it is nice to see lizards post hightlighted here… thanks lizard for suggesting you have faith in us in our acting collectively for all our mutual benefit..

Posted by: james | Jun 1 2020 16:27 utc | 3

Encapsulating the Big Picture isn’t all too difficult if one attunes their mind to enable that view. Unfortunately, the differing interpretations make it difficult to see the Class War underpinnings of events. IMO, the problems that need solving won’t be until the great majority finally understand what the main driving force is–Class. All those other aspects listed by lizard are connected to the Machiavellian machinations used to manipulate the 99% against each other, and will continue to be used until the majority of the 99% reject them and focus on eliminating the Financial Parasitic Class seeking to enslave them into Debt Peonage.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 1 2020 16:36 utc | 5

acting collectively for all our mutual benefit..

@Posted by: james | Jun 1 2020 16:27 utc | 3
I do not find any mutual collective benefit in acting collectivelly with the kind of Pat Lang, who only dreams of seeing ( and in fact has dedicated his life to erase them and has been genrously rewarde by that..) every communist dead since the very first minute he put a foot in Vietnam and charged his backpack with such bagage of hatred.
Antifascism is not a group, is an idea, I can not see any mutual benefit fro which to fight along with people who contemplate the possibiloity that such idea must be banned or forbidden, and, of course, will never act collectivelly with them in whatever action.

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Jun 1 2020 16:48 utc | 7

The big FU is the US stock market’s relentless climb no matter the news. The richest and most powerful have been bailed out, they will continue to be bailed out and they will be well protected.
The disconnect is wider than ever.

Posted by: snow_watcher | Jun 1 2020 16:52 utc | 9

no, it’s NOT true that “Antife” exists in the shape and form it is being presented in the news. “Antifa” only shows up and exists when it is needed, then magically disappears; same as Ali Queada and ISIS that turned out to be groups renamed, financed, armed and directed directly by israel, USA/NATO/the West.
Capitalims isn’t in structural crisis; Capitalism has always been a fake system that lives on exploiting somebody and/or something. Now that Capitalism has nobody left to exploit, it has began to exploit its one people.

Posted by: Hoyeru | Jun 1 2020 17:01 utc | 11

there is too much chaos to know what is really going on, and as long as there are enough people who want to sow chaos, then chaos and disinformation will rule

Posted by: ralpieboy | Jun 1 2020 17:09 utc | 13

It’s True how this analysis sees and describes what’s occurring within the Outlaw US Empire, more than validating Cornel West’s assessment, except it misses the major component–Class–while seeing lizard’s list:
“As the world watches the US being confronted with massive riots, looting, chaos and heightened violence, US officials, instead of reflecting on the systematic problems in their society that led to such a crisis, have returned to their old ‘blame game’ against left-wingers, ‘fake news’ media and ‘external forces….’
“[O]bservers see a weak, irresponsible and incompetent leadership navigating the country into a completely opposite direction, with all-out efforts to deflect public attention from its own failure.
“Mass protests erupted in a growing numbers of cities in the US over the weekend, and at least 40 cities have imposed curfews, while the National Guard has been activated in 14 states and Washington DC, according to US media reports … [P]rotests across the country continued into a sixth straight night.
“More Americans have slammed the US president for inciting hatred and racism, and US officials, who turn a blind eye to the deep-seated issues in American society, including racial injustice, economic woes and the coronavirus pandemic, began shifting the blame to the former US president, extremists, and China for inflaming the social unrests.”
Blaming Chinese, Russians and/or Martians isn’t going to help Trump. Without doing a thing, Biden has risen to a lead of 8-10% in the most recent polling. Trumps many mistakes have dug him a hole that now seems to be collapsing in upon him. He’s cursed worse than Midas as everything he attempts turns out a big negative and only worsens the situation.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 1 2020 17:14 utc | 15

I would say change the “litter watering hole” typo, but really it’s probably more appropriate.
can’t respond much to comments now, but if you visit my litter box you will see a real life look at a real Karen who doesn’t need the manager because she’s already on the payroll– former sustainability officer for Raytheon who splits time between DC and Montana.
thank you, b, for putting me higher on the radar ;). stay sane and safe as possible out there, moonbats!

Posted by: lizard | Jun 1 2020 17:23 utc | 17

No Int’l comparisons ? ..?
Gilet Jaunes. Cop violence against the GJ wasn’t direct kill in the USA-cop style, but still very violent, horrific. There are lists of the injured, handicapped, etc.
Video, one demo (subtitles in F) 8 mins, showing how the demo is kettled, manipulated, by the police, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbpFvUE-8dw
— a compendium of police violence – *adults only* on my screen, 10 mins
https://youtu.be/-MEoEIjpsGw
Anyway, police tactics are pretty similar all over.
One difference is in the spark, in F a ++ in diesel prices (which is linked to many other points, not just ‘paying more’), in the US, the traditional ‘racist’ filmed murder. Arab Spring, was a street vendor setting himself alight.
In F, the police kettle, arrest, fine, imprison (the state, leaving that out), beat up, maim, but avoid street kills. Shooting terrorists point-blank is by now accepted / even cheered, but GJ demonstrators don’t fit that profile.
Another diff. is that in France the GJ are somewhat organised, and have been demonstrating and agitating for more than a year now, in a controlled fashion; they have also demanded political changes. Very French, in short. They have reps. who appear on (non MSM) TV shows. Ppl of ‘color’ in France, Arabs, are not seen much on the street or joining the movement, as all know that the ‘dark skinned’, Arabs would be the prime victims of pol. violence, they are told to keep away, and do so. The ‘whites’ protect the ‘minorities.’
So, the F MSM/Gvmt. castigates the GJ for being ‘white nationalist’ (aka racist and deplorable, and Le Pen voters – many of them are Le Pen voters but that is another story) to denigrate them.
Imho the present protests, social ‘unrest,’ in the USA will just die out as usual, nothing will be accomplished – what are the politcal demands? zero.. – on to the next chapter of misery and oppression.

Posted by: Noirette | Jun 1 2020 17:26 utc | 19

Hoyeru | Jun1 17:01 @ 11

“Antifa” only shows up and exists when it is needed, then magically disappears; same as Ali Queada and ISIS …

This!
<> <> <> <> <>
Reposting my earlier comment on the Open Thread:
ZH reports that 6 people have died in the protests. Dozens of protesters and police have been injured. Tens of millions of dollars in property damage, police overtime, and cost of the likely spread of coronavirus (‘second wave’ now being blamed on the protesters).
All because the authorities will not appropriately charge the killers of George Floyd.
Instead, Trump and MSM turn the focus to “antifa”. How convenient. MSM says nothing of the killing of 26-year old Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia weeks before and the attempted cover-up of his killing.
How many more have to die before the authorities act appropriately? How much more destruction and silent spread of coronavirus?
<> <> <> <> <>
The protesters say that a manslaughter charge against Chauvin is an injustice. Chauvin was a veteran officer who KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING when he remained on Floyd for more than 3 minutes after he had become non-responsive.
The protesters say that the other officers are accessories to murder because they did nothing to stop it.
Every reasonable person understands that the protesters have valid points. I would say that there’s a consensus that Chauvin should be charged with Second-degree murder and the other officers charged as accessories. But the authorities drag their feet – while America burns.
!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jun 1 2020 17:44 utc | 21

Posted by: Noirette | Jun 1 2020 17:26 utc | 19
“what are the politcal demands? zero..”
What political demand could one possibly make by now, and of whom would you make it? Reform is impossible, and there’s no legitimate authority left (if there ever was in the first place).
I’m cautiously optimistic that maybe this time around enough active elements of the people finally understand they have no future with this system and that it’s life or death.

Posted by: Russ | Jun 1 2020 17:49 utc | 23

One can recognize two types of causation: 1. “But for” causation. If X had not happened, then Y would not have happened. But for my pulling the pin on the hand grenade it would not have gone off; and, 2. “significant factor”. Doing A was a significant factor in B happening. Putting my knee on that personʻs neck for 8 minutes and causing them him to die was a significant factor in causing people to leave their homes to protest what I did.
Under either type, bad police who commit crimes against citizens [usually of color] are the cause of the disturbances. No police criminality, nothing to protest.

Posted by: stevelaudig | Jun 1 2020 17:57 utc | 25

What political demand could one possibly make by now, and of whom would you make it? Reform is impossible, and there’s no legitimate authority left (if there ever was in the first place).

Posted by: Russ | Jun 1 2020 17:49 utc | 23
Indeed, apart from the shock of witnessing one of them murderd in plain daylight as if he were a vermin, I think that the people, especially young, reacted that anarchic way because they really see no future. They see how their country functions at steering wheel blows especially through the pandemic, preview they will e in the need soon, even that they will be murdered without contemeplation,and go out there to grab whatever they could…
We forget that they are under Trump regime and Trump has supported always their foes, witnessing such assassination in plain daylight, without any officila doing nothing, not even charging the obvious culprits was felt by tese people as if the hunting season on nigers and lefties” had been declared. No other way yo ucan explain the sudden union of such ammount of black and white young people. Thye felt all targets of the ops or of Trump´s white supreamcist militias after four years of being dgreaded as subhumans. In fact, were not for the riots to turn so violent, I fear carnages of all these peoples would have started.
The people, brainwashed or not, at least when they are young, still conserve some survival instincts and some common sense too.

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Jun 1 2020 18:09 utc | 27

My African American friend’s words now seem so prophetic:
The poh-leeece. Them are the PAY GANG. Nuff said.

Posted by: Sakineh Bagoom | Jun 1 2020 18:20 utc | 29

@ Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 1 2020 17:58 utc | 26
Yes, the republican model of organization is naturally unstable and doomed to collapse. Everybody knows what happened to the Roman Republic: tendency to polarization, civil war and collapse.
However, the reverse is also true: when the economy is flying high, every political system works. Everybody is happy when there’s wealth for everybody.
The present problem, therefore, is inherent to the capitalist system, not with the republican system per se.

Posted by: vk | Jun 1 2020 18:27 utc | 31

On June 15, 2016, Hillary Clinton had a 12-point lead over Trump in a Bloomberg poll.

Posted by: lysias | Jun 1 2020 18:33 utc | 33

A Story: How The Chickens Came Home To Roost
The media and politicians have repeated a mantra for years n order to gain power by exploiting social and racial faultlines. They didn’t want to deal with the actual cause of societal discontent which is their own support of an exploitative economic system which disempowers and pushed down everyone but the 1%. So they invented a false cause of discontent in order to appear as saviors who are bringing a message of Hope and Change

White people are racist. White people are inherently evil and greedy. THAT IS THE PROBLEM. Black and Brown people are good, Black and Brown people are victims of the racist greedy evil white people.
White people are racist. White people are inherently evil and greedy. THAT IS THE PROBLEM. Black and Brown people are good, Black and Brown people are victims of the racist greedy evil white people.

After enough time has gone by, we have a generation of young people of all colors who believe the above mantra with all their heart because of hearing that mantra every day in the media, in schools, in movies, from leaders. The media knowing that, would then look for ways to exploit their hatred of “white racism against black and brown people.”
The media would sensationalize any act of violence involving white on black and brown. They ignored all the violence of black and brown on white. This uneven media reporting was based on their desire to reinforce the mantra of “white people are evil racists, black and brown people are victims and good.”
Because it would paint themselves as supporters of “social justice” they created a false version of reality where everything bad in society was because of white people being racist. Never mind the actual causes of societal discontent being the exploitation by the elite. Because the media is the elite they don’t want you to hate them. So they created a false victimizer they could blame for all the problems of society.
Because violence from black and brown on white was never reported by the media except in local news, people only heard from the national narrative of white violence of black and brown because people don’t pay attention to local news. They grew up believing the police only abused black and brown people, they grew up believing that random street violence was only from white people against black and brown. None of which is true.
This was bound to end up with a generation of people who believed the false narrative where America is a nation where black and brown people are always the victims, and white people are always the victimizers. And as you can see in the riots, the rioters are almost all under 30. A generation has grown up being brainwashed by the mantra:

White people are racist. White people are inherently evil and greedy. THAT IS THE PROBLEM. Black and Brown people are good, Black and Brown people are victims of the racist greedy evil white people.

That is why so many people are perfectly fine with the violence and looting based on a few recent incidents of white on black violence. During the same time period there was plenty of black on black violence, plenty of brown on brown violence, and plenty of black and brown on white violence. But the national media never highlights any violence but white on black and brown. That is what has led to the new normal where any violence involving white on black or brown will be blown up WAY out of proportion to the reality of violence in America. Which is an equal opportunity game. A generation of people has grown up to believe that white racism is the cause of all the problems.
Meanwhile the elites sit in their yachts and laugh. The rabble are busy fighting over race when the real issue is ignored. The media has done their job admirably. Their job is to deflect rage from the elite to racism. From wealthy exploitation of the commons, to racism. As long as the underclasses are busy blaming racism then the politicians, business leaders, and media are satisfied because they are the actual ones to blame. They are the enemy. They blame racism for all the problems as a way to hide that truth of their own culpability for the problems in society. THEIR OWN GREED AND CONTEMPT FOR THE UNDERCLASS.

Posted by: Kali | Jun 1 2020 18:52 utc | 35