2020 summer of discontent

[Winchester]

[Kane]

[Kane]

[NAB]

[exploited]

I don't think you're racist, Luke. I just think that you have, ironically, bought into some pretty incredible fake news.

There is no organization called antifa. There is no leadership structure, no pool of money, no hierarchy, nothing tangible on paper or even in person. The only thing that you could conceivably point to is random individuals looting and rioting, the bulk of which appears to be basic criminal opportunism. It is also possible you are referring to people who beat up folks who carry Nazi and Confederate flags. And while that is technically a form of political violence, and thus technically some kind of terrorism, it certainly doesn't amount to overthrowing the state, killing cops, etc. Really it is just a bunch of angry 20 year olds wanting to feel good about smashing some racists, which TBF, is at least understandable on a human level.

I'm not sure what relevance your degree has here. Nobody can verify you actually went to school for that, and even if we could, merely having credentials doesn't automatically imply your understanding is correct. There are plenty of so-called "experts" who are incorrect - you allude to this in your post, but fail to consider that you may be exhibiting behaviour that perfectly matches what you just condemned.

The reality is that there are plenty of people with racist attitudes who aren't monsters. Dylan, for instance, is the type of racist who has learned to refer to culture instead of race, even though they functionally mean the same thing in his mind. And not all racism is inherently supportive of excessive violence. Indeed, racism is mostly banal, mostly harmless in a direct sense, and only dangerous when combined with influence over state function. To use Dylan as an example again, he views urban blacks as violent and stupid, and the rioting/looting merely confirms this point of view. He isn't likely to support George Floyd's treatment, but once the uppity blacks get out of line, he'll immediately give free reign to cops to abuse and beat protesters, the vast bulk of whom are peaceful. He will always side with the state when push comes to shove, because he benefits from it, and he knows he is protected from it, given his circumstances and achievements and wealth.

This, like most things Dylan has half-grasped in his time here, is hardly a fair or just understanding of the situation. It is really a big part of the problem in America, where a person only grasps half the problem. Dylan can correctly point out cultural problems in urban black communities all day, but he'll never even try to understand the wider cultural problems that create those realities. And similarly, I'm sure there are plenty of leftists who just want to blame capitalism and exploitation and cops for everything, while failing to grasp how their own behaviour harms their community.

If Americans want to rebuild their country, you've really got to take a fresh start here. Put aside those simplistic misunderstandings. Demonstrate some empathy. Good cops have failed to reign in bad cops, and good protestors have failed to reign in bad protestors, and on both sides the bulk of people really just want peace, order, a fair chance. Start from there. This stuff about antifa, the way Trump has handled this situation, is intended to cause more damage. It is not intended to calm things down or produce something worthwhile.

[NAB]

We've been giving our police departments DoD equipment for years, what could go wrong?

[Kane]

[Kane]

https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... e-protests

Federal Riot police are being deployed to Miami and D.C.

[Winchester]

[NAB]