OPINION:
Some familiar with American history point to incidents of rioting and looting such as the 1773 Boston Tea Party led by “revolutionary” Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty against the oppressive regime of George III as a catalytic event in the birth of the nation.
Lost in a historical footnote is the fact that the price of tea in Boston — even with the tax, was lower than the street price in London due to the fact the crown was seriously underwriting the cost of shipping. Ultimately British forces were unable to do what was needed, over years of protracted fighting, to suppress the revolution.
Those rioting, looting and burning across the nation today have similarly hijacked the mantra “racial justice” as an excuse for fomenting a new kind of revolution against the nation as we know it. Just as the early revolutionaries were a loose collaboration of groups, today’s revolution is a collection of Black Lives Matter, Antifa, Marxists, anarchists and nihilists. They have little in the way of a common ideology, other than contempt for the existing establishment and President Trump.
Exactly why this situation has evolved at this time, and with this speed will be left to future historians, but in several ways it is a perfect storm of converging events. The COVID-19 pandemic has left a large number of people unemployed and anxious to leave a lockdown of their homes; extensive press reporting of the murder of George Floyd and others provided a catalyst for protest; defunding and abandonment of police forces in many cities run by liberal and left-wing politicians provided the opening that these extremists needed.
Making matters worse, extremists are engaging in these unlawful and often murderous acts because they can, and in too many cases there are simply no consequences. In most all of the cities suffering from rioting, looting and related criminal activity there are some “arrests” which are never prosecuted by left-wing state and local prosecutors.
At the same time, no cash bail “reforms” and bail provided by the rioters’ supporters mean that any arrested are back on the street almost immediately. Currently they are joined by thousands released from prison as possible COVID-19 victims.
Democratic and left-wing claims that this is “Donald Trump’s America” is a nonsensical deflection. Mr. Trump did not appoint any of the left-wing governors, mayors or prosecutors that have condoned the unending violence and failed to prosecute the rioters. They were elected to office by Democratic voters, and in several cases bankrolled by George Soros.
If they were federal officials they would have been fired months ago. A critical question remains as to what offenses are federal ones where the 300 or so arrested on federal charges will be tried and will any convictions result? Without real convictions and prison time there will be nothing to deter future violence. One recent poll shows that 85% of the population want these people prosecuted, and it just is not happening. Possibly people in the impacted cities need to reconsider who they voted for.
After months of largely ignoring or downplaying the violence as non-existent or a “summer of love” they have been finally embarrassed into at least some reporting, and clinging to the idea that the solution lies in “healing” and “community understanding.” These tropes and sound bites have no basis in reality. As a practical matter there is no common ground between the rioters, anarchists and others looting and burning the cities.
There is no real support for this violence within the “inner city” or wealthier communities who abhor the ongoing violence. Nothing honest citizens can offer these rioters will stop their ongoing actions, apart from the existing U.S. government packing up and leaving. This just is not going to happen.
What needs to happen to quell the violence is not magic or unknown. The nation has seen similar problems in the past and it is known what works, and what does not work. President Trump and virtually every law enforcement official in the nation are on the same page here. It is essential that mobs engaging in rioting, looting and violence need to be confronted on the spot with overwhelming force — whether it be local police, state or federal forces. It’s really a numbers game to start.
Use of National Guard to support local police is nothing new, illegal, or unique to the Trump administration. Presidents at least since Dwight Eisenhower have employed troops where needed, and in almost all cases at the request of state governors who appreciated the situation.
Mr. Trump is reluctant to use the Insurrection Act which would enable their use without the governor’s request, and has repeatedly offered to provide the support that is desperately needed. Where the National Guard has been used of late it has proven to be highly effective, much to the chagrin of Democratic governors and mayors who decried their use.
The other half of the solution lies in a more effective approach to prosecution of those engaged in these crimes. The culture and reality of no consequences needs to be reversed. Looters and rioters are now supported by not only left-wing politicians but academics and writers who have sought to justify such activities as reparations for some perceived social injustice, a need to feed COVID-19-stricken families, and various other mythical reasons. Exactly how looting a store of TV sets and Gucci bags feeds a family is not entirely clear, but we are told not to sweat the small stuff.
Apart from left-wing theology, the issue of actual prosecution of the lawless remains. Federal statutes do not cover the full range of crimes involved in the rioting, looting, burning and destruction. Even murder in most cases is not a federal offense. Prosecutors in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Portland, Seattle and elsewhere continue to “dump” these cases with abandon.
Their message to the rioters and looters is clear — help yourself — we are on your side. This is not Donald Trump’s America, and voters need to decide in their state and local elections if this is really what they want.
• Abraham Wagner has served in several national security positions, including the NSC Staff under Presidents Nixon and Ford.
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