A Modest Proposal
Shit’s getting real out there, and it’s hitting close to home. Not so much in Houston, which has been relatively quiescent. (My tennis partner/rapper friend says Houston is chill compared to other Texas cities. A comparison to Dallas suggests that’s true.). No, in Chicago, where my younger daughter witnessed the looting of a jewelry store located directly beneath her apartment in the wee hours of Sunday morning, and who today went to go grocery shopping only to find several of her usual stores either burned out or ransacked. And they weren’t in Englewood or Austin.
And of course, there are scenes of destructive orgies in other major cities, including notably at the very gates of the White House in DC.
I have a modest proposal to address the situation: shoot all white rioters on sight.
I make this proposal in the spirit of bringing America together. For after all, who can possible object? (Except for a few pigment impaired ruffians–but they won’t be in any position to object!)
Think about it. The left apparently believes that the riots are the work of their bêtes noires (heh), white supremacists. (Cf. statements of the governor of Minnesota, the mayor of Minneapolis, or the mayor of Seattle, who blamed the recent riots on “white men.”) Certainly the left will rejoice at the summary dispatching of their arch enemies.
The non-left believes that the pasty-faced (and largely sunken-chested and pipe cleaner-armed) rioters are far left Antifa radicals who deserve a good whacking.
Speaking for myself, I hold no truck with either. So let God sort ’em out.
There is also a Solomonic angle to this. It is a way of getting at the truth. Just as Solomon’s threat to split the baby was meant to reveal the truth about who the actual mother was among the contenders, we will know from who screams loudest at this proposal just who the perps are. So I would take Seattle mayor Karen–sorry, Jenny–Durkan far more seriously if she were to endorse this modest proposal.
Further, implementing this proposal is a form of redress for centuries of state violence directed against black people. Evening the score.
So bring America together!
Putting my attempt at Swift (or Juvenal) aside, I am completely serious about focusing law enforcement efforts on white rioters: to me the most striking racial aspect of what I have seen in numerous videos is just how many white punks, mainly dressed in black and wearing backpacks and masks (but not for Covid-19 reasons) are at the center of the violence. As for these being white supremacists. Please. I know Bubbas. These ain’t Bubbas. They are Antifa, right out of central casting.
These have all the trademarks of Antifa or Antifa wannabes. They should definitely be the target of law enforcement, both at the point of action and behind the scenes. Their financers. Their support groups. Their lawyers. They are the schwerpunkt of these riots, and should be attacked and taken down. Hard. By all means necessary. And not just because of this time. But to reduce the probability of a next time.
There is obviously planning and support here. Consider the Miracle of the Bricks, whereby pallets of bricks have magically appeared on streets, handy for rioters and looters to use. No business leaves bricks in the street. Even construction companies don’t leave bricks in the street–they aren’t stupid. No, the bricks were acquired and distributed to strategic locations for the express purpose of providing ammunition for thugs.
It should not be that hard to track down the sources of at least some of these caches. Street surveillance cameras. Old fashion police work identifying who bought lots of bricks recently. Drones–or are they all being deployed to catch people violating stay at home orders?
One would hope that the FBI and other federal and local law enforcement agencies have devoted at least as much attention to these groups as to the KKK or other knuckle-dragging (and almost completely marginalized) white supremacist groups. Perhaps they can pry themselves away from chasing Russian hobgoblins and chase the anarchist left instead.
I shouldn’t say anarchist, really. Anarchism has a semblance of intellectual coherence. These thugs are nihilists, pure and simple: read Dostoevsky’s The Devils/Demons/Possessed to get a better understanding of them. All of the actions we have seen them commit are completely nihilistic, and these individuals have been encouraging nihilistic behavior by others. Not that these others lack agency or are not responsible for their own wantonness, but the white agitators in their midst are definitely accelerants pouring onto burning embers. The nihilists are cynically manipulating the discontented and the criminal in order to advance their agenda of destruction. (There are many in the black community, including those who could be described as radical, who understand this.)
And just who are the fascists that the soi disant antifascists are fighting? In their fevered minds, the United States is fascist. Every business is fascist, right down to the last convenience store. Every government at every level is fascist. You are a fascist if you aren’t Antifa.
This isn’t like Spartacists fighting the SA on the streets of Weimar Germany. They are going after you, and every civil and commercial institution in the country.
Many on the left tolerate them–hell, encourage them–apparently on the principle of the enemy of my enemy, or out of some deluded belief that Antifa storming the White House allegedly inhabited by an orange Nazi is the modern equivalent of the Big Red One storming the Nazis at Omaha Beach.
They should take heed Churchill’s remark about crocodiles. He who sows the wind reaps the whirlwind.
As for the spark of these events, the horrific death of (Houston native) George Floyd (a Houston legend rapper back in the day, in fact) created the conditions that Antifa can exploit. Large crowds of understandably angry people. Police forces that are reluctant to create more racial incidents. An inability or unwillingness of many people to distinguish between legitimate protest and nihilistic political violence.
These factors are underlying conditions to the violence, perhaps necessary conditions, but not sufficient conditions for it. Absent the malign acts those of who want violence and destruction for their own political reasons, legitimate protest would not have exploded into this bacchanal of violence. The nihilists are opportunists, and are exploiting this opportunity.
So get whitey. Especially if s/he is dressed in black.
One last remark. Events like Floyd’s death, and the reaction to it, leave the impression that unlawful police violence is purely a white cop-on-black victim phenomenon. This is not true. There are many tragic stories of non-blacks being killed under questionable circumstances by police officers (white and black)–e.g., Daniel Shaver, Dillon Taylor, Dylan Noble, Isiah-Murietta Golding, to name a few.
Making this issue a black-white narrative (literally and figuratively) impedes rather than promotes addressing it. The problems are systemic in nature–training, the personalities of people attracted to police work, stress, and in particular the cumulative psychological impact of stress, the ambiguous and largely deferential legal treatment of cop shooters (or kneelers or chokers). Making it all about race prevents dealing with these real causes.
One factor that I bet dimes-to-donuts played a factor in Minneapolis is police unions. The policeman who kneeled on Floyd’s neck, Derek Chauvin, had been involved in numerous complaints, and multiple shootings. That he was still on the force with such a record is almost certainly due to the ability of his union to shield him from termination.
To reduce the frequency of such events as those that triggered this nightmare, police have to be meaningfully accountable. Yes, I know that they will be the subject of numerous false accusations; that some of the actions that have tragic outcomes (as with Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO) represent legitimate use of force; that some actions are the result of mistakes or negligence or panic rather than depravity. But a rebalancing of legal and institutional protections seems to be in order to improve accountability and take the bad actors off the streets, or to deter them from engaging in bad acts.
I heartily endorse this plan. As long as we’re slotting floppies, I don’t care what color they are.
Comment by Christopher Hunt — June 2, 2020 @ 4:50 pm
I’m unaware of the US situation in regard to which entity would have jurisdiction if a government inquiry(s) into this issue were initiated, i.e. would each state do their own or could the federal government instigate one for the nation? As with any inquiry the key issues are the terms of reference(s) and the composition of the panel(s) both of which can determine the likely outcome. That is “what do we want to hide and who best would hide it?”.
From the other side of the world I’m still waiting to hear black leaders calling out these crimes. Where are the Obama’s, where is that terrible senator Waters trying to calm things down. And another point from me a 72 year old, why are so many of the senior US politicians so old, ie. Trump, Biden, Waters, Pelosi, etc?
Our youngest son, who has just completed his degree in NYC and lives in Boston for the moment, can’t get over the looting that is going on there. It is anathema to our society to punish innocent people for the perceived wrong doings of third parties.
Comment by Alessandro — June 2, 2020 @ 6:50 pm
@SWP…excellent idea, full with Solomonic insight.
Does the terrorist-organization designation move us closer to this plan?
For instance, can lethal force be meted out to those out-of-uniform enemy combatants? Can they be tried before a military tribunal?
Did that unusual question to Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings anticipate that?
Can the assets of the organizers be seized?
Comment by Richard Whitney — June 2, 2020 @ 8:19 pm
@Richard-The Constitutionality of the terrorist designation is in doubt, as is its practical implementation.
I think a far more powerful legal measure is RICO. That would permit asset seizure, among other draconian punishments. Antifa has all of the attributes of a racketeering organization that was the target of the original RICO statue (aimed at the Mafia).
Federal conspiracy laws would also apply.
Comment by cpirrong — June 2, 2020 @ 9:05 pm
@Alessandro–I agree with you completely on all counts, especially punishing the innocent for the perceived wrongs of others. I read an article just minutes ago about how eminent civil rights leaders in the mid-1960s criticized riots and rioters. Their like does not exist today. Instead, we have race hustlers and panderers who enable and rationalize bestial behavior.
States and local governments would have jurisdiction over a variety of crimes, including murder, assault, and various property crimes. The Federal government would have unique powers to go after organizations and their members, e.g., under the RICO (Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act) and various conspiracy statutes.
Re the ages of American leaders. Part of it is a testament to greater longevity and health in old age. But it’s more than that. The country has failed to produce anyone of great stature in my generation, or the ones following. Look at the governors in their 40s-50s. A lot of Lilliputians. Or the Boy Mayor of Minneapolis, who has beclowned himself while his city burned. Not that he is actually aware of what a fool he is.
I think a lot of it has to do with how corrupt and demeaning politics has become. People of intelligence and character don’t want to get involved. So we are left with a parade of nonentities, and the young nonentities cannot displace the old ones.
Comment by cpirrong — June 2, 2020 @ 9:17 pm
A bit of a rant, not terribly well thought-out and definitely out of character, this piece yet illuminates through key phrases the mental distress that rational Americans are experiencing as they see their country destroyed around them.
There’s very little questioning from any bloggers about the Why. The obvious answer is, this is an issue that has been seized and exploited in order to mobilize public opinion and prevent the re-election of Donald Trump. Can Trump box clever and turn this to advantage? I thought that his call out the army remark would be a definite end to his political career, but it has attracted a lot of resonance. Americans of all stripes don’t want to put up with this nonsense any longer.
I don’t think that the DNC is actively complicit in this but they’re not doing anything to stop it either. It’s revolution, it’s civil war, it’s about racism and it’s about ideology.
If I were very cynical I might even ponder if the diabolical Chinese didn’t have a hand in this, to draw attention from their crushing of liberty in Hong Kong.
Comment by Michael van der Riet — June 3, 2020 @ 1:18 am
What I don’t understand in all of this: why are we suddenly discussing such insignificant matters when the existential threat of climate change has not been averted? Is torching of businesses even carbon neutral? Where is Greta Thunberg when she is needed?
Comment by Ivan — June 3, 2020 @ 2:34 am
@Alessandro: Obama has already issued a statement, if you bothered to check before rhetorically asking where he is. He was clearly critical of the violence and calls on everybody to push for meaningful change through local elections. That you haven’t heard about it should tell you a lot about who actually has power in this situation.
@Prof: You might have some common ground with the aformentioned Obama statement on this subject – he points out that a lot of police-administrative roles are decided by local elections which apparently have very low turnout, especially amongst the young. So in addition to police unions, the lack of engagement of these rioters in the political process is a contributor to the problem (further proof, incidentally (as if any were needed) that Antifa bear many of the hallmarks of a facist group). PS – I like the dark humour demonstrated in the post.
@Michael van der Riet: Dude, it’s parody. It’s not supposed to be logically consistent – that’s kind of the point!
@All: There’s an excellent and intelligent Youtuber called “Kraut” who describes Antifa from a German point of view (a country which, of course, had first-hand experience with facism not so long ago) and it is powerful stuff. Anybody who makes excuses for Antifa or in any way tries to pass it off as a protest movement needs to watch and to see where this kind of disregard for the will of the masses inevitibly leads…
Comment by HibernoFrog — June 3, 2020 @ 2:53 am
“It should not be that hard to track down the sources of at least some of these caches.”
But who will have the intestinal fortitude to do so when the answer might be career-ending?
Comment by dearieme — June 3, 2020 @ 5:33 am
So, according to your social media crystal ball, it’s all the fault of either errant right-wing types or Antifa, most likely Antifa, actually just Antifa? It’s a shame your common-or-garden criminals, bored lowlifes, and opportunist eBayers don’t get a shout out, but then I guess they’re not so saleable in this oh-so-important election year. Nice touch to give those black rioters a free pass BTW (Note to self: Don’t buy any shares in Target if Craig’s list ever comes to pass).
Also, friends with a rapper? Who’d have thunk it. Is it one of those deals to make you look cool with the kids at the uni?
@Michael Not really out of character, if you’ve read Craig’s blog posts or Tweets. I suspect there’s nothing he’d like more than to line the perps up against a wall and let rip with his AR-15.
Comment by David Mercer — June 3, 2020 @ 8:02 am
@Michael. Satire is obviously lost on you. FFS. I did everything but label the post “This is Satire.”
Comment by cpirrong — June 3, 2020 @ 8:03 am
@David. (Or is it Catherine?) Own an AR-10. Not an AR-15. Please try to keep up.
Obviously the garden-variety criminals etc. are to blame too. But They are not the truly dangerous ones.
And, as always, GFY.
Comment by cpirrong — June 3, 2020 @ 8:07 am
“nothing he’d like more than to line the perps up against a wall and let rip with his AR-15”
The projecting force is strong with this one.
Comment by Ivan — June 3, 2020 @ 10:28 am
They DO NOT want to bring america together. It’s about “the struggle”. In “the struggle” can the country further bring out the nazis to occupy more military posts. In “the struggle” can Potus-devoid-of-any-bonafide-ideas win re-election. In “the struggle” can they do further harm to the middle class by way of distracting them, while companies like Apple(!) get tariff exemptions (imagine that! the company at THE CENTER of US trade deficits gets a pass). All the lessons of the dirty wars (they do nothing else) the CIA ever fought abroad in the recent past have come home. Enjoy your democracy. Even the DNC is on board (why else would they shangai Biden, of all peoplem, devoid of any principles.).
Comment by Kiers — June 3, 2020 @ 12:59 pm
PS: my Putin post: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/5/15/1945355/-America-Putin-is-not-to-be-blamed
Comment by kiers — June 3, 2020 @ 1:02 pm
I have a friend who is a ranked NYPD cop, his job is “special situations” he was in charge of cleaning out Zuccotti Park of Occupy Wall Street goons, he told me the most fun he has is bashing the crap out of rich white kids who think they are oppressed.
Comment by Joe Walker — June 3, 2020 @ 2:38 pm
@frog
“He was clearly critical of the violence and calls on everybody to push for meaningful change through local elections.”
1. Neither it is the first time Mr. Obama displayed such statesmanship and foresight when it comes to matters of excessive use of force by police officers, quote: ‘If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon’
2. Cities like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis already have Majors and City Council majorities comprised of members of the Democratic party. What has been preventing these individuals from making the necessary changes already?
Comment by 3A — June 3, 2020 @ 4:00 pm
@3A: To quote comedian Bill Hicks on the subject of the Republicans and the Democrats “It’s the same hand in both puppets”. Frankly, I don’t believe that either party in the US is really acting in the best interest of their country, or even those of their core supporters. So the fact that Democratic party members haven’t prevented these kinds of issues doesn’t really surprise me – what does surprise me is how polarised the US electorate is: How can so many people be so attached to these obvious charlatans?
Comment by HibernoFrog — June 4, 2020 @ 3:48 am
[…] A modest proposal for Trump: order the army to shoot white looters only. […]
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