Danny Cardwell's picture

    The Insanity Of Gun Violence

    By Danny Cardwell on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 3:29pm | Personal

    Every few weeks our lives are interrupted by breaking news about innocent people being gunned down in classrooms, movie theaters, night clubs, churches and most recently an outdoor concert. During these highly stressful times, we stop what we are doing to reflect on the preciousness and fragility of life, we offer our prayers and condolences to the families affected by the tragedy and we tell ourselves this isn’t America. We recite this claim with the convictions people give to their religious mantras. We repeat this lie hoping to convince ourselves that we were somehow different, but this is America. This is who we are and we need to accept it. Insanity isn’t just doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Insanity is also denying the truth right in front of us.

     

    Violence is a constitutive part of our history. America grew out of a violent revolution and hasn’t looked back. In the Gospel of Saint Luke, we are told that we can know a tree by the fruit it produces. In America, we scorn and rebuke our rotten apples, but we refuse to indict the tree that produced them. We have to quit using the same shocked language we apply to these tragedies and come to grips with the fact that this is normal. America is, and always has been, a violent nation.

     

    Our culture has glamourized violence through novels, television, movies and video games. The spike in mass shootings over the last decade is a generational consequence of celebrating death more than life. America’s fascination with violence consciously and unconsciously affects many of us in different ways. It starts out as innocent games of cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers. We send these same kids to schools that have canonized our nation’s most historic battlegrounds and immortalized the soldiers who fought and died on those sacred grounds. We have Civil War reenactments where we simulate the experience of being on some of America’s most deadly killing fields. For every person truly repulsed by depictions of violence there are throngs of people cancelling out their voices.

     

    Contrary to what we tell ourselves, the majority of mass shootings aren’t committed by people with a history of mental illness. These are meticulously calculated events designed to inflict as much pain and terror as possible. Too often we jump to the conclusion that the shooter must have been “crazy.” This is disingenuous. Saying someone is crazy is an easier pill to swallow than accepting the fact that our culture continues producing more and more people capable of committing these crimes.

     

    There are so many Americans invested in the myths associated with America that (as a nation) we can’t look critically at this problem. Too many people are working overtime to systematically disconnect these shootings from each other- and often the motives behind them. America is under siege by the threat of random violence and we won’t accept the fact that our culture is complicit in some of the carnage we have seen.

     

    America is stuck in a perpetual cycle of grief, inaction and denial. Our politicians don’t have the courage to stand up to the gun lobby and we won’t look in the mirror. These stories start with a hail of bullets and end in death and prayers. We keep doing the same thing over and over and have the nerve to question the results.

     

     

     

    Topics: 
    Personal

    Comments

    Saying someone is crazy is an easier pill to swallow than accepting the fact that our culture continues producing more and more people capable of committing these crimes.

    I think you're right that it is cultural.  Since cultural illnesses are difficult to diagnose and cure, we probably have to focus on gun control.  To the extent that guns are "nice things" (I don't think they are) we are why we can't have nice things.

    But it's really not all about the amount of guns in America.  As Michael Moore pointed out in Bowling for Columbine, there are a lot of guns in Canada, too, but not so many mass shootings and not so much murder. Maybe the number of guns in America, driven as it is by demand, is also a symptom of the sickness you're writing about.


    by Michael Maiello on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 2:14pm

    Your thoughtful comment made me go googling about violence in the U.S.

    What I found right away in this July 8, 2016 Washington Post piece by Kim Sofen (Yes, violence in America has suddenly increased. But that’s far from the whole story) was actually GOOD NEWS on this front.

    It starts out iterating the increases over the previous year, gun violence, homicides, shootings by police, mass shootings, etc. BUT THEN it moves on to:

    [....] But focusing on this one-year uptick ignores the larger trend of steadily declining violence in the United States. Between 1993 and 2013, total gun homicides were nearly cut in half, primarily during the 1990s. Over the same time period, violent crime as a whole went down by about 75 percent. The increases in fatalities we’ve seen this year don’t come close to reversing the trend.

    The decades-long decline has been driven by many factors, including increased police presence, more police access to technology, a decline in alcohol consumption and lead poisoning, and a better economy. Other theories include mass incarceration keeping criminals off the street, assault weapons bans, concealed-carry laws, the decline of crack cocaine, and the legalization of abortion two decades earlier.

    Like any historical trend, deciding how much context to consider can change our view of the situation. Yes, we’re seeing an uptick in homicides. But it’s a small reversal of a two-decade decline. But that decline is just a return to homicide levels before the huge boom in crime in the 1960s and 1970s, which still hasn’t been wholly reversed [....]

    Since the article has been written, it would be interesting to know how the stress of the 2016 election and the election of Trump has affected the numbers, whether the much noticed and commented on political divisiveness, and even anger, even within families, has had an effect on violence in general. Or whether we are still on a general trajectory downward as to violent reactions. I like to think we are finally on a path of growing up into a grownup nation citizen of the globalized world, from our "cowboys and Indians" adolescence. And that Trumpism fits in there as a last gasp of a minority reacting badly as they are dragged kicking and screaming into a 21st century U.S.

    Edit to add: Trumpism repeats a lot of memes of Reaganism (with the same MAGA thing and culture wars especially "family values", meaning: old timey values) which I see as the first iteration of "being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century". (Not to mention the whole issue of being dragged kicking and screaming into the start of a multi racial society, with the "southern strategy" back tracking et. al.) And that was a time of rapidly escalating violent crime. Reagan's election was partly a reaction to the crime rate. But it didn't get better, it got worse with the crack epidemic. And even with lots more violence in pop culture. At the time, I remember noting how much themes of movies and rap, then growing in popularity, were mimicking the Wall Street buyout guy values, not reacting against that, but actually basically saying: see we can do that well, too. It was like: license to be ruthless and vicious. And both Bushes and Clinton, I think all 3 help influence a "kindler gentler" pop culture, as did Obama.


    by artappraiser on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 3:53pm

    Funny you mention lead... we were watching "The Deuce" last weekend and my wife and I were talking about how so much of the boneheaded behavior might well be explained by the characters being lead poisoning victims.

    I am definitely with you on Trump's coarsening of the popular culture. I don't know if the violent crime rate has actually ticked up meaningfully but Trump emboldened the Charlottesville marchers and he's part of the cause for all that violence by so many wonderful people on both sides.


    by Michael Maiello on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 4:07pm

    Michael Moore in Bowling for Colmbine: "There are a lot of guns in Canada".....uhhh....yeah....but at 30.8 per 100 residents it is less than 1/3 the US total of 112 per 100 residents.

    And as of 2008, Canada prohibits this list of guns, every last one legal in the USA, and I won't go nto the licensing requirements, the registration of every gun, the safety courses required, the clip limits, the gun storage laws, the bullet permits.

    Firearms Prescribed as Prohibited

    As with restricted firearms, a Criminal Code regulation listing all the firearms previously prohibited by Order in Council came into effect December 1, 1998. Those firearms are:

    Former Prohibited Weapons Order No. 3

    • Any firearm capable of discharging a dart or other object carrying an electrical current or substance, including the firearm of the design commonly known as the Taser Public Defender and any variant or modified version of it.

    Former Prohibited Weapons Order No. 8

    • The firearm known as the SSS-1 Stinger and any similar firearm designed or of a size to fit in the palm of the hand.

    Former Prohibited Weapons Order No. 11

    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Franchi SPAS-12 shotgun, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Franchi LAW 12 shotgun.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Striker shotgun, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Striker 12 shotgun and the Streetsweeper shotgun.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the USAS-12 Auto Shotgun, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Franchi SPAS-15 shotgun, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Benelli M1 Super 90 shotgun and the Benelli M3 Super 90 shotgun, and any variants or modified versions of them, with the exception of the:
      1. M1 Super 90 Field;
      2. M1 Super 90 Sporting Special;
      3. Montefeltro Super 90;
      4. Montefeltro Super 90 Standard Hunter;
      5. Montefeltro Super 90 Left Hand;
      6. Montefeltro Super 90 Turkey;
      7. Montefeltro Super 90 Uplander;
      8. Montefeltro Super 90 Slug;
      9. Montefeltro Super 90 20 Gauge;
      10. Black Eagle;
      11. Black Eagle Limited Edition;
      12. Black Eagle Competition;
      13. Black Eagle Slug Gun;
      14. Super Black Eagle; and
      15. Super Black Eagle Custom Slug.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Bernardelli B4 shotgun and the Bernardelli B4/B shotgun, and any variants or modified versions of them.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the American 180 Auto Carbine, and any variant or modified version of it, including the AM-180 Auto Carbine and the Illinois Arms Company Model 180 Auto Carbine.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Barrett “Light Fifty” Model 82A1 rifle and the Barrett Model 90 rifle, and any variants or modified versions of them.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Calico M-900 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it, including the M-951 carbine, M-100 carbine and M-105 carbine.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Iver Johnson AMAC long-range rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the McMillan M87 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it, including the McMillan M87R rifle and the McMillan M88 carbine.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Pauza Specialties P50 rifle and P50 carbine, and any variants or modified versions of them.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Encom MK-IV carbine, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Encom MP-9 and MP-45 carbines, and any variants or modified versions of them.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the FAMAS rifle, and any variant or modified version of it, including the MAS 223, FAMAS Export, FAMAS Civil and Mitchell MAS/22.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Feather AT-9 Semi-Auto Carbine, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Feather AT-22 Auto Carbine.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Federal XC-450 Auto Rifle, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Federal XC-900 rifle and Federal XC-220 rifle.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Gepard long-range sniper rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Heckler and Koch (HK) Model G11 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Research Armament Industries (RAI) Model 500 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Spectre Auto Carbine, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the US Arms PMAI “Assault” 22 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Weaver Arms Nighthawk Carbine, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the A.A. Arms AR9 Semi-Automatic Rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Claridge HI-TEC C, LEC-9 and ZLEC-9 carbines, and any variants or modified versions of them.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Kimel Industries AR-9 rifle or carbine, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Grendel R-31 Auto Carbine, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Maadi Griffin Rifle and the Maadi Griffin Carbine, and any variants or modified versions of them.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the AA Arms Model AR-9 carbine, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Bushmaster Auto Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Calico M-950 Auto Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it, including the M-110 pistol.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Encom MK-IV assault pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Encom MP-9 and MP-45 assault pistols, and any variants or modified versions of them, including the Encom MP-9 and MP-45 mini pistols.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Federal XP-450 Auto Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it, including the XP-900 Auto Pistol.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Heckler and Koch (HK) SP89 Auto Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Intratec Tec-9 Auto Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Tec-9S, Tec-9M, Tec-9MS, and any semi-automatic variants of them, including the Tec-DC9, Tec-DC9M, Tec-9A, Tec-Scorpion, Tec-22T and Tec-22TN.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Iver Johnson Enforcer Model 3000 Auto Pistol and the Iver Johnson Plainfield Super Enforcer Carbine, and any variants or modified versions of them.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Skorpion Auto Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Spectre Auto Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Sterling Mk 7 pistol, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Sterling Mk 7 C4 and Sterling Mk 7 C8.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Universal Enforcer Model 3000 Auto Carbine, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Universal Enforcer Model 3010N, Model 3015G, Model 3020TRB and Model 3025TCO Carbines.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the US Arms PMAIP “Assault” 22 pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Goncz High-Tech Long Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Claridge Hi-Tec models S, L, T, ZL-9 and ZT-9 pistols.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Leader Mark 5 Auto Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the OA-93 assault pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the A.A. Arms AP9 Auto Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Patriot pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the XM 231S pistol, and any variant or modified version of it, including the A1, A2 and A3 Flattop pistols.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the AA Arms Model AP-9 pistol, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Target AP-9 and the Mini AP-9 pistols.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Kimel Industries AP-9 pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Grendel P-30, P-30 M, P-30 L and P-31 pistols, and any variants or modified versions of them.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Claridge HI-TEC ZL-9, HI-TEC S, HI-TEC L, HI-TEC T, HI-TEC ZT-9 and HI-TEC ZL-9 pistols, and any variants or modified versions of them.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Steyr SPP Assault Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Maadi Griffin Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Interdynamics KG-99 Assault Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.

    Former Prohibited Weapons Order No. 12 (in effect since October 1, 1992)

    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Sterling Mk 6 Carbine, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Steyr AUG rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the UZI carbine, and any variant or modified version of it, including the UZI Model A carbine and the Mini-UZI carbine.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the Ingram M10 and M11 pistols, and any variants or modified versions of them, including the Cobray M10 and M11 pistols, the RPB M10, M11, SM10 and SM11 pistols and the SWD M10, M11, SM10 and SM11 pistols.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Partisan Avenger Auto Pistol, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the UZI pistol, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Micro-UZI pistol.

    Former Prohibited Weapons Order No. 13 (in effect since January 1, 1995)

    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the AK-47 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it except for the Valmet Hunter, the Valmet Hunter Auto and the Valmet M78 rifles, but including the:

    (a) AK-74;
    (b) AK Hunter;
    (c) AKM;
    (d) AKM-63;
    (e) AKS-56S;
    (f) AKS-56S-1;
    (g) AKS-56S-2;
    (h) AKS-74;
    (i) AKS-84S-1;
    (j) AMD-65;
    (k) AR Model .223;
    (l) Dragunov;
    (m) Galil;
    (n) KKMPi69;
    (o) M60;
    (p) M62;
    (q) M70B1;
    (r) M70AB2;
    (s) M76;
    (t) M77B1;
    (u) M78;
    (v) M80;
    (w) M80A;
    (x) MAK90;
    (y) MPiK;
    (z) MPiKM;
    (z.1) MPiKMS-72;
    (z.2) MPiKS;
    (z.3) PKM;
    (z.4) PKM-DGN-60;
    (z.5) PMKM;
    (z.6) RPK;
    (z.7) RPK-74;
    (z.8) RPK-87S;
    (z.9) Type 56;
    (z.10) Type 56-1;
    (z.11) Type 56-2;
    (z.12) Type 56-3;
    (z.13) Type 56-4;
    (z.14) Type 68;
    (z.15) Type 79;
    (z.16) American Arms AKY39;
    (z.17) American Arms AKF39;
    (z.18) American Arms AKC47;
    (z.19) American Arms AKF47;
    (z.20) MAM70WS762;
    (z.21) MAM70FS762;
    (z.22) Mitchell AK-22;
    (z.23) Mitchell AK-47;
    (z.24) Mitchell Heavy Barrel AK-47;
    (z.25) Norinco 84S;
    (z.26) Norinco 84S AK;
    (z.27) Norinco 56;
    (z.28) Norinco 56-1;
    (z.29) Norinco 56-2;
    (z.30) Norinco 56-3;
    (z.31) Norinco 56-4;
    (z.32) Poly Technologies Inc. AK-47/S;
    (z.33) Poly Technologies Inc. AKS-47/S;
    (z.34) Poly Technologies Inc. AKS-762;
    (z.35) Valmet M76;
    (z.36) Valmet M76 carbine;
    (z.37) Valmet M78/A2;
    (z.38) Valmet M78 (NATO) LMG;
    (z.39) Valmet M82; and
    (z.40) Valmet M82 Bullpup.

    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Armalite AR-180 Sporter carbine, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Beretta AR70 assault rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the BM 59 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it, including:
      1. the Beretta
        1. BM 59,
        2. BM 59R,
        3. BM 59GL,
        4. BM 59D,
        5. BM 59 Mk E,
        6. BM 59 Mk I,
        7. BM 59 Mk Ital,
        8. BM 59 Mk II,
        9. BM 59 Mk III,
        10. BM 59 Mk Ital TA,
        11. BM 59 Mk Ital Para,
        12. BM 59 Mk Ital TP, and
        13. BM 60CB; and
      2. the Springfield Armory
        1. BM 59 Alpine,
        2. BM 59 Alpine Paratrooper, and
        3. BM 59 Nigerian Mk IV.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Bushmaster Auto Rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Cetme Sport Auto Rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Daewoo K1 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Daewoo K1A1, K2, Max 1, Max 2, AR-100, AR 110C, MAXI-II and KC-20.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Demro TAC-1M carbine, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Demro XF-7 Wasp Carbine.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Eagle Apache Carbine, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the FN-FNC rifle, and any variant or modified version of it, including the FNC Auto Rifle, FNC Auto Paratrooper, FNC-11, FNC-22 and FNC-33.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the FN-FAL (FN-LAR) rifle, and any variant or modified version of it[3] , including the FN 308 Model 44, FN-FAL (FN-LAR) Competition Auto, FN-FAL (FN-LAR) Heavy Barrel 308 Match, FN-FAL (FN-LAR) Paratrooper 308 Match 50-64 and FN 308 Model 50-63.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the G3 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it, including the Heckler and Koch:
      1. HK 91;
      2. HK 91A2;
      3. HK 91A3;
      4. HK G3 A3;
      5. HK G3 A3 ZF;
      6. HK G3 A4;
      7. HK G3 SG/1; and
      8. HK PSG1.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Galil assault rifle, and any variant or modified version of it, including the AP-84, Galil ARM, Galil AR, Galil SAR, Galil 332 and Mitchell Galil/22 Auto Rifle.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Goncz High-Tech Carbine, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Heckler and Koch HK 33 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it, including the:
      1. HK 33A2;
      2. HK 33A3;
      3. HK 33KA1;
      4. HK 93;
      5. HK 93A2; and
      6. HK 93A3.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the J & R Eng M-68 carbine, and any variant or modified version of it, including the PJK M-68 and the Wilkinson Terry carbine.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Leader Mark Series Auto Rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the MP5 submachine gun and MP5 carbine, and any variants or modified versions of them, including the Heckler and Koch:
      1. HK MP5;
      2. HK MP5A2;
      3. HK MP5A3;
      4. HK MP5K;
      5. HK MP5SD;
      6. HK MP5SD1;
      7. HK MP5SD2;
      8. HK MP5SD3;
      9. HK 94;
      10. HK 94A2; and,
      11. HK 94A3.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the PE57 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearms of the designs commonly known as the SG-550 rifle and SG-551 carbine, and any variants or modified versions of them.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the SIG AMT rifle, and any variant or modified version of it.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Springfield Armory SAR-48 rifle, and any variant or modified version of it, including the SAR-48 Bush, SAR-48 Heavy Barrel, SAR-48 Para and SAR-48 Model 22.
    • The firearm of the design commonly known as the Thompson submachine gun, and any variant or modified version of it, including the:
      1. Thompson Model 1921;
      2. Thompson Model 1927;
      3. Thompson Model 1928;
      4. Thompson Model M1;
      5. Auto-Ordnance M27A-1;
      6. Auto-Ordnance M27A-1 Deluxe;
      7. Auto-Ordnance M1927A-3;
      8. Auto-Ordnance M1927A-5;
      9. Auto-Ordnance Thompson M1;
      10. Commando Arms Mk I;
      11. Commando Arms Mk II;
      12. Commando Arms Mk III;
      13. Commando Arms Mk 9; and,
      14. Commando Arms Mk 45.

    Information

    For more information, contact the Canada Firearms Centre.


    by NCD on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 4:39pm

    A tongue-in-cheek article at the Root suggests that gun laws would stiffen if black people statred buying more guns as a means of resistance. The NRA would want to keep “ bad people” from getting guns.

    http://www.theroot.com/5-ways-black-people-can-force-commonsense-gun-control-1819231334

    The NRA and Ronald Reagan  supported gun control after the Black Panthers showed up promoting open carry of weapons.

    http://theweek.com/articles/582926/how-ronald-reagan-learned-love-gun-control

     Blacks responding to tiki torch carrying white supremacist s with guns may cause a refocus on gun control.


    by rmrd0000 on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 4:33pm

    An article that Pericles posted "In the News" (12 hrs. ago) shows that the Russian trolls played with this meme:


    by artappraiser on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 4:58pm

    The actions suggested by the Russians was an insult to the intelligence of the black community. Many of us use Black oriented news sites every day. This Russian nonsense never came across those sites. It does seem that the Bubbas frequenting wingnut sites did see this Russian garbage.

    As I noted above when Blacktivists tried to organize protest in Baltimore, they were quickly shut down by the real black activists in the city.

    http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-ci-blacktivist-social-media-20170929-story.html

    The racism of the Russians made their tactics laughable.


    by rmrd0000 on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 8:59pm

    I think you might have it backwards, I believe that in most of these cases the Russians were targeting an audience of non-blacks with racist leanings. They wanted that audience to think that blacks were plotting, to motivate that audience to vote in fear of blacks.

    Failing that, they were of course just happy to stir up resentment between groups. So it didn't matter that much how authentic some of this stuff sounded.

    Is in the end what all internet trolls like to do, rile people's emotions up to start screaming at each other. Including starting up the name calling, i.e., snowflakes, right-wing nut job, deplorables, etc.

    And inspiring fear and hatred of "the other" is one of the favorite things of populist demagogues.


    by artappraiser on Sat, 10/14/2017 - 1:59am

    Wingnut sites did pick up some of the propaganda. I’m would not be surprised that some wingnuts were gullible and believed the nonsense. Using Pokémon Go to have people search out sites of police abuse is amazingly stupid. 


    by rmrd0000 on Sat, 10/14/2017 - 9:31am

    I disagree. I'm sure they were promoting "super predator", the 1990s' crime act and other gripes to discourage them from voting or anyone-but-Hillary (even though I haven't watched the videos, I assume some were to feed black anger with the Democrats and their candidate).


    by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 10/14/2017 - 10:09am

    That we disagree on what the message was, and that others might see a different message as well, is an important point for two reasons. One: they might not have tried hard to get tiptop Clio-award-winning propaganda just because they think sowing chaos is enough. Two, and more important I think: that the propaganda is not clear makes for low outrage on the part of the targeted. As in "where's the outrage that the Russians tried to interfere in our election?' And then you show the evidence with stuff like this and the reaction is: so what, big deal, it was really clueless stuff, we had and have worse coming from Trump tweets every day.much less Breitbart fans.


    by artappraiser on Sat, 10/14/2017 - 12:13pm

    Comes to mind: all the machinations of Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale were for naught. Ridicule of incompetence defangs enemies.


    by artappraiser on Sat, 10/14/2017 - 12:16pm

    They vent to cabin vit moose and sqvirrel. Vat more do you vant?


    by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 10/14/2017 - 2:32pm

    Our "cultural" problem is the Republican Party, best exemplified by the current  WH occupant.

    The culture that says:

    Only more guns will lead to less gun violence.

    Having a readily available loaded gun at home keeps you and the kids safe

    Guns are all you or society needs to avoid tyranny

    Godless liberals want to take all your guns snd leave you defenceless

    The framers wanted everyone to be armed

    Better FBI data on mass purchases of guns/ammo is a precursor to confiscation

    No law can prevent shootings of 500 people in 10 minutes

    It's not that the Republicans don't have the "courage" to stand up to the NRA, it's not in their political interest to do so.

    They use guns as a wedge issue, the gun industry makes $$$, and kick it back to the GOP, a win win.

    The Republicans can make their base believe anything, regardless of science and fact.

    Any issue that is useful to promote division, bigotry and controversy.  Framing them as a unpatriotic schemes of Godless liberals.....climate change, evolution, planned parenthood/birth control, affirmative action, kneeling at sports contests etc

     


    by NCD on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 5:08pm

    Tongue -in-cheek? They stiffened when Huey Newton and Bobby Seales taught black people to arm themselves, to protect themselves.


    by PeraclesPlease on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 5:26pm

    There is reason to believe that the guns displayed by the Panthers were supplied by people working for or with the government. This display made it easier for the goibvernment to take them down. I think if you look at the pictures of the Panthhers bearing these guns you will see old poor quality rifles not modern military grade weapons for that time.


    by Peter (not verified) on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 7:17pm

    Your argument seems to take the same condescending attitude of black people as we see from the Russians.Some whites appear to believe that black people could not have made their own independent decision to arm themselves. You suggest that blacks must have had government aid because they are weak-minded. 

    The Russians think that telling blacks to arm themselves and stay home rather than vote, go play Pokémon, and listen Nigerians pretending to be from Atlanta, is a viable technique. The Russians also believe blacks are feeble-minded.

    The guns were cheap, according to you, because they were government supplied rather than because they were paid or with limited guns.Interesting. I’m not a weapons expert so I can’t argue with your assessment with your classification of the weapons as old for the time. I can say that your assessment that the Black Panthers were government dupes reeks of white supremacy. Blacks can’t take revolutionary action on their own.


    by rmrd0000 on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 8:51pm

    Sorry RM but the White Commies from that time had just as lousy internal security as the Black Commies and the Indian Commies too. Hoover had been rumming COINTELPRO for about a decade and had seasoned professionals tasked with enlisting or forcing compliance from friends and familys of the radicals, they didn't have a chance.


    by p (not verified) on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 9:32pm

    Please provide support for your argument that Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale were influenced by the government to walk into the California Senate. You are free to your opinion. Please provide facts on Newton and Seale.


    by rmrd0000 on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 9:47pm

    Carrying guns was not gun love - the Panthers explicitly said, "if you won't protect our neighborhoods, we'll do it ourselves". They weren't duped into this by anyone. They were the well-armed well-trained and self-controlled militia that the rughtwing gun nuts never were.


    by PeraclesPlease on Fri, 10/13/2017 - 11:18pm

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