The left’s “undocumented” martyrs
The left has apparently decided that the way to fight Trump’s crackdown on criminal illegal aliens is to choose certain cases, lie about them, and make the deported people into sympathetic martyrs. That line of approach doesn’t appeal to anyone on the right and in fact it seems preposterous and easily disputed. But a lot of people find it sympathetic and that championing such people is the very essence of virtue.
How can that be? A combination of some or all of these principles:
(1) By definition, everything Trump does is bad.
(2) The underdog is always right.
(3) Members of certain designated identity groups are always right.
(4) The police are always against those designated identity groups and are trying to frame them, therefore such people aren’t guilty and the charges are bogus.
(5) We should have unrestricted immigration and it’s a sign of our virtue to do so, and a sign of evil to seal a border or deport anyone.
(6) Being a vicious gang member is just a valid expression of cultural differences, and who are we ex-slaveholders to judge?
(7) All crime except white-collar crime by rich white guys is the result of being a victim of discrimination.
(8) After all, the left’s basic approach worked with many people for Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, George Floyd, and others. So it makes sense to continue.
I don’t think the martyr routine is working as well as it used to, but we’ll see this summer. So far, large majorities of protesters have been aging white liberals. They are not terribly likely to burn the cities down.
@Kate:So far, large majorities of protesters have been aging white liberals.
The money that funded the young and violent has dried up, that’s why. These “protests” have not been organic, bottom-up movements for decades now. Twenty years ago I saw people recruiting and hiring “protesters” in Berkeley.
Concerning (1) I wonder if there are any real studies on why Trump drives people stark raving mad. Being laid up on account of stomach flu I was scrolling videos on YouTube and Trump is EVERYWHERE! Looking at a touching scene in The Crown….Trump in the comments. Checking out a hockey summary…TRUMP! Looking a the Netherlands National Police SWAT in action….TRUMP again! Looking at a Classical Music concert…I’ll be damned….TRUMP! It’s a miracle we still have a country.
Kate is correct. All the pictures I’ve seen from friends at these protests have shown a vast majority 65 and over. And all, obviously very left. Who else but retired leftists go out in the middle of a work day to spew nonsense.
Will the strategy work? Depends on what the MotR voters is thinking.
2) and 3) can kind of be combined into the oppressed/oppressor thing that the left loves.
Doesn’t really matter if they are good or decent people only that they are being oppressed.
Related, from Victor D. Hanson:
“The Trump counterrevolution and the moral ledger”—
http://jewishworldreview.com/0525/hanson050225.php
H/T Powerline blog.
Concluding grafs:
Fetterman unbound….
“John Fetterman faces new spotlight on health, family drama, sparking online uproar;
“Gisele Fetterman reportedly clashed with her husband over support for Israel“—
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/john-fetterman-faces-new-spotlight-health-family-drama-sparking-online-uproar
(Short version: he MUST be nuts—he supports Israel…)
At long last, his “Come-to-Dershowitz” moment…?
@Niketas Choniates: You’re right about the left-wing funding crisis. This is really a large part of the leftist rage we’re seeing. If the only people they can mobilize are retired old people who were hippies back in the day, they’ve got big problems. I was talking about this with a friend today, about my age. This is our generation trying to relive its youth. Some of us became adults, but many would rather still be rebellious teenagers.
And wouldn’t ye’ know!
‘RFK Jr: HHS Became A “Collaborator In Child Trafficking” Under Biden’—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/rfk-jr-hhs-became-collaborator-child-trafficking-under-biden
Meanwhile, ghouls gotta ghoul…
“Election-Denier Eric Swalwell Bares Fengs, Seeks Subpoena Power To Probe Musk’s Role In Trump’s 2024 Win”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/election-denier-eric-swalwell-bares-fengs-seeks-subpoena-power-probe-musks-role-trumps
Speaking of ghouls…
‘”Luigi The Musical”: New Show Celebrating UnitedHealth CEO Killer Set To Premier In San Fran’—
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/luigi-musical-new-show-celebrating-unitedhealth-ceo-killer-set-premier-san-fran
A little justice
https://x.com/julie_kelly2/status/1918400788956577920
With the use of body cams, framing police for bad acts is a lot harder. In many cases, they are very patient.
Thought they would go there
https://x.com/DevlinBarrett/status/1918049054292099265
Liz on May 2, 2025 at 7:53 pm:
“With the use of body cams, framing police for bad acts is a lot harder. In many cases, they are very patient.”
In some ways it is surprising they were not being adopted more widely and sooner than they have been. Possibly cost and tech limitations were a factor for a while?
Some of the recordings made public (during chases, etc.) bounce all over and don’t seem to show much via video, but presumably the audio is still available.
Which suggests that prior to any interview with the FBI, that both you and your lawyer should be wearing such body cams yourselves*, just in case there is a “misunderstanding”.
*with a real time link to the cloud?
Miguel, your linked photo of protestors at Columbia reminds me of my concern that maybe the SCOTUS over reached when approving “free expression” as a form of free speech. I can see the founders favoring free speech in written form, or via normal verbal debates/ deliberations/ speeches, while still objecting to displays such as flag burning, questionable forms of “art”, or other varieties of “protest” or presentation of grievances. Perhaps they thought the rights under the 2nd Amendment would keep things more “peaceable”.
Regarding “Luigi: The Musical” – in the movie “This Is Spinal Tap” after the band breaks up they talk about putting on a musical about Jack the Ripper, “Saucy Jack”. As usual these days reality outruns satire.
FOAF,
Well, the “Sweeny Todd” musical has been a hit for nearly fifty years, and it’s about a barber who murders people so his girlfriend can cut the corpses up into pies to serve to the public. “Assasins” has been done twice too. YMMV.
Imagine if it had been Kamala “Cackler” Harris or joke Bidet or Barack HUSSEIN ocommie, that had instituted Trumpian tariffs and Trumpian deportation policies.
What would the media’s response and reporting have been??
Here’s my guess;
“it’s about time that the USA seeks real fair trade policies.”
“yes, there may be short term negatives in the tariff policy, but it is only temporary and will produce stellar results in the very near future.”
“It is long overdue that illegal aliens are returned to their homeland.”
Oh, by the way, did you know that media folks are real journalists , that cover the news honestly and fairly ?
Fox News interviewed a guy from Alberta who’s running a petition for Alberta to become the US’ fifty-first state, or at least a territory.
He referenced a 21% carbon tax which will make it difficult or impossible tor the locals to heat their homes or get to work.
Couldn’t glean how many folks are signing up,