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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:

https://marcuse.faculty.history.ucsb.edu/classes/33d/33dTexts/SontagFascinFascism75.htm

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Angelina Mosciski 7mo ago

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NatureCrank 7mo ago

They’re being used in a support role and not in a police role. I think it was just words and a warning — a show of force. The biggest problem we have in this country is that we do not ever get accurate information anymore. The media is horrible. The whole of gov is a mess and both political parties. Neither side is doing very much for normal every day people sadly.

Miquyl 7mo ago

There’s credible footage of people being shot with less than lethal rounds in situations that don’t seem unruly or harmful to the police. The main case of that is the Aussie journalist who was shot on air - journalists are meant to be protected in situations like that. I don’t mean to exaggerate the significance of a few clips like that, but that’s a bit more than support.

Agreed on the information problem, it means we don’t have a foundation on which to build consensus. I think crypto and blockchain technologies will actually help change that. If you mean MSM, yes, terrible, but you can still find well-sourced and credible news. The “new media” space is eclipsing MSM anyway, and so you just gotta find new media you trust. Would be to share some of my follow list if you’re interested.

Politics, a mess, yes. But I think the electorate has the right idea that disruption is needed, even if I disagree with the guy that brought it. The worst is yet to come, but at least some of the foundational problems are now being discussed and everyone agrees they need fixing.