Baltimore’s violent protesters are right: Smashing police cars is a legitimate political strategy

Salon ^ | April 28, 2015 | Benji Hart

[MeshugeMikey]

As a nation, we fail to comprehend Black political strategy in much the same way we fail to recognize the value of Black life.

We see ghettos and crime and absent parents where we should see communities actively struggling against mental health crises and premeditated economic exploitation. And when we see police cars being smashed and corporate property being destroyed, we should see reasonable responses to generations of extreme state violence, and logical decisions about what kind of actions yield the desired political results.

I’m overwhelmed by the pervasive slandering of protesters in Baltimore this weekend for not remaining peaceful. T

[MeshugeMikey]

okay I buy the part about these "Protestors having mental health crises

No folks the Onion did not hack salon.com....

[BenLurkin]

Smashing police cars is a legitimate political strategy

Okay Salon -- remember that when conservatives take it to the streets.

[PGR88]

Smash and burn Salon as a legitimate form of protest

[relictele]

premeditated economic exploitation

i.e. the Democrat plan of cradle-to-grave welfare.

[tet68]

I keep waiting for the news story that says...

A violent riot suddenly turned peaceful this afternoon
as looters suddenly began to restore goods to shelves
and sweep up after breaking in to businesses.

Try and imagine that...nope can’t do it.

[Crim]

Liberalism is a mental disorder.

[Pirate Ragnar]

Ass-kissing, agenda driven, water-carrying “journalist”....

[aquila48]

When will sane people start smashing Salon’s headquarters who give voice to fools like this?

[jonrick46]

Remember folk, it is this frame of mind that they project on Tea Party demonstrations. They are expecting such demonstrations to be rioting, uncivil demonstrations that have to be prevented. In their book, demonstrations are not civil and without violence, do no good. I ask, what type of civilization have we become that cannot solve problems in a peaceful, structured way? Has the illegal drug industry addled civilized behavior? (hint: yes)

[marktwain]

They are simply following the leftist tradition of redefining reality to mean what they want it to mean.

But reality has a way of coming out on top.

[MeshugeMikey]

as theyve abandoned reality so has Reality has Abandoned them

[MNDude]

“I do not advocate non-violence—particularly in a moment like the one we currently face.”

Just wow!

[MeshugeMikey]

along with the authors blog...to which the article was cross posted

and I quote “radical faggot”.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“And when we see police cars being smashed and corporate property being destroyed, we should see reasonable responses to generations of extreme state violence, and logical decisions about what kind of actions yield the desired political results.”

I am sure the author doesn’t see the irony in his statement.

[MeshugeMikey]

the authors WAY beyond mildly buzzed

[sean327]

I have no beef with the smashing police cars part, and here is why. These people claim their fight is with the police. Fine, but targeting anything other than the cops makes your fight illegitimate. Fight the cops, don’t burn your neighborhood down. Don’t loot. Don’t steal cars and burn them.

[MeshugeMikey]

I have no beef with the smashing police cars part,

#1 Those care were bought and paid for by the people of Baltimore

#2 Its rather illegal

#3 do you post here regularly?

[Pollster1]

And when we see police cars being smashed and corporate property being destroyed, we should see reasonable responses . . . and logical decisions about what kind of actions yield the desired political results.

This is a sad but important point. So far, rioting in Sanford, FL, and in Ferguson, MO, produced no significant positive political results, by the standards of the rioters. We have a moral obligation to our children to make sure that rioting never produces 'positive' political results. The thug actions were simply domestic terrorism, and our children cannot afford for us to teach thugs that terrorism and violence against the innocent yield the desired political outcome.

With Sweet Little Trayvon, the thugs got their desired trial, but justice was served in the end. They didn't get the results they wanted, which is automatically a good thing given their violent tactics. In that case, it was also the right thing given the facts of the case. The same is true in Ferguson. Baltimore is slightly different in that we do not yet know the facts. If it turns out that the police were in the wrong, it is important for justice to be done, but just as important for justice to be seen to be delayed or more difficult because of the thugs and not a grudging reward in response to thug violence.

[matt04]

I bet they would change their tune real quick in the youth descended on their offices, looted it than lit it on fire. So what if a co-worker is trapped and they slash the supply hoses, it’s a legitimate protest.

[MeshugeMikey]

theyre really quite STONED>....Im thinking