Why was the response to the capitol rally so different?
One of the first things that we on The Left noticed about yesterday's chaos at the Capitol was the stark difference in response versus a typical BLM rally, or the March 2007 anti war rally led by veterans. In the past year we've seen tanks and bayonets as an acceptable response to BLM events, tear gas and violence during a vigil for Elijah McClain and countless examples of egregious use of force.
When climate activists staged a sit-in at Nancy Pelosi's office in December 2018, all 138 participants were arrested. After yesterday's bloody altercation with Capitol Police, there were 52 arrests. Some of the CP's even posed for selfies with the intruders. Most of the trespassers were courteously ushered from the building.
On NBC News, their on site correspondent claimed that the calm and respectful manner in which the protest was dispersed, as if a concert at Merriweather Post had just ended, was standard operating procedure "same as they disperse a BLM rally."
We know different, and we're not the only ones to notice.
Of course, it didn't take long before Tucker Carlson was blaming all the violence on ANTIFA. Quickly, Twitter was awash with comspiracy theories, and well known right wing activists were being picked out of photos and accused of being infiltrators, agents provocateurs.
But just like the way the term "covidiot" was co-opted by both sides of that argument,
the police opened the fucking gates. pic.twitter.com/HyDURXfoaB
— katie (@cevansavenger) January 6, 2021
video showing Capitol Police opening the barricade and letting protestors through has been used by both sides as evidence of chicanery, even though it's possible the CP had learned that other sections of the barricade had been breached and it was futile to try to hold the crowd back. Perhaps they realized they were too few in number against such a massive crowd and did their best to de-escalate. Perhaps they were sympathetic to their brethren in the crowd whether they be ANTIFA or White Supremacists. If you ask me, I'll take odds that at least one of these cops had a Punisher challenge coin in his pocket.
But one thing is for certain. There was a distinct lack of police presence for a well publicized event that promised more than 10,000 attendees, and a significant change in police tactics during the response.
On January 4th, NBC 4 Washington reported that the National Guard would be present at the Capitol, but they were strangely absent. A Washington Post reporter claimed via anonymous source that the Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller, a Trump loyalist who got the job only two months ago, had denied a request to deploy the guard to the Capitol yesterday. When the DC guard finally was deployed, reports changed from it coming from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, then the President, and then the Vice-President.
One thing that the Tucker Carlsons of the world need to face is that this was not a handful of ANTIFA infiltrators. I'm not saying they weren't there, or that it couldn't have been a government sponsored operation, but it is undeniable that decisions regarding law enforcement deployment and response were made at very high, if not the highest, level.
Why?
Why were the insurrectionists treated with kid gloves? That is the burning question which will trouble us for many days. Ulterior motives go from right wing comraderie or Trump wanting to cause chaos, and range to GOP lawmakers looking for an excuse to break from his madness or even an authoritarian plot to curtail civil liberties.
It didn't take long for the media to start pushing the narrative that this breach of security was evidence that social media allows us too many freedoms - and presumably a rationale for repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
Comments
Quelle surprise...
This whole affair brings to mind CIA Director William Casey's marvelously concise 1981 praxis:
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false."
Some politicians made noises about wanting a transition of power without involving the armed forces. Fine. See the video of other protests, like the 2007 Iraq Vet protest, or more recently BLM protests. The capitol pigs and DHS storm troopers are the armed forces, with every weapon and toy and trick in the book at their disposal. Unless, of course, they are ordered by some command authority to stand down, and open the gates to let ‘em walk right in.
Wonder if we'll ever hear anything about the young woman who was allegedly killed, or if she'll simply be edited out of the narrative? That clearly wasn't supposed to happen- somebody must not have got the memo. Or, perhaps, how many arrests there'll be?
Looks like this op worked a treat. Smacked those congressional objectors right into line, it did. Jeez, what else do you think they'll try to jam though on its coattails as a result, "Shock Doctrine" style? Overreach in 3... 2... 1...
Yes, I am that cynical.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
I posted some video/tweets on the woman that was killed
in last night's evening blues. Others added lots more info if you want to take a look and see if it's there. She was shot trying to break into the speakers office. One guy who was behind talks on a video about it.
As to what will be rammed through next my guess is more censorship. It is already being called for.
Right on cue
Facebook bans Trump till he is no longer president
But why just ban him for 2 weeks? Some want him permanently banned. Ha imagine calls for censorship coming from the left these days. Oh well. The party of Lincoln took confederate flags into the capital building so what is next?
Jimmy had fun with it.
The reason for the different responses
is that so American people can WITNESS that very difference. Hopefully, they recognize it for what it is, which can bring about doubts. It can bring doubts because people are blind to what it actually means. What it actually means is that unity consciousness can only manifest if we can see that difference and know that we must come together, that we must not tolerate such a difference, that all human beings have a right to be.
Protests will increase until people decide they've had enough of the division, that they've had enough of the inequality between humans. Unity consciousness is the direction we must be headed. This will come about when people have hand enough of the disunion.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
@Raggedy Ann I sure hope so!
I sure hope so!
C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote
That hope,
, is essential. We can get there with positive thinking like yours!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
One thing that I couldn't help noticing
On a day of an attempted insurrection, the DOW was up 440 points.
It's up another 230 points today.
Hardly the response to be expected if serious anarchy were afoot
is it?
It’s as if the money guys are sitting around sipping cocktails as they watch news and price quotations scroll by on Bloomberg, having a good laugh at us rubes down here who think that yesterday’s set piece was in any way significant.
What does Wall Street know that we don’t?
Exactly my thinking
There may be dangers to the democracy, but there is no danger to corporate profits.
Insurrection? Coup?
I think we should call it "Our first attempt at a Color Revolution".
Oh that is easy to answer
there were Russian agents embedded with the Trump'ers according to those who have investigated Russian interference with the 2016 election.
Greenwald tweeted yesterday about how we have spent billions on security in the country since 9/11 and yet unarmed white men could breech the capital without the full force of the government coming down on them. It really is just simply amazing that happened yesterday and people were allowed to get in the most powerful people in the world's offices and do destruction and mayhem. Lots of videos of cops just milling around with the white people and taking selfie's with them. Lots of answers need to be found for why that happened.
What did their color have to do with it?
You are a goddamned racist.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Are you serious?
What’s color got to do with what happened yesterday? The people I saw having selfie’s with cops were WHITE. And male.
Snoopydawg, I apologize for the discourtesy
Yes, I'm serious. You are focusing on the color of their skin rather than their actions. I blast BLM, but not because they are black and not because of the grievances they purport to have. it's because they hide behind that to justify their terrorism.
Are you white? Black? other? I think of you as white. I think of Lookout as white. But I'm well aware that you may be black and so may she/he. IT DOESN'T MATTER AND SHOULD NOT MATTER. Shouted to be sure you heard me. I don't care and neither should anyone else. The owners of this country try to polarize us. I would not be surprised to see the same corporations funding BLM and the Proud boys. Anything to keep us divided and not united against them.
Let me ask you, would you feel different if the mob had bee black, yellow, brown, or red? If they were Bernie sanders followers rather than Trump followers? It's all irrelevant. A mob is a mob. criminals are criminals. traitors are traitors. I'm sick to see the stars and Bars over the Capitol. i would also be sick to see the Union Jack, or the red flag or the Star and Crescent.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Pelosi is so upset about what happened yesterday
so she and the house are going home until Biden is sworn in. Nice. Another 2 week vacation for congress while millions need urgent help. Great job, Nance.
Just Kick Us.
I’m sure that this momentary “down” moment of Nancy’s
is nothing that a nice gelato can’t fix.
It's not gelato's fault
Let's be careful who/what we blame. Gelato is innocent (and yummy) in all of this.
Facial recognition software
And hacking into people's computers.
The NSA knows what websites we read, what we watch on TV, what we buy on Amazon. They read our emails, listen in on our phone calls. Then they analyze it all.
So how much of this was done to the various QANON leaders and Proud Boys et al who broke into the Capitol and committed a slew of felonious acts up to treason?
Or, if the US stages anti-regime demonstrations in Venezuela, Libya, Iran, Ukraine, China, Belarus etc., why should anyone here not suspect that the police at the scene were complicit. Granted, helping that old lady down the steps was a nice touch, but taking selfies with these thugs and taking down the fence for these clowns is way too telling. This was political performance. It wasn't done to keep Trump in office. He's done, and just about gone.
The first suggestion from the talking heads was to ratchet up censorship. Let's see how vigorously Congress investigates this ugly display of hero-worshipping fascism. Let's see who goes to jail.