I wish there were a third option besides authoritarianism and anarchy
Why it's so tempting to tune out what's happening in Los Angeles.
I had a whole thing written up about the great Trump-Musk breakup which made Thursday a fun day to be on Twitter for once, but it looks like Daddy Trump’s tough talk brought Elon back into line:
Scratch a self-styled “libertarian,” find someone who gets really, really excited about unleashing armed soldiers onto American streets.
And after I’d gone out and bought myself a CyberTruck to show my appreciation, too.
Not that it’s never justified to call in the troops. I don’t think anyone today begrudges Eisenhower having done so in Little Rock. (Actually, the people most enthusiastic about Trump doing so in Los Angeles are likely the ones who’ve never forgiven Ike, but that’s another post.)
And let’s be honest: many of the “pro-immigrant” protestors either want to goad Trump into a violent overreaction or are so far up their own asses they don’t think this shit will result in any consequences not turn public opinion against them:
Anarchists: making the world more authoritarian for over 100 years.
So what do I think about what’s happening? Well, here’s a rundown of my own beliefs:
immigration is a net good;
a country has the right to control its own borders;
laws should be enforced fairly and with due process afforded to all affected;
this Presidential Administration has no interest in enforcing its laws fairly and respecting due process for all affected;
peaceful civil disobedience, with demonstrators fully prepared to accept the consequences of their actions to make a greater point, is a great American tradition;
the most violent demonstrators have never suffered any consequences for their actions and have no intention to start doing so;
Trump desperately wants an excuse for a violent crackdown; and,
a lot of people in the streets are prepared to give him that excuse.
I’m not American, but I suspect many - perhaps even most - Americans hold similar views about immigration, protests, riots and crackdowns by the state.
Unfortunately, as with so many other issues, it feels like only the extremes - open-borders-in-all-but-name vs. America-is-full - have any representation anymore.
Which is why I don’t think we’re headed for a repeat of 2020. Most Americans have no desire to go through that again and, I suspect, are largely tuning this out. If anything, that’s part of the reason Trump was re-elected to begin with.
Never mind that the hot summer of 2020 happened on his watch, but no one seems to remember that. Make it make sense, please.