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This week on CounterSpin: Some corporate media appear agog that militarized federal agents—deployed with a mission reflected in Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s comment that city streets are a “battlespace,” filled with what acting Homeland Security chief Chad Wolf called “violent mobs”—would go ahead and tear gas protesters in Portland, Oregon, even though Portland’s Democratic mayor, Tom Wheeler, was among them. Outrageous, sure, but we’re a bit beyond outrage now, aren’t we? While we wait to see if corporate media can decide which optic is an optic too far, we talk about the legal, constitutional elements of the fight for our right to protest, including against the very forces that are sent to police the protesting. Our guest is Marjorie Cohn, past president of the National Lawyers Guild, professor emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and contributor/editor on a number of books, including The United States and Torture: Interrogation, Incarceration and Abuse, and Drones and Targeted Killing: Legal, Moral and Geopolitical Issues.
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Transcript: ‘Trump’s Troops Are Breaking the Law and Creating Chaos’
Plus Janine Jackson takes a quick look at recent press coverage of Trump’s executive orders.
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In conversation with Marjorie Cohn….”It reminds you of a movie” ……yes it does perhaps the movie ‘Missing’ with Jack Lemon. However it reminds me of American ‘foreign policy’ brought home. This is the face of the United States all over the world.
Perfect characterization; arresting demonstrators “proactively,” because they “might” not continue peacefully protesting. Yes, it’s right out of a movie; and it’s the bad guys doing it.
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Wow. Fair is a total misnomer. Particularly when guest is clearly a Democrat partisan. Anyone that ignores the violence and destruction in “protest” is by definition not fair.
We may give up on God, but He never gives up on us. In Psalm 37:28, this is what the Word tells us: “For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever”.
God will take care of us, protect us, hold us in His arms, but He will never turn His back on us. We are the ones that decide whether we will serve Him or walk away from Him. Over the years, I have watched as men and women of God that I had respected have lost their way, turning to the world for their comfort and needs. Even sometimes shamefully denying Christ and accepting those things that they once believed to be a sin. God didn’t answer a prayer the way they thought He should so they turned their back on Him. Blaming God, because they didn’t get their way, yet through it all, He still loves them, trying to woo them back to the fold.
Whether they return, is their choice, but God will always love them…He gave His Blood for ALL on Calvary.
GOD WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON ME!!!!
How is Trump’s secret police in Portland any different than Xi’s secret police in Hong Kong? Both police force’s are stifling free speech!
Was it Esperger or Wolf who expressed irate indignation that anyone would dare call Trump’s Troops “jack-booted thugs”? Which is more offensive, that Trump’s Troops are there escalating police violence as a response to protests of police violence, or objecting to it?
Here’s what I wrote on our local neighbor to neighbor forum:
“We have heavily-armed, non-badged, unaccountable, literal “jack-booted-thugs” attacking peaceful protesters with hyped-up rationale, violence, and weapons of war. (They even wear facial coverings and reflective glasses to hide their identity from facial recognition software.) This coincides with the worldwide surge of fascist governments attacking, jailing, disappearing, and killing protesters and journalists. This is being imposed, against the expressed wishes of our city and state governments and our federal senators, by a desperate president many see as acting like an incipient Hitler. I want our local governments to bar this invasion, and if needed, to forcefully jail these troops and their commanders. If ever there was a time for Americans to prevent a totalitarian overthrow of our governments, this is it!”
Now, inside those badge-less military uniforms are actual persons with skin as vulnerable as those blacks whose injury and murder sparked the initial protests. They’re trying to be loyal soldiers obeying orders and don’t deserve to be injured. But if they, or similarly-clad right-wing white supremacists with armor, guns, and hateful anger, attack and kidnap mere protesters, they stand vulnerable to being shot in legitimate stand-your-ground self-defense. Trump toys with the lives of his troops as he taunts just-such reaction to ostensibly justify his expanding his invasion of “Democrat-led cities.” This throws raw meat to his base base even if it reignites civil war.
Trump and his supporters deserve what he promotes and condones. I don’t want that for he and his, or anyone, but, as we used to say in the 60’s, “When the rule is repression, the response is revolution.” We saw that in the French Revolution and our American one.
Most likely Trump’s secret police is I bet white supremacists that he has hired! Trump is 100% racist. He is making things worse and it is our right to protest. He is the worst President we have ever had! It’s been 4 years of hell. He has undone so much work! He should be in prison! We go to other countries and take out dictators like him so why is he still in office?
I just wish I could introduce all the people I know to this show, Janine! I am very well-informed :NY ands LA Times, Wash. Post, Guardian, Democracy Now, The Intercept, SF Chronicle, etc.
However, I always hear something I DID NOT know on your program! Or the information is put together in ways that makes it more comprehensible and easier to explain to others
Thank you so much!
I feel exactly the same way listening to CounterSpin. It is a smart show that I share on my social media. Sometimes, I share with family and friends directly. The Intercept is a program I want to hear, yet I have not taken the time to listen to an episode. We need carefully investigated news to counter right-wing media and corporate medias’ weak reporting. FAIR do the necessary work speaking truth to power.
Look at the leading picture….that’s a clearly marked uniform with the word “POLICE’….look at the person being detained…. a peaceful protestor wearing a t-shirt, head gear (not out for a bike ride) and most likely arrested in broad daylight for a criminal act.
No secrets!
Granted, these are ugly times, no matter which party you’re affiliated with or your ideology….most importantly…STOP spreading fake news or misleading information.
There is nothing fair about this article