If you've been following recent events, your ability to be surprised is probably gone. We've seen riots, looting and the destruction of entire city blocks by arson in many large cities. The fuse was lit in Minneapolis, which seems to have surrendered to the rioters and now promises to abolish their police force. The riots quickly spread to other cities, and the destruction is right there on looted 4K HD-TVs for everybody to see now. Defund the police is the new cry of protesters and you can be sure there are elements of society just waiting for that to happen. When the door that is ajar now is kicked completely open, it truly will be survival of the fittest in the concrete jungle.
This ought to be interesting; I'm wondering how long it will last. Businesses will flee because looting doesn't pay the bills, and when food becomes scarce (who will send in free food forever?), the experiment will take a new turn. If you think the violence is bad now, just wait - you ain't seen nothing yet.
I'm surprised at how this is explained and softened into justification. One poll I recently read found that 58% of college-educated people somehow justify the rioting and looting. Oh, there are reasons to be sure, but none of them justify crime, they only explain a flawed mindset. Two wrongs have never made a right.
Just as you were getting used to this new lunacy, more arrived. Suddenly, Confederate flags and statues became targets again. One idiot left part of his brains on the sidewalk as he was participating in toppling a statue. He's alive, but I'm not sure the loss of his brains affected his IQ. Police departments everywhere became targets.
The stage was set. State Governors pretty much locked these people inside for almost 3 months because of corona virus and they were already angry. It took little to ignite them. Ignoring the warnings of CV, they went out in mass anyway and did their thing. How ironic it is to see these same governors dismiss this as a right to protest when I can't even go to church as I write this. My governor said he stands with the protesters, which tells me now that anytime I want to go where people are assembled, why, we're just protesting. I'm urging my church to have a protest every Sunday morning, and we'll bring our own angry topics with us to protest. Ditto for graduations, now let's just call them protests. Concerts? Why, we're protesting bad music by listening to good music. Ditto for movies, etc.
Getting back on topic, now Seattle has outdone themselves in wackiness. City blocks were seized downtown, a police station was evacuated and now we have a new "autonomous" nation in the lower 48 US: CHAZ. I confess I was confused at first; why would a protest group take the nickname of Sonny and Cher's firstborn? Turns out it is an acronym for Capital Hill Autonomous Zone. They planted food stores, put up fences and barricades and have stationed armed guards (with those menacing AR-15s) at their "borders." Signs tell us that anybody entering is now leaving the US.
Abraham Lincoln didn't put up with this and I expect Donald Trump won't either. Trump already has a precedent to follow: Lincoln. Abe didn't waste time sending Federal troops to quash the rebellion, and Trump has already issued his warning: Either Washington State and Seattle fix this themselves, or he will.
But in the meanwhile, I say we ought to send a warm welcome to CHAZ, even though I expect it to be short-lived, as nations go. First, I think they ought to mint their own money. Why would we expect them to use our filthy American dollars? I'm sure they can do better, and in honor of Chaz Bono, whose name they accidentally took, I suggest they issue their currency based on BONOS. One Bono or a hundred, they all ought to bear Chaz' likeness in honor.
Next, I think they should establish their formal government and start electing their leaders. This, of course means they lose the right to vote in American elections. Why would we let foreign nationals participate in our elections? We wouldn't think of interfering in theirs. Let's keep it fair and simple.
Then, I think as citizens of this new nation, they ought to issue passports. You can't come into the US without one, and we wouldn't dream of visiting their new nation without one. So lets establish mutual rules on international travel.
Of course, this means we'll set up border crossings ... and I'm also completely on board with their fences. Why, we'll even help patrol them so we don't get any illegal CHAZmanian entries in the US.
Then we should establish trade ties. We'll be glad to sell them food, but I'm not so sure the BONO is a recognized or cashable currency yet, so we'll continue to ask them for US dollars. When they run out, so does the ability to buy food ...and, of course, what seemed to be of paramount use when the pandemic first set in: Toilet paper.
I'm wondering how CHAZ is going to handle their medical needs. Doctors and nurses might be a little relecutant to practice in CHAZ, and medical supplies, drugs and such might be difficult to obtain for them ... for a while, anyway. I'm sure they'll set up a good healthcare system and be developing new medicines ...real soon now.
How is CHAZ going to provide safety and security to their residents? With a police force and a military, obviously. How they manage to implement this, I'm not sure. But one thing I am sure of:
CHAZ is going to be violent. They already are, and the absence of a trained and appointed police structure doesn't mean there will be peace on the streets.
It will more abusive than any police force in America could ever be.
If you don't believe this, just ask the businesses that have already been extorted in CHAZ. They have plenty of stories to tell already.
PS: The officers in Minneapolis will go through the legal system and justice will prevail. We're not a democracy, as some seem to think we are. We're a constitutional republic, and the difference is this:
In a constitutional republic, we have laws that are procedure-based and are followed.
In a democracy, the angry mob hauls the accused out of the cell and lynches them.
Seriously, which one do you want to live in?
