On these LA/anti-ICE riots, I’ve heard points made that police are vastly more militarized than even a decade ago, about the ability of the local police to contain the riot (and it’s scale), and especially about the spectacle of the situation.

That the state has a moral obligation to respond in a proportional way is indisputable. Yet, the Trump admin activated the national guard without governor approval and mobilized marines, the latter being illegal in the case of domestic unrest without use of the Insurrection Act. Actions that cross legal boundaries and precedent are a strategic tool for this admin, they’re seeing what they can get away with, and setting new precedents before courts catch up.

I see many reasons why Trump would go over the top in responding, but the spectacle aspect bothers me most. The optics not only paint him as a strongman to his base, but could magnify the perceived scale of the riots (if uninformed, you may think this IS the proportional response by looking at just one side).

He made his career in TV shows based on power dynamics, and grew up around a NY real estate market dominated by mafia. There’s a throughline from Triumpth of the Will and Olympia, to The Sopranos, to The Apprentice, and now to this administration.

For a great read on the fascist use and obsession with spectacle and aesthetics, read Susan Sontag’s Fascinating Fascism: