An economics, investment, trading and policy blog with a focus on Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). We seek the truth, avoid the mainstream and are virulently anti-neoliberalism.
Pages
▼
Pages
▼
Friday, August 15, 2014
Brad Friedman — Tale of Two Protests: The Armed Bundy Bunch and the Peaceful Demonstrators of Ferguson
Interesting Tom... in each case you have the right libertarians with the metal guns, and the left libertarians with the pharma...
In NV you see the Bundy (right lib.) side there with the guns pitted against the Feds (Obama & Co. big dopers...) side...
Then in MO you have the local govt people (right libs.) with the guns and the protesters (with the guy who was shot robbing $ for dope...).
The typical material associations:
Right libertarians -> Metals
Left libertarians -> Pharma
So in these battles within the libertarian civil war, you will always see the right libertarians on the side where the heavy weaponry is being used.... and the left the more peaceful side as they do not associate materially with the metals but rather drugs which intoxicate/placate...
I'm happy the mainstream media is questioning the wisdom of militarizing police forces. Even our school district police departments were wearing the military uniforms in the elementary and middle schools, you know to sort out playground matters.
For some reason, I don't think we've seen the last of the Janet Reno style law enforcement. Obama has been exceedingly patient with those who disagree with him and has held back the law enforcement thugs and handled matters in a very civil fashion. I suspect most politicians will try to cater to people who think like Matt Franko does about libertarians and want to provoke those who disagree. I personally don't think killing or jailing these people will solve the problem but will make it worse. Its a problem that results from the failure of the political system to address injustice. The harder you try to crush them, the more people join the opposition.
MG, as an activist in the Seventies, my experience at anti-war demonstrations was that they were mostly peaceful and the police were just ordinary police.
However, there was a relative small group that were into confrontation and they usually had it out separately with the motorcycle cops and riot units. I knew some of these people personally and that was just their thing. They considered peaceful demonstration ineffective, and some had a problem with rage.
Then there were also the suspected agents provocateurs, as in, who were those guys anyway‚ never saw them before.
It's necessary to keep things in perspective and also deconstruct the news reports and spin.
Comparisons can be drawn with the Seventies anti-war movement, where young men felt that their lives were threatened by the draft and people in minority communities who also see their lives threatened. I see a pretty close parallel anyway.
I don't want to minimize the rogue actions of the police then, either. A lot things were definitely over the top repressive and sometimes illegal. There was lots of a tear gas. And don't forget Kent State.
I have several mixed emotions regarding Ferguson. I think the gangbangers are stealing the narrative and thus ruining the narrative for legitimate anger/frustration. Also, I don't want to prejudge what happened (like those doing violence are demonstrating) until all the facts come to light on exactly what happened. As of now, I'm leaning against the 290 lb thug though.
Interesting Tom... in each case you have the right libertarians with the metal guns, and the left libertarians with the pharma...
ReplyDeleteIn NV you see the Bundy (right lib.) side there with the guns pitted against the Feds (Obama & Co. big dopers...) side...
Then in MO you have the local govt people (right libs.) with the guns and the protesters (with the guy who was shot robbing $ for dope...).
The typical material associations:
Right libertarians -> Metals
Left libertarians -> Pharma
So in these battles within the libertarian civil war, you will always see the right libertarians on the side where the heavy weaponry is being used.... and the left the more peaceful side as they do not associate materially with the metals but rather drugs which intoxicate/placate...
rsp,
btw saw this:
ReplyDelete"Colorado Teen Marijuana Use Drops In Colorado After Legalization"
http://www.theweedblog.com/colorado-teen-marijuana-use-drops-in-colorado-after-legalization/
this is not surprising... for the left libs and their pharma, it has to of course also be illegal...
so my fear is that these kids are going to go increasingly for the opiates now which still remain illegal, and the opiates can be deadly...
rsp,
I'm happy the mainstream media is questioning the wisdom of militarizing police forces. Even our school district police departments were wearing the military uniforms in the elementary and middle schools, you know to sort out playground matters.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I don't think we've seen the last of the Janet Reno style law enforcement. Obama has been exceedingly patient with those who disagree with him and has held back the law enforcement thugs and handled matters in a very civil fashion. I suspect most politicians will try to cater to people who think like Matt Franko does about libertarians and want to provoke those who disagree. I personally don't think killing or jailing these people will solve the problem but will make it worse. Its a problem that results from the failure of the political system to address injustice. The harder you try to crush them, the more people join the opposition.
Peaceful demonstrations? Give me a break. How bout the looting and burning?
ReplyDeleteMG, as an activist in the Seventies, my experience at anti-war demonstrations was that they were mostly peaceful and the police were just ordinary police.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there was a relative small group that were into confrontation and they usually had it out separately with the motorcycle cops and riot units. I knew some of these people personally and that was just their thing. They considered peaceful demonstration ineffective, and some had a problem with rage.
Then there were also the suspected agents provocateurs, as in, who were those guys anyway‚ never saw them before.
It's necessary to keep things in perspective and also deconstruct the news reports and spin.
Comparisons can be drawn with the Seventies anti-war movement, where young men felt that their lives were threatened by the draft and people in minority communities who also see their lives threatened. I see a pretty close parallel anyway.
I don't want to minimize the rogue actions of the police then, either. A lot things were definitely over the top repressive and sometimes illegal. There was lots of a tear gas. And don't forget Kent State.
ReplyDeleteTom,
ReplyDeleteI have several mixed emotions regarding Ferguson. I think the gangbangers are stealing the narrative and thus ruining the narrative for legitimate anger/frustration. Also, I don't want to prejudge what happened (like those doing violence are demonstrating) until all the facts come to light on exactly what happened. As of now, I'm leaning against the 290 lb thug though.
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteThey are ALL libertarians save for by my estimates about 1,000 to 2,000 of us at this point.... rsp