Things That Didn’t Happen For $1000

Call ICE The Gestapo Hat:

Bad shit happens when the military comes into to a volatile situation. This reminds me of a story from the 1992 riots in Los Angeles, to which some Marines deployed. I knew one of them and he told this story I also saw elsewhere — absent his telling it I would have assumed it was apocryphal.
/1

/2 So the Marines were deployed with the LAPD in various neighborhoods where there was still unrest — real unrest, not the largely peaceful demonstrations we’re seeing now that the feds are lying about. They were sent to give support to the cops against people with guns.

/3 There’s a couple of desultory snipers in a building and the cops want to go in. (Apparently the snipers had shotguns, which are not really great sniper weapons). One of the cops tells the detachment of Marines “cover me” as he prepares to rush the building.

/4 So “cover me” to the LAPD means “if someone pops up with a gun and shoots at me, shoot at them.” Apparently to the Marines it means “lay down a curtain of suppressive fire using your rifles.” Hilarity ensued.

1992 was the last time the Insurrection Act was invoked. And my memory stretches back to when the National Guard, without Presidential authorization or facing an out of control situation, “laid down suppressing fire using [their] rifles.” And blamed it on the protesters throwing tear gas canisters back at them. Funny how that always justifies official violence.

The students at Kent State were no more threatening the lives of National Guard soldiers than the protesters in LA were threatening the lives of ICE agents.

From TV reports (via Acyn), the few fires yesterday around ICE and the federal detention center were small, brief, and inadvertently started by ICE “crowd control” efforts (flash bangs, mostly). And all were quickly extinguished, even the burning car (so, it wasn’t a Tesla). Extinguished by the protesters.

Trump, early this morning, never mentions calling in the Marines. That was Hegseth losing his shit, which is cold comfort, indeed. Trump praises the NG for saving the day, but from accounts on the ground that was the Sheriff’s Department clearing the way so NG vehicles could drive in and carry the hapless ICE agents out. Seven hours ago from when I write the “riot “ was already over. The usual suspects are declaring this a “Reichstag Fire”:

Mostly so they can say: “See? I was right!” I think that crowd needs Trump and Miller as much as the latter needs them.

Yes, Trump is declaring all protesters who wear masks (what the fuck is it with these people and masks?) are unmutual. He might as well be carried down to the sea in a chair and tell the tides not to come in.

That would be the proper metaphor for his administration. You want to do him political damage? Mock him. Quit raising the threat level for him. He can’t do it himself. Why help him?