Saturday, May 21, 2016

What To Do Regarding Black Rioters? Libertarian Racist Says "Shoot To Kill"

Personally, I file comments such as the following from the Libertarian blogger Willis Hart under the heading of "racism".

Willis Hart: I still like the first Mayor Daley of Chicago 'cause when that dude said, "shoot to kill", he meant it. (5/24/2015 AT 9:04am)

Seriously, shoot to kill? Yeah, property destruction and theft via looting are crimes, but are they crimes worthy of an instant death penalty? Also, I suppose a defense of Hart's comments could be that he's a believer in law and order and the "shoot to kill order" would include White rioters (if any).

However, as far as such a sentiment (kill looters) goes, Willis' buddy Rusty Shackelford (in a very similar comment regarding killing rioters) makes his racism quite clear.

Rusty Shackelford: Fuck the tear gas... Fuck the rubber bullets... Fuck the bean bag's.... Load up with live ammo and chop about 100 of these animals down... this shit would end in a hurry... (4/27/2015 AT 7:06pm).

Perhaps you doubt that when Rusty uses the term "animals" he's talking about Black people? Even though this Rusty comment immediately follows two by Radical Redneck in which he writes "The negroes are revolting again *sigh*" and "We shoulda picked our own damn cotton *sigh*". Then Rusty's comment follows, but not for almost 3 hours latter. I know that if I wasn't referring to Black people as "animals" I'd sure as hell want to make that clear (especially following such an obviously racist pair of comments).

And, it was on this same blog ("Who's Your Daddy") that Shackelford (in another discussion thread) referred to Al Sharpon as a "spook" (and, as the dictionary says "when referring to a black person, the term spook dates back to the 1940s. It is used with disparaging intent and is perceived as highly insulting").

So I think we can confidently conclude that by "animals" Shackelford meant BLACK rioters. And, given the fact that the discussion (multiple discussions, actually) on Hart's blog about rioting ALL concerned LARGELY Black folks rioting (in response to police killings of Black males such as Michael Brown and Freddie Gray) that it's Black rioters who would be shot and killed under the policy that Willis obviously favors.

Which, like I said, I believe is motivated by racism. I mean, in the most recent commentary on Hart's blog he refers to The Swash Zone's Octopus as a demagogue and a race-hustler because (when Willis spoke in favor of racial profiling) Octopus said "racial profiling is the same as RACISM, and Will-the-Shill has demonstrated both". And, in response Les Carpenter of RNUSA said "comments such as ones addressed by Octopus in this comment thread do nothing to move the needed discussion forward and in fact works against improving dialogue on the issue".

This exchange taking place in a discussion concerning the murderer Dylann Roof. Willis attempting to argue that Roof's racist terrorist act was an "anecdote" and that there is no problem with racism in the US. Fact is (according to Hart) it's the Blacks who are the violent ones.

Which I believe explains why Willis thinks African Americans should be lethally targeted when they break the law. Because he agrees with his buddy Shackelford that the appropriate response is to "load up with live ammo and chop about 100 of these animals down".

Incidentally, I find Willis' admiration of Mayor Daley of Chicago not unsurprising.

In Chicago Mayor Daley's police were famous for their brutality. Mayor Daley, while he was a Democrat in name, was an autocrat in reality. An absolute authoritarian. (Thom Hartmann on the 5/20/2016 airing of his eponymous program).

This would be the Richard J. Daley who said (in regards to rioting that took place after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination) "I said to him [police superintendent James B. Conlisk] very emphatically and very definitely that an order be issued by him immediately to shoot to kill any arsonist or anyone with a Molotov cocktail in his hand, because they're potential murderers, and to shoot to maim or cripple anyone looting".

Now, it might seem out of character for a Libertarian to admire an authoritarian, but I say no. Remember that the Libertarian Republican Randal Paul believes that people have a "right to discriminate", and (for that reason) he would have opposed Civil Rights Legislation (the part that says businesses must serve all customers). And, in a Time op-ed about Ferguson Randal said that in order for Black folks to escape poverty they need some "character reform".

From victim blaming (or "personal responsibility", in the view of Repubs and Libertarians) the road to harsh treatment for those who break the law is a natural progression. As exemplified by the Hartster's admiration for Mayor Daley and killing rioters. Black rioters, specifically. And, don't forget the Libertarian's strong belief that Black labor is not as valuable as White labor. This explains why they go on and on about getting rid of the minimum wage (for Black youths, specifically) because it will benefit the plutocrats (DSB #2).

Although Libertarianism is largely fraudulent, IMO. With their calls for "freedom" and "Liberty" what Libertarians are really referring to is freedom and liberty for the wealthy (DSB #44). Freedom from taxation (taxing rich people to fund government programs that benefit us all being "morally untenable" according to WTNPH) and the Liberty to exploit workers (by not having to pay a minimum wage and by being able to offshore labor to low wage countries... and not be hit with tariffs when importing goods manufactured in overseas sweatshops).

OST #146

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