Our right to protest is going to be taken away. We have already seen the violation of rights when it comes to protesters – in Ferguson, it was one violation after another. The same thing has happened with many Black Lives Matter protests – people were told if they didn’t get on the sidewalk, they’d be arrested. It was quite convenient for the cops, as there was no sidewalk at that particular location. Another time, cops told protesters to disperse immediately, or they be arrested. A lot of people couldn’t do that, because they came by bus, and the cops shut down the bus terminal, so guess what? Arrested. Do I need to go back over what’s been happening at Standing Rock? The constant violation of rights on the part of the protectors? It’s already bad for those who have the strength and conviction to protest. It’s already dangerous. Cops are already completely out of fucking control. Cops are already murderous. Cops already have a wealth of bigots in their ranks. Pretty sure they have a wealth of Trump supporters, too. Protests, civil disobediance, the only tools of the powerless. We may not have those tools for long.
A Republican lawmaker in Washington state has proposed a new crime of “economic terrorism” to prosecute protesters who block streets, threaten jobs or endanger public safety.
State Sen. Doug Ericksen (R) said in a statement on Wednesday that he was preparing the bill for the next legislative session, KCPQ reported. The proposal comes after thousands of protesters took to the streets in opposition to President-elect Donald Trump.
“I respect the right to protest, but when it endangers people’s lives and property, it goes too far,” Ericksen said. “Fear, intimidation and vandalism are not a legitimate form of political expression. Those who employ it must be called to account.”
Under “economic terrorism” bill, protesters would be charged with a felony if they “intentionally break the law in an attempt to intimidate or coerce private citizens or the government by obstructing economic activity.”
Ericksen said that the law would also be extended “to those who fund, organize, sponsor or otherwise encourage others to commit acts of economic terrorism.”
The so-called “accomplices” could be “required to pay restitution up to triple the amount of economic damage,” Ericksen insisted.
“We are not just going after the people who commit these acts of terrorism,” the lawmaker warned. “We are going after the people who fund them. Wealthy donors should not feel safe in disrupting middle class jobs.”
For those pushing the idiot line, how ya doing with that, “nah, everything is okay, it’s not fascism” shit now?
Full story here.
Continuing on in regard to the normalisation of said fascism, NPR has enthusiastically jumped into the fascim pond, head first.
If you are curious about how racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric, and organizations dedicated to propagating the same are able to slip into the mainstream, do yourself a favor and listen to NPR’s Wednesday morning interview with Breitbart senior-editor-at-large Joel Pollak.
NPR apparently felt the need to invite on a Breitbart mouthpiece to put in a good word for Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s newly announced senior policy adviser. Bannon previously led Breitbart, a publication beloved by the so-called alt-right, a loose coalition of white nationalists, “identitarians,” neo-Nazis, anti-Semites, racists, and misogynists who were ecstatic over Bannon’s appointment. Pollak’s segment was a master class in obfuscation and a primer on how to flip the script and turn totally justified accusations of bigotry, misogyny and anti-Semitism into “reverse racism.”
“Let’s hear a defense of Steve Bannon,” NPR host Steve Inskeep began, offering a view of exactly what direction this interview would take.
Full story here. Mainstream media just can’t wait to propagate the happy thoughts about fascism spiel. I keep having scenes from a certain Twilight Zone episode in my head.
“A real good thing. And tomorrow… tomorrow’s gonna be a… real ‘good’ day!”
Then there’s this:
“This is not the French Revolution,” Bannon said, characterizing Trump’s achievement and goals. “They destroyed the basic institutions of their society and changed their form of government. What Trump represents is a restoration—a restoration of true American capitalism and a revolution against state-sponsored socialism. Elites have taken all the upside for themselves and pushed the downside to the working- and middle-class Americans.”
Who’s Calling Who Elite?
Bannon’s revolution is being led by the very people Trump demonized in his final political ads in Rust Belt states—the elite players in American finance and media. No one epitomizes that contradiction as clearly as the billionaire Mercers, and their long embrace of Trump’s new White House strategist, Bannon, who made a fortune at Goldman Sachs and in Hollywood before taking over Breitbart.
Full story here.
Wait, are you saying money is not speech? Har de har har. Direct from the Ironic Punishments Department, a reminder that he who lives by Citizens United dies by Citizens United.
@Johnny Vector
Under that law, you or I could conceivably be arrested for having donated money to, or even having signed petitions on behalf of organizations which support, say, BLM, if anyone ‘associated’ with BLM is found to have violated the law’s provisions. Which, given our law enforcement’s history with installing plants inside protests who then cause or encourage violent behavior…
I continue to mostly have words in the realm of fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. It really is all coming on so quickly and furiously that it’s impossible to keep up and not feel overwhelmed.
I continue
Onamission5:
COINTELPRO never went away. It’s being used out at Standing Rock, and in all other protests too, I imagine. I expect it will be back in a big way now.
As to everything happening so fast, yeah, can’t give people time to think.
Would this be the true American capitalism where everybody starts with an even chance, or the true American capitalism where You Too Can Rise To The Top by being born into a family so filthy-rich that your father gives you $12,000 a year while you’re a baby?
Bannon clearly doesn’t understand what capitalism, or socialism are. He’s just spouting ideology.
Caine@#3:
COINTELPRO never went away.
COINTELPRO was just a single program within the FBI, which was attempting to penetrate and degrade the student left, pro-democracy movements, and civil rights movements. COINTELPRO has definitely gone away -- and it’s been replaced with “The FBI” and “Department of Homeland Security.”
By the way, if you want one litmus test regarding fascism: it was when DHS was created. “Homeland! Ein Volk!” When the nationalists start making loaded totalitarian appeals to personal loyalty to the state, then it’s upon you.
Oh and “restoration.” We had one o’ them in Britain. It’s when we voluntarily allowed ourselves to be placed back under the rule of a monarch.
Marcus, I know what COINTELPRO is, and rather than go away, it simply grew. Back in the day, it wasn’t just concerned with us hippies, there was a lot interest and infiltration of various reservations, too.
It sounds like Ericksen has also bought into the conspiracy that protestors on the left are paid to protest.
Tabby @ 8:
Yeah. Funny, I haven’t gotten my check yet.
Caine #9:
I got paid £5 to keep quiet about being kicked in the head by a horseman during a fox-hunting protest once, if that counts.
(Being (a) young and stupid, (b) broke, and (c) within walking distance of a pub, I took the money.)
Daz #10
The horseman kicked you?
Not the horse?
chigau (ever-elliptical) #11:
Yeah, the rider. The number one rule of ethical hunt-protestation was “Don’t attack or alarm the horses.” Mostly ’cause it’s not the horses’ faults that their riders are bloodthirsty barbarians, but also ’cause they kick. This particular hooray-Henry decided to have a go at the oiks, and actually went out of his way to veer over towards us and kicked out blindly. My head kinda got in the way.
I totally respect your right to protest if and when you’re doing it in a way nobody notices. Of course such a law can apply to each and every act that might be constructed protest, like calling for a boycott or merely bringing some unethical behaviour to attention. Heck, it could even apply to calling your representative.
+++
Here’s the truth abozt those manufacturing jobs you lost to South East Asia: You can totally get them back if you work for the same conditions people work there.
I remember a Sci Fi book I read as a teen, written by a Soviet author about a private detective in the USA. The rest of the world had put the USA under what is called “isolation”: a force field that makes sure all the pollution and nastiness stays inside. The real world is looking more and more like this with the exception that there is no technology to enforce the “isolation” nor does the world care.
So protest in your own home, preferably on weekends? What about free speech?
Oh wait…
I too should broaden my swear lexicon, but fuck is just such a good oldfashioned standby.
I find myself wondering how many of those right-wing arseholes who moan about Freeze Peach when they’re banned from commenting on a blog will be speaking out about this blatant attack on actual free speech.
Daz:
They won’t say anything at all, except possibly applauding this blatant attack. Right-wing arseholes aren’t concerned with free speech -- the only speech they care about is theirs. They rather run on the assumption that no one would ever shut them down.