Pirate's Cove

Someone should tell E.D. Mondainé that that ship sailed weeks ago, and not just in Portland. The violence has been, and still is, all over. Here’s a smattering of last night, the in-story subheads

• Portland, Ore.: Courthouse fence breached
• Seattle: Explosive blows hole in precinct wall (and that’s the point where police declared a riot. Didn’t seem to care when the non-peaceable nuts were trashing the streets and businesses)
• Austin, Texas: Fatal shooting (Austin may be in Texas, but, very much a Dem run city)
• Aurora, Colo.: Vehicle drives through crowd; courthouse fire
• Oakland, Calif.: Courthouse fire
• Omaha: ‘Potential of getting violent’ prompts arrests
• Los Angeles: Damage to courthouse, City Hall clash

And

Hey, these are your people, Jake. They're the ones your "news" station caters to

— William Teach2 ??????? #refuseresist (@WTeach2) July 26, 2020

From the link

Early in his activism, Malcolm X was asked by a young white woman what she could do to help the cause of civil rights. He famously replied, “Nothing.” Years later, he regretted dismissing her so abruptly, because he came to believe there was much she could do to advance the cause of justice for black people in the United States. But I am quite certain that striking yoga poses nude on the streets of Portland, Ore., was not on his list of actionable items.

Images of “Naked Athena,” as the protester has been labeled, have gone viral, her unclothed confrontation with police earning her accolades as a brave ally of the cause. But I see something else: a beneficiary of white privilege dancing vainly on a stage that was originally created to raise up the voices of my oppressed brothers and sisters. In this, she is not alone. As the demonstrations continue every night in Portland, many people with their own agendas are co-opting, and distracting attention from, what should be our central concern: the Black Lives Matter movement. (snip)

Unfortunately, “spectacle” is now the best way to describe Portland’s protests. Vandalizing government buildings and hurling projectiles at law enforcement draw attention — but how do these actions stop police from killing black people? What are antifa and other leftist agitators achieving for the cause of black equality? The “Wall of Moms,” while perhaps well-intentioned, ends up redirecting attention away from the urgent issue of murdered black bodies. This might ease the consciences of white, affluent women who have previously been silent in the face of black oppression, but it’s fair to ask: Are they really furthering the cause of justice, or is this another example of white co-optation?

Mondaine’ is correct in all but one thing: don’t call it white co-optation, call it Leftist co-optation. Or white Leftist co-optation. Because it’s certainly not white Republicans involved with this. Most of us were interested in some sort of police reform. We’ve had a problem with the police using surplus military gear for quite some time. But, all this that’s been going on is straight up Modern Socialist stuff. We can debate about the Black Lives Matter movement, at least at the leadership level, being purely Marxist, but, there are lots of blacks who aren’t, they just want reform.

I’ve argued this with black people I know for almost 2 months at this point: how does the violence, property destruction, graffiti, assault, arson, etc, help? How about when the protests start yammering about LGBTQ and the gender confused? And the climate change scam? And adding in all sorts of the same old hardcored Democrat policy wants? At a minimum, regular citizens tune out. Many turn against the “protesters.” And the notion of black lives mattering has been discarded by the Leftists. Of course, when you see black kids being handed “f*ck the cops” and other nasty messages by their black parents, that doesn’t help, either.

And, as you’d expect, Mondaine’ has to add some Trump Derangement Syndrome, which distracts from his actual op-ed message

There is more at stake here than who appears most often on nightly TV broadcasts. Everyone seeking to advance justice in Portland faces great danger. Right now, there are unmarked, unnamed federal forces kidnapping our citizens off the streets without justification or authority. The mayor of Portland and governor of Oregon have asked them to leave, to no avail. We know this is a violation of our Constitution, but with President Trump promising only more occupations in more cities, we ignore this risk at our peril.

Going with that trope, eh? They are marked as police. But, yeah, unnamed, to avoid being doxxed. Not kidnapping, as the people are being arrested and charged in federal court. Breaking federal law in attacking federal property and employees is justification, and they have all the authority necessary under federal law and the Constitution. And the mayor and Governor have no authority to make them leave. There is no Constitutional violation. Yet, the Washington Post let these blatant falsehoods be published.

At their core, the Trump administration’s actions in Portland are a deception. The federal government’s response is no display of strength — rather, it is a deliberate cover for Trump’s weakness. The president and his allies want spectacle, be it a naked yogi or the next shocking display of force. They need to distract the country by engaging our movement in empty battles where they have the advantage.

Most of us are quite content to watch Democratic Party run cities burn. Federal law enforcement only became involved when the “protesters” started going after federal property and employees. And it doesn’t even seem Trump was involved with that decision, since it was made at a lot lower level.

If we engage them now, we do so on their terms, where they have created the conditions for a war without rules, without accountability and without the protection of our Constitution. This makes me fearful for the safety of everyone demonstrating in Portland. That’s why we need to remember: What is happening in Portland is the fuse of a great, racist backlash that the Trump administration is baiting us to light.

So, somehow this is the fault of the Trump admin and Republicans? Just like white Democratic Party voters are distracting from the so-called call for racial equality with their violence and such, Mondaine’ has lost his message of protesting peaceable and keeping it on message with his message of politics and TDS.