the beatings have begun

[mellowtigger]

Dismiss me for continuing to be paranoid if you want.

Hill, by all witness accounts, politely asked West to be careful, officials said. ... West threw her to the ground and hit her in the head with his fists and feet, police said. During the exchange, witnesses said West could be heard screaming racial slurs at the victim.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/20940073/detail.html

Meanwhile, one of my relatives on Facebook has asked people to friend Glenn Beck on the site. Yeah, that "news" figure who says (without retraction or correction) that millions of people were at the recent D.C. March because the university of "I don't remember which university" counted that many people from the video footage.

I distrust these people who obviously feel that they no longer hold any (or sufficient) political power.  I disbelieve that they will employ peaceful and lawful means of reasserting their (self-perceived) political power.

This journey is leading nowhere that I want to go.

Comments

[mellowtigger]

Never. (In answer to the rhetorical question.) I'm not arguing that there is new bigotry in America or that it's finding new forms of expression. I'm arguing that the triggers of its expression are new. I'm arguing that the threshold of violent behavior has already shifted and will continue to shift.

I predict, for example, news reports of someone being dragged from their vehicle and beaten because of the sticker on their car bumper. (That would be another new threshold, I think.) Similarly, I predict someone's home being destroyed because of the sign on their front lawn, followed by continued encouragement from Faux News and continued failure to discourage such activity by conservative officials.

After these lone-actor experiences with momentary impulses are publicized, I predict the planned group assaults to begin. (Assaults that are unrelated to traditional issues of gang territoriality, drug merchandise, or even explicitly to race.)

I'll let these predictions stand for 2 years before admitting to paranoia and failure of foresight. :) Assuming that they never come to pass. *cross fingers for luck*

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

Again, not arguing with your basic thesis, I just don't think example particularly supports it.

To me these compare quite directly with many many many events in the history of the USA (not only the USA of course). All of the things you mention happened during the 60s, for instance, and were directed not only at black people, but at anyone who was sympathetic to the desegregation agenda.

[mellowtigger]

I'll have to delve into my impressions more deeply.

The phrase that popped into my head while reading your reply was, "Spoken like a yankee." Now I need to figure out why I have that reaction. I grew up in the state that gave the nation its Juneteenth holiday, and something about that experience is making me very pessimistic about where this ride is headed.

A useful counter-question, though, might be, "What influences prevented the 1960s from escalating into full-blown civil war? Are those same influences still present today?"

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

I think that is an excellent question and well worth considering.

[ogam.livejournal.com]

This.

[nudewoody.livejournal.com]

"What influences prevented the 1960s from escalating into full-blown civil war?"

Failure in Vietnam and then Watergate followed by Nixon's resignation.