down the village to spite you and me. It's like the pregnant women quaffing Tylenol like Tic Tacs to spite Trump. 

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof dropped my favorite liberal take on Portland on Saturday, taking umbrage at Trump's description of the city. It was, if you appreciate liberal poetry, perfect:

President Trump has dispatched federal troops to what he calls "war-ravaged Portland." Portland has its problems but it is not the "hell" Trump claims; it remains a food-and-wine heaven. "Hell" does not serve Pinot Noir this good. I suspect Trump is sending troops mainly to see if he can provoke violence to distract from his messes (Epstein files, corruption, tariffs, economic softening) and justify his authoritarian rule.

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Does it get better than that? 

Portland has its problems, such as...

But it happens to be a place where you can get some really fine Pinot Noir, so everything is still great for the elite. 

You can turn a city over to a literal zombie apocalypse and as long as affluent boomers can have their little treats they’ll act like there’s no problem and think it’s weird that you even care about all the psychotic hobos, drug addicts, and antifa goons.

Of course, if you want to enjoy the food and wine heaven, you have to be willing to enjoy your dinner and wine while watching homeless people pee and poop right outside the window. But the window keeps the smell away, and most overdoses that people on the street suffer are survived due to the wide availability of Narcan. 

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Police may be unable to catch criminals--not that they would be prosecuted--because they are the ones administering that Narcan, but after the third glass of excellent wine, it doesn't bother you...

Kristof is, actually, one of the better Times columnists, but as you can see, he still has the liberal elite disease of believing that because his life is still nice, everybody else's must be as well.

Or, if not, they are probably bad MAGA people anyway. 

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Portland is dying of suicide, and I doubt that the National Guard can stop the bleeding. At best, they will help defend federal agents doing their jobs, and that is appropriate. I would say I am sorry that this upsets the liberals who want to believe that virtue signaling is superior to good city management, but actually, I am not.  

I am all out of f**ks to give, to be honest. No curated set of photos of mostly empty streets will cover up the crime, homelessness, and drug overdoses, or trash-filled streets. Yes, there are still nice parts of Portland, but that is also true of third-world cities. No doubt you could create a tourist brochure that makes Sana'a, Yemen, look inviting. The old city is supposed to be lovely, as long as you don't mind the possibility of being murdered by a Houthi. 

There are plenty of places to get a fine meal and a decent Pinot Noir, if those are your goals in life. We don't have to tolerate domestic terrorists attacking law enforcement to preserve Portland's unique vibe. 

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HotAir Staff 2:30 PM | September 29, 2025
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