As much as the White-wingers want to blame the violence and looting on the Black protesters, much of what I'm reading and seeing it pointing to two groups as being responsible for most of it: White supremacists trying to push that narrative, and anarchist assholes who think destruction is a good political message. Fuck both those groups.
Meanwhile, I hope Floyd's death does spark real change. And it just might! I see cops JOINING the protests. I see more and more establishment types coming around to say "Kaepernik was right!" And I see White people--lots and lots and lots of White people--beginning to say "ENOUGH! Black lives DO matter. And we're ALL citizens deserving of respect."
Derelict, I sincerely hope you're right but I'm afraid we're all going to be disappointed. I almost wrote "disappeared". Let's hope it doesn't get to Pinochet levels of fascism in this country but there is a powerful fascist party in this country that owns the Presidency, the Senate and the Courts. What can go wrong?
Thanks for the reporting, Roy. It’s also my perception that there is an unusual amount of sympathy and latitude being given to the protesters by a lot of white people. After all, we just watched a man begging for his life while he was slowly murdered over the course of 8 minutes; that breeds a lot of sympathy in people who aren’t monsters. And yeah, as another Tompkins Square “vet” I can never see a line of cops without getting nervous.
One thing we can be grateful for is that those franchise owners and managers who like to cosplay in camouflage pants and flak vests while bringing ALL their guns to state capitols to protest having to wear a mask are also colossal pussies. They are so terrified of close proximity to angry Black people they even passed up The Leader’s invitation to a MAGA counter-protest night at the White House, at least so far. Maybe Trump will have to find another way to implement Steve Bannon’s How to Start a Race War playbook.
Indeed, I think it embarasses the militia even types even more when they see kids in nothing more than black hoods and facemasks daring to take them on, even with all their thousands in armaments and tactical gear
Thanks for your witness, Roy. I hope you're right about a change in the wind about these things (I feel it too). I'm not a protest purist -- you surely remember when all the RW doodlebugs in their columns shook their heads because the Women's March had _multiple_ complaints against the system. I think a lot of us are conditioned to feel that way. It was my experience (confirmed by several other Twitter feeds of other witnesses) that the narrative that is developing, about how wicked anarchists have hijacked the Black Man's noble pursuit of Justice, is that this very much a youth thing, and plenty of black kids are involved in the uprising. The "ACAB" and police abolition movement is exactly the same as "Stop unchecked police brutality" movement at their core -- tactics might different, but they want the same thing. Both are fighting the fascism that has already taken hold of the country.
What I learned from these past few nights is that the police are out of control, and one of us are actually safe, it's just that social privileges keep most of us out their crosshairs.
Fascinating. Thank you, Roy, for this amazing piece of boots-on-the-bike reporting. So good that I was compelled to read parts of this aloud to my Twenty-Something child. She was as enthralled as I was. Stay safe; we need you
Hi there, Maggielle! Roy and I go way back. In addition to being too kind, he was always the Brilliant One, while I contented myself with being "funny"
Nothing like on the ground reporting as opposed to establishment press propaganda and scenarios. For example, Arbery and Floyd get coverage because they can be plugged into the scenario that they share complicity in their murders. With Brionna Taylor, that’s a bridge too far given the circumstances of her killing.
As for the violence breeding hardcore law’n’order types, well that’s a story both conservatives and the establishment media love to push but I can also see that the killings and responses, including the riots, combined with the historic failure of our leaders in responding to the pandemic — apparently saving lives is no longer considered a universal good but is subject to debate — I can see a shit ton of people being moved leftward. Too, as those of us paying attention know, more people get their news, etc., from social media than from the establishment propaganda mills. I’d dare say that the social networks don’t fully echo the propaganda. Politicians can say more loosening of the cops is needed to prevent rioting but I can see a pushback to that, that cops maybe should stop seeing POC of an event with whom they’re at war.
Thanks for the report. Like Lake Wobegon, it was another quiet day in smallville. Peaceful march, supportive statement from police chief. We don’t do drama like they do downstate. Meanwhile, St. Paul mayor Melvin Carter was throwing shade on Trump this morning like Nancy Pelosi’s backup pitcher. He’s got a future, I think. Stay safe, stay well.
How many of us knew that Trump's American carnage inauguration speech would be a self-fulfilling prophecy? Some of us hoped not, but here we are. I guess I was naive.
A good piece. But "the decent and just country that he and his scumbag friends have been telling us we can’t have" - as long as you include the Democratic leadership, including Obama, Biden, Clinton, Pelosi, and Schumer please. They're among Trump's scumbag friends who tell us we can't have a decent and just country because who's going to pay for it and the mean Republicans won't let them.
I dunno but things might get even worse when the unemployment benefits start to run out next month, eviction protections will be ending and people with no money, no place to live and nothing to eat are added to the mix. Sounds bad to me.
I'm gonna go back to my own experiences with the police and authorities back during the camp wars out here in the west and just say it - they're all fascists to me. I don't like cops - I'm sure there are some exceptions to the rule and some non-sociopathic folks in the "lawnorder" business but the exceptions just prove the rule. The entire concept of policing in this country is built on fascist and authoritarian modes of thinking - disband the police and come up with something better. There are suggestions out there. There's this thing called restorative justice. Look it up.
The fascist pigs that run this country like their police just fine though. And I'm calling out the Democratic Party on that too. Democratic governors and mayors cower before the police and refuse to build the coalitions necessary to end the stranglehold our modern day "praetorians" hold on this country. Fuck them too. I don't expect Fascist Party governors and mayors to be on the right side of things but it'd be nice to have the Democrats get on the right side of this. In my experience the Democrats were just as eager to throw my ass in prison for growing a few fucking plants as the Fascists were. Friends of mine lost their children, their homes, their possessions, their entire fucking lives as Democrats sat on the side line and did nothing during the camp wars. So pardon me if I don't give them a pass on this.
"Democrats were just as eager to throw my ass in prison for growing a few fucking plants as the Fascists were" I don't believe that would still be the case, if it even was whenever. These interesting times are forcing Dems to take sides in ways that circumstances before did not. Look at Biden today, and compare him to the president. I don't think you can say they're both fascists. Shrugging off dems is no longer an option, friend.
Bill, times have changed and all the Democrats in the state I live in support legal MJ. I'm able to grow 4 plants, legally, in my back yard. I can grow very big plants. :)
You've misread me - the Democrats are not the Fascist Party - those folks formerly known as Republicans are the Fascist Party.
I'll be voting Democratic as usual, in self defense if nothing else.
Thanks for this on-the-ground report. It's better than anything I found at WaPo, and it helps correct some lunacy I saw on Twitter (e.g., images of savage fires that I later found out were clips from Designated Survivor).
As much as the White-wingers want to blame the violence and looting on the Black protesters, much of what I'm reading and seeing it pointing to two groups as being responsible for most of it: White supremacists trying to push that narrative, and anarchist assholes who think destruction is a good political message. Fuck both those groups.
Meanwhile, I hope Floyd's death does spark real change. And it just might! I see cops JOINING the protests. I see more and more establishment types coming around to say "Kaepernik was right!" And I see White people--lots and lots and lots of White people--beginning to say "ENOUGH! Black lives DO matter. And we're ALL citizens deserving of respect."
Derelict, I sincerely hope you're right but I'm afraid we're all going to be disappointed. I almost wrote "disappeared". Let's hope it doesn't get to Pinochet levels of fascism in this country but there is a powerful fascist party in this country that owns the Presidency, the Senate and the Courts. What can go wrong?
Thanks for the reporting, Roy. It’s also my perception that there is an unusual amount of sympathy and latitude being given to the protesters by a lot of white people. After all, we just watched a man begging for his life while he was slowly murdered over the course of 8 minutes; that breeds a lot of sympathy in people who aren’t monsters. And yeah, as another Tompkins Square “vet” I can never see a line of cops without getting nervous.
One thing we can be grateful for is that those franchise owners and managers who like to cosplay in camouflage pants and flak vests while bringing ALL their guns to state capitols to protest having to wear a mask are also colossal pussies. They are so terrified of close proximity to angry Black people they even passed up The Leader’s invitation to a MAGA counter-protest night at the White House, at least so far. Maybe Trump will have to find another way to implement Steve Bannon’s How to Start a Race War playbook.
Armed White Entitlement Cosplay doesn't feel too good when there are people ready to protest against *them*.
Indeed, I think it embarasses the militia even types even more when they see kids in nothing more than black hoods and facemasks daring to take them on, even with all their thousands in armaments and tactical gear
Thanks for your witness, Roy. I hope you're right about a change in the wind about these things (I feel it too). I'm not a protest purist -- you surely remember when all the RW doodlebugs in their columns shook their heads because the Women's March had _multiple_ complaints against the system. I think a lot of us are conditioned to feel that way. It was my experience (confirmed by several other Twitter feeds of other witnesses) that the narrative that is developing, about how wicked anarchists have hijacked the Black Man's noble pursuit of Justice, is that this very much a youth thing, and plenty of black kids are involved in the uprising. The "ACAB" and police abolition movement is exactly the same as "Stop unchecked police brutality" movement at their core -- tactics might different, but they want the same thing. Both are fighting the fascism that has already taken hold of the country.
What I learned from these past few nights is that the police are out of control, and one of us are actually safe, it's just that social privileges keep most of us out their crosshairs.
Fascinating. Thank you, Roy, for this amazing piece of boots-on-the-bike reporting. So good that I was compelled to read parts of this aloud to my Twenty-Something child. She was as enthralled as I was. Stay safe; we need you
Man, I can't tell you how much that means, coming from you. Thanks.
OT: Roy, you inspired me to look up Alice's blog (Hi LL) and oh, SO bookmarked. Thanks.
Alice is a treat!
Hi there, Maggielle! Roy and I go way back. In addition to being too kind, he was always the Brilliant One, while I contented myself with being "funny"
ugh that's so wrong.
Yeah. You were (and are) really funny too!
Great post.
Nothing like on the ground reporting as opposed to establishment press propaganda and scenarios. For example, Arbery and Floyd get coverage because they can be plugged into the scenario that they share complicity in their murders. With Brionna Taylor, that’s a bridge too far given the circumstances of her killing.
As for the violence breeding hardcore law’n’order types, well that’s a story both conservatives and the establishment media love to push but I can also see that the killings and responses, including the riots, combined with the historic failure of our leaders in responding to the pandemic — apparently saving lives is no longer considered a universal good but is subject to debate — I can see a shit ton of people being moved leftward. Too, as those of us paying attention know, more people get their news, etc., from social media than from the establishment propaganda mills. I’d dare say that the social networks don’t fully echo the propaganda. Politicians can say more loosening of the cops is needed to prevent rioting but I can see a pushback to that, that cops maybe should stop seeing POC of an event with whom they’re at war.
Thanks for the report. Like Lake Wobegon, it was another quiet day in smallville. Peaceful march, supportive statement from police chief. We don’t do drama like they do downstate. Meanwhile, St. Paul mayor Melvin Carter was throwing shade on Trump this morning like Nancy Pelosi’s backup pitcher. He’s got a future, I think. Stay safe, stay well.
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How many of us knew that Trump's American carnage inauguration speech would be a self-fulfilling prophecy? Some of us hoped not, but here we are. I guess I was naive.
It was an aspirational statement without the optative voice
A good piece. But "the decent and just country that he and his scumbag friends have been telling us we can’t have" - as long as you include the Democratic leadership, including Obama, Biden, Clinton, Pelosi, and Schumer please. They're among Trump's scumbag friends who tell us we can't have a decent and just country because who's going to pay for it and the mean Republicans won't let them.
I dunno but things might get even worse when the unemployment benefits start to run out next month, eviction protections will be ending and people with no money, no place to live and nothing to eat are added to the mix. Sounds bad to me.
I'm gonna go back to my own experiences with the police and authorities back during the camp wars out here in the west and just say it - they're all fascists to me. I don't like cops - I'm sure there are some exceptions to the rule and some non-sociopathic folks in the "lawnorder" business but the exceptions just prove the rule. The entire concept of policing in this country is built on fascist and authoritarian modes of thinking - disband the police and come up with something better. There are suggestions out there. There's this thing called restorative justice. Look it up.
The fascist pigs that run this country like their police just fine though. And I'm calling out the Democratic Party on that too. Democratic governors and mayors cower before the police and refuse to build the coalitions necessary to end the stranglehold our modern day "praetorians" hold on this country. Fuck them too. I don't expect Fascist Party governors and mayors to be on the right side of things but it'd be nice to have the Democrats get on the right side of this. In my experience the Democrats were just as eager to throw my ass in prison for growing a few fucking plants as the Fascists were. Friends of mine lost their children, their homes, their possessions, their entire fucking lives as Democrats sat on the side line and did nothing during the camp wars. So pardon me if I don't give them a pass on this.
Fair enough.
"Democrats were just as eager to throw my ass in prison for growing a few fucking plants as the Fascists were" I don't believe that would still be the case, if it even was whenever. These interesting times are forcing Dems to take sides in ways that circumstances before did not. Look at Biden today, and compare him to the president. I don't think you can say they're both fascists. Shrugging off dems is no longer an option, friend.
Bill, times have changed and all the Democrats in the state I live in support legal MJ. I'm able to grow 4 plants, legally, in my back yard. I can grow very big plants. :)
You've misread me - the Democrats are not the Fascist Party - those folks formerly known as Republicans are the Fascist Party.
I'll be voting Democratic as usual, in self defense if nothing else.
Thanks for this on-the-ground report. It's better than anything I found at WaPo, and it helps correct some lunacy I saw on Twitter (e.g., images of savage fires that I later found out were clips from Designated Survivor).