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.”
Congressman Adam Smith says ‘totalitarian’ protesters are ‘trying to silence anyone who dares to disagree with them’
Says the man wanting to lock people up.
“Intimidation is the tactic,”[…] “Intimidation and an effort to silence opposition”
Is this man so comically evil he’s trying to be the Spanish Inquisition?
Does he plan on locking up Chuck Schumer too?
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.
Yeah his whole tirade is ludicrous and he sounds like an absolute asshat, but someone reportedly vandalized his home, and that’s crossing a very big line. He should shut the hell up about whatever he thinks “leftwing fascism” is, and they should stop vandalizing people’s homes.
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…
protestors should be arrested in the context of protesting outside of someone’s home
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.
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.
