This, and if you take class into account–whether from the right or left–you inevitably have to acknowledge structural, systemic weaknesses in the American system. This, no one will or can do, in our political system. This was certainly reinforced by the Cold War era’s virulent hatred of anything smacking of Marxist thought, but it existed long before that period as well. All problems in this country had to be defined in terms of individual moral failures, not systemic flaws.
So, we can’t argue the system, which leaves us to fling poo at each other.
The challenge of the next four years is to bring class into the forefront, and use that as a cudgel against Trump. Given Bernie’s success I think it’s possible, if you put the identity politics and ratchet it down, and if the economy tanks like I expect.
The Madman Theory. If you can credibly convince the other side that you are insane or stupid, you gain a whole lot of bargaining power because your opponent will believe that you might employ strategies that harm not only them, but yourself as well.
Traditionally the emphasis in game theory has been on how or if its possible for someone to credibly pretend to be irrational when in fact they’re really a coolly calculating rational agent.
The situation now is rather different than it was under Nixon and Kissinger, though, because Trump and the modern GOP are bona fide idiots, and not shamming at all.
Intense protester video. Huge crowds of people wearing black. Protesters, journalists and lawyers getting pepper sprayed. At the 14:30 mark the police have box everyone in, and then the protesters rush the police despite the flashbangs and formidable pepper spray weaponry and they managed to break the police line. (Still watching myself.)
Indeed. As much as I loathe both Nixon and Kissinger, for different reasons, they were far from idiots. Kissinger was freakin’ brilliant, evil genius as he sometimes was, and Nixon had a native craftiness as well as a solid understanding of politics.
Our current chief executive, on the other hand, might be qualified to run Goodneighbor, if Hancock retires.
Such things will be crushed in the US, it won’t work here. American police are more brutal than European, and tend to have no sympathy for the protesters.
Yep, remember, American cops voted overwhelmingly for Trump by many accounts and can’t wait to go rough up some uppity liberals and, their personal favorite, “thugs.”
Black bloc is an American thing too, for decades now. Seattle was a big moment for them.
North America
The first recorded use of the tactic in United States of America occurred at the Pentagon, in Washington, D.C. on 17 October 1988. Over one thousand demonstrators—a small number consisting of a black bloc—called for the end to U.S. support for the right wing death squads in El Salvador.[18] Other early use in the US were the Earth Day Wall Street Action in 1990 and the February 1991 protests against the Gulf War.[citation needed] These were initiated by Love and Rage, a North American revolutionary anarchist organization active in New York. Black blocs gained significant media attention when a black bloc caused damage to property of GAP, Starbucks, Old Navy, and other retail locations in downtown Seattle during the 1999 anti-WTO demonstrations.[19] They were a common feature of subsequent anti-globalization protests.[20] During the 2010 G20 Summit in Toronto, a black bloc riot damaged a number of retail locations including an Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, Adidas Store, Starbucks and many banking establishments.[21][22]
Brazil
I’m a little disappointed that most mainstream media (well online newspapers) outlets have the women’s march as a small box and Trump’s nonsense from yesterday as the top 20 headlines.
We had a small town march today, but some very beautiful, impassioned speeches at the conclusion.
The vibe was intended to emphasize the positive. So my daughter’s sign had to be a tiny bit subtle w/ the negative jab. :)
