Thank you for this. As someone who lives in the DC area, with relatives living in the District itself, all I could think was that DC and its predominately Black population, with its Black mayors and leaders, were uniquely unprotected precisely because Democrats have spent decades deciding that the rights of the people in the District were not worth fighting for. Thank you for pointing out that putting federal forces on the streets of DC is important because of what it means for the people of DC, not because it's a distraction from other things that are "actually" important.
You make an important point about the misuse of the term “distraction.” We should not be distracted by the word “distraction.”
There is another fascist advantage to targeting DC. With troops in place, it is easier to intimidate and/or shut down Congress and, if necessary, the Supreme Court (if they ever accidentally follow the Constitution). Therefore, DC makes the perfect target.
I am reminded of the decades of overthrowing governments in central, and South America. subjugating their economies and oppressing their populations by training death squads in Georgia at the so-called School of the Americas. (Now it has a new name.)
In that sense, our overthrow investment planted seeds, which have finally come back home to sprout
I am also interested in the dehumanization which occurs among the wealthy both of themselves and especially of people less affluent. It appears to me that they are consumed by a terror of being swarmed.
Hence the emphasis on preemptive swarming, using the forces they control on the people, they know they never will control.
You sure do know how to get thinking and conversations started…..
Thank you for this piece Noah. Definitions matter.
Have you read Jason Stanley's last book on fascism and the rewriting of history by any chance? I have not read it myself, just wondering if you had some thoughts about it.
I KNOW. I hated doing that but I thought if it was me and I found it way later, I'd chew my hand off or something. Obviously just a typo, probably an "automatically corrected " one even.
No, having one non-voting delegate in the House is not "representation" in any meaningful way. There's a reason DC license plates say "No taxation without representation. " One non-voting delegate and no control over the DC National Guard is in no way equal to having a voting House Rep, two voting Senators, and a Governor who does control the state National Guard.
Thank you for this. As someone who lives in the DC area, with relatives living in the District itself, all I could think was that DC and its predominately Black population, with its Black mayors and leaders, were uniquely unprotected precisely because Democrats have spent decades deciding that the rights of the people in the District were not worth fighting for. Thank you for pointing out that putting federal forces on the streets of DC is important because of what it means for the people of DC, not because it's a distraction from other things that are "actually" important.
I'm really sorry you and your family have to deal with this. It's ugly and wrong.
You make an important point about the misuse of the term “distraction.” We should not be distracted by the word “distraction.”
There is another fascist advantage to targeting DC. With troops in place, it is easier to intimidate and/or shut down Congress and, if necessary, the Supreme Court (if they ever accidentally follow the Constitution). Therefore, DC makes the perfect target.
I am reminded of the decades of overthrowing governments in central, and South America. subjugating their economies and oppressing their populations by training death squads in Georgia at the so-called School of the Americas. (Now it has a new name.)
In that sense, our overthrow investment planted seeds, which have finally come back home to sprout
I am also interested in the dehumanization which occurs among the wealthy both of themselves and especially of people less affluent. It appears to me that they are consumed by a terror of being swarmed.
Hence the emphasis on preemptive swarming, using the forces they control on the people, they know they never will control.
You sure do know how to get thinking and conversations started…..
Thank you for this piece Noah. Definitions matter.
Have you read Jason Stanley's last book on fascism and the rewriting of history by any chance? I have not read it myself, just wondering if you had some thoughts about it.
I have! interviewed him about it here: https://www.publicnotice.co/p/jason-stanley-interview-fascism-erasing-history
Wanted to say, typo or no, this is an excellent piece.
*martial
gah.
I KNOW. I hated doing that but I thought if it was me and I found it way later, I'd chew my hand off or something. Obviously just a typo, probably an "automatically corrected " one even.
I think representation means having a vote. Token presence is not representation.
No, having one non-voting delegate in the House is not "representation" in any meaningful way. There's a reason DC license plates say "No taxation without representation. " One non-voting delegate and no control over the DC National Guard is in no way equal to having a voting House Rep, two voting Senators, and a Governor who does control the state National Guard.
"DC's non-voting delegate in the House does represent the District in Congress, contrary to your essay."
A "non-voting delegate" is like "I don't deny you the right to walk, Legless Person!"