Originally posted by Silent Master
And the other situations involved laying siege to a federal courthouse and taking over and occupying 6 city blocks for weeks. while they aren't exactly the same. they're certainly similar enough to make a comparison.
David Dorn was a retired police officer killed in the riots spared by the protests:
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/03/us/david-dorn-st-louis-police-shot-trnd/index.htmlNot to mention the many videos that came out of it, there was one of an old guy trying to defend his little shop from looters and they broke his nose and left him on the pavement, for example. Lots of small businesses were burned down and people lost their livelihoods.
CHOP also sprang from the summer protests, and violent crimes such as assault, robbery and rape skyrocketed not only within CHOP but also around the area as police wouldn't go near it. A 16-year-old boy was shot to death within CHOP 'territory' and ambulances couldn't get inside to save his life.
Honestly the footage I was seeing was incredible, in the worst way. From over the pond, it looked like the whole of America was on fire.
And all the while, Democrats cheered it on, and everyone on the left constantly sympathised and apologised for the acts of devastation and terror that unfolded. Some politicians endorsed what was happening. And now that is also happening on the right. They're using the same tactics that they saw their opponents using last summer (which is a legit thing that happens, it's well documented iirc). They were engendered in part by the response to the violence that they saw (as well as by Trump's repeated refusal to crack down on extreme rhetoric).
Honestly my only real opinion on it all now (i.e. the summer riots and the DC riot) is that America is losing its shit and teetering closer to some kind of civil war. Before, the violence was in the suburbs and city centres. Now it's on the steps of the capital.
Personally I think the line of argument "what if they were black people" doesn't hold much water, because the summer 2020 riots went on for ages and there were no massacres (remember Kent State, 1970?). Ultimately I do think these two occurrences are comparable, especially when seen by someone outside the US political dichotomy, in fact the Capitol riot is more or less a continuation of the conflict of 2020.
Do I sympathise with the peaceful protestors of BLM? Yes. I don't agree with a lot of what they say, and I think a lot of their rhetoric relies on bad statistics, confirmation bias and conspiracy theory. But they were sold that information by irresponsible parties (far-left agitators and corrupt media), and were made to feel scared, victimised and in danger. (I agree with a lot of the baseline stuff tho, tbh, especially critiques of police brutality, and protests for George Floyd were 100% warranted, those cops are scum [all cops are scum, sorry, that's just my opinion at this point after what I've seen in both the UK and US].)
Do I sympathise with the peaceful protestors of outside DC, the ones who didn't try storming the Capitol? Yes. I don't agree with a lot of what they say, and I think a lot of their rhetoric relies on bad statistics, confirmation bias and conspiracy theory. But they were sold that information by irresponsible parties (alt-right agitators and corrupt media), and were made to feel scared, victimised and in danger. (I understand their perspective, a lot of the election stuff could have been iffy based on the info that came out at first, but obviously it turned out as a Nothing Burger.)
I would say to those firmly on the left to remember that your opponents are mostly just ordinary people. These are people who think that their democracy is being stolen from them, and they're scared. You can think them stupid all you like; that's fair enough. A lot of people are stupid (I'm stupid). But most of them are not Nazis, fascists, white supremacists, etc., even if you want them to be. The violent ones are an extreme minority, just as the violent Antifa types are the extreme minority on the left. Stop defining each other by the worst of you. Try seeing the good, and if not the good, then at least the human.
You guys need to start sorting your shit out, and stop engaging in further aggressive and divisive tactics, or else your country, and your democracy, is going to fall. Every democracy falls eventually. Do you want to live through that fall?
Anyway, that's my part. I know I'll be ignored or mocked for the most part, most of you hate my guts, but whatever, take from this what you will. I just wanted to get my thoughts out in a more coherent way instead of engaging in any petty nonsense. Okay I'm bored of typing now byeeee
LONG POST IS LONG.