re: #308 Dragonomics

This is true. I’ve been familiar with Antifa since 2006. They put on shows, operate squats, run record labels and range from pacifists to shit kickers.

A great number of conservative politicians will do that with any group they don’t like.

A huge number of people still seem to think that “liberal” means hippie, anti-American, welfare recipient, anti-religious, all out to grab everyone’s guns, &c.

Are some liberals non-religious? Sure. The Democratic Party is a lot more welcoming of the non-religious, though the overwhelming majority of it’s members are religious. Do some liberals want heavy restrictions (or even bans) on guns? Yes, some do.

It is much easier to strawman all liberals with the ideas of those who are at the margin however.

The old political rule of “if you’re explaining, you’re losing” applies. If conservatives can get liberals lost in the weeds trying to explain the difference between property-destroying jerks and a larger movement fighting against authoritarianism, then liberals are losing that political discussion.

If conservatives can conflate “property damage” with “violence,” then they can paint everyone involved as “violent” and that discussion is lost in the weeds as well.

The best response I can think of for protesters is to quickly identify those who would stir up trouble and out them to the police. People show up in masks or whatnot, eject them.

Millions showed up for the Women’s March, the March for Science, and in protest against fascists/racists around the nation without any violence.

The press isn’t helping here: a burning car makes good visuals for television. Protests need to be organised and work with local authorities so such people can be rousted out of a protest before such things happen. The Women’s March was peaceful precisely because of organisation and relations with local police.