quote:

Originally posted by Paragon:
I am not gutsy enough to attend a thing like that, but I support the people who do, wholeheartedly.

Based upon your comments, you don't, actually. You're questioning even the existence of these rallies. I'd also like to point out that the crap the puerile leftists are doing to stop these rallies is the very best argument to keep having them and attending them. You want these rallies to stop because the leftists succeed in shutting them down? How is that "wholehearted support"?

Forgive me, but that's the truth.

quote:

Seems that we are in between a rock and a hard place.

All decent peoples finding themselves in a war realize this.

quote:

How do we keep the momentum going to get ourselves a super majority in 2018?

Well, the President could get off his ass and start countermanding illegal executive orders from the previous administration. He could start the process of removing industry-destroying regulations from such as the Coal Industry. He could flex our military muscle and put the world on notice that the United States of America is no longer complacency's bitch but since he hasn't done any of those things I can certainly see how you'd be worrying about freaking midterm elections next year, rather than concentrating on the here and now.

I don't want them to stop the rallies. I'm not going to go to any event where it is likely I will get beat up. I'm not 6'3" and 300 pounds of muscle.

I support the cops, but I could not be one. I support the military, but I can't be a member. I don't see why I can't support the rally goers, even if I have my doubts about it and can't join them. I am not physically able to do so.

And I do my part to hold feet to the fire at the moment. I use twitter, FB, and email and phone calls to express my displeasure or support.

But at the same time, I look down the road, and want to know if I can pinpoint a message, change one, or use a different tack....whatever I need to do on my end to further the cause next year.

I don't want to have regrets next year that I should have done this or that differently, or started calling so-and-so or saying such-and-such. I would rather be proactive instead of reactive.

This is the only forum that I know of that I can find that info or direction.

I will admit to being a bit of a fraidy-cat.

If Trump, or someone in his administration, or a speaker from the right like Ann Coulter or Milo, is scheduled to appear, that is a very different thing, and I support such rallies wholeheartedly. If Ann or Milo were scheduled to speak where I teach, or somewhere nearby-- I would be there.

But I don't think we have anything to gain from the rallies like the one at Berkeley, which are basically orchestrated to pit hundreds of Trump supporters against hundreds of leftist thugs. The left loves these rallies because they seem to show-- when played on television-- that our society under President Donald Trump is chaotic, troubled, violent. "Can he even maintain social order?" is the implied question.

I see the gain for them. I see no gain for us.

Our society is indeed "chaotic, troubled, violent"

The radical left is trying to intimidate and dominate anyone who doesn't think like them. They are greatly aided by most of the management and professors at our universities.

The Democrat party is also supporting this free speech suppression.

That intimidation should be fought. Challenged every day and every place it occurs. A lot of people have sacrificed and died to give us our freedom; we should be fierce in defending it.

MHO

I understand your point, sdy. But you know what drives the leftists absolutely crazy-- crazier-- is the message that we are in charge now. President Trump is in the White House, we have the House and the Senate. President Trump just appointed his first Supreme. Every day he rolls back more and more of Obama's leftist shit.

Above all, they don't want to acknowledge this. They want to portray America as a country tearing its guts out in a fierce fight of the righteous left against the Fascistic right. And -- that they are winning. And they have their media to pump out that propaganda.

When we need to fight them in the streets-- fight them. They cannot be allowed to shut down speakers.

But check out sometime the number of Democrat losses in the past 20 years on every level, from national to the level of county offices. They are like the Wizard of Oz using tricks to make themselves appear huge and mighty. They are concentrated in the media, in education, and in entertainment. Those are the light tricks, the vocal amplifiers, the smoke and mirrors.

And one of their chief tricks right now is to show this social chaos under Trump. Trump as the man who led to blood in the streets. Trump as a president who cannot even maintain law and order.

Don't play their game.

quote:

They are like the Wizard of Oz using tricks to make themselves appear huge and mighty. They are concentrated in the media, in education, and in entertainment. Those are the light tricks, the vocal amplifiers, the smoke and mirrors.

That's a good description.

I don't really care about the light tricks, the smoke and mirrors in the media and in entertainment. They can be worked around... as the "new media" has demonstrated.

The problem is public education. As long as they control the minds of the young, we are on a path toward socialism/communism even if we slow down the ride.

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
Our society is indeed "chaotic, troubled, violent"

The radical left is trying to intimidate and dominate anyone who doesn't think like them. They are greatly aided by most of the management and professors at our universities.

The Democrat party is also supporting this free speech suppression.

That intimidation should be fought. Challenged every day and every place it occurs. A lot of people have sacrificed and died to give us our freedom; we should be fierce in defending it.

MHO

Much more than just "your humble opinion", SDY. You are spot-on, absolutely correct.

Rights on paper are nothing but platitudes. We only have the rights tht we are willing to fight for. We cannot let the left intimidate us, not at these rallies, not anywhere.

I agree with the above two posts but as I watched the new vid I noticed repeatedly the thugs in black with face masks and clubs, etc. Who is paying these people going from one protest to another? Is there some agency monitoring them and following their money? At Berkeley they seamed well organized.

I watched a bunch of videos. The black clad guys are "Intifa." The name is taken from "The Intifada,"and just suggests resistance. My guess is that many of them are the anarchists who have showed up at protests for years now.

But they are organized. Their main tactic is that they try to cut off a few Trump supporters, separate them from the large group, then 3 or 4 of them converge on each Trump supporter. They get him to the ground, and kick and punch him. Sometimes they use pepper spray. Then they disperse.

Antifa, for anti-fascist. Total bs.

Besides the fact that we're usually too busy working and with other life's necessities, I'd speculate that the threat of violence may be why we don't generally go to rallies. Several people ganging up on you, even "unarmed," is grounds for shooting, but if you do, you might be seen as looking for trouble. A no-win situation.

quote:

Originally posted by justjoe:
I watched a bunch of videos. The black clad guys are "Intifa." The name is taken from "The Intifada,"and just suggests resistance. My guess is that many of them are the anarchists who have showed up at protests for years now.

But they are organized. Their main tactic is that they try to cut off a few Trump supporters, separate them from the large group, then 3 or 4 of them converge on each Trump supporter. They get him to the ground, and kick and punch him. Sometimes they use pepper spray. Then they disperse.

The definition of Jack Booted Thug shifts...

Agreed but my question is not being answered. Why is no one looking at these thugs! They are crossing state lines to get to these rallies. Is there no federal laws to go after them?

Yes, porterdog, you are right. I googled Antifa, and it's an international organization. So, to your question, ArLEOret-- what if these thugs are foreign nationals?

This is from the google search:

What does Antifa stand for?
Antifaschistische Aktion, Antifascistische Aktie or Antifascistisk Aktion — abbreviated as Antifa (German/Dutch) or AFA (Scandinavian) — is a far-left, extra-parliamentary, anti-fascist network in Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, whose stated goal is to "smash fascism in all its forms".

This is their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ANTIFA.CZ/

quote:

Originally posted by justjoe:
Yes, porterdog, you are right. I googled Antifa, and it's an international organization. So, to your question, ArLEOret-- what if these thugs are foreign nationals?

This is from the google search:

What does Antifa stand for?
Antifaschistische Aktion, Antifascistische Aktie or Antifascistisk Aktion — abbreviated as Antifa (German/Dutch) or AFA (Scandinavian) — is a far-left, extra-parliamentary, anti-fascist network in Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, whose stated goal is to "smash fascism in all its forms".

This is their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ANTIFA.CZ/

So they wanted to stop facism by becoming facists. I get it now.

^^^ They truly are a version of the Brown Shirts. I have said why I think it's a mistake to engage them, but for sure if we are going to fight them in the street, we need to wake up to what we are facing. This is an organized paramilitary group, with some level of training and some basic tactics. We can't go out in MAGA caps and think we are going to shout somebody down. A whole lot of Trump supporters have gotten their asses badly kicked by these thugs.

"I noticed repeatedly the thugs in black with face masks "

maybe Senator Tim Kaine (D) could explain it.

Here is Kaine's son just before he was arrested:

quote:

Originally posted by justjoe:
^^^ They truly are a version of the Brown Shirts. I have said why I think it's a mistake to engage them, but for sure if we are going to fight them in the street, we need to wake up to what we are facing. This is an organized paramilitary group, with some level of training and some basic tactics. We can't go out in MAGA caps and think we are going to shout somebody down. A whole lot of Trump supporters have gotten their asses badly kicked by these thugs.

Look up 'Black Bloc' out on the inter-webs to understand more about their well organized violence.

They will often wear three layers of clothing - First layer is 'regular' looking / get-away street clothing. Middle layer is black. Outer layer is again normal looking street clothing, so they can infiltrate a crowd.

Upon a queue, they'll shed first layer, put on their masks and attack. After attack is over they take off the black layer to melt back into the crowd.

They are indeed very dangerous.
__________

quote:

Originally posted by ArLEOret:
Agreed but my question is not being answered. Why is no one looking at these thugs! They are crossing state lines to get to these rallies. Is there no federal laws to go after them?

There are videos of the Berkeley police sitting in their cars watching people getting beat down. When asked why they weren't doing anything they refer the person to the public affairs office.

Here it is:



Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vzqFNcnjLw


Here's a link to the Berkeley Police Department with tips on how to plan your riot:

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us.linkis.com/WYYOU

^^^^ Any man with principle would not work for that department.