In the short run, yes, they'll retain market share.
But, as always with the left, overreach will happen. They will get emboldened, complacent, and more comfortable in their dominance than they already are. This guy doesn't seem to really care how things look to the outside world, or is more focused on marketing to the Beautiful People (only the leftist jerks), so I think there's a good chance long run more people will get driven away, and those already radical will radicalize further and continue to convince themselves they are the true majority in the country. Because, after all, 'everyone' on twitter is like them!
It's for the 'normies'. He has to appear reasonable, and then it's up to BLM themselves to bite the hand that feeds, publicity wise, and appear to be the aggressor to people who are barely paying attention. BLM would win some positive PR if they accepted the olive branch - but they are consistently terrible, angry people and have been baying for vengeance. So they'll cast it aside. Then it's up to the undecideds to figure out what to make of this.
There's too many fucking undecideds and fence-sitters out there, so strategic moves to make things really freaking obvious to people who are either too scared or apathetic to dig into things are, to an extent, necessary. It won't reach all of them but if it reaches some of them, something has been gained. Anything that makes it clear to spectators that BLM are rabid crazies is of value. We're not the audience, BLM themselves aren't the audience, it's that nebulous uncertain person who might be swayed if presented with a glimmer of truth.
Like that freaking google-fi ad that is usually unskippable whenever it pops up?
AUGH
'Everyone wants to pass the buck'
We've been here for awhile, it's just getting more scrutiny, and the consequences of weak leadership are gradually affecting more people.
So, corrupt old slug gets propelled into office, corrupt establishment proceeds to loot and pillage the treasury, makes sure their wealthy donor class gets their fair share via generous tax write-offs.
Robbery, plain and simple.
Gee, it's like magic!
We have an evidence fairy, now we have a brick fairy..
It's not about justice, it's about power and the exercise thereof.
...and also Wanting It To Be True. They want Kyle to be a white supremacist, they enjoy being angry, this is fun for them. It's impossible to share a country with people like this, they are authoritarians lost in their own world.
I read this book in Middle School, I think, possibly sooner, and its lessons stuck with me. A very stark book but a well written one, I'm very grateful I had a school that was fine with it being in their lesson plan.
Pretty much this.
And for a lot of them, it's Wanting it to be True taken to an extreme. They like their make believe world, and they're upset that you are ruining it for them.
Nevermind the consequences, it feels good now, and they're going to wallow in it until they can't.
'Strip Miners who will not rest til they ruin everything'
Gee, projection much?
In a just world this would easily be Game, Set, Match.
I want the judge to dismiss with prejudice, and for the prosecutor to get some kind of sanction, and for this guy to get charged with attempted murder.
But the best we can probably hope for is Kyle getting off.
One of the big turning points that I hope happens to cool things down in this country will be judges growing insulted and angry with how little respect they're shown by State governments and the Federal government, but. So many of them have been corrupt or just going along to get along. Maybe things will change, maybe not. We'll just have to see. This case could be that moment.
And that's the big elephant in the room when the freaking President goes out there, makes a big dramatic statement, breaths fire and threatens ruinous consequences for non compliance.
And then the actual implementation sets the stage both for self-enforcement and for any punishments to effectively be targeted, selective enforcement to make examples of people - especially those they don't like - to try and get everyone else to comply.
It's ridiculous and weak. It signals immediately that those writing the rule know it's untenable.
It's 'clever' in the 'No one 'important' (read, the bureaucrats and the presidency) has to take actual responsibility because OSHA is the one waving the stick around while the entire private work-force supposedly plays enforcer. But in reality, the president's reputation, and that of the office, are on the line making a strong stance that can't be pulled off because he just had to 'look tough' on TV.
When is anyone in the Democrat party going to get it through their thick skulls that's it's really not good for the country if the office of the Presidency is so overtly weak and pitiful?
Bring it on, Assholes.
It's seriously amazing how, when enraged, the left decides that it's the perfect time to double down on their thuggishness. As if that will change anything for the better. The equivalent of pressing the 'throw temper tantrum' button anytime they run into difficulty, except this time it's with more power in their hands and they think that punishing the electorate is the proper response to the elections results from Tuesday.
Appealing to people's sensibilities and trying to convince them get immediately thrown out the window. They don't want to be bothered, they're angry, therefore people must Suffer. I couldn't think of a better way for the question of the legitimacy of federal over state power to be forced, instead of brought to the front naturally on its own.
Just, is this the Biden White House barking, blustering, and expecting people to just Do It, like they tend to do with everything they do, or are they actually going to attempt to fight this? They keep drawing lines on federal power and quietly shirking away from actual confrontations.
Not to necessarily offer a counter-point, but a different perspective, Andrew Branca is covering this case for Legal Insurrection and he did impressive work doing day-by-day coverage of the Zimmerman trial. His summary of today can be found here.
I'm not thrilled about Barnes not being able to do his thing, but it's not all bad news and the prosecution's case so far appears weak, and their own witnesses are sayings things favorable to the defense.
It could be better, it could also be a lot worse, and it ain't over yet.
If it's the political creatures who's morale is being hit the hardest, is that necessarily a bad thing? The last thing I want to see is real problems being exploited to hand the company over to the diversity/political agitprop department.
Just goes to show, those most passionate about gun control are like that because they don't necessarily trust themselves with firearms. Because they are impulsive idiots with them, they conclude so is everyone else. Explains a lot behind progressive thinking, really.
queen bee in a hive mind
I really wish some of these folks had some damn self perspective. It's less funny, and more pathetic and sad how willingly they self-project onto others.
Because like so many things on the left: They Want to Believe.
Life is a movie, life is a TV show - they're the hero, when things are simpler things are easier. It's indulgent narcissism, and so far, they've been consistently rewarded for it.
Sanjay's been doing a produced short 'health' segment that worms its way onto one of the radio show podcast networks (Cumulus, for Red Eye Radio) I listen to as a promoted bit in commercial breaks that's annoying as hell. He's really full of himself and has been for a long, looong time.
Regarding the people waiting in line confused - That amuses the hell out of me. What, they thought it was going to be comfortable outsourcing oppressing their political opponents forever? That just relying on politicians doing it for them absolved them of any consequences?
People being personally impacted will be a big turning point. It's unfortunate it had to be this way but that's what you get when such a large pool of the public has so consistently not only been willfully ignorant but lazy about it.
It's the big government equivalent of 'Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?'. Try and make the employer the hatchet man and absolve the important people, the government, from responsibility.
Coward's tactic.
Congress certainly took it seriously. Their body language and expressions that day, after they re-assembled in the chamber, was bone chilling - they were fucking pissed.
Easier to abuse people's rights if one feels motivated to send a message or make examples of them.
So, it matters when it effects them personally, but the rest of the country, the summer of riots and attacks on police and federal courthouses? That may as well not fucking exist? Well, okay then, good to know congress considers themselves Untouchable, and that the rest of us can go F ourselves.
I'm just disgusted by these ghouls. It's exhausting. People I know are bewildered about these 'stupid anti-vaxxers' protesting to keep their jobs because of 'totally reasonable health mandates'
Do these assholes even understand our system of government? The basic concept of what a social compact is? Do they have any idea how to handle resistance to ideas they've chased out of their online lives? It's almost like watching children -- they discover that the people they've cancelled online - gasp - still exist in the real word and haven't really gone anywhere. And their kneejerk reactions are to dehumanize and rabble for the government to 'do something'.
We, unfortunately, deserve everything we get. I don't know how else beyond economic collapse some of these folks wake the hell up about how they're being emotionally abused for power. They're willing and complicit at this point.
They are, but like many leftist plots lately they're spending their time wanting to be praised for seizing power they don't deserve instead of focusing on what they would need to do to pull this shit off competently.
They're also widely broadcasting their intent in a way everyone can see. While things may get rough, I don't think whatever they attempt will have staying power long term. Too slow, too obvious, too full of themselves to act quickly to shut down the alternatives that will arise. That doesn't mean we should be complacent.
Hey, so long as they've successfully tossed the political hot potato to someone else, why should they care? They've got better things to do then actually lead.
Taken down, reinstated, then shadowbanned on search so uploaded a second time.
Impressive! This is a really effective song, and it survived the first wave of outrage.