[ExI] Protest

[Dan TheBookMan]

On Jun 9, 2020, at 10:58 AM, spike jones via extropy-chat <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
> 
>  
> > On Behalf Of Dan TheBookMan via extropy-chat
> Subject: Re: [ExI] Protest
>  
> On Jun 8, 2020, at 3:49 PM, spike jones via extropy-chat <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>  
>  
> > On Behalf Of Dan TheBookMan via extropy-chat
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>  
> Hi Dan,
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> >…  We would like to crush looters, for we know what motivates them and we disagree with it…I agree with what the crowd at the BLM rally did in handing the vandal over to the guard.  Their action was what motivated me to go to that local BLM rally yesterday.  They did the right thing.  …
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> spike
>  
> >…Would you be willing to ‘crush’ the vandals revealed in this video:
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> https://www.motherjones.com/anti-racism-police-protest/2020/06/videos-show-cops-slashing-car-tires-at-protests-in-minneapolis/
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> Regards,
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> Dan
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> If this guy in the uniform is an actual vandal, of course I want to crush him.  They dress like police and cause all manner of chaos. 
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> But they might be actual police, using an enforcement technique that makes perfect sense.
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> Imagine this scenario.  It isn’t hard to do:
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> https://www.rt.com/usa/490582-looting-califorina-protest-video/
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> After hours, store closed, somebody gets a forklift or other piece of heavy equipment to break into an electronics store, there is a mob present for some mysterious reason, perhaps for having been on an email circle, they rush in, grab something of value, run out, drive off.  This last part is important because that mall in Fairfield as well as plenty of others, would need a vehicle.  They can’t really carry off enough loot in their hands to justify the risk, and many (if not most) of these looters may not be from anywhere around Fairfield (I am guessing they aren’t.)
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> OK.  Looters need to park near the entrance so they can carry enough packages out the door in a short enough time.  So… police come in, don’t go into the store, just disable every car near the entrance.  Looter comes out, perhaps don’t notice at first, get out on the freeway with a trunk full of stolen loot, police car calmly falls in behind, the tire comes off the rim a few minutes later, we get an entertaining video of the felon deciding if she wants to flee, resulting in those dramatic showering sparks of bare rim on pavement.  Or she just gives up (more likely scenario.) 
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> Then the prosecutors make a deal: hand over the identities of the others, they go easy.  Then they trace down the others, go to their houses, collect the stolen loot, the merchandise you and I paid for (through markups from insurance costs to retailers) is partially recovered.  Fewer injuries that way than getting into a battle with the mob at the mall.
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> If that is a real cop slashing tires, he would have had a law-enforcement reason to do that.
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> spike

If you read the article, you'd have seen, in the first paragraph:

"The Star Tribune has identified the officers puncturing tires as state troopers and deputies from the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office."

This was two days after the story broke. Initially, though, the state troopers denied involvement and the sheriff's office didn't respond:

"The officers appear to be state troopers or county police, though it’s not clear from the videos. Neither the Minnesota State Patrol nor the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office responded to requests from Mother Jones. The Minneapolis Police Department and Minnesota National Guard denied involvement."

This initial denial would call into question whether this action had the rationale offered. After all, a rationale that would seem fit as well is they were just making life miserable for any (out of state?) protesters without regard to whether the latter were peaceful or carrying anything suspicious around. That makes sense too, no? Or do you seriously believe the police never do anything wrong or vindictive?

It's interesting, though, that your first instinct here is not to identify them as police, but as perhaps "vandals" "dress[ing] like police and caus[ing] all manner of chaos."

Regards,

Dan
   Sample my Kindle books at:
http://author.to/DanUst
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