Is Maximum Mayhem Inevitable?
First, a breath of fresh air from SNL (even if the sound’s out of sync)
Both Red and Blue volunteer poll watchers have been recruited for election day to monitor ‘election integrity’.
WATCH: Convoy of Trump supporters’ trucks surrounds Biden-Harris campaign bus to ‘escort it out of Texas’, 1 Nov, 2020; Trump Tweets ‘I love Texas!’
This is violence, hitting people with cars is violence. All Republicans need to denounce this political violence
— Alex “Test, Trace, Isolate” Lawson (@alaw202) October 31, 2020
‘Peaceful march to the polls in North Carolina is met with police pepper spray and arrests, causing outcry on eve of election’, WaPo.com, Oct. 31, 2020
“GRAHAM, N.C.— The voters came in black sweatshirts emblazoned with the mantra of the late Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis, who celebrated “good trouble.” […]
“The participants in Saturday’s “I Am Change” march had intended to conclude at an early-voting site to emphasize turnout in the final days of the presidential campaign. Those plans were thrown into disarray when law-enforcement officers in riot gear and gas masks insisted demonstrators move off the street and clear county property, despite a permit authorizing their presence.
As tensions escalated, officers deployed pepper spray and began making arrests. Among those caught in clouds of the irritant were children as young as 3 years old, as well as elderly residents and a disabled woman, said participants in the march.
The episode, which was live-streamed on Facebook by the march’s organizer, the Rev. Greg Drumwright of nearby Greensboro, unfolded three days before an election that feels to many Americans like the edge of an abyss. It capped nearly a half-year of protests after the killing of Floyd. And it reflected efforts to channel indignation on the street into power at the ballot box in North Carolina, a critical battleground state, and other places deciding the country’s direction.”
‘Trump and Democratic governors, mayors ready National Guard and police for election night protests’, Jacob Crosse, 30 October 2020, wsws.org
“With four days until the November 3 election, state governors, local mayors and President Donald Trump are preparing for massive demonstrations by activating emergency operations centers, readying police forces at polling sites, and mobilizing National Guard soldiers and federal paramilitaries.
Trump’s mobilization of thousands of soldiers and federal agents, including an unspecified number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Washington DC, is without precedent.
It is widely accepted that the official presidential victor will not be declared the night of the election, given that millions are voting by mail. However, Trump has repeatedly declared he believes the election should be decided on election night. This is to prevent the counting of mail-in ballots, which favor Democrats, and which Trump has baselessly attacked as fraudulent. To support this strategy, he may well invoke the Insurrection Act, deploy federal troops and mobilize fascistic militias.
But Democratic leaders are also mobilizing forces for election night, not to challenge Trump, but to suppress demonstrations called in opposition to any attempted coup by Trump. This only strengthens Trump’s hand.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf called up hundreds of National Guard soldiers, ostensibly to quell protests against the police murder of 27-year-old Walter Wallace, Jr. on Monday. However, with the protests mostly subsided for now, the troops are not leaving. On Friday, the soldiers arrived and began to deploy in the city of Philadelphia as Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney imposed another 15-hour curfew, beginning at 9 p.m. Friday and lasting until 6 a.m. Saturday. As of this writing, Humvees, M-35 series 2.5-ton troop carriers and uniformed soldiers carrying M-4 assault rifles are posted outside of City Hall and throughout downtown Philadelphia.
In an interview with CBS, Kenney stated that he hoped the presence of hundreds of soldiers would “provide calm and allow the police to go out and fight crime and arrest these people who are looting and destroying property.” Neither the mayor nor Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Theil could say for certain how long the troops would be stationed in the city.”
He adds Guards,, ICE, DHS on standby in Chicago, Iowa, Delaware, Washington D.C. following the continuing following the death of Karon Hylton-Brown as a result of a police chase, and ends:
“Meanwhile, the ultra-wealthy in New York are preparing for election day by hiring off-duty police equipped with “submachine guns” to guard their multi-million-dollar penthouses and condos. According to a source speaking with the New York Post, building managers, working in conjunction with the New York Police Department and DHS, are providing “officers with submachine guns.” The source added, We’ve always had immense security, but there will be more. We’ll have extra patrols.”
‘Trump holds closed-door meeting with Special Forces troops’, Patrick Martin, 30 October 2020, wsws.org
“The meeting, given the bland label “Troop Engagement” on the official White House schedule, was a private session with the assassination squad that carried out the killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019.
The purported agenda of the visit to Ft. Bragg was for Trump and his wife Melania to present a Unit Citation to the group and visit a Special Forces memorial on the grounds of the huge base. But it is highly unlikely that Trump would devote precious time, five days before an election in which he is trailing in the polls, to a purely ceremonial event.” […]
“Any effort by Trump to defy the results of the election would certainly generate mass protests throughout the United States. Trump could well have used the Ft. Bragg visit to discuss potential armed responses to such a political explosion, and to assess the level of his support within the military units stationed there, and among their commanders.
When Trump made his initial attempt at a presidential coup d’etat June 1, when he threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act against the mass protests provoked by the police murder of George Floyd, he summoned troops from two locations—Ft. Bragg and Ft. Drum, New York—to the Washington D.C. area. While these forces never actually entered the capital, they were stationed nearby for nearly a week.”
‘Antifa-affiliated Twitter account shares riot strategy guides in preparation for US election fallout – no matter who wins’, RT.com 2 Nov, 2020,
“As US citizens batten down the hatches in preparation for protests, riots and general mayhem on the streets after Tuesday’s presidential election, one Antifa-affiliated group is publishing riot strategy guides on Twitter.
The self-proclaimed “decentralized anarchist collective” CrimethInc has shared a slew of instructionals covering everything from rioter fashion advice, to first aid for protesters, including how to manage common injuries from police weapons and even how best to treat gunshot wounds.
Within the thread are specific posts relating to helmets, gas masks, goggles, how best to deploy leaf blowers and laser pointers, as well as best practices for brandishing shields and umbrellas in the face of tear gas and on-lethal police munitions.” […]
Of course, the CrimethInc account was quick to add a caveat for the audience, hoping for an anarchist utopia to spring up overnight and preclude the need for any post-election street violence in the extremely unlikely event that both the Democrats and Republicans suddenly decide to scrap the whole thing.
“We hope none of this will be necessary—we hope Trump will concede the election, Biden and all the other politicians will resign, and we’ll suddenly find ourselves in a world without capitalism, white supremacy, or the state,” the post reads, before alluding to the “long fight ahead.”
It’s often said that ‘all politics is local’. While I can’t speak to the truth of that, here’s recent news from the town 20 miles to the west of us (population about 9,000) where Mr. shops on Saturdays.
‘Over 100 vehicles join Freedom Ride after armed march is postponed; Cortez police monitor safety on Main Street, Oct. 31, 2020
“Over 100 vehicles and about 20 motorcycles participated in the Montezuma County Patriots’ Freedom Ride on Saturday, calling out “Trump 2020” and “four more years.”
Organizers of the Freedom Ride also planned a march to support Second Amendment rights for Saturday morning, but decided to postpone it Friday afternoon.
The Second Amendment March was planned for 8:30 a.m. on Main Street, the same time and location as the Walk for Justice and Peace.
Cortez Police Chief Vern Knuckles spoke with Ghere on Friday to express the police department’s concerns about a Second Amendment March in which Patriots carried arms on Main Street.
The event would “put a strain on police resources,” Knuckles said, so the Patriots postponed the event out of respect and support for local law enforcement.
Ghere posted a notice about the march on Facebook earlier in the week. The police department was “getting a lot of calls from both sides expressing concerns – even people who support the Patriots felt that it was too much,” Knuckles said.”
Mr. wd had ended up in the convoy (trying to get from Point A to Point B and obeying traffic signals) and reported hearing ‘Trump 2020! NO more bullshit!’
Yes, we howled over that one, but apparently it's become a byword at Boss Tweet's rallies.
P.S. I dunno when I might be able to be back, but add opinions and content at will, please!
(cross-posted from Café Babylon)
Comments
Dunno about you, but
I'm not planning to leave the house tomorrow. We have supplies and booze laid in, and will just lay low and see what ends up happening. Lots of really noisy asshole Trumpers up here in Douglas County (jacked up coal-rolling trucks with flags, yard signs, signs saying "Never socialism!", yadda yadda), but they are clearly a (very) vocal minority. I don't think that CO is going red this cycle, despite their noises.
They don't have a thing to worry about in any case: they'll get a repub president either way, and socialism is a long way away (at least until they get their Medicare).
Nobody wants to put any non-Trump signs up, because of the threat of vandalism. Somebody keyed a bunch of cars at my work on election day in 2016 (Bernie and HRC stickers), so we've seen this movie before, and they've had 4 years to improve their fantasies...
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
yes to this:
we might quibble a bit about domestic policy, but as to FP they're only too similar.
but hell's bells, i'd forgotten to check with nancy!
and look at what's trending on twitter: ; )
Texas Supreme Court denies Republicans' petition to throw out over 100,000 ballots in Harris County cast through curbside voting
@chucklindell
There is still, however, am emergency hearing Monday morning before US District Judge Andrew Hanen on a similar challenge, this time federal, by the same 3 GOP candidates and GOP activist to toss out the votes in the emerging Democratic stronghold of Harris County.
"Take it like a man"?
And hey, speaking of taking the results of the election like a man, anyone checked in on
HERI mean, Former Secretary/Senator Rodham Clinton lately? It's got to be boiling her hot sauce to see Biden using her strategy of doing nothing, offering nothing and running against the Pied Piper candidate and potentially winning this thing! It's going to be really hard for the Hillbots to continue the excuses for why HER lost if Biden pulls this off.Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
I thought the Dem attitude toward elites --
No?
“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon
LO-bloody-L!
yeah, and sorry for calling you Nancy, Madame Speaker.
but never fear: Hellary's groomin' Rhinoplasty Chelsea to run next cycle; they even co-wrote a book. iirc, it was titled It takes a Pillage, wasn't it?
A buddy of mine
As for me, I've still got me Jolly Roger up a-hangin' from the deck rail. Keep 'em guessing, I say!
This shit is bananas.
I'm flying the royal standard of Bulgaria
That should confuse everyone.
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
And to answer the question...
who knows?
I know the media and TPTB have done everything they can to hype up the idea that whichever side you're against is going to be out there stirring up trouble and spoiling for a fight. It seems inevitable that something will happen somewhere just because self proclaimed defenders on both sides are all geared up for the other side to start something. I never thought I'd see the potential for US elections to turn into say Jamaican style chaos and violence, but here we are.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
Recalls the Destroy-it riots in '68
calling in the national guard to quell the protests, except they are mostly deployed overseas now.
Who gets to call in the military when trump loses?
[video:https://youtu.be/czUx2gvjdJk]
@Dr. John Carpenter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLZ5xcNPMcY&list=OLAK5uy_nCv5k2f2Gx2omkD...
[video:This shit is bananas.
100%
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
dunno much about jamaica-style,
but VZ, cuba, and Bolivian style i do get. i'm just thinking about who has the guns, who doesn't. speaking of which, colombia is holding unprecedented military drills off the coast and along the border with VZ. colombia is 'under NATO'S umbrella' or some such now.
How can you affiliate with "Antifa"?
"Antifa" is an idea, not an organization.
“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon
The same way you can have
how do you affiliate?
The exact same way one affiliates with Anonymous; see video below:
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpkAjn9H2tA]
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
A shame this country didn't mobilize
to stomp on the coronavirus. But that would have required weapons that don't blast people and buildings away.
Don't fence me in bro
come on, man!
SOURCE
Trump has cancelled his election nite event at Mar McGoo and moved it the White House where he will host another super spreader event. Good. IF they don't care about getting infected why should I? These people never think about the lesser people occupying their country.
Schahill states that Trump has changed 400 immigration rules that will be hard to overturn it. He says that Trump assassinated a US citizen without due process. "Retribution will be swift under my watch."
But then Biden hasn't been much better and very hawkish. Gee if Biden tells you he is going to change the country's direction then he should be asked why he spent 4 decades working to make it go where it is going now.
"Dems are bringing up squirt gun to a raging fire. Joe Biden is a fundamental problem of the American empire." Yeppers he has been.
Worth a listen.
This is the 2nd fence Trump has put up around the WH. What are the odds that the next pres takes it down?
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
LOL
This shit is bananas.
Buy ladders
Seeing lots of references to ladders today. But who in their right mind would dare storm the White House? Just more theater.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
Someone needs to make a meme
of a huge KFC bucket on wheels being rolled up to the WH gate...
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
RT.com had dubbed the plan:
'Fort White House?'
hell, w/ the size in pink, why not a series of laser beams a few feet apart horizontally?
is this so chuck and pelosi can't 'fumigate him out after they win'?
anyhoo, today is the day so many of us have been dreading: #ThePeopleWillExercisTheirDemocraticRights™ to vote for one elderly man or the other for President!
and montezuma county will be able to elect the second-ever unaffiliated female running to be on the AllRedNeck County Commission! (first one lost, of course). CO third CD (western slope and pueblo) has an interesting match-up.
Terrorism
Let's call this shit what is. Oh wait. In Fascist 'Murica, it's only called 'terrorism' when brown or leftist people do something. Silly me!
This shit is bananas.
'shitshow mayhem'
for a #ShitHoleNation. boss tweet at least had that part right.
let's check in with TheReal Himself:
Totally unacceptable
This gal has some stones though. Not sure I’d be so calm.
Be nice to know the whole story here.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
comments look great, thanks all.
i'd guess i'd also wondered how long the mayhem will/might last, sorta echoed by BAR radio on mumia's quip on the 2020 election:
on a break i'd found this; raul diego deeps deep again:
'Meet the Obama-Era Neoliberals Advising State Governments on Election Day Security; A neoliberal think tank filled to the brim with Obama-era national security officials has been advising government officials via states’ District Attorney Offices throughout the nation on how to handle potential election violence’, by Raul Diego, mintpressnews.com, Nov. 2, 2020
[add in the fact that there are boatloads of CIA in the D party now...]
Thanks for posting -
Neo-lib/Deep State/Never-Trumpers have been engaging in rolling coup attempts ever since Trump was elected and ICAP is certainly a part of that, as is the Transition Integrity Project and Lawfare .
Darren Beattie breaks down the Color Coup:
welcome, amigo.
and i'd covered whitney webb and the transition intergrity initiative on a recent diary with raul diego's name at the top, then all you'd griped about was one wsws op-ed, remember? i'd advised that you read the rest, but you'd never spoken to me again on the thread, sadly.
anyhoo, i'd thought i'd gotten my mind around the current offering from diego, but i wonder now if i had. to me, more: killing free speech, and shiver-inducing ICAP board, and the ACLE monitoring in real time (spying) was what bothered me most.
[On later edit: also, of course, the bullet points to show that one's vote was illegally suppressed.
his earlier capsule argument was: given that the FBI may have been partially by way of a honey trap, and that the fibbies had those plotters under surveillance for many months, yet they waited until 3 weeks before election day to arrest them...yes, an election meddling coup against DT. before he'd walked out on his interview w/ lesley stahl, she'd asked him about the plots to kidnap and kill kreepy whitmer: 'they were MY FBI agents!' was his retort.]
but wonder of wonder, this came in on this morning's popular resistance newsletter, far 2 long 4 me to read, but it opens:
claiming that most militias they name and map are right wing, these are not:
likely you're an efficient reader, and can buzz thru it. i'm a very slow reader by now, and i forget what i've read...almost as soon as i've read it. ; )