Joys. I get to start this out with an understanding that I’m wrong. Again.
I’ve been presenting Portland and Columbus as test cases for a larger rollout. Something that people who were in Occupy and Standing Rock have vehemently stated is not the case.
They, of course, have seen this kind of crap up close and personal. In a time when Obama was in charge, and was at least a little restrained, compared to the current impeachable offense in charge.
Occupy, for the uninitiated saw a coordinated federal response that skirted the legal ramifications of that by introducing the idea of “sharing information” and “sharing expertise”.
This allowed local police to take advantage of the far vaster surveillance apparatus the government had to target. And then take out Occupy encampments so rapidly that their inhabitants couldn’t recover.
For Standing Rock, that was different. The government was used as a legal shield, a wringing of hands of “what can we do?! It’s so… complicated.” While on a local level, state, local AND hired paramilitary were allowed to work together to disrupt and traumatize the protestors.
Coordination between the agencies, under the auspice of the government throwing up their hands. This allowed different parts to commit blatantly illegal actions without consequences.
Like shooting protestors with water cannons in sub-zero temperatures (hypothermia anyone?). Then shooting at the medics with frozen ‘less-than-lethal’ munitions when they came to help the wounded.
You can see all that pieced together in Portland right now.
Here’s what Portland really is.
Did you ever learn how to start a fire? You begin with fire tinder, a small amount of flammable substance that allows your spark to sustain. Then when the bundle of tinder is burning, you put it in with your other fuel and watch it all go up.
Portland is not a test. It is not a proof of concept.
Portland is tinder.