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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBill Barr Wants Protesters Charged With Trying to Overthrow the U.S. Government
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/bill-barr-protestor-prosecutionsOf all of Donald Trumps servile employees willing to put his extremely fragile ego above the country, William Barr may very well be the most dangerous. (Well, tied with the guy who did a Facebook Live video telling the presidents supporters to prepare for an insurrection.) The thing about the attorney general is that hes not just a sycophant willing to do Trumps dirty workhe actually knows how to go about it. Apparently seeing himself as Trumps personal lawyer in the mold of Roy Cohn, Barr has spent his time at the Justice Department discrediting the Mueller investigation; involving the DOJ in the quest to keep the presidents tax returns secret; running cover for Trump as he tried to extort Ukraine; interceding to change the sentencing recommendation for longtime Trump pal Roger Stone; running cover for Trump when he told his supporters to vote twice; and using taxpayer funds to shield the president from a defamation lawsuit related to a rape accusation against him. So, really, it was only a matter of time until the attorney general, aka the presidents consigliere, attempted to use the Justice Department to prosecute protesters with the dubious charge of attempting to overthrow the government.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Barr has instructed the countrys federal prosecutors to get aggressive when dealing with violent demonstrators, including potentially prosecuting [protesters] for plotting to overthrow the U.S. government, according to people familiar with the conversation. During a conference call with U.S. attorneys last week, Barr reportedly said that protests across the country could get worse in the run up to the November election, and encouraged the attorneys to seek a number federal charges, including under a rarely used sedition law, even when state charges could apply.
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)gaslighting . .
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)in the US population.
dalton99a
(81,073 posts)RKP5637
(67,032 posts)triron
(21,916 posts)crickets
(25,896 posts)NCjack
(10,279 posts)and attempting to destroy the Constitution.
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)With this corrupt one, though, it would be revealing one way or another.
RW violence is far, far, far, FAR more common than left wing. Just look at who blows up and drives trucks into people, or that 67-year-old jerk who attacked a 13-year-old girl with his flag pole. A general truism among terrorism experts is that LW terrorists blow up empty buildings, RW blow up people. But when's the last time anyone's even heard of any significant LW domestic violent terrorism? It's like 2% of all vs 94% committed by RW (non-Muslim) domestic terrorists. And RW violence is going up.
Anything that could backfire by focusing intense press attention on who's behind the increasing political violence would be highly desirable. Creating civil unrest and fear is a classic fascistic takeover tactic.
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)somehow, the wrong people would likely get charged and it would turn into another Trump/Barr circus.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)backfire by being turned on what the ringmasters are up to. After all, they are completely unprincipled and are ruthlessly (and desperately) misusing their power in pursuit of more power.
We need more who didn't bother to vote before to see and be alarmed. The more that wannabe authoritarian cabal exposes themselves before the election the better.
Hotler
(11,353 posts)"got aggressive when dealing with" fascist dictators and their henchmen.
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)under the Trump administration the majority is ignored.
Stuart G
(38,365 posts)Often the protests become violent... because of the police.