08-29-2020, 11:24 PM
(08-29-2020, 07:04 PM)Von Cichlid Wrote: Oh I agree. These riots are not fizzling out because these rioters aren't making reasonable demands that can actually be met. What they want is full on reparations like what I discussed previously, or they want the country torn down. They absolutely despise everything that's even remotely traditional and conservative, anything even loosely related to traditional American values, and they want this country changed to a point that it would be unrecognizable and would effectively cease to be the same country at all. People did not realize how far gone these rioters are. The liberal mayors, governors, and media did not realize it, but they do now.
In short, they want this to be something other than America. In this particular post I am not condemning them, I am just calling it the best I see it.
I am trying to avoid hyperbole here, I really am, but after 90 days in multiple cities it is plain as day to me that this is not about anything as relatively small as police brutality, or even general social justice. This is an insurrection by the lower classes of society. Like you said, there is genuine discontent, and I believe it is of the sort that will be unable to hear compromise or reason.
I also think that even if Biden wins, that it will not stop. Remember, these rioters hate what they perceive as the upper classes of society, and they will not separate Democrat from Republican in that regard. After all, they are even closing in on the liberal mayors as well:
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/08/29/Portland-protesters-demonstrate-at-police-union-building-mayors-condo/1101598730141/?ocid=uxbndlbing
This is even after months of the mayor "Having their back."
If this is going to be stopped, it will probably have to be put down militarily, like with an insurrection, whether it be Trump or Biden that has to be the one to do it.
Again, I really do hope I am just being hyperbolic here, but every day this continues we get closer to what I am writing about.
I disagree with the "what they want" part of your response. Well, with the exception of the actual anarchists, anyway.
I honestly believe that they riots are more a product of the times we live in that any demand that anyone is making. For one, there's no unified ultimatum among the protesters, and many fall into categories that differ greatly from each other. There are actual BLM protestors. These people show up to protest. I'm sure some are violent, but they originate the gathering. Then there are looters that are being opportunistic with the chaos. After that, you have leftist ideologues that see it as a chance to be a part of some kind of historical change and fight the elite as you suggested.
Then you have the most important and possibly consequential group, ie the people who really just want to tear shit up. They cover themselves in political ideology, but they aren't there for any other reason than to escalate. They are a real thing. It probably doesn't take all that many of them to make any gathering go sideways, then allow herd mentality to take over.
There's no shortage of people out there that just aren't mentally mature/empathetic enough to be in a potentially volatile situation and not do something stupid/dangerous. Hell, I've seen it at places as frivolous as ballgames. At one Bengals/Steelers game, where there were many fights, I walked past a kid that said word-for-word: "I don't give a shit who wins, I just want to f somebody up". Some people just stop being themselves in those situations due to the fact that a large crowd and multiple distractions allow them to. Add genuine anger, and you're guaranteed to have violence sooner or later.
I'm not sure about hating the upper class, either. The upper class are largely supporting the protests when it comes to corporate PR and publicly visible rich people.
