Don Winslow: Trump & Barr want war in the streets. DON'T GIVE IT TO THEM.

[highplainsdem]

Link to tweet

CIVIL WAR on the streets of America in July, August, September and October is GREAT for Donald Trump on November 3.

That's why Trump/Barr approved $61 million today in grants to hire more cops/secret police to fight in more more cities.

THEY
WANT
WAR

DONT
GIVE
IT
TO
THEM

Editing to add 5 of his earlier tweets about this today:

Link to tweet

DO NOT ENGAGE Trump's secret police force.

Move away from them and make them come to you.

The footage will reflect that.

Don't stand there in the dark and go toe to toe with them.

That is EXACTLY what Trump wants you to do.

He WANTS this.

Link to tweet

If I was running the protests, I would stop every day at sundown.

There is no reason to be out there all night.

And being out there all night does two things:

1. It feeds Trump's narrative.

2. It allows for footage that is often VERY hard to see to be easily manipulated.

Link to tweet

Imagine how limited Trump's secret police force would be if every night they lined up to beat protesters, protesters were peacefully wrapping up, going home and preparing to start against the next morning.

THAT would make an INCREDIBLE STATEMENT.

YOU would own your own STORY.

Link to tweet

Go back and read my timeline.

I've called so much of this shit years before.

And I'm telling you with absolute certainty that going full World War III in the streets at night will HELP Trump get re-elected in November.

You will be actors in his marketing videos.

Link to tweet

The one and only thing I will give Trump credit for is being - flat out - the single best marketer EVER to be President.

Respect that.

He out messages everyone.

And having World War III in the streets with him every night allows him to **SELL** himself as TOUGH and PATRIOTIC.

[liberalla]

1. K&R !!! FFS !!!

Don't give it to them !

[highplainsdem]

2. kicking after editing to OP to include several earlier tweets on this subject

[Tanuki]

3. "What if they gave a war

and nobody came?"

[2naSalit]

12. Exactly. ...nt

[scarletlib]

4. I agree. It's the smart way to protest.

[alwaysinasnit]

5. k&r for visibility

[Eyeball_Kid]

6. Winslow is right. Please heed his advice.

[Hekate]

7. KnR

[Cha]

8. Retweeted! TY, hpd!

[jumptheshadow]

9. Amen

Just ignore them. Starve them of the malignant attention they crave. Fight them by controlling the narrative and frustrate them by not taking their bait. Don't go near federal facilities. There are plenty of other good places for peaceful and creative demonstrations.

[Fiendish Thingy]

10. K&r !

[2naSalit]

11. Wise words from one who would know.

[creeksneakers2]

13. Damn good advice

Would those who need to listen do so?

[mjvpi]

14. Lucy with the fucking football!

[Aussie105]

15. If you look at the history of peaceful protests that went violent:

Not many succeeded in what they set out to do.

Think Tiananmen square, recent Hong Kong protests. Just leads to heavy handed crackdowns from the ruling classes and their attack dogs.

Even the successful ones, like the overthrow of the monarchy in the French revolution and the overthrow of the Romanovs in Russia didn't lead to as much change as the people had hoped for.

Some damn good suggestions in those tweets.

Currently Trump is at war with COVID-19, and losing big time.

Don't give him a war that he can win and leverage himself back into the White House for another term.

[AntiFascist]

16. Just remember that Trump takes credit for everything...

and he will likely take credit for quieting the protests.

[scarletwoman]

17. He's exactly right. One other important reason to stay off the streets at night - if there are

agents provocateurs who have infiltrated the demonstrators, this will deprive them of cover.

And, I firmly believe that much of the vandalism and destruction that's occurred during demonstrations in cities across the country has been the work of right wing inciters and/or cointelpro type infiltrators.

And if you're not familiar with Cointelpro, here's a brief primer:

COINTELPRO in the 60s

Government harassment of U.S. political activists clearly exists today, violating our fundamental democratic rights and creating a climate of fear and distrust which undermines our efforts to challenge official policy. Similar attacks on social justice movements came to light during the 1960s. Only years later did we learn that these had been merely the visible tip of an iceberg. Largely hidden at the time was a vast government program to neutralize domestic political opposition through "covert action" (political repression carried out secretly or under the guise of legitimate law enforcement).
The 1960s program, coordinated by the FBI under the code name "COINTELPRO," was exposed in the 1970s and supposedly stopped. But covert operations against domestic dissidents did not end. They have persisted and become an integral part of government activity. ...

How COINTELPRO Worked:

<snip>

4. Extralegal Force and Violence: The FBI and police threatened, instigated, and themselves conducted break-ins, vandalism, assaults, and beatings. The object was to frighten dissidents and disrupt their movements. In the case of radical Black and Puerto Rican activists (and later Native Americans), these attacks-including political assassinations-were so extensive, vicious, and calculated that they can accurately be termed a form of official "terrorism."

Much more at link. Do a search on the term "cointelpro" - there a quite a few books about it.

[struggle4progress]

18. Also: "Naked Athena" was an act of genius

She provided a clean narrative, at risk to herself

[creeksneakers2]

19. A great essay on this same subject from the Times

Trump’s Wag-the-Dog War
The president is looking for a dangerous domestic enemy to fight.

“So, in a desperate effort to salvage his campaign, Trump turned to the Middle East Dictator’s Official Handbook and found just what he was looking for, the chapter titled, ‘What to Do When Your People Turn Against You?’

“Answer: Turn them against each other and then present yourself as the only source of law and order.”

I have zero tolerance for any American protesters who resort to violence in any U.S. city, because it damages homes and businesses already hammered by the coronavirus — many of them minority-owned — and because violence will only turn off and repel the majority needed to drive change.

But when I heard Trump suggest, as he did in the Oval Office on Monday, that he was going to send federal forces into U.S. cities, where the local mayors have not invited him, the first word that popped into my head was “Syria.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/opinion/trump-portland-syria.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=OpEd%20Columnists

[DSandra]

20. TBH, all he needs is people posing as rioters and attackers to get his footage

And it's already known that groups like the Boogaloo boys have already done this

https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-right-wing-extremist-group-boogaloo-boys-poses-real-threat-during-protests/article_671f308e-a9bb-11ea-a80c-abf5b2a81591.html

And it's also known that police have posed as protesters before.

Whether or not we fight back, Trump will use it to his advantage, because he is not limited by facts and reality, and certainly not Fox News, Breitbart, and Newsmax as well.

[WePurrsevere]

21. Thank you for posting his whole tweet thread...

Seeing only the first one elsewhere it seemed like he was saying to not protest at all, which I disagree with. What he actually is saying is to protest but do so intelligently, that I very much agree with.

I also agree with comments suggesting that protesters should be carry and waving the America flag and copy of the constitution. Make a wall of red, white and blue for Trump's fascist goons to attack. That flag belongs to and is supposed to represent all of us, To Hell with TrumpliCon fascisT bullpucky, RECLAIM OUR FLAG.

[crickets]

22. K&R for the post and the discussion.