BruceMirken , 5 months ago

@Teri_Kanefield Jackson was president. Abbott is a state governor. So what can Biden legally do? Seize control of the #Texas National Guard?

joeinwynnewood , 5 months ago

@BruceMirken @Teri_Kanefield

From the article:
"They can nationalize the Texas (National) Guard," Charles "Rocky" Rhodes said, "which is what happened in Arkansas, when the governor there tried to defy court orders to allow individuals who were Black to be able to attend white schools (in Little Rock in 1957)."

President Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock and federalized the Arkansas National Guard.

Abbott would do well not to push President Biden too far.

accretionist , 5 months ago

@joeinwynnewood @BruceMirken @Teri_Kanefield

problem with invoking the national guard in texas is in today's environment the feds are more risk averse

they would worry about blowback and optics and public sentiment in a way that didn't exist in the mid 1900s

in the 1990s there was waco and ruby ridge, and in the 2010s the bundy stand off

now these are all battle cries and martyrs for the far right

i agree the feds should just grow a backbone and come down hard, because appeasement never works, it just emboldens malice, which smells weakness and redoubles their efforts when it senses it

but giving in and just kicking the can down the road "makes sense" in some political calculations

such as in an election season, unfortunately

i honestly think the opposite political calculation is true: not showing a backbone fills your supporters with despondency and convinces them not to vote, while giving great cheer to the kind of far right sadists who are happy to see more games of chicken

BruceMirken , 5 months ago

@accretionist @joeinwynnewood @Teri_Kanefield Exactly. Failing to stand up to fascists emboldens the fascists and disheartens the non-fascists.

raphaelmorgan , 5 months ago

@BruceMirken @accretionist @joeinwynnewood @Teri_Kanefield it's why Biden's approval ratings are so low right now and I doubt he's gonna get a second term. I've seen sooo many people say that they absolutely will not vote for him (again) because he hasn't been standing up to fascists enough. But I'm not optimistic enough to think a third party will win, either, so honestly my main plan is panic and maybe skip the country

Dseitz , 5 months ago

@raphaelmorgan @BruceMirken @accretionist @joeinwynnewood @Teri_Kanefield

So their solution to somebody who doesn't stand up to fascists enough is stand aside and give the fascists more of a chance.

Sadly this squares well with my experience of people who call themselves "leftist" and "anti-fascist."

That said I'm skeptical a Biden/Chump rematch would end differently than the last one, and frankly the media narrative around it is bizarre.

qotca , 5 months ago

@Dseitz @raphaelmorgan @BruceMirken @accretionist @joeinwynnewood @Teri_Kanefield

Watch it Dan. Antifascist as fuck, and I vote like a boss in every election, local and national.

I even WORK at the place. Vote 🗳️

Teri_Kanefield OP , 5 months ago

@qotca @Dseitz @raphaelmorgan @BruceMirken @accretionist @joeinwynnewood

For the people who propose that Biden do more to "stand up to fascists," I ask:

Exactly what should he do?

(I am writing about this topic for my weekend blog post, so I am curious.)

Seek direct, specific actions. Biden should ___.

For people who won't vote for Biden because he doesn't stand up for fascists, I say, "So instead you will allow a fascist to be elected?'