Lauren Boebert rarely gets the kind of press her fellow far-right new fish Marjorie Taylor Greene does, though the two were the only ones in the House who voted against a bill aimed at helping patients with leukemia. But every now and then she says or does something so inane that it lights up social media. On Saturday, the Colorado representative had what she thought was a terse, devastating takedown of Marxism, but it only succeeded in making people question whether she even knew what it was.
Marxism is the greatest ponzi scheme ever devised.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) April 17, 2021
“Marxism is the greatest ponzi scheme ever devised,” Boebert wrote. It’s a favorite move among Trump loyalists; Jim Jordan loves writing short, meaning-impaired tweets that receive a good social media pile-on. Boebert — who was perhaps inspired by the recent passing of noted grifter Bernie Madoff — let her words speak for themselves, not explaining what she meant. But that only made it seem like she doesn’t know what either Marxism or Ponzi schemes are.
Many, many questioned her intelligence.
I bet you can’t explain what Marxism is
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) April 18, 2021
Congresswoman, could you please define “Marxism” without looking it up? https://t.co/uCC2q3gCKb
— Joy-Ann Pro-Democracy & Masks Reid (@JoyAnnReid) April 18, 2021
You clearly don’t know what a Ponzi Scheme is.
Or Marxism.
Or Capitalism for that matter. https://t.co/scaOQRlJoe
— Chris Hahn (@ChristopherHahn) April 18, 2021
I’m willing to bet that you can’t explain Marxism or what a ponzi scheme is.
Otherwise, solid tweet. https://t.co/XbDY8dssHD
— *you’re (@RKJ65) April 18, 2021
Chances she knows what Marxism is? https://t.co/DfCKUFeJvS
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) April 18, 2021
people who say shit like this are the people who fall for actual ponzi schemes https://t.co/nSBksEuDMZ
— trix (@Trillian42069) April 18, 2021
This is a lot of ignorance in just 8 words. It’s impressive. https://t.co/TOR4RWtayY
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) April 18, 2021
Me: Boebert says Marxism is the greatest Ponzi scheme ever.@AVindman: Does she know what either of those things are? Ponzi schemes are inherently capitalist.
Me: I think you’ve already put more thought into this than she did. https://t.co/QrJY0k9K24— Rachel Vindman (@natsechobbyist) April 18, 2021
Others pointed out that Boebert’s attempt to stick it to Marxism — which, just to clarify, is far broader term than she let on, or perhaps even knew — may have backfired.
This is the best endorsement of Marxism that Marxists could’ve ever hoped for. https://t.co/KH0GIBgtBz
— Jen Perelman (@JENFL23) April 17, 2021
Right wingers can’t ever criticize socialism without accidentally describing capitalism lmao https://t.co/TNBQwYglaJ
— Alex Union Stan Account Lawson (@TheeAlexLawson) April 18, 2021
And there were jokes.
That stupid trunt Lauren Boebert thinks Richard Marx invented Marxism.
— The USA Singers (@TheUSASingers) April 18, 2021
Groucho Marxism is the greatest Fonzi scheme ever devised, is what I think she’s saying. https://t.co/05RFU01nqD
— Viet Thanh Nguyen (@viet_t_nguyen) April 18, 2021
Eventually enough people ridiculed Boebert that she actually tried to explain herself.
Alright y’all….
A ponzi scheme promises success for everyone, but defrauds everyone involved.
The only ones who come out on top are the criminals in charge.
That is Marxism. https://t.co/UsrYZAMhyN
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) April 18, 2021
Alright y’all…. A ponzi scheme promises success for everyone, but defrauds everyone involved. The only ones who come out on top are the criminals in charge. That is Marxism.
But people thought that just sounded like Trumpism.
It is also trumps business model. https://t.co/Nj7SS58CiC pic.twitter.com/Ij9JaGZBTb
— Lauren Boebert Is Trash (@AdoptSeniorDogs) April 18, 2021
Sounds more like Trumpism to me. https://t.co/zycy4DXNQ1
— Derrick Neil (@Spawn_03) April 18, 2021
Actually, that’s Trumpism https://t.co/r1MRbwwoiJ
— MikeZ (@mzicknj) April 18, 2021
Or, again, capitalism.
“This is Marxism” she says, describing capitalism. https://t.co/v9PnwbWrNH
— Patty (@mr_pillowcase) April 18, 2021
But it was clear people who know what Marxism is were not Boebert’s target audience. It was people who don’t. Like, it seems, her.