Here's the deal about "the Feds" and DOJ/FBI/various law enforcement agencies:
Us old people remember back 50 years ago, when we were hitting the streets for civil rights, stopping the bombing and defoliating in Vietnam, and ending military conscription...
We all remember "Don't trust those mofos." And we didn't. We knew they'd bend the rules until they squeaked, even break 'em if they thought they could get away with it to lock our young asses up.
And some of us listened, and some of us didn't, to the older and more experienced heads on the bus, who gave us this chat (I'm paraphrasing, here):
"We want civil disobedience, you bet. But unless you've seen, up close and personal, real, actual civil disorder, don't say that would be a solution. The people who get hurt by it the most are the same people who are getting screwed by the Establishment already.
We want change. We want to keep the pressure up. We want to expose the cruelty, the hypocrisy, the stupidity, the injustice and the corruption. But we don't want the Feds to go away. It's a long slow road to shame them into getting better. But if things tip over into anarchy and civil disorder, we don't win, we LOSE.
Because the overwhelming majority of people in this country understand just how scary that really is and how much they'd be likely to suffer if it happened. And when push comes to shove they'll back corrupt Federal law enforcement that will keep it from happening, over what they'd see as the forces of revolution."
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
The MAGAts and Qnatics and mouth-breathing shills for Putin never learned that. Now they're gonna learn.
"The Feds" may or may not be corrupt assholes, individually and situationally. But when push comes to shove, Americans will line up behind the forces with the mission and the means to keep the gutters from running red.
As it happens, I think by and large the FBI has made considerable improvements in integrity and professionalism from back in Jedgar's day. Again, locally, individually, and situationally, there are still plenty of assholes on their payroll. But by and large they've learned the value of maintaining a reputation.
All bets are off with ICE, of course, but they're not part of the current kerfuffle.
So let the MAGAts scream to "defund the FBI!" as loud as they want and as often. It'll lose them more than they imagine it could ever accomplish.
cynically,
Bright
