US Politics

Nobody seems to bring up the actual effectiveness of these troops being sent or the friction between what the states want / federal law.

Now the ACLU acts on Michael Cohen's behalf ...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/24/michael-cohen-prison-release-trump-book-aclu

https://www.startribune.com/couple-flaunts-swastika-facemasks-at-marshall-walmart/571909142/

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“It’s been shown that, biologically, trauma passes down through the
generations in your DNA,” she said.

Has it?

There have been some studies of the effects of famines showing up in later generations but I can't remember the details.

Actually, here is one https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2579375/

My understanding is that it would be RNA, rather than DNA. That this is still very controversial and that the term 'trauma' must be used with caution. If you consider starvation a trauma, then there is evidence to support your claim. But to extrapolate from that to any form of trauma and you will find yourself in murky territory.

EDIT: Read the article now, and this Mueller person is such a great example of someone thinking they have an enlightened and progressive stance, but ultimately doing more harm than good. I guess her stance is "Nazis are bad", but by blabbering on about inherited trauma, she opens the door for so much dodgy thinking. If she is right, then can we safely hire the children of refugees to high stakes jobs? They'll crack under pressure won't they? Should it affect your security clearance that your dad was a career criminal? There's got to be traces of that in your genes somewhere, right?

Much more elaborate than my thought on the matter: 'murica ... all fucked up!

just the fact that it's easy enough to lay your hands on a swastika bandana to 'troll the libs' is a bit worrying....

Look to be homemade to me.

The last few paragraphs of this article point towards things getting pretty messy in the US:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/27/utah-militia-armed-group-police-black-lives-matter-protests

The US as the next Northern Ireland?
By which I mean a perpetual low to medium intensity conflict that never entirely resolves itself, and manages to exist alongside a civil society that at times will experience something close to normality, and other times something closer to a full blown civil war. The state hovering above, dipping in and out, claiming neutrality between the fractions.

Forwarded a quote a family member spotted on twitter

"Cognitive dissonance is when you applaud secret police snatching up people into unmarked vans, then turn around and claim that having to wear a mask is like living in a dictatorship."

Has anyone referenced the "It could happen here" podcast. It's terrifyingly prescient about the early stages of a second American civil war.

EDIT: yes @starfish&coffee did a couple of months back. Consider this a re-recommendation.

I think all of this is massively playing into Trumps (tiny) hands.

Yeah, I have been thinking of that podcast. But then I was wondering whether waiting for the full scale war to happen, like some seem to do, we would be come blinded to the slow spiral of increasing tit for tat violence between groups not affiliated to the state (not officially anyway).

To be honest, my main concern right now is self interest. My current job is quite dependent on US spending – one step removed. A depressed NI troubles style economy with little or no investment would be the worst thing that could happen to me right now :-/

I read a Neal Stephenson book recently called "Fall; or, Dodge in Hell" it describes a USA of islands of liberal democracy isolated in ultra-conservative "christian" rural badlands that have been, as he puts it, "facebooked". Some of the bits of that podcast really remind of that division.

Ta, just put the Stephenson book on my Audible list.

Robert Evans is always a good listen, but fuck me some of the guests he has on are a strain.

His episodic dissection of wee Ben Shapiro's comically awful novel TRUE ALLEGIANCE is a good laugh in a sea of depressing shit.

I've never read anything by him that I didn't like. I should note that that division of America is not the main theme of the book.

Your recommendation tipped me over the edge to listen to it after so many recommendations and it was astonishing with how much accuracy he described in which locations it would begin, especially focusing on Portland.

Piece on the unit that Trump is using in Portland, turns out they love him and he loves them back
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/27/trump-border-patrol-troops-portland-bortac

WTF is a border control agency doing kidnapping Merkin citizens in Murica? Jesus, that place is proper fucked. Reminds me of being lifted slightly and briefly from my post-Brexit-referendum depression by Trump being elected.

From that article:
"Utah Citizens’ Alarm has since organized regular military-style trainings for its members. Robertson [founder of the group] says he has been tipped off “by secret sources within the government and law enforcement” that underground organizations like antifa are being funded by Isis, and are using groups like BLM to wreak havoc in the community to destroy American cities and ideals. Even if none of these theories stand up to scrutiny, he is dead set on not letting it happen."

Fucking Hell. Antifa is funded by ISIS and uses BLM to destroy America. How the fuck does that make sense in anyones head? And that Idiot is allowed to carry a gun?

Their long-term goal: to arm and prepare the state of Utah against underground movements they believe will incite civil war.

Militias like this were part of the South's preparation for their last civil war, so that surely bodes well.