accidentally posted this in world news before bcs i forgot about the no internal US news rule by accident
Congressman Adam Smith says ‘totalitarian’ protesters are ‘trying to silence anyone who dares to disagree with them’
Protesters calling for Israel to cease fire in its war with Hamas who have disrupted US public events and infrastructure are practicing “leftwing fascism” or “leftwing totalitarianism”, a senior US House Democrat said, adding that such protesters are “challenging representative democracy” and should be arrested.
“Intimidation is the tactic,” said Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democrat on the House armed services committee. “Intimidation and an effort to silence opposition … I don’t know if there’s such a thing as leftwing fascism. If you want to just call it leftwing totalitarianism, then that’s what it is. It is a direct challenge to representative democracy now.”
I was outraged by the headline, but he said protestors should be arrested in the context of protesting outside of someone’s home. While I don’t think I agree with that, I can at least understand why he would feel that constitutes intimidation.
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I dunno, I’m with ya but also if you see protesters, who regular citizens with no special power, as totalitarian tyrants wanting to silence you while also demanding they be arrested with your very real closeness to the power that could that then fuckin’ maybe your house should get vandalized. I’d draw the line at hurting an actual person and then urging people away from vandalism since they might hurt someone by accident but stillllll…
A politician who fails to represent the public will is not owed peace of mind. They work for us, he can do his damned job for a few minutes.
Does he mean the Jews doing a Seder in front of Chuck Schumer’s house?
Being a public elected figure typically means dealing with constituents, even when you don’t want to. That’s the nature of the job.
If you don’t want folks on the sidewalk waving signs that call you a murderer, maybe stop advancing policies that kill tens of thousands of people.
I don’t think congressman Smith’s kids should have to come home from school to see “baby killer” written in red paint on their garage door. Other than that, I already said I don’t agree protesting outside of a public figure’s house should result in an arrest.
It’s possible to understand why someone holds a position they do while disagreeing with it. It’s pretty foundational for a healthy democracy.
I don’t think anyone should come home to find their houses obliterated by an airstrike or a sniper waiting to shoot them through the head.
Smith does, as he continues to finance the extermination and eradication of Palestinians in Gaza.
If his kids are confronted with their father’s complicity in war crimes, they need to talk to him about it and pull him away from this atrocious policy.
I wouldn’t want to see “Baby Killer” signs outside my house either, but if my parents were killing babies I certainly would want to know.
Maybe his kids should be aware of their father’s support for genocide.
Not saying this is you necessarily, but I find it curious that so many people are much more concerned about non-violent acts of property destruction during protests of genocide, than the actual genocide itself.
Call me crazy, but I’m more concerned for the kids in Palestine being needlessly slaughtered because their school was (intentionally) bombed by the IDF, or because they threw rocks at soldiers, than the kids of a US congressman having to face the ugly truth about their father.
Apparently that’s a controversial take.
I’m much more concerned with the genocide than property damage, but I also don’t think the solution to the problem is more traumatized kids. I don’t know how old they are but if they’re young enough they’re absolutely unequipped to understand the issue or to put pressure on their father. This is a tough one because I feel like I’m getting too far in the “think of the children” lane which is typically just used to shut down dissent. I will say that the obvious solution for congressman Smith is to stop enabling Israel’s actions and leave it at that.
It was apparently before the college campus protests. I wonder what he thinks about those.
Aren’t there harassment laws that should already cover this? Protesting outside of a business should be fine. But protesting outside of living areas feels like targeted harassment.
I disagree. That’s like going after journalists/reporters because the huddled outside a senators house because he/she caught in a scandal. Because it’s a group, you could argue that’s intimidation too except that they’re asking questions in the public interest. Protesters whether you agree with them or not believe they’re acting in the public interest too and are trying to change things for the better.
Maybe outside the living area of regular citizens, but if you’re a public servant, then you answer to the public.
If you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the fire.