Opinion: I see no choice but to resign from this Death Star as it begins to explode

Alexandra Petri for the Washington Post:

I understand that there might be some confusion about what exactly I’m doing, and why I’m doing this now, but I don’t think there should be. I am objecting, on principle, to staying on this Death Star for a single additional second. To those of you who would question my motives: I did know for a long time that the place I worked was a Death Star, but I have to say, until today, I didn’t understand that it was also very vulnerable to assault by a small one-man fighter because of a design flaw!

Must-See New Video Shows Capitol Riot Was Way Worse Than We Thought

Chris Hayes for MSNBC’s All In:

The Open Society and Its Enemies

Karl Popper:

"...the paradox of tolerance: Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.—In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by the use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant."

18 U.S.C. § 2384 - U.S. Code

If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.

A Group of 19th Century Proto-Karens

In the oral histories of the Washoe tribe, there is a tragic and shocking story about a group of American settlers headed west. You can read more here, but I’ll quickly summarize.

It was late winter in the mountains. The passes snowed over, trapping the settlers. Realizing that the group was ill-equipped and unlikely to survive, the Washoe decided to help.

They left food on the edge of the camp, but the settlers never took it. One time, the Washoe even tried to bring the settlers a deer that could be butchered for meat. Instead of offering thanks, the settlers fired their guns.

Still concerned, the Washoe continued to watch their new neighbors. Their scouts were terrified by what happened next.

That group of settlers was the Donner Party.

Here is that same story, but as told by an idiot named Rush Limbaugh:

You’ve heard of the Donner Party? Maybe some of you haven’t. The Donner Party, the Donner family and a bunch of travelers trying to get to California over the Sierra Nevada mountain range. They made the mistake of trying to make the trip in the middle of winter. We’re talking the Lake Tahoe region. They get to the peak. It was so bad that they had to turn to cannibalism to survive. … They didn’t complain about it, because there was nothing they could do. They had to adapt. This is what’s missing. There seems to be no concept of adaptation. There seems to be no understanding in the millennial generation that we can adapt to this.

They were offered food, and the Donner Party opened fire.

They were starving and freezing, and people began to die. But instead of accepting help from a stranger, they adapted, and began to eat their dead.

---

We can adapt and beat COVID-19 — by staying home. We can help stop the spread by wearing masks.

Over 100,000 people are dead, but some argue “there was nothing they could do.”

Instead of staying home or putting on a mask, these people would rather grab their guns and storm state houses while screaming about the death of freedom.

We don’t need to take inspiration from the Donner Party. This country has plenty of fools already acting like them.

The Donner Party was just a group of 19th Century proto-Karens.

Fox News Argues Viewers Don't Assume Tucker Carlson Reports Facts

The Hollywood Reporter:

Tucker Carlson doesn't have an obligation to investigate the truth of statements before making them on his show, and his audience doesn't expect him to report facts, a lawyer for Fox News told a New York federal judge on Wednesday.

People should consider getting this paragraph tattooed on the back of their hands. That way, whenever someone says “well, according to Fox News,” the inevitable facepalm that follows will not only serve as a symbol of your frustration, it will also provide proof that they are a fucking moron.

And Undeniably So

People who identify as LGBTQIA+ didn’t choose to be that way. The internet is full of stories from queer and transgendered individuals where they detail their personal struggles with identity. You can’t deny who you are, because that is not a choice.

Unlike your sexual orientation or gender identity, religion is a choice. You may have been born into a faith, but you choose to stay. If you are an independent adult, there is nothing requiring you to attend church on Sunday, or go to the synagogue on Saturday, or to fast during Ramadan. You don’t have to practice the religious beliefs of your parents. You choose to.

You also choose how you treat those around you. If you deny someone medical service – or a cake! – because of your ‘religious beliefs’, you are choosing to be a horrible human being.

The Trump administration revoking rules that prohibited hospitals, insurance companies, and medical practitioners from discriminating against individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+ isn’t protecting religious freedom. And calling the decision cruel is inadequate.

It’s evil.

The Crackdown Before Trump’s Photo Op

Dalton Bennett, Sarah Cahlan, Aaron C. Davis, and Joyce Lee for The Washington Post:

Drawing on footage captured from dozens of cameras, as well as police radio communications and other records, The Washington Post reconstructed the events of this latest remarkable hour of Trump’s presidency, including of the roles of the agencies involved and the tactics and weaponry they used.

“To Serve and Protect.”

Man who allegedly ran over protesters is an admitted leader of the Ku Klux Klan, Virginia officials say

Just another one of Donald Trump’s ‘very fine people.’

Most of Minneapolis City Council pledges to 'begin the process of ending' Police Department

Liz Navratil for the Star Tribune:

“Decades of police reform efforts have proved that the Minneapolis Police Department cannot be reformed and will never be accountable for its actions,” they said. “We are here today to begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department and creating a new, transformative model for cultivating safety in Minneapolis.”

Tank Man

In April 1989, a student protest calling for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and democratic reforms started in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. At its height, it’s estimated that 1 million people were participating in the protest.

The protests continued for over a month. Then, on June 1st, the Chinese government labeled them terrorists. On June 3rd, the People’s Liberation Army invaded Beijing.

On this date, thirty-one years ago, in an iconic act of non-violent protest, a single man stopped a convoy of tanks by simply standing in their way.

Photo by Jeff Widener of the Associated Press.

Looking at the protests in China in 1989 and at the protests in America today, we need to remember the words of one Donald Trump:

“When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it. Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength.”

Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press are enshrined in our Constitution. Democracy — “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people” — is at the very core of the American identity. The people at Tiananmen Square were protesting in the hope that those same ideals could take hold in China, and the man currently occupying the White House (or, more accurately, hiding in the White House) commended the Chinese government for using ‘strength’ to end the protests.

This year, there is no ‘protest vote.’ There is no ‘both sides do it.’

You are either for America or you’re for Trump. There is no middle ground.

I Don’t Want To Shoot You, Brother

As we watch we horror how police across America have behaved during the George Floyd protests, I’ve seen many on social media from military veterans who served in Afghanistan or Iraq about the rules of engagement. With that in mind, I think it’s important to revisit a ProPublica story from 2018 about the firing of a police officer after he responded to a domestic disturbance call and it resulted in the death of a 23-year-old black man. The officer was retired Marine who had served in Afghanistan, and this excerpt from his lawsuit alleging unlawful termination is why you should read it:

“The Weirton Police Department terminated Mr. Mader’s employment because he chose not to use deadly force to shoot and kill an African-American man who was suicidal.”

You need to read the full piece from beginning to end.

Jim Mattis Denounces President Trump, Describes Him as a Threat to the Constitution

Jim Mattis — retired Marine General and Trump’s first Secretary of Defense — in The Atlantic:

Instructions given by the military departments to our troops before the Normandy invasion reminded soldiers that "The Nazi slogan for destroying us…was ‘Divide and Conquer.’ Our American answer is ‘In Union there is Strength.’” We must summon that unity to surmount this crisis—confident that we are better than our politics.

Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.

I would not consider myself a Jim Mattis fan, but this needs to be read by all.

How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change

Barack Obama:

So the bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.

Under Construction

For the record: I fully support building a wall.

A wall is a tried and true method of restricting the flow of people. But I think we need to take a lesson from history to make sure that this wall is impervious.

There is an old infantry tactic where they’d ‘form square’ — which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The infantrymen would stand and form a hollow square with lines of soldiers facing out in each direction. This would enable them to withstand a cavalry attack on all sides. Our wall must do the same and ‘form square’.

Then, on each corner of the wall, we should put a guard outpost. In each outpost, armed guards will make sure that no one gets over the wall.

Once the wall is complete, we need to build a secure facility within. Windows in this facility will utilize artistically designed steel slats, or bars, to ensure that no one can breach the security of this facility, while still enabling the tenants to see outside.

And inside this facility we can place Donald Trump and all the key members of his totally legit businesses and his Collusion-Free Campaign (™ Vladimir Putin 2016) to ensure that they stay safe!

Had it happened elsewhere in the world, the response would be unanimous. We would decry the perpetrators, call them criminals, and demand action.

It is disturbing that such an atrocity is occurring on our southern border, and alarming that some would speak up to defend it.

Our history as a nation isn’t perfect. We’ve struggled to uphold one of our founding principals that all are created equal, and we sometimes have lapsed in providing due process of law. We’ve told ourselves that these troubles lie in our past, but here they are, a terror in the present.

He may proclaim love for the flag, but Trump’s continued actions betray the ideas, hopes, and dreams of the republic for which it stands.

I've avoided talking about politics online for awhile now. I felt that there were other people who would say or write what I felt, and could do it better than I would. But, I don't give fuck about that anymore. At least right now I don't. The events of this past weekend have made one thing abundantly clear: Now is not the time to be silent.

There is no such thing as "Alt-Right".

They are Nazis.
They are White Supremacists.
They are Racists.
They are Xenophobes.
They are Facists.

There is no such thing as "Alt-Right". There is only hate.