Firehose #149: ‘Til I Die

Also: Pray for a more peaceful Saturday

Some week, eh? Well, Rand Paul-buzzkill notwithstanding, at least we’ll enjoy a nice parade in Washington, right?

* OK, maybe not. I talked about the fraught possibilities of today’s protests (which I’ll be checking out in Brooklyn), as well as the Battle of Los Angeles, Israel’s strikes against Iran, the state of journalism, and of course Brian Wilson, on the latest Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em podcast, with our gals Sarah Hepola (veteran of Episode #354) and Nancy Rommelmann (#79, Special Dispatch #27, S.D. #30, #198, #203, S.D. #34, S.D. #50, S.D. #64, S.D. #111). The discussion was recorded yesterday, so before today’s awful news of what appears to be political assassinations in Minnesota. Here’s the first 28 minutes on YouTube:

* Rommelmann has been on the ground this week in SoCal. Here, in order, are her Reason dispatches thus far: 1) “Protesters March, Police Surround, and the Cycle Resets: As hundreds gathered to oppose ICE raids, a familiar pattern played out: peace by day, flash-bangs by night.” 2) “Los Angeles Is Not Burning: The truth is less dramatic—and more important.” 3) “Sen. Padilla Forcibly Removed From Kristi Noem's L.A. Press Conference: The California senator was trying to ask about immigration enforcement when federal agents handcuffed and ejected him.” 4) “More Than 1,800 'No Kings' Protests Aim for Nonviolent Pushback Against Trump Policies: The coalition’s national press coordinator says, ‘We’re all dedicated to championing the cause of nonviolence—not just because it’s moral, but because it’s more effective.’”

* I wrote a cupla things this week as well. The second was an elaboration/update from #509 with Sen. Paul (So. Many. Picnics.); the first expanded on a theme I talked about on Second Sunday, which I hope we’ll get to hear at some point: “The Tom Cotton Do-Over: Trump and the right are living out their fantasies of rewriting the awful summer of 2020.” From the latter:

[T]hose many conservatives, including of the otherwise anti-Trump variety, who are gleefully posting images of rooftop Koreans and cheering on federal militarism directed at residents of a great (if grossly mismanaged) American city, may benefit from reflecting on the ways June 2025 does not resemble June 2020, let alone the Bosch-style hellscape of early '90s L.A.

The first is sheer scale. In Los Angeles County alone, there were at least 50 separate public demonstrations in the days after Floyd, with more than a dozen cases of looting and vandalism. Nationwide, there were 19 deaths, 14,000 arrests, and property losses estimated at $2 billion. More than 30 states activated their National Guard.

Aside from the unrepeatable black swan aspect of COVID-lockdown decompression, the societal institutions most aligned with those protests—the media, academia, lefty nonprofits—are all significantly weaker than five years ago, in no small part through the are-you-kidding-me overreach and circular firing squads of that particularly insane season. […]

Which brings up a final point that conservative deportation enthusiasts should be clear about, just as they press opponents to admit they don't want noncriminals to be deported: The expulsions they have longed for are sending legal residents to foreign prisons in authoritarian countries, being carried out in White House defiance of the Supreme Court, and under the auspices of a deputy chief of staff who believes this cause demonstrates that "the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended." American citizens (including a U.S. marshal) who either "fit the description" or are reckless enough to not be carrying an ID have found themselves detained and even jailed.

We are almost, if not quite, living in a Tom Cotton universe.

* The just-dropped bonus-episode #510 marks the second time we talked to the great Israeli journalist (and critic-of-Benjamin Netanyahu) Nadav Eyal; the first was in Tel Aviv 31 months and several lifetimes ago, to discuss his book Revolt: The Worldwide Uprising Against Globalization. That conversation was facilitated by our dear friend Yael Bar tur (pictured above in the studio), who this week on Ask a Jew had a convo about Israel’s strikes with military/Middle East analyst Andrew Fox.

* Moynihan on his Report Thursday talked to Douglas Murray (#390) about his book On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization, plus Christopher Hitchens, Joe Rogan, Dave Smith, and much much more:

* Ol’ Hollywood this week also joined The Remnant’s Jonah Goldberg (#182) to discuss the L.A. protests/riots, political violence, the cult of the presidency, the fierce moral leadership of Greta Thunberg, and more:

* And earlier in the week, our fast-talker locked horns with TrueAnon co-host Brace Belden over L.A., Jeffrey Epstein, rent control, and suchlike:

* Kmele this week went on one of those CNN argument panels — along with Batya Ungar-Sargon (#451, #502)!! — to get some words in edgewise on this week’s consternations:

* Do you enjoy as much as I enjoy watching the legendarily quick-witted Nick Gillespie (S.D. #72, #379, Members Only #251) meet his verbal-WTFery match in front of a live studio audience (including all three of us bums)? Probably not quite, but: Here’s The Jacket doing his level best to keep up with America’s Libertarian Girlfriend, our dear friend Kennedy (#37):

* Nick & I & the other two Reason Roundtable humans are taping live in NYC at The Village Underground on July 15; get your tickets here.

* Important fanimated interlude, care of the incorrigible Arch Stanton:

* Comment of the Week, frankly because it prods me into action, comes from George Tunner:

I was expecting a Beach Boys Tribute episode from Matt.

I wanted to give you people so much more this weekend, but I gotta go scoot to the protest. Walkoff music isn’t the obvious one (I used it a cupla weeks back), but still catches in the throat: