Given this kind of an escalation in California being more or less

[moniss]

"accepted" by the big media we must face the facts once and for all that we are on our own. They have now set a standard for acceptance as being the massive over-deployment of force relative to the size of a problem. Even if the protesters all went home tonight it is most likely that he will keep troops deployed and will in fact expand that deployment to other areas of California.

Several months ago many of us here began warning people that time was short to plan alternative arrangements for living in the US. A great many thought it was far fetched or alarmist to talk about this. Now do people see the moment we're in regarding the typical pattern of the slide into fascists being in control? Do you think we have unlimited time? How long before they decide that Real ID isn't enough and that everyone needs to que up and "prove" themselves? The travel restrictions recently announced can be applied internally for people as well and for a wider swath of people.

How long before they decide to become even more aggressive in areas and declare "emergencies"? What will the media restrictions be? They already shot at press who were not part of the protesters. In a matter of moments they can declare the borders closed and all passport processing suspended due to "national security" and then fight and defy the courts.

I'm not saying anybody has to leave but it is not prudent to feel you won't want to or need to at some point and we may find that circumstances of getting things in order about leaving have changed and now leaving is problematic and perhaps delayed for a very long time if at all. Do some think this is too alarmist? We are only about 4 1/2 months into this nightmare and we already have a domestic deployment of troops against the residents of a major state. We already have US citizens and legal residents being grabbed off the street and being held. Portland wasn't enough of a warning?

The lesson of "First they came for........." is not just that we must be active in decrying abuse of groups of people and fighting for their rights but the lesson is also one of the importance of time. To fight authoritarians, racists, fascists etc. the available time to do so does not grow longer and the horrible things multiply rapidly. Neither will the clock slow for us for preparations for the potential need for saving ourselves or loved ones.

Remember the stories the Europeans told who waited too long.

[Tarzanrock]

1. This is far beyond their control.

My take on all of this here in L.A. is that I don't believe that the ICE issues and the immigration issues are what is causing this uprising and these riots. I believe that it is far more fundamental and goes to the core of a whole lot of underlying socio-economic issues which is causing the lower and middle classes to protest like this. If you look at the videos and the photographs of the protestors a whole lot of them appear to be white lower and white middle class people who have taken to the streets. I doubt that these people particularly give a shit about immigrants or ICE -- I think that they are on the streets because of their own rapidly devolving socio-economic issues. I think that this is going to get a lot worse as the Turd's fucked-up economy continues to fail these people. People all over the country are watching this rebellion in Los Angeles. I think that this is going to spread to other cities across the country especially when other people understand the devolution of their socio-economic status. I again ordered groceries today as I am stocking up because I believe that things may take a real turn for the worse. As was the case two weeks ago -- everything was a bit more expensive from a quarter to a dollar or more for each item I purchased. For example, a 4-pack of bran muffins used to be $2.99 6 months back, then $3.99, then $4.99 and today it was $6.99. Believe you me -- If I'm noticing this pricing change then 150 million women who are budget conscious shopping for familes with children are noticing this same pricing increases phenomena as well. These people are seeing the devolution of their socio-economic status far clearer than I am seeing it as they are living it far more than I am living it. These people watching the events in Los Angeles will be able to identify with the angst and the anxiety of the protestors in Los Angeles. The riots in Watts were the beginning of the civil unrest of the 1960's. The rebellion here in L.A. today is like that -- it will spread across other cities as the socio-economic conditions continue to worsen for the vast majority of Americans living in the Turd's fucked-up economy.

[Frasier Balzov]

2. What are the protestors saying in their own words?

Are they complaining about the economy?

[Bayard]

3. I'm curious

How do you look at a photo and tell someone is lower or middle class?