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Trump Mulls Declaring an Insurrection and Sending Military Into Cities
Around 7PM here, he had police tear gas and terrorize PEACEFUL PROTESTERS to clear the street just so he could walk outside the WH gate to St John's Church for a photo-op. Why? Because he was angry that the world knew he was secreted in the WH bunker a few times this weekend, and he needed to 'correct' that mental image. Pathetic.
BTW legal scholars are saying he can't invoke the Insurrection Act unless state governors make a request, so .... WTF.
Tear gas, threats before President Trump visits church amid protests -
Moments before 6:30 p.m., just when Trump said he would begin his address, the officers suddenly marched forward, directly confronting the protesters as many held up their hands, saying, “Don’t shoot." Soon, law enforcement officers were aggressively forcing the protesters back, firing tear gas and deploying flash bangs into the crowd to disperse them from the park ... With smoke still wafting ... Trump emerged in the Rose Garden ...
“I am your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protesters," he declared, before demanding that governors across the nation deploy the National Guard "in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets." And he warned that, if they refused, he would deploy the United States military “and quickly solve the problem for them.” ... “As we speak I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers," he said, as explosions rang out in the background. “We are putting everybody on warning.”
(Than) Trump crossed H Street and walked toward St. John’s Episcopal Church, the landmark pale yellow building where every president, including Trump, has prayed. It had been damaged Sunday night in a protest fire. Trump, standing alone in front of cameras, then raised a black-covered Bible for reporters to see. “We have a great country,” Trump said. “Greatest country in the world.”
July 4th this year will be a National Day of Prayer for President Donald Trump to die. If we all pray hard enough, maybe God will hear our prayers and rid the earth of this monster.
There are always some bad apple looters/firebugs in these protests. However one also has to wonder how many of them are typical idiots or purposely torching and destroying things to make the legitimate protesters look more evil/dangerous and distract the media from their underlying messages.
July 4th this year will be a National Day of Prayer for President Donald Trump to die. If we all pray hard enough, maybe God will hear our prayers and rid the earth of this monster.
I live in Minneapolis and I've said before that we are witnessing an attempt at a takeover of our country by a wannabe fascist dictator. This from Heather Cox Richardson on FB:
"A reminder: we do not yet know who is behind the looting and violence, although a number of videos have shown white instigators. The political affiliation of those rioters is not clear, despite the statements of Trump and Attorney General Barr that they are “radical leftists.”
When a journalist today asked a senior White House official what Trump was doing, the official responded: “He’s not handling anything, just typing a bunch of shit on Twitter.” But things took an ominous turn later in the day."
.....
"Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania tweeted: “I want to be super clear about what happened tonight in Washington: The President of the United States deployed tear-gas, rubber bullets and military personnel on peaceful protesters so that he could cross the street for a photo op. There is no excuse.” Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon straight up said “the fascist speech Donald Trump just delivered verged on a declaration of war against American citizens. I fear for our country tonight and will not stop defending America against Trump’s assault.”
Esquire writer Charles Pierce notes that since 9-11, the federal government has equipped local police with $4.3 billion in military gear and prepared them for an all-out war on terrorists. In 2014, President Barack Obama tried to stop the transfer of military weapons and equipment to civilian police departments with an executive order, but Trump reversed it. This militarization of the police has created in America’s streets what a government commission in 1968 defined as a “police riot,” in which officers themselves instigate, escalate, or sustain violent confrontations. In addition to attacking protesters, today’s police are singling out journalists for attack. This development is significant because it is a key sign of authoritarian regimes, which try to silence journalists to silence information about their actions.
Tonight General Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, talked to reporters from the streets of Washington. National security specialist Tom Nichols noted: “There is absolutely no reason for the Chairman to be walking the streets right now. This is not even remotely in the tradition of U.S. civil-military relations.”"
@rforno...interesting interview from 1994 with the editor of this magazine you posted. We blame Trump for a lot of this, but America's frustration with government comes from a long history of inequality and poor management.
Totally agree. This has been going on for decades. That said, in terms of the political polarization and tribal politics, I pin the blame for this modern incarnation upon Newt Gingrich and his Republicans when they took Congress in the mid-90s. Their brand of scorched-earth politics and treating non-GOP'ers as the enemy set the stage for what's happened in the ensuing years, leading us to where we've ended up now.
Congress has ceded more and more power to the White House. Then, if there are different parties at opposite ends of Pennsylvania Ave, nothing can get done b/c each side tries to stonewall the other's progress on ... anything. So yeah, no wonder government dysfunction is rampant.
@rforno...interesting interview from 1994 with the editor of this magazine you posted. We blame Trump for a lot of this, but America's frustration with government comes from a long history of inequality and poor management.
(Excellent decision by our two local governors. --rick)
Maryland, Virginia governors refuse Pentagon request to send National Guard to DC
The governors of Maryland and Virginia both refused direct requests from Defense Secretary Mark Esper to send National Guard troops to help counter mostly peaceful protestors in Washington, D.C.
In separate calls made on Monday, Esper asked Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to deploy troops into the District, sources with knowledge of the calls said.
Esper made the request without consulting Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), who had already declared a curfew in the nation's capital.
< - >
"When this request came in, we quickly learned it had not been made at Mayor Bower's request or coordinated with her, and we have heightened concern based on the President's remarks that the administration is looking to use the Guard to escalate — not deescalate — the situation," Mercer said.
Esquire writer Charles Pierce notes that since 9-11, the federal government has equipped local police with $4.3 billion in military gear and prepared them for an all-out war on terrorists. In 2014, President Barack Obama tried to stop the transfer of military weapons and equipment to civilian police departments with an executive order, but Trump reversed it. This militarization of the police has created in America’s streets what a government commission in 1968 defined as a “police riot,” in which officers themselves instigate, escalate, or sustain violent confrontations. In addition to attacking protesters, today’s police are singling out journalists for attack. This development is significant because it is a key sign of authoritarian regimes, which try to silence journalists to silence information about their actions.
Events of the past few days has stirred up renewed effort in Congress to limit the transfer of military weapons to police.
That will be welcome as well @PRESSmUP. As a crowd of peaceful protestors in broad daylight we have been tear gassed and fired upon with rubber bullets simply as a measure of them trying to show us who's boss. You can imagine how well that went over.
Couple of things. Bee is spot on that this has been brewing for decades. Bush Sr. broke his promises, so the people elected Bubba. He broke his promises, so they elected Jr. He broke his promises, so they elected Obama. He broke his promises, so they elected Trump. Both sides of the aisle have been lying to the American people for decades while they screwed us and robbed the country blind.
That said, I had just finished a year at MSU and was working at the new Meijer's in south Lansing, when the race riots broke out in Detroit in July of 1967. I was PAID to stand lookout on the roof of the Meijer's. The governor sent in the National Guard but this was not the guard of today that have actually been deployed. This was the guard of draft dodgers avoiding Vietnam. They were literally chased out of Detroit. The governor than asked the Feds for help and they sent the 82nd Airborne Division. I watched nightly news of their initial deployment. This looter was carrying a TV down a fire escape. They told him to stop over a bullhorn. He refused, so they cut him in half with a M-16 ON LIVE TV. 6 months later, I had my own M-16 in the RVN.
Thanks all. I’ve been thinking for couple years he’d find a reason to impose martial law across the country before the November election. Hope I’m damned wrong.
He’s taking a big risk politically to invade states now who don’t want federal armed forces policing civilians. One, he’ll invite more protests. Two, should something go wrong (as at Kent State in late 60s) and a civilian be killed or injured, much of the electorate would turn against him - regardless of whether the death or injury was “justified.”
We are still a nation of laws. Looters and those who violate curfews need to be dealt with according to law. You don’t execute a 18 year old kid in the street without due process. Looks like majority of trouble makers are youths - likely from poor and / or dysfunctional homes. Sad commentary on state of the nation.
Bottom line - He won’t impose martial law now, but may be conditioning us for what’s to come in a few months.
Republican people have lost their soul to hatred and racism. Evangelicals believe Trump is messenger of GOD. Democratic party has been without any credible leader for quite some time (Sorry state of affair).
Looters struck in Manhattan again on Tuesday, though the damage appeared to be a much smaller than the outright chaos of the previous night, with cops seen making several arrests outside of stores. ...
It was a far cry from Monday’s spree of rampage, where large groups of young men struck in SoHo and Midtown, breaking into stores and making off with the loot, despite an 11 p.m. curfew.
The city instituted another curfew on Tuesday, this time beginning at 8 p.m. in an attempt to stop the wave of destruction.
Mass demonstrations across the U.S. gave way to a night of relative calm Tuesday, in contrast with the destruction of recent nights, as anger simmered over the killing of George Floyd in custody and police violence more broadly.
Thousands of peaceful demonstrators gathered during the day in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Milwaukee and the Washington, D.C., region, protesting ...
The calm appeared mostly to hold overnight.
In New York, a protest in Union Square ran past the 8 p.m. curfew established for the city but without reports of violence or problems, according to one police officer. A few minutes later, a group of more than a dozen people appearing to be in their teens and 20s attempted to break into a Foot Locker but quickly dispersed when a police van arrived.
Pentagon officials added that it was the White House, not the Defense Department, that was pushing for active military might in the streets. A senior DOD official said it was the White House that requested military helicopters [ including clearly-marked MEDEVAC birds ] fly low over protesters in D.C. and that it was part of a broader request from the Trump team that the national guard ramp up its presence in the city. The Associated Press was the first to report about the military flyover being connected to a request from President Trump.
Additionally, the president has pressed aides and Pentagon officials for graphic details on the kind of armored vehicles, military units, aircraft, and even “tanks” that they could potentially send to maintain order in U.S. areas rocked by protests and rioting, according to two people familiar with recent discussions.
One of the sources, a senior administration official, insisted that the president wasn’t ordering tanks to roll down the streets, but was inquiring about “the kind of hardware” that could be used in military shows of force, and at one point Trump threw out the word “tanks.”
“I think that is just one of the military words he knows,” this official said.
The Pentagon did not comment on the record for this story. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
The discomfort from inside the Pentagon shows the extent to which Trump’s own Defense Department is trying to actively avoid direct involvement in the administration’s plans to force local authorities to accept active military personnel for increased protest control. It also raises questions about how Trump plans to carry out his promises of coercing states to accept military assistance when officials inside the Pentagon are rebuking the idea, claiming it circumvents the normal process for governors formally requesting assistance.
I can't believe what I am seeing on the street. Instead of being a unifier and calming the people and protestors, he escalated the situation and made it much worse! Thought Nixon and Johnson handled the situation poorly. Who is the adult in the WH and where is McConnell?
It should be obvious to all peace loving protesters that they need to do all of their marching and chanting in the daylight and go home for supper and stay there. There will be another day, tomorrow, but not if you are shot. Unfortunately there is no national leader of non-violence now like MLK.
Nothing is served by continuing marches etc past a curfew, except to give the looters and agitators cover for their activities. According to news reports, David's son's friend that was killed apparently realized, too late, she was in a deteriorating situation. Midnight is no time for anyone to be on the streets during days like these.
Comments
Potus /govt may not have many other options;
Anyone buying gun stocks and stacks up on more food supplies?
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-absent-leader-during-national-crisis-hides-in-bunker-tweets-2020-6
Look at how he talks to the Governor of Illinois:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/01/illinois-governor-pritzker-trump-294244
Around 7PM here, he had police tear gas and terrorize PEACEFUL PROTESTERS to clear the street just so he could walk outside the WH gate to St John's Church for a photo-op. Why? Because he was angry that the world knew he was secreted in the WH bunker a few times this weekend, and he needed to 'correct' that mental image. Pathetic.
BTW legal scholars are saying he can't invoke the Insurrection Act unless state governors make a request, so .... WTF.
Time to refill my double-scotch. Again.
Moments before 6:30 p.m., just when Trump said he would begin his address, the officers suddenly marched forward, directly confronting the protesters as many held up their hands, saying, “Don’t shoot." Soon, law enforcement officers were aggressively forcing the protesters back, firing tear gas and deploying flash bangs into the crowd to disperse them from the park ... With smoke still wafting ... Trump emerged in the Rose Garden ...
“I am your president of law and order and an ally of all peaceful protesters," he declared, before demanding that governors across the nation deploy the National Guard "in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets." And he warned that, if they refused, he would deploy the United States military “and quickly solve the problem for them.” ... “As we speak I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers," he said, as explosions rang out in the background. “We are putting everybody on warning.”
(Than) Trump crossed H Street and walked toward St. John’s Episcopal Church, the landmark pale yellow building where every president, including Trump, has prayed. It had been damaged Sunday night in a protest fire. Trump, standing alone in front of cameras, then raised a black-covered Bible for reporters to see. “We have a great country,” Trump said. “Greatest country in the world.”
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/tear-gas-threats-before-president-trump-visits-church-amid-protests
turning the summer into law 'n' order party and away from attention to CV spread
gah
[edited]
Damn. I love you people.
July 4th this year will be a National Day of Prayer for President Donald Trump to die. If we all pray hard enough, maybe God will hear our prayers and rid the earth of this monster.
And so it goes,
Rono
There are always some bad apple looters/firebugs in these protests. However one also has to wonder how many of them are typical idiots or purposely torching and destroying things to make the legitimate protesters look more evil/dangerous and distract the media from their underlying messages.
From the "top" ("Presiding") US Episcopal Bishop, Michael Curry, re: Trump's photo-op in front of St. John's: https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/pressreleases/presiding-bishop-michael-currys-statement-on-president-donald-trumps-use-of-st-johns-holy-bible/?fbclid=IwAR05JFjvfTphxWeZX27wSyUEZCRcN1y3vP3phaLOCVLdb7Gq8rED_cD0pH0#.XtW4-r87uI9.facebook
"A reminder: we do not yet know who is behind the looting and violence, although a number of videos have shown white instigators. The political affiliation of those rioters is not clear, despite the statements of Trump and Attorney General Barr that they are “radical leftists.”
When a journalist today asked a senior White House official what Trump was doing, the official responded: “He’s not handling anything, just typing a bunch of shit on Twitter.” But things took an ominous turn later in the day."
.....
"Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania tweeted: “I want to be super clear about what happened tonight in Washington: The President of the United States deployed tear-gas, rubber bullets and military personnel on peaceful protesters so that he could cross the street for a photo op. There is no excuse.” Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon straight up said “the fascist speech Donald Trump just delivered verged on a declaration of war against American citizens. I fear for our country tonight and will not stop defending America against Trump’s assault.”
Esquire writer Charles Pierce notes that since 9-11, the federal government has equipped local police with $4.3 billion in military gear and prepared them for an all-out war on terrorists. In 2014, President Barack Obama tried to stop the transfer of military weapons and equipment to civilian police departments with an executive order, but Trump reversed it. This militarization of the police has created in America’s streets what a government commission in 1968 defined as a “police riot,” in which officers themselves instigate, escalate, or sustain violent confrontations. In addition to attacking protesters, today’s police are singling out journalists for attack. This development is significant because it is a key sign of authoritarian regimes, which try to silence journalists to silence information about their actions.
Tonight General Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, talked to reporters from the streets of Washington. National security specialist Tom Nichols noted: “There is absolutely no reason for the Chairman to be walking the streets right now. This is not even remotely in the tradition of U.S. civil-military relations.”"
This article is worth reading, too.
Trump Finally Gets the War He Wanted
https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2020/06/trump-finally-gets-war-he-wanted/165825/
CSPAN Interview:
reinventing-government
Totally agree. This has been going on for decades. That said, in terms of the political polarization and tribal politics, I pin the blame for this modern incarnation upon Newt Gingrich and his Republicans when they took Congress in the mid-90s. Their brand of scorched-earth politics and treating non-GOP'ers as the enemy set the stage for what's happened in the ensuing years, leading us to where we've ended up now.
Congress has ceded more and more power to the White House. Then, if there are different parties at opposite ends of Pennsylvania Ave, nothing can get done b/c each side tries to stonewall the other's progress on ... anything. So yeah, no wonder government dysfunction is rampant.
Maryland, Virginia governors refuse Pentagon request to send National Guard to DC
The governors of Maryland and Virginia both refused direct requests from Defense Secretary Mark Esper to send National Guard troops to help counter mostly peaceful protestors in Washington, D.C.
In separate calls made on Monday, Esper asked Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to deploy troops into the District, sources with knowledge of the calls said.
Esper made the request without consulting Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), who had already declared a curfew in the nation's capital.
< - >
"When this request came in, we quickly learned it had not been made at Mayor Bower's request or coordinated with her, and we have heightened concern based on the President's remarks that the administration is looking to use the Guard to escalate — not deescalate — the situation," Mercer said.
< - >
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/500648-maryland-virginia-governors-refuse-pentagon-request-to-send-national
_______________________________________________
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/us/politics/police-military-gear.html
Couple of things. Bee is spot on that this has been brewing for decades. Bush Sr. broke his promises, so the people elected Bubba. He broke his promises, so they elected Jr. He broke his promises, so they elected Obama. He broke his promises, so they elected Trump. Both sides of the aisle have been lying to the American people for decades while they screwed us and robbed the country blind.
That said, I had just finished a year at MSU and was working at the new Meijer's in south Lansing, when the race riots broke out in Detroit in July of 1967. I was PAID to stand lookout on the roof of the Meijer's. The governor sent in the National Guard but this was not the guard of today that have actually been deployed. This was the guard of draft dodgers avoiding Vietnam. They were literally chased out of Detroit. The governor than asked the Feds for help and they sent the 82nd Airborne Division. I watched nightly news of their initial deployment. This looter was carrying a TV down a fire escape. They told him to stop over a bullhorn. He refused, so they cut him in half with a M-16 ON LIVE TV. 6 months later, I had my own M-16 in the RVN.
and so it goes,
peace,
rono
He’s taking a big risk politically to invade states now who don’t want federal armed forces policing civilians. One, he’ll invite more protests. Two, should something go wrong (as at Kent State in late 60s) and a civilian be killed or injured, much of the electorate would turn against him - regardless of whether the death or injury was “justified.”
We are still a nation of laws. Looters and those who violate curfews need to be dealt with according to law. You don’t execute a 18 year old kid in the street without due process. Looks like majority of trouble makers are youths - likely from poor and / or dysfunctional homes. Sad commentary on state of the nation.
Bottom line - He won’t impose martial law now, but may be conditioning us for what’s to come in a few months.
Evangelicals believe Trump is messenger of GOD.
Democratic party has been without any credible leader for quite some time (Sorry state of affair).
https://nypost.com/2020/06/03/looters-strike-several-stores-in-nyc-but-curfew-appears-to-curb-chaos/
Relative Calm as Protests Continue Despite Curfews (WSJ)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/curfews-fail-to-deter-overnight-violence-following-peaceful-protests-11591104411
(src: https://www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-tries-to-retreat-from-trumps-call-to-dominate-protests?ref=home)
< - snip - >
Pentagon officials added that it was the White House, not the Defense Department, that was pushing for active military might in the streets. A senior DOD official said it was the White House that requested military helicopters [ including clearly-marked MEDEVAC birds ] fly low over protesters in D.C. and that it was part of a broader request from the Trump team that the national guard ramp up its presence in the city. The Associated Press was the first to report about the military flyover being connected to a request from President Trump.
Additionally, the president has pressed aides and Pentagon officials for graphic details on the kind of armored vehicles, military units, aircraft, and even “tanks” that they could potentially send to maintain order in U.S. areas rocked by protests and rioting, according to two people familiar with recent discussions.
One of the sources, a senior administration official, insisted that the president wasn’t ordering tanks to roll down the streets, but was inquiring about “the kind of hardware” that could be used in military shows of force, and at one point Trump threw out the word “tanks.”
“I think that is just one of the military words he knows,” this official said.
The Pentagon did not comment on the record for this story. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
The discomfort from inside the Pentagon shows the extent to which Trump’s own Defense Department is trying to actively avoid direct involvement in the administration’s plans to force local authorities to accept active military personnel for increased protest control. It also raises questions about how Trump plans to carry out his promises of coercing states to accept military assistance when officials inside the Pentagon are rebuking the idea, claiming it circumvents the normal process for governors formally requesting assistance.
< - snip - >
Nothing is served by continuing marches etc past a curfew, except to give the looters and agitators cover for their activities. According to news reports, David's son's friend that was killed apparently realized, too late, she was in a deteriorating situation. Midnight is no time for anyone to be on the streets during days like these.