As many on this blog know, I have been highly critical of Donald Trump. However, there has been a campaign of violence against Trump supporters that is highly unnerving and dangerous. While there were a few incidents of Trump supporters acting violently, there has not been the same level of outrage at the widespread violence against Trump supporters and police at these events. Now, a liberal Huffington Post columnist Jesse Benn has defended the “violent response” to Trump — a reckless and provocative column that seeks to legitimate mob justice. What Benn is describing is not democracy but ochlocracy — a sad statement of the state of affairs in our country. While I recently wrote about liberals finding “their inner Nixon,” this seems to be a case of finding Benn’s inner Mao. Benn insists “Violent resistance matters. Riots can led to major change.” Perhaps but what is certain is that violent resistance always leads to violence.
Benn’s column “Sorry Liberals, A Violent Response To Trump Is As Logical As Any,” embraces the value and even beauty of mob violence. He calls it “logical” in the face of what he views as Trump’s extremism.
Yet, a lot of people seem shocked and appalled at this perfectly logical reaction. In the face of media, politicians, and GOP primary voters normalizing Trump as a presidential candidate—whatever your personal beliefs regarding violent resistance—there’s an inherent value in forestalling Trump’s normalization. Violent resistance accomplishes this
Benn praises violent mobs in Europe and suggests that it should be a model for the United States: “Understanding European anti-fascists use of violent tactics to shut down large rallies from White Supremacists can be illustrative here. Because while Trump isn’t leading full bore White Supremacist rallies, there is value in making it clear that even his fascism-lite has no place in civilized society.”
It is a view that rejects not only the rule of law but the lessons of Martin Luther King. Faced with opposing views on issues like immigration, Benn wants to answer with violence and even make such mob rule a noble act.
Benn has doubled down on Twitter, relishing the response and the prospect for more violence:
Benn is a familiar voice from history. The man in an angry mob calling for violence to silence those with opposing views. With a rising number of his countrymen embracing Trump, his answer is to beat them and intimidate them. His is the voice that Martin Luther King and Gandhi defiantly stood against at the risk of their own lives. Now some liberals have come to embrace the tactics of segregationists and anarchists who reject the political system as the means for change in a democracy. If Benn were simply some crank writing for HuffPost, it would be of little concern. However, the images from the streets across America show that he has a growing following of people who are claiming the right to silence those who disagree with their views and will not yield to their demands. Make no mistake about it. This is not a movement. It is a mob.
( Scott
1, June 10, 2016 at 12:57 pm
Maybe we’re on the cusp of America’s fourth revolution: )
Scott, WW4 has already started a few years back, but it isn’t using the same type weapons & tatics of WW2, Nam, etc.
Poison in the water, food, air, cancer viruses,etc. in the vaccine, psyc warfare like letting prevs into lil girls restrooms……..
I’m listen to Infowars right. great guest coming up in a bit.
( Obama & GOP leaders giving more weapons terrorist again.
decorated CIA veteran Robert Tosh Plumlee, and retired USMC veteran Matthew Smith-Meck
Recorded on 5-31-2016 Alex Jones Show at about 7.5 minutes in. )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89oVR_kTEx0
Operation “Toto” Pulling Back The Curtain: Full NSA Interview
TheAlexJonesChannel
TheAlexJonesChannel
972,410
22,424
Published on Mar 18, 2015
Alex Jones talks with NSA Whistleblower William Binney about his experiences and what he thinks needs to be done to fix the country.
Political violence is not an can not be excused. But that does not make it wrong.
If you choose to use violence you will be treated as a criminal. You must expect to be treated as a criminal.
But there is no justification for pretending that our society is not fundamentally based on violence. From the coercive force of armed police to the half-trillion dollars we spend per year on warfare, we are encompassed by violence as the norm.
During the Nazi rise to power, the fascists were allowed to have a monopoly of street violence. Some people are committed to overturning this precedent. I can’t support them, in part because of my own physical cowardice. But I can’t feel that they are necessarily wrong.
Fascist is as fascist does.
Maybe we’re on the cusp of America’s fourth revolution:
http://www.newcriterion.com/articles.cfm/Future-tense–X–The-fourth-revolution-7395
People like Mr. Benn & Glen Beck need to be charged for their crimes & arrested & tried.
(
(a) Whoever travels in interstate or foreign commerce or uses any facility of interstate or foreign commerce, including, but not limited to, the mail, telegraph, telephone, radio, or television, with intent—
(1) to incite a riot; or
(2) to organize, promote, encourage, participate in, or carry on a riot; or
(3) to commit any act of violence in furtherance of a riot; or
(4) to aid or abet any person in inciting or participating in or carrying on a riot or committing any act of violence in furtherance of a riot;
and who either during the course of any such travel or use or thereafter performs or attempts to perform any other overt act for any purpose specified in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) of this paragraph— [1]
Shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. )
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2101
“Now, a liberal Huffington Post columnist Jesse Benn”
A “liberal” does not incite or initiate violence. A “liberal” supports freedom of speech. A “liberal” answers a bad argument with a good one, not with his fists. A “liberal” believes in democracy and debate, not mob rule.
No, this man cannot be called a “liberal”. The tyranny of these so-called “liberals” who have dominated the media for so long has been so successful in part thanks to their clever misuse of words and phrases.
Political “correctness”, “liberal”, “progressive” are examples.
Others have unfortunately fallen into their trap by using these words in response. Simply by using these words we are unfortunately giving a little encouragement to those we describe. People need to get wise and start using more accurate words in response.
Strange how a love song “Erika” evolved into a WW2 German marching song.
Safe place to hide is behind skirt of woman holding a baby.
Although everyone knows I am not a Trump fan, I find myself defending his supporters. There has been a growing ultra Liberal movement that is the new fascism – believe what we believe or we will attack you, get you fired, ruin your life… We’ve had at least two instances where professors assaulted or encouraged assaults on young people with which they disagreed. Rioting in the streets over disagreements. Reporters targeting the daughter of a pizza parlor in a tiny rural town and baiting her with questions about gay marriage that got their business harassed by outsiders until it had to shut down.
Now we’ve had the Left punch people in wheelchairs, hit people in the heads with heavy bags, and attack women because they disagree with them politically. I saw video of a happy Trump supporter pelted with eggs and bottles. Men with Mexican flags burned American flags. It is a concerted act to terrorize people who hold different political beliefs. We get the “yeah, but” arguments that it’s totally OK because they like the politics, while they would undeniably go bananas if it was for the “other side.”
Look, guys, this is how you create a banana republic. This is not democracy, when you feel you have the right to frighten or bloody people to force them to vote your way. And yet the mayor blamed Trump for coming to his city, thus “provoking” the mob by his mere presence.
I used to think that it would be nice to take my little boy to a political event, if I actually liked anyone running. But no way. We’ve become a banana republic and it’s no longer safe for kids to watch the political process.
These savages will rue the day they worked to normalize terrorizing those of different political beliefs, because at some point the opposing side will come to power.
“I need you to go out and talk to your friends, talk to your neighbors…I want you to argue with them, get in their faces…”
– Barack Obama
These guys creep out of the woodwork from time to time. I remember them wandering around campus in the 60’s, touting the superiority of living in China, while Mao and his thugs were ‘cleansing’ the country. The fact that the newspaper cannot differentiate between mindless bombast and critique drops the Huffington Post down many notches.
Of course this doesn’t happen on the right, never has, never will. Almost equal to this idiot’s rants are the rants of some on this blog. The rants of some on this blog illustrate better than anything how people go mindlessly off the beam.
This guy doesn’t look like he has been in a fight in his life. He talks the talk, but first person that swings at him he on the ground whimpering.
Hillary and The Crypt Keeper–also known as The Bern–have kept their big bazoos shut and have failed to aggressively speak out against the brutality and violence aimed at those merely attending Trump rallies. Attendees are beaten, chased and have been pelted with eggs. Their silence is deafening. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to comprehend that they, themselves, support these actions, because deep down, or, not so deep down, they believe in this violence to intimidate others. Don’t just look to see what these candidates actually say–listen for what they don’t say. BS that this behavior occurs with regard to the morons cheering on Hillary or The Bern. Liberals are the new Fascists–we see it across our nation’s campuses, in the streets of Ferguson and Baltimore and, now, outside the gates of Trump rallies. The Huffington Post should be ashamed of itself for employing such a sniveling piece of garbage disguised as a journalist. Imagine, if you will, that some conservative magazine or newspaper, instead, carried an article supporting and defending violence against others who attend political rallies. We would have news coverage, 24/7, about it, with wild and relentless calls for the responsible journalist’s termination. It’s apparently clear that liberals hold themselves to a different standard than the one imposed upon others.
So far I’ve seen little violence against Trump, but plenty of shouting, sign carrying, meeting interrupting First Amendment political speech. Trump crowds have been doing the punching, kicking and pepper spraying.
Trump will pay their legal bills, so no worries.
Some people have only violence, others have both violence and brains. Typically the side with brains wins, but not before the violence sets mankind significantly backwards on all sides.
i wonder who has more ammo?
I just wonder what Madison would make of all this. I mean is he rolling in his grave or what? He would’ve welcomed Trump v. Clinton debate. Who knows, though, maybe he’s watching hopefully — somewhere out in the cosmos — praying we don’t muck up his life’s work. He sure wouldn’t have been on Benn’s side with this one though.
I am more concerned with the tolerance (or even tacit approval) of this mob violence shown by the San Jose police and political leaders.
If the police won’t do their duty and preserve the peace, then the right to self defense becomes an imperative.
Look at the street fights in Germany in the 30’s between the right and the left.
Mr. Benn should be fired. Inciting violence is wrong. I don’t agree with Trump in many of his statements but suggesting that he or his supporters be attacked makes Mr, Benn part of the problem. He needs to be given some unpaid vacation and take that time to examine his conscience.
I’m sick of individuals or groups who suggest that violence is acceptable if they disagree with the target’s political views or disagree with his life style, sexual preferences or are prejudice against that person’s race, national Regina or creed. Liberals are not exempt. Violence is wrong, period!
Mao and his “Cultural Revolution” is a good analogy, JT. All the PC on campus, all the violence against Trump supporters, just plays into his tiny hands.