February 6, 2021

"As a law student, I worked in the mayor's office in Detroit during the 1967 riot, and I can tell you what happens to major cities with sustained increases in violent crime..."

"... Very large parts of them are destroyed. That's what I fear could happen again. It's all the more likely if liberal mayors and their cheerleaders in the press act as many did during the 'mostly peaceful' BLM protests. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted that it was 'shameful' for federal police to use force to clear Lafayette Square on June 1. Those overrunning it tried to topple the statue of Andrew Jackson and started a fire in St. John's Church, 'the presidents' church,' just to the north. That civic space was violated just as the Capitol was on Jan. 6.  ... Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton argued in The New York Times for sending the National Guard and federal troops into cities where rioting got out of hand, as was often done from 1967 in Detroit to 1992 in Los Angeles. That common-sense suggestion sent young Times journalists into tears, and they demanded — and got — the firing of editorial page editor James Bennet. It's easy to make fun of the double standard here, with Bowser decrying the active duty military being 'used on American streets against Americans' in June and having no problem with it in January. Or with then-President Trump decrying rioters in June and spurring them on in January."

Writes Michael Barone (at Rasmussen).

44 comments:

Whiskeybum said...

President Trump did not spur on rioters at the Capitol. He spurred on his supporters in a legal protest march. He told the small group of rioters at the Capitol to stop once he learned of their actions (although Twitter suspended that communication, i.e. Twitter wanted the rioting to continue - that seems to fit the definition of ‘spurred on’ better that what Trump did).

On the other hand, we have video evidence of many Democrat lawmakers encouraging (i.e., spurring on) violent rioters frequently, and well after the events were understood as violent riots. So, no, it’s not a case of ‘both sides did it’.

Jeff Brokaw said...

Use of force to protect the public has to be held in reserve for something — if not during riots and looting, when?

The arguments used this summer for not using force were all patently ridiculous. So our trust in institutions erodes — mayors, police chiefs, politicians, they all self-identify as not on your side as a law-abiding business owner, property owner, and taxpayer.

Noted.

Rance Fasoldt said...

Barone is wrong - Trump said to protest, not riot. And the protest was to investigate and analyze the validity of the election, not spew hatred. Did you notice that when the results were accepted in Congress, Trump accepted the election? Unlike the Democrats in 2016, who pursued a multi-million dollar 22-month campaign to investigate Trump's election.

Butkus51 said...

File exits, care to overwrite? (Y/N) N

gilbar said...

Serious Riot Question
If you don't know What caused someone to die... HOW do you Know it was Murder?
https://www.foxnews.com/us/capitol-riot-brian-sicknick-death-investigation-no-charges-autopsy-results-pending

iowan2 said...

I clicked over to read the whole thing, because, before President Trump,(we need an acronym PTP?) he was rational

All opinion writers are writing to keep from getting eaten first. Free speech is dead. To do anything but declare President Trumps speech as inciting a riot, is to get your cushy gig writing opinion cancelled. It is groupthink, or else.

Or with then-President Trump decrying rioters in June and spurring them on in January."

Barone fails to quote that portion of his speech spurring anyone to violence. Especially after the mostly peaceful 'Summer of Love'.
He spreads the lie, that cops killed George Floyd.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Old Saying... "If it bleeds it leads". News incitement? Discuss.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Show an M.D. Floyd's autopsy/bloodwork, homicide or suicide.

Wince said...

Barone creates his own double standard precisely by holding Trump responsible for articulating the grievances that arguably led some people to subsequently riot, rather than pointing to any inconsistency in Trump's official response to actual riots.

It's easy to make fun of the double standard here, with Bowser decrying the active duty military being "used on American streets against Americans" in June and having no problem with it in January. Or with then-President Trump decrying rioters in June and spurring them on in January.

Who criticized Bowser for articulating the grievances that arguably led some people to subsequently riot?

Rather, Bowser's double standard arises between her official actions in response to actual riots.

DavidUW said...

As I've stated before. NYC is dead for the next 30 years, minimum.

The difference between Chicago and Detroit? about 10 years.

Minny is dead.

Portland is dead.

Seattle is dead.

We're looking at another '70's to '90's period for cities across America.
For no reason other than Dems didn't like the president.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Truth Justice and The American Way. Think nobody's watching? You're mostly correct. Willful Ignorance has never been more acceptable. Wine Moms proliferate.

Jess said...

They keep repeating the narrative until they believe it too. It's tragic, but that's what the media does daily. Turn the educated into idiots.

Leland said...

In more recent news, it seems Time magazine is trying to incite insurrection. The DoJ should investigate.

Tommy Duncan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GatorNavy said...

Michael Barone’s high self regard blinds him to the obvious conclusion. This trait is shared amongst all of the institutions that we the people had a social compact with, i.e., the media, our elected representatives, law enforcement, the judiciary, the list goes on and on. Once the social compact is destroyed, some semblance of order will be imposed and these so called elites will not enjoy the new social compact.

hombre said...

The most pressing social issues of our time are black crime and illegal immigration followed closely by drug and sex trafficking. Democrats will never deal with the first two because of politics. They will not deal with the latter two because of disinterest and the absence of the potential for graft. The graft, after all, derives from ignoring those problems, not solving them. The impact of these things on our cities, our country, are far more imminent than the impact of climate change, but, as we saw with Solyndra, the potential for graft there is huge.

Krumhorn said...

There can be no mention of any questions about the integrity of the election without the use of “demonstrably untrue” by every leftienewsreader. By the way, I nominate leftienewsreader to be added to the dictionary as a synonym for journalist

- Krumhorn

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

The collective democrat elite left are raging hypocrites who care NOT AT ALL for the fabric of our cities. As long as the rioting is done to help democratic political ambitions.

the psycho white left antifa folks are mere pawns for their democratic corporate overlords.

Mike Sylwester said...

One good result of this situation is that many young people are recognizing this blatant hypocrisy and therefore are becoming life-long conservatives, forever contemptuous of "progressives".

Lucid-Ideas said...

"All good things flow to the city."

- Pericles of Athens (paraphrasing)

Cities are the petri-dish of ideas. Of commerce. Culture.

Civitas.
Urbane.
Domes-tic.

Dying cities gets you Sparta. Legacy but without a lot of ruins.

Ken B said...

Interesting detail: “then-President Trump”. Barone never then-ed Obama or Bush or any previous President. Ostentatiously distancing himself. Because some Grievance Studies graduate would say “Barone is saying Trump is president!”

iowan2 said...

we the people had a social compact with, i.e., the media, our elected representatives, law enforcement, the judiciary, the list goes on and on. Once the social compact is destroyed

This truism cannot be overemphasized. The social contract has been voided.

Someone posted links to proof of mask effectiveness on last nights cafe. All published in 2020 by govt actors. I don't believe the conclusions. I have seen enough "science" created to push a narrative.
I know the social contract no longer applies. That's on them, not me.

Achilles said...

"Or with then-President Trump decrying rioters in June and spurring them on in January."

This is a blatant lie.

Political class Insiders like Barone keep pushing it.

They are lying piece of shit.

Achilles said...

GatorNavy said...

Michael Barone’s high self regard blinds him to the obvious conclusion. This trait is shared amongst all of the institutions that we the people had a social compact with, i.e., the media, our elected representatives, law enforcement, the judiciary, the list goes on and on. Once the social compact is destroyed, some semblance of order will be imposed and these so called elites will not enjoy the new social compact.

Mr. Barone is trying to have it all ways. It wont work.

He is scum just like the WAPO and the congress critters. Everyone sees that.

He is just given a different group of people to lie to.

I'm Not Sure said...

"Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted that it was 'shameful' for federal police to use force to clear Lafayette Square on June 1. Those overrunning it tried to topple the statue of Andrew Jackson and started a fire in St. John's Church, 'the presidents' church,' just to the north. That civic space was violated just as the Capitol was on Jan. 6."

"Just as"?

How many churches were set on fire on Jan. 6? Did the mayor tweet that it was shameful for federal police to have murdered a U.S. veteran?

Just. As.

mikee said...

"Use of force to protect the public has to be held in reserve for something — if not during riots and looting, when?"

Use of force to protect the public will be used, and used hard, against any members of the public attempting to protect themselves or others from rioters who are looting. It makes perfect sense, if you're a local,state or federal government allowing the rioting and looting in the first place.

Sebastian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mezzrow said...

Whether conscious or not, the relentless application of repressive tolerance on this nation will lead to consequences we cannot begin to fathom. Among these is the destruction of our cities.

This is the elephant we are prohibited from seeing.

"It's easy to make fun of the double standard here"

Then make fun of the double standard. After this, you need to have a plausible narrative explaining why this silliness will kill us and turn our world into a charnel house if it is not stopped. People are actively making this case.

Sebastian said...

"Very large parts of them are destroyed."

So what?

It's not as if black lives matter to progs. They don't even matter to black people, considering that blacks keep voting for the same people who aided and abetted the destruction over the years, and who encourage it now.

(Of course, some blacks wised up and escaped from the destruction. Deplorable.)

Andrew said...

Detroit was the wealthiest city in America in 1960. The last republican mayor of Detroit left Jan, 2 1960.

Doug said...

Krumhorn said...
There can be no mention of any questions about the integrity of the election without the use of “demonstrably untrue” by every leftienewsreader.


Don't forget Trump's baseless allegations', which every news anchor has memorized.

Doug said...

So, THAT'S why it is near impossible to buy ammunition!

CWJ said...

I get "access Denied" to gilbar's 9:03 link.

LA_Bob said...

CWJ,

Restart your browser, clear your cache, try another browser, reboot your computer, or something. I got right in on first click.

Or maybe you're being cancelled.

Rabel said...

Is there a German word for taking your own quote out of context?

"That [impeachment by the House] was not without justification: His words, as I wrote days later, 'were uttered with a reckless disregard for the possibility they'd provoke violence that any reasonable person could find impeachable.'"

- Michael Barone, Feb 5.

"While Trump’s exact words to the crowd on the Ellipse didn’t constitute a criminal incitement, they were uttered with a reckless disregard for the possibility they’d provoke violence that any reasonable person could find impeachable."

- Michael Barone, Jan 13.

rhhardin said...

This will all be straightened out when the reality tsar is brought in.

Jupiter said...

"Or with then-President Trump decrying rioters in June and spurring them on in January."

Sounds like Mr. Barone has been reading the lying liars who always lie again. Old habits die hard.

Jupiter said...

"If you don't know What caused someone to die... HOW do you Know it was Murder?"

On the other hand, if you have video of a law enforcement officer shooting an unarmed woman with a handgun, how do you know no crime was committed?

Simple, she was a white woman. There is no law against shooting white women in Washington DC.

JRoberts said...

I’m old enough to have witnessed some historical events and seen how those events ended up being twisted/misrepresented by historical accounts.

As result, I’m quite apprehensive about how the last five years will be reflected.

Ken B said...

“ Detroit was the wealthiest city in America in 1960. The last republican mayor of Detroit left Jan, 2 1960.”

They like corrupt politicians there. After Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted of fraud he still led in the polls. He would have been re elected had he been on the ballot.

Southern Ontario is a rich area partly due to the miracle that was Detroit from 1920 to 1970. Lots of parts makers and downstream effects. Blue governance and unions killed it.

stephen cooper said...

I publish, in a universe not quite adjacent to this one, a comic strip, and today's 4-paneler was appropriate to this discussion.

First panel - Three people with normal expressions on their face, drawn standing in an elevator on a ground floor. No words. The drawing reveals that one is a security guard or a cop, the other two are an average male and female corporate drone/drudge employee.

Second panel - a Piranesi version of the elevator car, from the outside (no people visible), with two "bubbled" dialog ovals - the first one (on the left) "well, at least we have jobs, a lot of people don't have jobs anymore", the second (to the right of the one on the left --- if published in a Semitic-language country, the bubbles would be reversed) "well if I lost my job, I would join the revolution, and then I would have all the guns and women I wanted"

Third panel - a slightly more advance Piranesi version of the elevator car, with no dialogue bubbles

Fourth panel - three people on the same elevator, with the elevator doors open, one of the guys has a smile on his face, the woman has a smile, and the other guy is smirking.

Trust me, I hate the fact that so so many comics have people smirking, in order to indicate that something "relevant" has been said, but in this case, it works.

For the record - I want everyone to be happy, to know that God loves them. But I cannot pray for evildoers to succeed in their evil schemes. Trust me ----- you simply cannot rely on me if you are an evildoer with an evildoer's scheme up your sleeve (this is why I no longer contribute to Peter's Pence or the RNC or even Unicef, by the way).

Richard Aubrey said...

I did civil rights work in MS with a group from Michigan State. We got back just in time for the riots--I lived just outside Detroit so I was watching the news all day.

Planning for our 1968 project, we thought what we might be able to offer in Detroit, but decided Mississippi was safer.

wendybar said...

And they marched again tonight yelling "Burn it all down, and Whose streets??, Our Streets" whilst intimidating people out door dining as the Guard stood down, because they are the Democrats little Brown Shirts. If they had MAGA hats on and American Flags singing God Bless America, they would have been rounded up, and arrested for disturbing the peace.

Douglas B. Levene said...

“Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”