Post by Odysseus on Sept 2, 2020 1:55:26 GMT
Trump’s unhinged rhetoric would just be a Trump problem, were it not for the fact that the government appears to be following his lead. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told Tucker Carlson last night he is “working” on a plan to arrest leaders of Black Lives Matter, who he claims are instigating a violent plot. Trump’s Homeland Security officials have already ignored or downplayed threats involving right-wing terrorism, which has resulted in a number of deadly shootings.
It’s common for Trump to announce a measure that sounds terrifyingly authoritarian, only for the scheme to bog down in the bureaucracy and amount to little. Wolf and Barr may or may not have a workable scheme to crack down on Black Lives Matter while leaving armed right-wing goons unmolested. At minimum, they are using federal law enforcement as a platform to disseminate Trump’s propaganda message that violent threats are coming exclusively from the left.
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Events are moving quickly, and we do not have perfect information about what all this means. It may add up to less than what it appears at the moment. Many times before, career officials or even political appointees have reeled back Trump’s most corrupt or dangerous orders.
But there is a pattern in all these events: They describe recent actions by the federal government; they all serve the purpose of enabling Trump’s election; and they all conscript the power of the federal government in novel ways. It has the appearance of coordinated action — as if Trump has ordered every arm of the government to generate whatever tools can be placed at the disposal of his reelection.
It’s common for Trump to announce a measure that sounds terrifyingly authoritarian, only for the scheme to bog down in the bureaucracy and amount to little. Wolf and Barr may or may not have a workable scheme to crack down on Black Lives Matter while leaving armed right-wing goons unmolested. At minimum, they are using federal law enforcement as a platform to disseminate Trump’s propaganda message that violent threats are coming exclusively from the left.
***
Events are moving quickly, and we do not have perfect information about what all this means. It may add up to less than what it appears at the moment. Many times before, career officials or even political appointees have reeled back Trump’s most corrupt or dangerous orders.
But there is a pattern in all these events: They describe recent actions by the federal government; they all serve the purpose of enabling Trump’s election; and they all conscript the power of the federal government in novel ways. It has the appearance of coordinated action — as if Trump has ordered every arm of the government to generate whatever tools can be placed at the disposal of his reelection.
