Another statue toppled

From the satirical Babylon Bee:

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Enraged protesters were marching through D.C. toppling racist statues when they came upon one standing on a street corner. The archaic, racist statue looked very, very old. It even had some kind of obsolete soundbite-playing device in it, probably an early phonograph from how old the statue looked. It kept saying things about black people being clean and articulate and how poor kids are just as bright as white kids.

The rioters threw a lasso around the top of the statue after googling "How to tie a lasso" and arguing for a while about how lassos are racist. They then brought it tumbling down after graffitiing all over it.

Unfortunately, the old, racist statue turned out to be former vice president and current presidential candidate Joe Biden.

"Classic pranksters," Biden said, chuckling, as he dusted himself off. "You know, this happens from time to time. Back in my day, we were out at the community pool, hanging out and throwing rocks at each other, as was the fashion at the time. CornPop and I were dishing it out and running our fingers through our leg hairs when..." As he continued to drone on, though, another racist group came up and toppled him the other way.

Eventually, the rioters had had their fun and moved on, knocking over Nancy Pelosi and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, mistaking both of them for ancient statues.

Undercover journalist Andy Ngo goes inside CHAZ

Journalist Andy Ngo spent five days inside CHAZ as an undercover journalist. He writes about it in the New York Post.

During five undercover days and nights in the zone, I witnessed a continuing experiment in anarchy, chaos and brute-force criminality. In order to avoid being exposed as a journalist — several reporters have been barred or expelled — I slept and showered outside the zone. (Those inside have no showers but they do have portable bathrooms.) I took meals, and most of my water breaks, elsewhere because I was reluctant to remove my mask and risk being recognized. Every day I entered the zone twice through its semi-porous borders — once in the early afternoon, and again after sundown, staying until the wee hours.

Crime has surged inside and outside the zone.

On Saturday morning, a shooting erupted that left at least one person dead and another injured near a border checkpoint. Police were reportedly met with resistance when they tried to get to the victims, who apparently were then taken in private cars to the hospital. Cops made it into the zone to gather shell casings and evidence, some reports said, as police in riot gear stood at the border.

On Thursday, police arrested Robert James after he left the CHAZ. He is accused of sexually assaulting a deaf woman who was lured inside a tent. The same day, former city council candidate Isaiah Willoughby was arrested on suspicion of starting the arson attack on the East Precinct June 8.

...In Seattle, as soon as police evacuated from the station nearly two weeks ago, masked protesters stole city property — barricades, fencing and more — to create makeshift barriers. These barriers became the official border checkpoints in and out of CHAZ. They were later fortified with additional layers of security: more blockades and 24-hour guards. A large team of volunteers assembled to designate themselves “security” for CHAZ. Many of them wear patches signaling they’re part of the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club, a far-left militia-type organization named after the radical abolitionist. Last year, one of the group’s members carried out an armed attack on an Immigration, Customs and Enforcement facility in Tacoma, Wash. Police said that Willem van Spronsen tried to ignite the 500-gallon propane tank attached to the facility. He was killed by police.

Despite the group’s link to violent extremism, its armed members were celebrated in the CHAZ for “protecting” the new denizens. The head of CHAZ’s security is a short female named “Creature.” She and the rest of her team communicate with walkie-talkie devices and earpieces. Some of them openly carry rifles, handguns, batons or knives. Their operating base is in the open-air eating section of the Ranchos Tacos Mexican restaurant. Signs posted all over their base declares: “NO PHOTOS. NO VIDEOS.” Another sign lists Venmo names for donations.

Though CHAZ claims to have no rules, it quickly developed a complex code of conduct that varied from zone to zone and even the time of the day. For example, those in the garden area, who are mostly white, need to make sure they do not “recolonize” the space.

Mainstream media reports have focused on the “block party” atmosphere of the occupation, repeating a talking point from the Seattle mayor. She, along with fellow Democrat, Gov. Jay Inslee, have gone to great lengths to emphasize the “peaceful” nature of the occupation. For media crews that arrive during the day, that is certainly what they will see. People have barbecues in the street. Many bring their children to make street art. People walk their dogs.

But at night, a whole different side of CHAZ emerges.

...Those unfortunate enough to have homes or businesses within CHAZ — an estimated 30,000 residents — have no say over their new overlords. Residents have discreetly voiced their concerns to local media. Gunshots and “screams of terror” at night have been reported. A resident of an apartment building came out twice to ask protesters to leave the alley where the entrance is. They brushed him off.

Every business and property inside CHAZ has been vandalized with graffiti. Most messages say some variation of “Black Lives Matter” or “George Floyd,” but other messages call for the murder of police. Most businesses are boarded up. “ACAB” — all cops are bastards, an Antifa slogan — is written over them.

Businesses outside CHAZ are also suffering. Last week, the Trader Joe’s in Capitol Hill announced it was closing immediately and indefinitely because of “safety and security concerns.” Then last Sunday night, around 100 angry protesters sprinted toward a nearby auto repair shop to “rescue” a comrade who had been detained. All it took to sic the mob on the business was one man yelling into a microphone inside CHAZ. According to the police report, the store’s owner, John McDermott, stopped Richard Hanks after he allegedly broke into the business, stole property and tried to start a fire. The owner and his son said they called police “multiple times” but cops and firefighters never responded.

...“Our contempt for the media is inextricable from our hatred of this entire world,” the booklet reads. Attacks on journalists who are accused of not toeing the line have become commonplace. On Monday, a masked Antifa militant pointed me out to her comrades and tried to assemble a mob. I left before I could be injured. The following day, a Fox News crew was forced out of the zone.

Despite the pleas from those who live and work inside Capitol Hill for law and order to be restored, Seattle’s city council has determined that CHAZ should continue. On Tuesday, the city even provided upgrades to CHAZ, including street blockades that double as graffiti canvases, along with cleaning services and porta-potties.

It is difficult to decipher what CHAZ occupants want. Each faction, whether liberal, Marxist or anarchist, has their own agenda. But one online manifesto posted on Medium demands no less than the abolishment of the criminal justice system.

What will happen if demands aren’t met? Jaiden Grayson, a young black woman who has developed a large following in CHAZ, told a filmmaker: “Respond to the demands of the people or prepare to be met with any means necessary. … It’s not even a warning. I’m letting people know what comes next.”

Read more here.

6-19-20 late tweets

Rudi Giuliani tweeted,

BIDEN IN BASEMENT NOW FOR 78 DAYS AND COUNTING.

LAS VEGAS MUST HAVE ODDS ON, IF AND, WHEN HE WILL TAKE QUESTIONS?

Joe Pags Pagliarulo tweeted,

Susan Rice lied her ass off over and over about what caused the terrorist attack in #Benghazi. She should know about trash heaps in history -- as that's where her record has landed her. She should face charges over Benghazi.

Donald Trump tweeted,

Despite reports to the contrary, Sweden is paying heavily for its decision not to lockdown. As of today, 2462 people have died there, a much higher number than the neighboring countries of Norway (207), Finland (206) or Denmark (443). The United States made the correct decision!

Avoidance, In the House, Round Up, Escape

Guy Sagi writes in Shooting Illustrated,

The willingness of opportunistic criminals to hijack peaceful protests and violate the First Amendment rights of those attending has been on frightening display. Looting, arson, riots and assaults dominate the news instead of thoughtful speech, and the needless violence has spilled onto too many innocent citizens.

Calls for social change do not hold an exclusive on potentially dangerous civil unrest, either. Hurricanes and other natural disasters are more common catalysts. Perpetrators know the chances of detection are minimized when law enforcement coverage is dangerously thin, and angry mobs maximize anonymity.

Shooting Illustrated brings you lifesaving tips for the armed law-abiding citizen from experts in the field, but civil unrest’s sheer volume makes it a different opponent. Each situation is unique, but if the unthinkable visits your neighborhood here are a few things you can do to reduce exposure.

Avoidance

Quality self-defense courses deliver this message multiple times. Avoid confrontation at all costs.

Stay put until you’re absolutely certain it is safe to venture outside. Do not wander into the parking lot or front yard, even if you think something is amiss. You may live in a state where you can lawfully protect your property, but you’ll be outnumbered and outflanked by rioters or looters. Plus, in the confusion law enforcement could mistake you for an armed criminal. Possessions can be replaced, you cannot.

Don’t put yourself in dangerous situations or locations, even if you’re just driving through. Avoid protests, including peaceful ones. Law enforcement will be blocking interchanges, increasing delays and driver frustration. Add 30 minutes to your commute by taking another route rather than risk exposure to their anger and complicating the scene for authorities.

That, of course, requires staying up to date with the latest news. It’s unpleasant, but the details it provides are a powerful self-defense weapon.

In the House

Maintain your home-field advantage by keeping yourself and family at your residence until things are completely safe. You know the turf and, in theory, have a safe room where everyone can survive until the cavalry arrives. Double check those supplies and batteries in the flashlights.

When civil unrest is nearby or a natural disaster is imminent, make sure you charge up your cell phones. Keep your home-defense firearm within arm’s reach at all times, loaded. Home invasions are lightning fast. Lock all doors and windows.

Coordinate with neighbors beforehand by exchanging phone numbers and, if you’re comfortable doing so, bugout emergency plans. If urban unrest spills onto your yard, he or she can confirm if someone is lurking under your bedroom window—a blind spot when you’re inside the house—or if the cat just wants back in. Return the favor when asked.

Fill your vehicle’s gas tank beforehand and back it into the driveway or garage if you have one. Hurried evacuations should not begin in reverse gear or with a stop at the neighborhood filling station.

Do not, however, pre-load vehicles with your bug-out bags. Criminals may invade the garage or break into the cars without touching the house. Don’t risk losing your critical survival gear. You should always, but particularly during unsettling times, also have a bug-home bag to help reach the house and your family safely.

If you have time, store tools, loose bricks, garden gnomes, lawn chairs and other objects in the yard securely. Don’t leave impromptu projectiles laying around.

Round Up

If a teen or young adult in the family is out when violent unrest breaks out, call and provide details of the safest route home. Prearrange a rendezvous point if bugging out is imminent. Remind them not to shut off the motor while waiting.

In many emergency situations cell phone networks get overloaded and voice calls drop or will not connect. Text messages, however, require less bandwidth and often wiggle their way through the bottleneck. They also stage, retrying automatically until a certain number of attempts fail. It’s a great way to punch information through while keeping hands free.

When travel is unavoidable—collecting the younger children, for example—go with an armed partner, if legal. An extra pair of eyes and ears is invaluable and, if the unthinkable happens, they’ve got your six.

Escape

The final option, and one we all hope to avoid, is to bug out to a location away from the crime. Once again, plan your route around potential bottlenecks and monitor news reports to ensure the destination is safe. Just because it was when you left the driveway doesn’t mean it will be an hour from now.

Most of the recent violence has occurred in major metropolitan areas, but criminals can hijack any cause for their goals anywhere—including suburban and rural America.

..."people who had been insisting on strict social distancing were frauds and liars."

In Instapundit, David Bernstein writes in part,

I don’t think any of our elites come off especially well in how they have handled the virus, but I do seem to recall this series of events, which is entirely absent from the Post article: (1) Hundreds of thousands of people coming out in the streets with little social distancing in defiance of all previous public health guidance; (2) various mayors and governors who had been among the strictest in fining, denouncing, and generally bullying anyone who defied social distancing guidelines not only not trying to break up these gatherings, not only leaving them alone, but actually (3) attending them, encouraging their attendees, and praising them; (4) various respected public health experts, who had previously been adamant about banning large public gatherings, at best not saying anything (with very few exceptions) and in many cases actually praising the gatherings as a net benefit to public health; (5) leading to even more people coming out on the streets in defiance of all prior public health guidance on social distancing, tens of thousands at a time all over the country; (6) leading to the utter breakdown of obedience by the rest of the population to any distancing guidelines, as many people who had been banned from attending church, funerals, opening their businesses, and so on figured that the people who had been insisting on strict social distancing were frauds and liars.

But since the Washington Post couldn’t find a single foreign observer to comment on such a remarkable chain of events, and since in any event they can’t be blamed on Trump, they must never have happened, must be my imagination.

Tweets and Quotes 6-19-20

Ryan Saavedra tweeted,

It's been 25 days since George Floyd died and no body cam or dash cam footage from the incident has been released

Where is it and why is it not being released?

James Woods tweeted,

The American flag being burned on the statue of George Washington, Founder of our Nation. The statue was torn down later in the dark of night. The Constitution is next. Now do you finally understand the #SecondAmendment?

Quote from Ace of Spades:

CNN Builds a Wall... To Keep Out the Same "Protesters" Their Hosts Praise Every Night

Candace Owens tweeted,

Dear Republicans: the next time Dems try to get you to say black lives matter, please say
“Black Lives Matter especially in the womb, and it’s a tragedy that in many cities more black children are being aborted than born alive thanks to Democrat policies”

That’ll shut them up.

President Trump tweeted,

Informed Dr. Fauci this morning that he has nothing to do with NFL Football. Forced Democrat run Minnesota to bring in the National Guard & end rioting & looting after seeing the destruction & crime in Minneapolis. 100% successful! Waiting to hear from Dem run Washington State..

....as to whether they want help in taking back Seattle. Ready to move quickly! Damage to various Democrat run Cities & States, including statue demolition, should not be allowed to happen. Ready to solve problem quickly! Federal Government is Ready, Willing & Able!@TuckerCarlson

New leadership needed!

How did the buffoons of the left regain power? Nobody stood up to them! Voting is for fools! Rioting works!

Which is it? Do they matter or what?

Hard-hitting satire from the Babylon Bee:

NEW YORK, NY—Abortion provider Planned Parenthood has been confusing its supporters, claiming that black lives matter but still killing a disproportionate number of black people a day.

The organization issued a revised statement today that black lives do matter, but only once they've been born. "Before that, they're fair game for killing," said a spokesperson. "In fact, they're a huge chunk of our business. So we didn't want people to start thinking that black lives matter when they're in the womb, because honestly, that'd be a huge hit to our bottom line."

"Err, I mean, women's healthcare or whatever."

At publishing time, Planned Parenthood had clarified its statement once again, stating that black lives were still subject to not mattering for "at least a few hours" after birth.

Tulsa curfew cancelled!

In the Conservative Treehouse, Sundance reports,

After consultation with President Donald Trump, Tulsa Oklahoma Mayor G.T. Bynum has cancelled the curfew that was in effect around the Trump rally venue.

The latest to be canceled: Not allowed to show a black chef?

Read about it here.

Trump is not the only one holding rallies!

Yeah, that'll do it!

“You don’t have the power to let people have freedom!"

From the satirical Babylon Bee:

WASHINGTON, D.C.—By all accounts, President Donald Trump has now gone completely mad with power. In a press briefing, he laid out his insidious plan.

“When I’m done with this country, everyone will be able to leave their houses whenever they want and do whatever they want,” Trump told the press with an evil grin. “They’ll be able to peaceably assemble in whatever size groups they desire! Muhahaha!”

“You’re a mad man!” a CNN reporter cried. “You don’t have the power to let people have freedom! You’re a tyrant!”

“My power is absolute!” Trump screamed. “No one can stop me! Soon everyone will be able to go back to work and buy whatever they feel like from the store even if bureaucrats don’t like it!”

“Noooo!” cried an MSNBC reporter. “You have to arrest people who don’t do what the government tells them! Who do you think you are? Someone stop him!”

But no one came to stop him, and Trump just laughed an evil laugh.

It is unknown if anything can be done about Trump, but many hope that the Constitution has enough checks and balances to keep one man from giving out freedom by fiat.

"a regime of, by, and for the illiberal technocrats and their dependent clients"

Bruce Thornton writes in part in FrontPage Magazine,

Civil war? Unlikely. A radical transformation of the United States from a government of, by, and for the free people, to a regime of, by, and for the illiberal technocrats and their dependent clients? That’s a much more possible outcome, and one worth worrying about.

Read more here.

Join us and let's change the world! (and mock celebrities!)

We are celebrities, and we are important and brave. Take us very seriously. pic.twitter.com/8VewBZd9Dd

— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) June 17, 2020

Some 6-19-20 morning tweets

Jesse Kelly tweeted,

And down goes George Washington.

Every politician and pundit who’s spent the last week trying to rename military bases is complicit in this madness. Your pathetic coddling of these domestic terrorists led to this.

Paul Sperry tweeted,

BREAKING: Full George Floyd autopsy reveals his blood concentration of the powerful street opioid fentanyl was 4 times the level known to cause "fatalities." Floyd also had speed & marijuana in system.First arresting officer on scene saw "foam" around mouth,asked if "on anything"

\
Newt Gingrich tweeted,

The Pelosi dictatorship accelerates. She dictates kicking paintings out of Congress. Any committee report? Any vote in committee? Any floor debate? Any floor vote? No. This was the Pelosi dictatorship in action. Imagine the Biden-Schumer-Pelosi machine.

Jeff Goldstein tweeted,

Hey, y’all. Remember when I wrote a blog for awhile, and I argued that surrendering intent to “interpretive communities” would lead to a politicized identity politics culture that would use its power to cancel you for “hate speech”?

Yeah. That got me canceled. By putative cons.

But here we are anyway.

Donald Trump tweeted,

Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!

Inherent Asymmetry

Oregon Muse writes in the Ace of Spades blog,

Another day, another SCOTUS betrayal. I am in a bad mood. I am about ready to write off our 30-year experiment to install constitutionalist judges as pretty much a waste of time.
Yes, I know plenty of decent judges have been appointed to the lower courts, and I have been pleasantly surprised to read some hair-on-fire panic pieces in Slate and HuffPo about how Cocaine Mitch is confirming Trump's judicial appointments at an "alarming" rate. While I always enjoy progressives discomfited, I don't think they need to worry all that much. Because when they really, really want something, once they push it to the SCOTUS level, they're pretty much assured of getting it.

And when they get what they want, whatever it is (Obergefell v. Hodges, Roe v. Wade), then the decision is set in stone, and precedent forever. Yay stare decisis.

This is true even in obvious bad decisions. I've even heard some liberals complain about how poorly Roe v. Wade was decided, not that they're disappointed with the outcome, but they can see the bad arguments. With that plus the advances in neonatology, you'd think that Roe v. Wade would be ripe for a revisit. But no, nobody seems to want to challenge it and so I doubt I will see any substantive challenge to it in my lifetime.

And on the rare instances where the progressives lose (Masterpiece Cake v. Colorado), it is always decided on the narrowest grounds, leaving open endless possibilities for relitigatation, so much so that SCOTUS might just as well announce "THIS DECISION IS FOR THIS ONE INSTANCE ONLY AND CAN NEVER BE USED ANYWHERE ELSE FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER."

One aspect of the problem is that the terms 'progressive' and 'conservative' aren't quite symmetric terms. That is, the progressive agenda is fairly easy to define, i.e. anything that advances identity politics, more centalized government, and pisses on traditional moral values. But with conservatives, there's a lot of difference between the libertarians, the neocons, the socons, the CoC "country club" Republicans, so when we say we need more "conservative" judges, that word can havee different meanings.

Another aspect of this inherent asymmetry how the confirmation process plays out for both sides: Progressive candidates don't seem to have any problem telling the senate who they are and how they're going to vote, and usually the confirmation votes are pretty lopsided, like they used to be. On the other hand judges nominated by the GOP suddenly have to clam up and turn into stealth candidates to avoid being borked by the Democrats' allies in the hair-on-fire media. There's never any melodrama at the confirmation hearings for any Dem nomination, no matter how loony left they are, and so pretty much sail on through while GOP nomination hearings routinely get turned into shit shows.

And the DACA decision, which basically says it's OK for Obama to issue an EO but not OK for Trump to rescind it, is truly bizarre.

Again, I wonder whether it's all been worth it. Politics is downstream from culture, and we've been fighting this political battle for decades, and then suddenly a GOP nominated "originalist" decides to change the definition of a word to something not originally intended by the authors of the regulation in question.

Against these Alice-through-the-looking-glass inanities, there is no defense.

Should conservatives just be nice and get along with the left? No!

Michael Knowles: The left controls all of the institutions. If there is institutional racism, whose fault is that? Take a stand. Do not try to appease the left!

Jeremy Boreing: Judge Roberts is on the side of conservatives 80% of the time, but when confronted with an issue in which there is heated disagreement, he sides with the left.

Chief Justice Roberts: Appease the Left. Don't turn the left's ire against the court.

Justice Gorsuch last week: Sex can be defined by gender-identity and not by biology!

Andrew Klavan: We are now in a cold war with China that is going to last ten or twenty years.

Dana Perino: "The mob giveth and the mob taketh away!"

Ebay officials cyberstalking