As all who care are aware, over the last couple of days federal agents of several types have clashed in Los Angeles with demonstrators protesting against the Administration’s immigration enforcement activities. The New York Times has reported that these agents have used “flash-bang grenades” against protestors, and that the Trump administration’s top law enforcement official in Southern California has declared that the protests are “out of control.” President Donald Trump has ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to the city to quell the protests. They are expected to arrive today.
What I find at once the most predictable and disquieting about the current furor:
Mr. Trump has based his directive under a federal law which authorizes the President to deploy the National Guard if “there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.” [Emphasis Added]
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has described demonstrations at Los Angeles’ federal building on social media as, “An insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States,” and later as “a violent insurrection.” [Emphasis Added]
I understand that Mr. Trump has not claimed authority for his National Guard directive under what is technically considered “The Insurrection Act,” a law which the Brennan Center for Justice states “authorizes the president to deploy military forces inside the United States to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations,” but the section Mr. Trump is relying upon appears in the same Title 10 of the U.S. Code of Laws that contains the Insurrection Act.
Although I am completely confident that not all of the demonstrators are Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and that a number of those apprehended in the Administration raids — even if they have committed no other criminal acts — are indeed here illegally, I would venture that the Administration is welcoming the pretext to act more aggressively against those who oppose its vision for America.
In recent weeks, given the impending passage of Mr. Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” due to the craven acquiescence of MAGA Congressional representatives, I’ve been focusing on the federal deficit and debt, how we got to where we are over the last 40+ years, and commentaries regarding what steps we might be taking to avert a looming financial meltdown if we had rational federal executives and courageous legislators.
The events in Los Angeles have brought me back.
We’re getting closer.
McCoy's Noise 
I know that you think that we are moving closer to an authoritarian state by Trump’s reaction to the Los Angeles protests. (Eerily similar to the 1969 Democratic Convention in Chicago and Daley’s reaction to it.) An authoritarian state is certainly what Trump and his hardcore MAGA morons want and are working to achieve, but…
I think that we’re getting closer to the beginning of the collapse of the MAGA sandcastle. It has been my belief that Trump and MAGA will destruct from within and now I believe that it is starting to happen. Many Trump voters who ignored the realities of his beliefs and plans have lost jobs and are in real danger of losing their health insurance. Any retired Trump voter who is only surviving on social security and medicaid should be scared shitless. Trump and his attack dog Elon Musk working through DOGE has had a sobering effect on borderline Trump voters.
But wait…now Elon and The Donald have split up!! Elon has learned too late that Trump only uses patsies to do his dirty work…often illegal, unconstitutional or both and then, when they fail or are stymied, are jettisoned. Only now, Trump has a very formidable enemy…every bit as narcissistic as he is, AND with huge financial reserves.
Plus Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill has rightfully terrified enough Republican senators who have upcoming elections to pay attention to the negative financial consequences of this legislative monstrosity not to support it. The internal fight in the Republican Party over this will have consequences.
The Democrats should use this time to get together and formulate a vision on what they are for – not only what they are against. They have their own problems and trying to force out David Hogg who is trying to tell them what they need to do to activate younger voters is not encouraging. But that is a whole other issue. Dems better get their act together soon. My concern is that they have not shown the ability to do it so far.
Edk
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