Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Chutkan laughs. Lauro sits back down.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

Democrats have delivered the Square Deal, the New Deal, the Fair Deal, and now… the Big Joe Biden Deal.

Republicans don’t trust women.

This blog will pay for itself.

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

When the time comes to make an endorsement, the pain of NYT editors will be palpable as they reluctantly whisper “Biden.”

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

The willow is too close to the house.

The jury literally has a bell they can ring to force Trump to show up on command. Greatest thing ever!

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

If you’re looking for someone who’s young and athletic, go watch a fucking movie.

You are here: Home / Civil Rights / Justice Protests Open Thread: Mayor Bowser vs. the Squatter-in-Chief

Justice Protests Open Thread: Mayor Bowser vs. the Squatter-in-Chief

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The first night of major unrest in Washington had exploded in chaos on May 29, with protesters and Secret Service officers battling outside the White House. At 8:30 the next morning, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and her senior aides huddled on a conference call for an update from the city’s police chief.

Eleven minutes later, they were interrupted — by a number of angry tweets from President Trump. Praising the federal officers, Trump warned protesters of the “vicious dogs” and “ominous weapons” at their disposal. Then, as the mayor’s chief of staff read the tweets out loud, Trump lambasted Bowser.

Trump wrote that the Democratic mayor “who is always looking for money & help, wouldn’t let the D.C. police get involved. ‘Not their job.’ Nice!” It was a false accusation. The mayor had never said those words.

Bowser (D) and her team finished their discussion, said one city official with knowledge of the call, and then the group “went back to the tweet and how the mayor should respond.”

The response has been emphatic. Since Trump’s personal attack on May 30, Bowser has fought back fiercely against the president’s bullying, taunting him with tweets and criticisms of her own. On Friday, she rebuked him with a defiant display of street art in which she sought to draw a clear contrast with Trump’s calls for “law and order” by demonstrating active support for peaceful protesters of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Over the past 10 days — set against the backdrop of the pitched national protests over police violence — their once relatively temperate relationship has erupted into an ugly schism freighted with the overtones of race and power that have infused the protests, as well as city leaders’ long and fruitless fight for D.C. statehood…

An hour after Trump’s tweets, the mayor hit back with a pair of her own. She defended the D.C. police, saying it would protect all city residents, including the protesters and Trump. Then she taunted him for hiding in the executive mansion behind the wrought-iron White House security fence.

“There are no vicious dogs & ominous weapons,” she wrote. “There is just a scared man. Afraid/alone.”

The dig appeared aimed to humiliate Trump, who revels in projecting strength. Though mayoral aides said Bowser didn’t know it at the time, the Secret Service had moved Trump to a secure bunker under the White House during the height of the chaos Friday, a detail made public in a New York Times report last Sunday…

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows contacted the mayor and floated a proposal of a federal takeover of the city’s police department — a highly offensive notion to city leaders still scarred by the federal government’s financial takeover of a nearly bankrupt D.C. government in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Bowser balked, promising the city would step up enforcement.

City officials met that day with FBI, military and Justice Department officials to develop a security plan for Monday night. D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham expressed a willingness to work collaboratively with the administration, two officials with knowledge of the meeting said.

But as the protesters swelled at Lafayette Square, federal authorities chose not wait until the curfew to make their move…

As night fell on Thursday, a team of eight muralists plotted the design and, under the cover of darkness at 3 a.m. Friday, they began painting 50-foot-tall, bright yellow letters spelling out “BLACK LIVES MATTER” along 16th Street leading toward the White House.

White House officials viewed the move as a serious escalation and warned that the mayor has done “irreparable harm” to her relations with Republicans on Capitol Hill.

But Bowser remained unbowed. On Saturday, while marching with protesters to the newly minted plaza, the mayor offered another shot at her antagonist.

“Today, we say ‘no,’ ” the mayor said. “In November, we say ‘next.’ ”


How many troops does it take to protect one scared little #BunkerBaby?

Speaking of nostalgia, who remembers August 9, 1974?

Reader Interactions

174Comments

  4. 4.

    danielx

    Two words I do not ever wish to hear from a Republican pol’s mouth: character counts.

  5. 5.

    geg6

    She just nails him every time, doesn’t she?  Sarah is a national treasure.

    Gawd, Cheeto Mussolini is a wuss.  The wussiest wuss I’ve ever seen.  I wish he’d work himself into a aneurysm.  I just want him gone and all the leeches around him, too.  I can deal with a fucking pandemic.  I can deal with protests, even cheer them on.  But I cannot deal with these people another minute.  They make everything in the world worse.

  7. 7.

    ThresherK

    Speaking of “10k troops going all domestic on us” fantasy, how many special militarized police have been on the streets this last week? Is there a reliable aggregate number somewhere?

  10. 10.

    debbie

    @ThresherK:

    The visuals are great, but those troops are not gone. They’ve just been withdrawn. I’d bet they’re ready to spring back at a moment’s notice.

  14. 14.

    debbie

    @The Moar You Know:

    I don’t dispute the tragedy of COVID-19, but there were a fuckload more than 100,000 demonstrators yesterday. Far, far many more if you count the demonstrations in other countries (which made me cry, actually).

     

    ETA: Maybe “miscalculation” would be a more accurate choice than “fuck-up.” Not changing it though.

  16. 16.

    Tim C.

    The party that loves the Traitor’s Rag,  a symbol of slavery and treason has an issue with Black Lives Matter being painted on a street.

     

    Cool.    They are who we think they are part Eleventy Billion.

  17. 17.

    Benw

    Trump suuuuuuuuucks.
    I’m heading out to a protest here on Long Island in about an hour.
    Fuck yeah peaceful protestors!

  20. 20.

    Mousebumples

    I got my copy of March (by John Lewis) off the shelf and have been rereading it. My daughter’s a little young to understand, but I’m sending some copies (purchased from a black owned bookstore) to some cousins’ kids. We are living through historic times, and understanding the lives of the civil rights leaders who came before is something i appreciate.

  22. 22.

    Redshift

    White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows contacted the mayor and floated a proposal of a federal takeover of the city’s police department — a highly offensive notion to city leaders still scarred by the federal government’s financial takeover of a nearly bankrupt D.C. government in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

    Or, you know, how the city was under direct federal rule until the civil rights movement, and still only has local government powers that Congress “allows.” Sheesh. Seems like that would be worth a mention in a time of civil rights protests.

  24. 24.

    Ruckus

    @danielx:

    Hey! shitforbrains has character.

    It’s all shitty, far worse than useless, 73yr old spoiled going on 4yr old brat, dumbass, moronic, racist, worthless, demented, delusional, traitor, and about 20 other derogatory adjectives that I’m too lazy to type. But it is character.

  25. 25.

    JWR

    Just watched a bit of our odious AG, Little Billy Barr, lying his ass of on CBS. According to him, there was some sort of super sekrit army of out-of-control prolooters attacking police in a big battle waged behind the park police bike rack, (say wut?), throwing bricks, (natch), projectiles, and prying up paving stones to further their attack. Oh, and he didn’t clear the park for a photo-op, but to enlarge the perimeter around the WH. Oh, now I understand, Billy. You’re a Godless liar, just like your boss. God, I hate these f*cking weasels.

  26. 26.

    germy

    Not only did the Pittsburgh Post Gazette remove a black journalist from reporting on the protests when she pointed out that white people riot also, but the paper has now killed links to previous stories after the guild denounced them. Shameful https://t.co/QtBmRRQMER

    — Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) June 6, 2020

  28. 28.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Ruckus:

    73yr old spoiled going on 4yr old brat

    He’ll be 74 next Sunday, will he be a 5yr brat then?

    OT: I’m getting a site not secure banner on Edge(Chromium version) this morning.  It also shows up on on Chrome, anybody else seeing this?

  29. 29.

    Amir Khalid

    I have a hunch that Trump is frightened, and it’s dawning on him that everyone knows it. He knows that nothing he does seems to work: his recent photo ops and bluster are not winning anyone over. He is aware the nation has begun to leave him behind as it deals with the pandemic and with the fallout from George Floyd’s murder. Trump is a dead man walking.

  31. 31.

    Ruckus

    @germy:

    I’ve worked a lot of pro sporting events with 75k spectators, lots of events over 20yrs as a hobby and 11yrs full time, and I’ve never seen anything like that. A bit rowdy (Hell’s Angeles were once hired as security for one and it actually was one of the best behaved crowds ever!) sometimes, but never even close to that.

  33. 33.

    Ruckus

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    Nope. He didn’t stop physically aging at 4, only mentally. OK there might have been a couple of years that he made 5, about 30 yrs too late, but he long ago gave up that level of growth to fall back on his normal character age of 4.

  37. 37.

    low-tech cyclist

    If Peggy freakin’ Noonan is calling for Trump’s resignation, can I ask a dumb question?

    WHY THE HELL AREN’T THE DEMOCRATS????

    Seems a no-brainer: his dereliction of duty, his near-total failure to act to contain the coronavirus, has vastly increased the number of deaths over what could have been.  And his plan for reopening is: hope for the best.  Which will also result in tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths between now and January 20.

    Are the unnecessary and still preventable deaths of tens of thousands of Americans not a cause for demanding a President’s resignation?  IMHO, the Dems’ refusal to say so normalizes Trump’s choices as policy choices that are within the range of choices that are acceptable for a President to make.  Regrettable, perhaps, but if he wants to send tens of thousands of everyday Americans to their deaths, then well, he’s President; that’s his right.

    That’s the message that I see the Dems sending with their silence and inaction. That’s why the “proud to be a Democrat” threads get under my skin: the fundamental wrongness of that message appalls me.  How can I be proud to be a Democrat as long as they’re sending that message?

  40. 40.

    cmorenc

    Love the fact that the portion of the street “Black Lives Matter” was painted on is owned by the municipality of D.C. , rather than directly by a federal government agency. This factor complicates the ability of the Trump Administration to come up with any plausibly convincing or workable rationale to erase or cover it over. It’s not graffiti on any federal building or monument, it’s not even “graffiti” because painting the words on the street was sanctioned by the DC mayor / council.

  41. 41.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @low-tech cyclist: I saw your ‘nym and guessed that there was another complaint about how the Democrats are Congressing wrong beneath it.  If only there were a prize for guessing right.

  44. 44.

    WereBear

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    He’ll be 74 next Sunday, will he be a 5yr brat then?

     
    A blog I love, Down the Rabbit Hole, explores narcissism from a therapist’s perspective.

    She points out that not only is it near impossible for a narcissist to admit they need to change something, this also slows the pace. If a therapist takes on the psychological equivalent of a 4 year old brat, at the end of an excruciating year of reluctant therapy, you have — at best — a 5 year old brat.

    Which is how narcissists stay that way.

  45. 45.

    different-church-lady

    Trump used the phased “silent majority” this week.

    Like a lot of wingnuts, he’s just regurgitating things he’s heard over the years without having much clue at all about what they actually mean.

  46. 46.

    Amir Khalid

    @low-tech cyclist:

    For one thing, Trump resigning in disgrace now means President Pence. For another, the entire Democratic party — even occasional member Wilmer Sanders — is already working hard to rid the office of him. Everyone already knows the Democrats want hm out.

  47. 47.

    Redshift

    @JWR: As I posted on Twitter about Barr’s previous “statement,” for people who lie so much, you’d think they’d at least be good at it by now.

    But if course that’s the point, to tell obvious lies all the time, and force you to engage with them and get worn down, or just to give up.

  49. 49.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @low-tech cyclist: You may remember from late last year and into early this year there was this impeachment thing going on.  The Democrats in the House(with a couple of exceptions) and Senate all voted to remove Trump from office.  Second, if the Speaker said Trump should resign, how does that help actually getting him to actually leave.  Does it help Vice President Biden beat Trump in November?  Because, right now that’s the only way Trump’s leaving the White House.

  51. 51.

    Ruckus

    @low-tech cyclist:

    I believe there is such a split in our political parties that the democrats asking for his resignation officially would actually make things worse. The republicans have to reach this conclusion, because while all of us suffer massively by his continued presence, they will just rally around him and we will go nowhere. If enough republicans do this, then democrats can join them in asking/demanding or impeachment might possibly work. But the reality is that while shitforbrains entire stick is to walk away when it’s become obvious that he’s put himself into another corner, his becoming president is the only thing he’s ever done successfully. Which of course he had help with because he’s a worthless, far worse than useless fuck. I wish he’d taken his milk and cookies and walked away 3 yrs ago but that ship has sailed. He’s backed himself into another corner out of which he literally has no place to go.

    And who is going to suggest to him that he resign? One of his toadies? Any democrat? He’s a scared, deranged, self inflected wounded little boy in an old man’s ugly body. He’s not walking away, he’s not going to resign and republicans will fight impeachment, if only on the general principle of republicans!

  52. 52.

    Kirk Spencer

    @low-tech cyclist:

    I’m sorry, you’re not making sense.

    First, I seem to recall an impeachment. A call and demand by every Democrat in the house and senate that Trump leave office; a recognition that he would not do so willingly and so must be removed.

    Second, you seem to think that if they repeated their demands it would now happen – that the current office holder would suddenly slap his forehead and declare he had no idea, turn over the keys and the football, and scuttle off down to Floriday.

    At this point we’ve two general options. See if the system will work, or revolution. Whether we can have an election and force him out, or if we have to start yet another version of this nation. (You do know this is not version one, right?)

    Because everyone telling him – telling them (his toadies and enablers as well as himself) he has to leave office isn’t going to be effective.

    What you seem to be saying is you want a revolution. The problem with revolutions is they never come out as intended. So I’m proud to be part of a group that’s working against Trump and his ilk, that’s supporting and aiding by speech and action and money those working to minimize the consequences of his stupidity, all while trying to make sure we have a nation under this constitution next year.

    You’re frustrated. Fine. Join the crowd. But calling for revolution because those acting aren’t calling for revolution? That’s purity pony land and does nothing to help end the mess.

  53. 53.

    Miss Bianca

    @low-tech cyclist: You know, your “never mind the GOP bollocks, Democrats SUUUUUUUUCK” one-note Johnnyism has always been tiresome, but right now it’s positively nauseating. I’ve never actually pied anyone before, but it’s tempting to make you the first.

  55. 55.

    Redshift

    @different-church-lady:

    Like a lot of wingnuts, he’s just regurgitating things he’s heard over the years without having much clue at all about what they actually mean. 

    Maybe not him, but some people over there have definitely been trying to run the Nixon playbook, and I’m betting the same people put the phrase in his empty noggin.

  56. 56.

    Geminid

    @low-tech cyclist:    I feel your pain. But calls for resignation will not make Trump resign, nor will impeachment w/o 20 Republican senators on board result in removal. Both would be performative, not effective. You might as well accept that the American people are going to have to drive the stake into trump’s heart, on Nov. 3, and work to that end.

  59. 59.

    db11

    @debbie:

    but there were a fuckload more than 100,000 demonstrators yesterday.

    I found it interesting the difference in reportage last night between, for example, the Toronto Star whose headline was “Washington sees largest protests in the city yet over the killing of George Floyd” and the subhead (which the’ve since incorporated in body copy) said that there were 200,000 people protesting in DC. (alone!) https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2020/06/06/washington-braces-for-largest-protests-in-the-city-yet-over-the-killing-of-george-floyd.html

    Contrast with the WP whose headline said something like: ‘Over 10,000 protesters flood the capital’ (they’ve changed the head since last night, but they still reference thousands instead of 10’s of thousands — or even more accurately, 100’s of thousands.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2020/06/07/dc-protests-sunday-george-floyd/

    Hmm: I wonder what motivation the major media could have in playing down the size of likely the largest mass protests ever seen?

    https://twitter.com/TomSugrue/status/1269383576245743618

  60. 60.

    Redshift

    @Nora: They’re sure this time will be different! (Also, of course, they don’t get the difference between a challenger saying he’ll “restore order” vs. an incumbent who has already failed to do so.)

  63. 63.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I do sometimes wonder what would happen if trump did  Elvis out on the gold-plated crapper one morning– would they let Pence run for the big chair?

  64. 64.

    Ken

    White House officials viewed the mayor’s Black Lives Matter installation as a serious escalation and said the mayor has done “irreparable harm” to her relations with Republicans on Capitol Hill.

    Whereas before her remarks, she and the Republicans were the best of buddies, meeting daily to work together to solve the problems of the city.

  66. 66.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    @raven: not exactly on point, but I had wrist drop last fall from sleeping funny on my arm.  Doctor said I had compressed a nerve, if it didn’t go away in a week, then come in.  It went away in three days.

  68. 68.

    db11

    @db11: For those that haven’t yet seen the Tom Sugrue tweet (the link at the bottom of my post):

    As a historian of social movements in the U.S., I am hard pressed to think of any time in the past when we have had two straight weeks of large-scale protests in hundreds of places, from suburbs to big cities. The breadth and scale of #Floyd protests is staggering.

  69. 69.

    satby

    @raven: my sister with MS has it and needs to wear a brace. But it can be a sign of diabetic neuropathy or stroke too so needs to be monitored by a doctor. There’s exercises on YouTube that can be done.

  72. 72.

    Nora

    @Redshift: Reminds me of the scene in O Brother, Where Art Thou when Pappy O’Daniel has to smack his advisors who want him to sell himself as the reform candidate when he’s already the governor.

  73. 73.

    Ken

    the president said he wanted 10k troops patrolling streets across the country.

    Which for the NYC/Newark/Connecticut urban area, works out to about 3 per square mile. Toss in the rest of the top 10 districts and you’re down to half a soldier per square mile.

    In one of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, Commander Samuel Vimes of the City Watch notes that the guards are outnumbered 10,000 to one, and the only reason policing can work is that most of the population by and large supports them.

    (And may we all be lucky enough someday to have police forces as decent as those in Ankh-Morpork.)

  74. 74.

    db11

    @debbie: That’s part of my point: the numbers aren’t readily available and if one wasn’t following other sources (primarily Twitter), you’d have no idea of the real scale of protests from the major media reporting.

    Have you seen the video of Brisbane, Australia protest?

    https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1269538037844901889

    This is so crazy Brisbane, Australia might’ve had the biggest #BlackLivesMatter protest on earth.

  76. 76.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Ken: I like how theres literally no thought that THEY escalated previously. Like this somehow came out of the blue and they’re the defenseless victims.

    Like Kay says, it has to be all about them. Every time.

  78. 78.

    Luciamia

    First I thought. Peggy Noonan? Really? But then…of course . She, the snowflakiest of the snowflakes. And why does she want him to paraphrase Nixon? “You won’t have me to kick around anymore.”

  81. 81.

    Amir Khalid

    @db11:

    Australia does have a Black Lives Matter issue of its own: the deaths of too many native Australians (Aboriginals) in police custody. From what I’ve read, this has been the main focus of protests there.

  82. 82.

    debbie

    @db11:

    Gotta love the last sentence:

    I have just given an order for our National Guard to start the process of withdrawing from Washington, D.C., now that everything is under perfect control. They will be going home, but can quickly return, if needed. Far fewer protesters showed up last night than anticipated!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2020

  84. 84.

    artem1s

    @low-tech cyclist:

    WHY THE HELL AREN’T THE DEMOCRATS????

    I seem to recall a very public, legal effort to REMOVE him from office, entirely driven by Democrats.  WHY THE HELL IS THE GOP’S CANDIDATE THE DEMOCRATS PROBLEM TO FIX???????

  85. 85.

    Barbara

    @low-tech cyclist:  Nuh uh.  They voted for his ouster.  They don’t need to “ask” for his resignation.

    As for Trump, ISTM that he sees every situation as the reenactment of a negotiation in some aspect of his real estate business, wherein, he simply doubles and triples and quadruples down until people give in.  And when they don’t, he declares bankruptcy and screws them anyway.  The problem is, only he sees the analogy as a valid one — which means that it is never clear to the rest of us whether he is still in the negotiation fantasy or the about to declare bankruptcy phase of the fantasy — or what the latter even means.  Calling out troops because people are protesting seems pretty close to “I’ve given up” to me.

  87. 87.

    Gvg

    @db11:  is that about America, or their own problems with treatment of their indigenous population? Which, by the way I don’t know much about, but I have heard it’s a problem. It just seems odd a country so far away would do it just because of us. We are so upset at what is happening here, that we aren’t paying much attention to anyone else.

  88. 88.

    Ken

    @artem1s: WHY THE HELL IS THE GOP’S CANDIDATE THE DEMOCRATS PROBLEM TO FIX???????

    Especially considering that back in summer 2016, many of the GOP were trying to fix the problem of their candidate.  Though of course 98% of them pivoted afterward.

  90. 90.

    artem1s

    @Ken:

    many of the GOP were trying to fix the problem of their candidate.

    Remember the good old days when Reince Preibus said the GOP shouldn’t want to be the party of stupid?

  93. 93.

    Roger Moore

    @Amir Khalid:

    I have a hunch that Trump is frightened

    He should be frightened.  One of the things we should have learned from other countries is that protests about every topic always have a subtext of people being angry about their incompetent leader.  The reason he wants to attack the protesters and crush the protests is because he knows at any moment they could turn into demands for his resignation.  I honestly expect him to find excuses to stay away from the White House until the protests end; he doesn’t want to wake up one morning to find a million people camped outside promising not to leave until he resigns.

  94. 94.

    db11

    @Amir Khalid: It sounds similar to here in Canada where the George Floyd protests may have been the catalyst, but it unavoidably sheds an uncomfortable light on just how brutally First Nations here have always been treated by the RCMP, provincial and local police. (our original sin is our unconscionable historical treatment of our Native population – much like Oz).

    Example in point: Police get called for a wellness check on a young Native woman in New Brunswick and she ends up being shot and killed:
    https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/first-nations-chiefs-seek-justice-system-review-moore-shooting-1.5601867

    We have plenty of racism and brutality directed at Black Canadians too — just the First Nations have been even more ignored, abused and oppressed — and for a longer time here.

  95. 95.

    Colleeniem

    @low-tech cyclist: I’m sure you saw Val Demming tweet? Possible VP and impeachment manager? From several days ago? Also Kamala?

    i think some people just don’t want to have nice things.

  97. 97.

    Ruckus

    @Luciamia:

    Some people do not understand sarcasm.

    Never understood why that is, it can be so much fun to use correctly. But then some people don’t understand the mathematical theory of communication or Bohr’s theory of hydrogen spectrum or religion either.

  99. 99.

    Elizabelle

    @Roger Moore:   Governing depends on consent of the governed.

    Trump has breached that.  I hope people stay out there, protesting every day and more on weekends.

    And that we take our protests to the Republicans.  Protest outside their district offices.  Protest outside the Capitol building.

    Protest outside Fox News.

    Take it to the enablers.  Make them squirm, too.  Or at least, make them have to avoid you.

  100. 100.

    Ruckus

    @rikyrah:

    Very good advice.

    Internet docs are notorious for not seeing all the actual symptoms or knowing what to do for them. Hell some MDs are notorious for not seeing all the actual symptoms or knowing what to do for them.

  101. 101.

    Yutsano

    @Amir Khalid: Australia doesn’t quite have the same original sin as we do, but the colonists absolutely refused to treat the aboriginal people as anything but animals to be exterminated. That prejudice still runs deep in Australian culture today. So it’s nice to see the protests, but it would be nicer if they dumped the Liberal coalition and elect at least Labor or Central Alliance. Dumping Morrison would achieve their goals much faster.

  102. 102.

    Ken

    @db11: ([Canada’s] original sin is our unconscionable historical treatment of our Native population – much like Oz)

    And the US, but we are fortunate enough to have an even worse original sin. Or maybe they’re part and parcel of the same thing.

  103. 103.

    Elizabelle

    @low-tech cyclist:   Oh for god’s sakes.  I am wondering if you are among the so far left, you despise Democrats and therefore cannot see the reality that they are NOT silent.

    We have discussed this a lot.  If the Republicans want to support impeachment so badly, they can join in bringing the action, once they know they can prove they have enough votes for it.

    Every single Democrat voted for impeachment previously.

    Democrats are not silent.  If you cannot hear them, maybe you’re not paying attention.

  104. 104.

    db11

    @Gvg: I think both. (See my reply to Amir Khalid)

    Remember that an Australian news crew was attacked and shot live on a national morning TV show, so they are definitely paying attention to the US situation.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/2020-06-02-nationwide-protests-over-george-floyd-death-live-n1221821/ncrd1221901#blogHeader

    It seems that the true ‘Silent Majority’ globally — having the time to observe, absorb and reflect due to COVID lockdowns — have finally woken up from their decades centuries long slumber to call out and denounce racists, fascists and authoritarians, both locally and in the US.

    Way past time, but more than welcome.

  105. 105.

    Yutsano

    @raven: I have foot drop. It can be a sign of a developing neuropathy. Don’t trust an internet doctor here. Get thee to an ER stat!

  106. 106.

    jc

    There’s a growing problem of police brutality in America. We all watched a prime example happen in front of our eyes, which sparked massive protests by people whose voices have been ignored and stifled for too long.

    So how did the powers-that-be respond? By busting heads (“dominating the battle-space”) — and making the protester’s point for them. Only one side showed up at the protests dressed for riots. The “leader” of the country showed in the starkest way that he doesn’t get it and doesn’t care about the problem, which only makes matters worse. Heck of a job, Donnie.

  107. 107.

    db11

    @Ken:

    Or maybe they’re part and parcel of the same thing.

    Yup… just different expressions of the same White Supremacy contagion that the British Empire infected the entire (English-speaking) world with.

  108. 108.

    Ken

    @Elizabelle: Make them squirm, too. Or at least, make them have to avoid you.

    “I’m late for lunch” doesn’t have quite the ring of “Brave Sir Robin ran away” but it will do for now.

  109. 109.

    joel hanes

    @Ken:

    may we all be lucky enough someday to have police forces as decent as those in Ankh-Morpork

    I actually think there are a few Vimes-like chiefs out there, but captains like Carrot are scarce.   As are officers such as Angua von Uberwald.

    And on the other extreme, I can’t say I’ve ever actually encountered a cop that resembled Corporal Nobbs.

    But everyone knows a cop like Sgt. Fred Colon.

  111. 111.

    Barbara

    @Roger Moore: I don’t think any president, ever, at least in our modern set up, has the right to be personally frightened.  Frightened for other people (e.g., troops in harm’s way) maybe, but not for himself.  If he loses the election, oh well.  Any politician should know those are the rules of the game and just keep it as a kind of background noise.  No, If Trump is frightened it’s because he is a coward who sees everything as being about himself.  I know we all know that, but I just want to emphasize that he really, really, does not have right to be “frightened” about anything.

  112. 112.

    raven

    @Yutsano: Well, I had a stroke almost 2 years ago. I had a pelvis and lumbar MRI and follow-up with an ortho last month and his exam did tell me anything since nothing showed on the MRI’s. I seem to get it after about a mile of walking, it becomes pronounced and I limp on home.

  113. 113.

    evodevo

    @MattF: Yes.  I tell Mr. Evodevo that every day…I want him in office, fucking up everything until Jan….I want the whole wad of GOPers to go down in defeat hanging on to his coattails…and I want indictments handed out on Jan.22…

  115. 115.

    joel hanes

    @Barbara:

    he really, really, does not have right to be “frightened” about anything.

    Trump’s covers are gradually shredding.  We’ll eventually see his financials and some of his tax filings, and find out they’re lies.   Once he’s out of power, the people around him who are still intimidated by the NDAs they were forced to sign and by fear of his angry retribution will start to come forward, and we’ll learn that he’s more corrupt and evil than one would think possible.   At some level, Trump knows that he’s eventually going to be exposed,  and he viscerally fears that humiliation.

    I don’t think that he’s yet really realized that he himself might be convicted.

  117. 117.

    Amir Khalid

    @RSA:

    Donald Trump is perfect in every way. It follows, as the night the day, that whatever shape he’s in — even that shape — is perfect shape.

  119. 119.

    Roger Moore

    @db11:

    Yup… just different expressions of the same White Supremacy contagion that the British Empire infected the entire (English-speaking) world with.

    Not to deny the point, but this is not at all limited to the English-speaking world.  Colonialism is inherently about believing your country is superior to the people you’re colonizing, and none of the European colonial powers look good.

  120. 120.

    Wapiti

    @Elizabelle: Governing depends on consent of the governed.

    Yup. Unfortunately, the Electoral College’s existence is counter to this concept, every four years. The US Senate’s representation and rules are counter to this concept.

  121. 121.

    Brachiator

    @Barbara:

    No, If Trump is frightened it’s because he is a coward who sees everything as being about himself.  I know we all know that, but I just want to emphasize that he really, really, does not have right to be “frightened” about anything.

    Trump is a coward and a bully, who has always been in deep denial about being a coward and a bully. He brought his fear with him when he walked into the White House.  He will take this fear with him when he leaves.

    He may even have thought that being president, the most powerful human being on Earth, would relieve some of his fear.

    But it didn’t.

    He loves to talk tough, and got excited about being able to call out the troops on non-violent protesters. But as always, he has a sick need to try to demean women, especially black women. And he demands to be shown deference and to be showered in praise no matter what he has done, or what he has failed to do.

    Some old fears and insecurity.

    The only problem is, his inability to control his fear will only get worse.

    Hopefully, we will only have to put up with this until November.

  122. 122.

    The Pale Scot

    @geg6:

    I wish he’d work himself into a aneurysm

    NO. We need this fucker to stay around to continue punching holes below the waterline of the Klan Ship GOP. Pence wouldn’t change anything other give

    the Apocalyptic Xtians a shot at starting WW3

  123. 123.

    Roger Moore

    @Barbara:

    I don’t think any president, ever, at least in our modern set up, has the right to be personally frightened.

    Trump is at the very least right to be politically frightened.  And I think he probably ought to be personally frightened, too; he has done stuff that’s plainly illegal and probably would have been prosecuted if DOJ hadn’t decided it’s impossible to prosecute a sitting president.  That means his personal safety is tied up with his political success, and anything that threatens him politically also threatens him personally.  It’s very bad for our politics that this is true, but that doesn’t make it untrue.

    [Edited for clarity]

  125. 125.

    joel hanes

    @Roger Moore:

    this is not at all limited to the English-speaking world

    Japanese look down on Koreans, and discriminate against them, and I believe the Ainu were savagely oppressed for centuries.

    Han Chinese in China look down on everyone, and are actively exterminating Tibetan and Uighur culture.

    India has the dalits.

    Germany, Russia, Poland, etc. :  Jews and the Romany.  For centuries.

  127. 127.

    db11

    @Roger Moore: Absolutely.

    I referenced the BE / English-speaking since the immediate context was US / Canada / Australia — and because the Brits were the most successful global imperialists of the European nations, (and therefore the most responsible)…

    but Belgium, France, Spain, and Portugal all have a lot to answer for as well. (not to mention Germany!)

  128. 128.

    debbie

    @raven:

    I’ve had a few TIAs in the past. MRIs showed nothing, but my doctor once watched me walking and noticed I had a slight weakness in my left leg and dragged my left foot a bit. It becomes more pronounced when I’m more tired.

    Regardless, get checked to make sure it’s not something else.

  129. 129.

    Barbara

    @Roger Moore: I really don’t think he is ever going to prison. People who think it a realistic possibility are delusional. Nothing he did previously ever put him in jeopardy of going to prison.

  130. 130.

    CaseyL

    Peggy Noonan is the pundit who “savored” W’s re-election in 2004, after he legitimized torture, turned Iraq into an anarchist state, set off a wave of destabilization that enveloped the entire Middle East.

    The only reason Noonon would now call for T* to resign is that GOP internal polls indicate a bloodbath in November.

    That’s good news.

  131. 131.

    Brachiator

    @Wapiti:

    RE:

    Governing depends on consent of the governed.

    Yup. Unfortunately, the Electoral College’s existence is counter to this concept, every four years. The US Senate’s representation and rules are counter to this concept.

    Of course, originally Senators were chosen by state legislatures, indirect democracy. And although a number of states provided for popular election of senators by referendum, this wasn’t standardized until 1913.

    Yeah, the Electoral College is a strange anachronism, but it was designed in part to prevent the citizens from electing a popular but unqualified fool as president. In this, of course, it failed spectacularly in 2016.

  133. 133.

    low-tech cyclist

    @Chyron HR: No, the Democrats aren’t the real problem. The Republicans are.  But it might be nice if the Dems would be an opposition party, would push back.

    Look, everyone loves dumping on the media, and they deserve a great deal of criticism for their bothsidesing.

    But I can tell you this: if the Republicans do something bad, and the Dems don’t push back, then you don’t get both sides from the media; you just get one – and it’s the wrong one.

    This was true when the Mueller Report came out, the GOP screamed “exoneration!!” and the Dems, with only a few exceptions, said nothing.  What were people supposed to think then about Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election, and Trump’s encouragement of it, other than that there couldn’t have been much to it?  (And this after nearly two years from Juicers about how Bobby Three Sticks was gonna take care of business. Ha!)

    And then while the Dems are letting the massive coronavirus death toll and Trump’s inaction be normalized, you guys get impressed by the dig at Trump’s morbid obesity by “Nancy Smash.”  The things that pass for smashing here, I don’t understand.

    And now, while Trump militarizes the streets of the Nation’s Capital, puts a Mystery Cop on every block, and fences off a yuuuge perimeter that used to be public streets and lands around the White House only two weeks ago, the House is doing what, exactly?  (That’s a serious question: what are they?)

    Anyhow, you get the idea: either the Dems push back against shit, or shit gets normalized.  Seems hard to argue with, but if you disagree with that, please explain, rather than make cutesy remarks.  Or if you just prefer the latter outcome – shit gets normalized – just say so.

    That’s pretty much all I have to say to you guys right now, other than: how’s that HEROES Act coming?

  135. 135.

    Roger Moore

    @Barbara:

    Nothing he did previously ever put him in jeopardy of going to prison.

    It did, but he was able to buy his way out of it, e.g. by paying Pam Bondi to make the Trump University stuff disappear in Florida.  His problem is that he’s now made it impossible for anyone to ignore his crimes.  Maybe he could have depended on a rich man’s impunity if he had remained just a rich man.  But by getting elected and continuing to commit crimes while in office, he’s made it important for the other party to go after him and his whole administration hard once he’s out of office.

  136. 136.

    UncleEbeneezer

    Just a reminder for everyone who attended protests recently:

     

    “Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, urged those participating in demonstrations to wear face masks, try to social distance as much as possible and ***self-quarantine for two weeks.***”

  137. 137.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @low-tech cyclist:

    you get the idea: either the Dems push back against shit, or shit gets normalized.

    they impeached him: How many of your non-engaged,non-online acquaintance care? about the impeachment or the underlying crime?

  138. 138.

    db11

    @joel hanes: Definitely. No one ‘race’ has any monopoly on racism and oppression.

    But we were talking specifically about countries (US/Can/Oz) where the systemic racism is a direct function of White Supremacist ideology.

  139. 139.

    Suzy

    @low-tech cyclist: Dilemma for democrats:

    If republicans keep the WH and the Senate, they will continue their destruction, the packing of the courts. Voting rights, social security, DACA kids, defunding of eduction, not dressing climate change, etc. Damage that will take generations to repair. And some damage impossible to repair (re: climate change).

    Moreover, the GOP is very very sick and needs to be soundly defeated (and then reformed)  for the long-term health of the country.

    With Trump on the ballot, the possibility of winning the Presidency AND of inflicting and historic defeat to republicans in Congress is much higher.

    OTOH, since a cornered rat becomes very, very dangerous, there’s an argument that Trump has to be removed right now. Although, even if Trump gets out, you still have Barr and the whole corrupt cabinet anyway.

    In short, it’s a question of balancing the risks.

    Since 1) people are demonstrating they won’t be intimidated by Trump and 2) the military establishment seems willing to act if Trump loses it,

    democrats are making the calculation that Trump staying for a few more months is the better choice.

    Establishment Republicans are not in the same position. They want republicans to keep their power, and another candidate than Trump could perform better. Those republicans don’t believe, or don’t care, that the policies of their party will hurt the country in the long term.  Not to say that they are not, like us, horrified by Trump. It’s simply that for them, the choice of “conscience” aligns with the better choice for enacting their agenda. (They shouldn’t be afraid of “losing the base” if Trump gets out. Fox News and Right-Wing radio will reprogram their audience easily and the Trump base will vote for his replacement they always fall in line “against the libs”).

  140. 140.

    The Pale Scot

    @Ruckus: My friend had an apartment above the Hell’s Angels NYC headquarters, It was.. interesting. Safest street in on the lower east side.

  144. 144.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    And this after nearly two years from Juicers about how Bobby Three Sticks was gonna take care of business. Ha!

    you guys get impressed by the dig at Trump’s morbid obesity by “Nancy Smash.”  The things that pass for smashing here, I don’t understand.

    I think he thinks the Balloon Juice comments section is the DNC…

    or rather: The version of the DNC that exists in the emo-addled minds of the extremely on-line-ist Bernie Bros of Rose Twitter

  146. 146.

    low-tech cyclist

    @Elizabelle:

    @low-tech cyclist:   Oh for god’s sakes.  I am wondering if you are among the so far left, you despise Democrats and therefore cannot see the reality that they are NOT silent.

    I read this place every day, because it has great front-pagers, even if the commenters largely suck.  I rarely miss a post.  But I’m drawing a blank here about the great things they’re saying and doing, at this place that takes Democratic molehills and pretends they’re mountains.

    Look, I’m not some far-left type. I supported Hillary over Bernie in 2016, and it didn’t even take much thought.  And if someone let me decide whether Biden or Bernie should be the nominee this year, I’d take Biden in a freakin’ heartbeat.

    When you’re rooting for a sports team that constantly finds new ways to screw up and lose, it gets pretty damn frustrating.  The difference here is, I’m a Democrat, and unlike a sports team, where once the game’s over, the rest of the world is still the same, when the Dems lose, the lives of millions of other people are materially different as a result.  Hence my frustration.

    We have discussed this a lot.  If the Republicans want to support impeachment so badly, they can join in bringing the action, once they know they can prove they have enough votes for it.

    If we’re gonna wait for the Republicans to do the right thing, we’ll be waiting until doomsday.

    Every single Democrat voted for impeachment previously.

    Maybe 112,000 dead Americans and a deadly virus at large in the country matters more to the average American than something that happened in Ukraine?  Just spitballing here.

    Democrats are not silent.  If you cannot hear them, maybe you’re not paying attention.

    I’m a political junkie. If I’m not hearing them, then most voters aren’t either.

  148. 148.

    low-tech cyclist

    @Suzy:

    In short, it’s a question of balancing the risks.

    Since 1) people are demonstrating they won’t be intimidated by Trump and 2) the military establishment seems willing to act if Trump loses it,

    democrats are making the calculation that Trump staying for a few more months is the better choice.

    I don’t see a balance of risks.  Another hundred thousand or so are going to get killed by the coronavirus between now and January.  The Dems can do what they can to prevent those deaths – yes, they’ll fail, but they’ll at least have cared enough to try – and if they impeach Trump over it, then every Republican in Congress will either have to support or oppose Trump’s willingness to let so many Americans die without doing a damn thing about it.

    The ads write themselves.

    And if a miracle happens and the Republicans choose to vote Trump out of office, and Pence comes up with even a minimal, basic response to the virus, then the Dems will have saved tens of thousands of American lives.

    Yeah, I know, I keep talking about those people who still might or might not die.  Sorry to be such a bore, but I think they matter a lot.  With respect to people who’ve already been born, I’m a fanatical pro-lifer.

  149. 149.

    Ruckus

    @raven:

    I’ve been seeing neuro for about 5 yrs now. I have neuralgia, which is nerve pains, as in sharp – stabbing pain and what feels like electric shock and pressure pain, I have all three. No doc seems to know what is causing it. I’ve been prescribed every med that neuro has in their toolbox and it does nothing for the pains, which come and go. Coming at odd times and in differing locations. What the meds do for me is get me stoned, or give me horrendous hallucinations, or other fun stuff. I’ve had my hands seize up – painless, and I’m unable to move them, although they unseize in a couple of minutes. All of this comes and goes on it’s own timeline.

    I’m telling you this because sometimes it’s just getting old, sometimes there is something wrong and fixable and sometimes there is nothing meds can do for you. But I’d say try another doc, if that’s possible, if for nothing else a possible look from a different angle. That seemed to be the message I’ve gotten from one of the head neuro docs. He told me, they’ve tried everything, call him if things get worse or different, gave me his personal cell number.

    I hope you find better news than deal with it.

  151. 151.

    Duane

    Saturday’s protest in Springfield MO, where Trumpov has appeared twice, had over three thousand people attend. Would have liked to seen more people my age (60) but city streets in 90 degree heat is tough.

  152. 152.

    Ruckus

    @debbie:

    I’ve had the entire TIA playbook used on me. 8 months of testing, scratching their heads. They found nothing except an aneurysm that’s been there for at least now 3 yrs. And quite possibly Meniere’s disease. Modern medicine is very good. It’s not close to finished learning to be better, there are a lot of things they still don’t know.

  153. 153.

    raven

    @Ruckus: My buddy who moved back here from LA because he and his wife couldn’t do their massage work is pretty sure he can help. Dude is really good and worked on a number of high profile athletes and “stars” there. He kept his farm when he moved out there and got back in time to do a big planting and he’s got some time so I’ll probably roll out there this week.

  154. 154.

    raven

    @debbie: That’s what I get, I hit a mile on the walk and it starts to drag. I guess I think I’m lucky that it ain’t worse!

  155. 155.

    CaseyL

    @Ruckus: But now they can tell you quite specifically what they don’t know.

    (I take it you’ve tried analgesic pot, and it did nothing for you?)

  156. 156.

    Ruckus

    @Brachiator:

    It’s possible that over 200 yrs ago the population was small enough and relatively uneducated enough that some of our institutions were necessary to insure that we had a workable government. Possibly not. But I think we need to re-think the way our government works, or sometimes does not.

  157. 157.

    prostratedragon

    @The Pale Scot:
    Ahhh, East 14th St. Used to have to go through that block from the subway to Slugs. There were usually plenty of Angels in evidence. They weren’t hostile, but you kept right on walking.

  158. 158.

    Ruckus

    @CaseyL:

    I stopped pot 36 yrs ago and stopped alcohol going on 18 yrs ago. Don’t plan on starting either back up. Just not for me. I actually do OK, by staying active, and eating decently I think I’m doing OK. I still work – part time, I try to walk 2-3 miles a day and on days when it’s too hot or raining, I have a fitting bike – I used to build them for fitting bicycles to people but it works great as an indoor cycle, as it has a computer controlled load generator.

    But I will repeat the concept I’ve heard before, “Getting old isn’t for sissies.”

  159. 159.

    Ruckus

    @raven:

    I don’t think it can hurt to try it. The worst that you can find out is that it didn’t and the best is that it works amazing. I do know that for me, sitting on my ass doesn’t do diddly squat to help. Not that I let that stop me some days……

  160. 160.

    raven

    @Ruckus: I’ve been doing CBD oil from and outfit in Oregon that gives vets and lower income folks a 60% discount. I was sort of doing it for sleep and I have no idea if it works but I’m still doing it for me and the pups.

  163. 163.

    raven

    Fuck, word just came that one of our county commissioners died last night from a fall. . .at 71.

  164. 164.

    Bill Arnold

    @The Pale Scot:

    NO. We need this fucker to stay around to continue punching holes below the waterline of the Klan Ship GOP.

    Yeah, don’t wish for anything deadly or 25th-amendment-worthy(even to the current cabinet). Anything up to that level is good though. Potentially dangerous, but we need him intact and dragging down the GOP.

  165. 165.

    J R in WV

    @Elizabelle:

     

    Just pie it. It brings nothing to the conversation here, as opposed to so many valued commenters. Not a Democrat at all, just another troll.

  166. 166.

    Bill Arnold

    @UncleEbeneezer:

    urged those participating in demonstrations to wear face masks, try to social distance as much as possible and ***self-quarantine for two weeks.***”

    Protest pictures I’ve seen have been of protests outdoors, in the daytime, and with very high mask discipline among the protesters. Probably pretty low risk for them, unless they were gassed and/or masks remove by police and then thrown into vans then put unmasked in crowded holding cells.

    However, the police and other government forces performing in similar roles are almost entirely Unmasked.
    Police involved in protests should definitely be self-quarantining for two weeks. (Paid sick leave, no dissolution of peaceable assemblies for 14 days.)
    This is not snark.

    The unmasked police are like kids pointing loaded guns at other people. They are extremely dangerous to the public, and will probably end up killing thousands with their unmasked violations of the 1st amendment rights of American citizens.

  167. 167.

    David Evans

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Thank you for that. I enjoyed reading your post, and the blog, which was new to me, looks interesting.

    I just finished The Wind Reader. It’s a really good read, and made me care about the characters. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

  168. 168.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Barbara: Trump is personally frightened because being President is keeping him out of prison. Realistically, I know, the chance that he does any time after he gets out is remote. But there’s so much to convict him on that he’s effectively immune to because he’s in power. This is historically a situation that can create Presidents-for-Life.

  169. 169.

    jonas

    @different-church-lady: He’s just repeating Bannon or Miller, channeling Roger Ailes, who I believe was the one who first suggested to Nixon to start stoking a culture war to distract from the actual war in Vietnam.

  170. 170.

    Sm*t Cl*de

    @Ken:

    White House officials viewed the mayor’s Black Lives Matter installation as a serious escalation and said the mayor has done “irreparable harm” to her relations with Republicans on Capitol Hill.

    MOM SHE HIT ME BACK

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