
Federal law enforcement agents to Chicago, Albuquerque - colinprince
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-operation-legend-federal-authorities-american-cities-1.5659139
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faitswulff
A “record rise in violence after the shooting death of a young boy” is wording
that the reader should perhaps scrutinize more carefully, considering the
justification for sending these federal agents has consisted mainly of
graffiti and property damage: [https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/07/16/acting-
secretary-wolf-co...](https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/07/16/acting-secretary-
wolf-condemns-rampant-long-lasting-violence-portland)

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schaefer
Donald is openly dehumanizing US citizens that have political views contrary
to his own (and indeed, contrary to HIM).

But more than that, he is using Federal Officers to inflict violence on
protestors. True, some protestors have been violent(mostly to property, but
not entirely), but Federal agents are also using force on clearly peaceful
protestors.

As a US citizen myself, I am speechless. How is this our reality?

But it doesn't go without my notice that this is EXACTLY the treatment that
African Americans are protesting. And now, allies of the BLM movement are
subject some of the same dehumanizing and violent treatment from law
enforcement that we are protesting against, regardless of race.

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dragonwriter
> Donald is openly dehumanizing US citizens that have political views contrary
> to his own

That's true, but somewhat beside the point. He's using the flimsiest pretext
to do things in the most provocative way possible as a deliberate attempt to
cause violent radicalization on both sides and provide pretext for further
escalation and executive authoritarian action, and deliberately targeting
locations that will assure that the resulting chaos and it's hoped-for adverse
effects on election administration redounds to his electoral advantage and,
failing that, that the chaos itself provides a pretext for his openly-
telegraphed backup tactic of rejecting the election results.

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AnimalMuppet
I really hope you're wrong. But it's not a good sign that this is the best
counter-argument I could find: I'm not sure that he's smart enough to do that,
and I'm not sure that he thinks long-term enough to try.

But it would explain a lot if this administration were _deliberately_ trying
to destabilize things, instead of just blundering...

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dragonwriter
> I'm not sure that he's smart enough to do that, and I'm not sure that he
> thinks long-term enough to try

Individually, he may not be and he may not, but the people who work for him
and recommend policy actions to him are and do, and while there seem to be
frequent conflicts of goals between his close advisors (though that's been
less visible since the last few shakeups, whether because it's not happening
as much or because less is leaking), this is one where the factional interests
are aligned.

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zoomablemind
Out of curiosity, political aspect aside, who is going to foot the bill for
this added effort, the Fed govt or it will be somehow forwarded to the
city/state or subtracted from its Fed funding, like for some kind of mandatory
service?

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diffrinse
Maybe this is where USPS' money went

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bitdotdash
Meddling in local enforcement, despite push-back from state and local
authorities? What could possible go wrong...

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zdragnar
Considering that, at least in chicago, the police requested federal
assistance, it seems like the pushback is more of a political game played by
politicians than the reality on the ground.

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TetOn
The police _union_ requested this. To my knowledge, they don't have any
authority whatsoever to call out state national guard or federal troops into a
state. Would be as meaningless as me declaring my private property an
independent nation state.

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robotron
Yes, it was the union head in Chicago.

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Vivtek
"Sending federal agents to help localities is not uncommon."

Sending them against the express will of the localities, however, is probably
illegal.

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AnimalMuppet
Depends. If I understand correctly, sending them to protect federal property
is legit, regardless of the will of the localities. Sending them to help
enforce local laws, without the desire/permission of the locality, is not.

