“This is what dictators do,” tweeted Representative Joaquinn Castro, referring to Trump’s Secret Police and their actions in Portland over the past few days. It appears that this administration is testing the waters to see just much they can get away with in their attempt to make the United States a full-fledged authoritarian government. What’s happening in Portland between the peaceful demonstrators and the federal police is similar to what you have seen throughout history from fascist countries. There have been at least four incidents in PDX that have shown the objective of the fed’s is not just to protect the federal courthouse property from the “thugs” and “domestic terrorists,” but to show those on the far-right that this “law and order” administration is not going to support first amendment rights of peaceful protest. The first was the guy standing across from the courthouse holding a boom box over his head yelling at the camouflaged paramilitary Secret Police and then getting shot in the face by a rubber munition, fracturing his skull. The videos of that incident clearly show him not throwing objects or demonstrating violently. The second incident, which has occurred for three nights is a group of mom’s, some of whom are pregnant, standing arm-in-arm with their backs to the courthouse, again not exhibiting any violent or criminal acts. Each night they have been tear gassed. The third example is of people being pulled off the street without probable cause, pulled into unmarked vans by these Secret Police, handcuffed and taken to a holding cell to be interrogated, and then released without explanation. Finally, on Sunday a Navy vet standing in the middle of the street facing the federales, gets pummelled by them with their batons and then tear gassed resulting in what he said was “a bunch of bruises and a broken hand and fingers that will need surgery.” Do these actions sound like something that would happen in a free, democratic society? Get ready, he’ll probably start trying to get the pentagon to have a military parade for him on Labor Day, just like his dictatorial heroes get to have.
Today we learn from the president that the coronavirus pandemic in the United States will probably “get worse before it gets better.” Yesterday he even acknowledged that masks were a good thing and showed patriotism if you wore one. Wow, why the change of heart? I think his advisors have probably got him to realize that his approval rating in dealing with the corona virus is dismal and the poll numbers are getting worse each day for the upcoming election, and thus, a revision in his rhetoric and an effort to improve his ratings by showing some sort of leadership. Yesterday we had over 1,000 COVID deaths in the US, but he still says this administration is doing a fabulous job and today says “I don’t think any president, any administration has accomplished so much.” Your right, no other president or administration has accomplished the deaths of over 141,000 Americans and now the White House projects that more than 220,000 Americans could die of the virus by November 1st. Good job, Donnie!
Good to be ramblin’ at ya.’ Have a great evening! Ziggyman
Mountain Man Musings 