Summary: Saturday’s riot in Berkeley reveals much about the extremists driving US politics, and how acceptance of their violence by both Left and Right has led to more violence. If this rot continues we face a grim future. Here is an analysis of the riot and its signature event, rich with insights about America.
“Headed to Berkeley to disrupt neo Nazi/white Supremacist circle jerk today. Nervous af but determined to bring back 100 Nazi scalps.”
— Louise Rosealma on Facebook.
Two thugs travel to Berkeley to fight in its streets. Neither cares about America.
For the past year my son (a senior in college) has said that America has entered into a state like that of the Weimar Republic in the last years of its life (e.g., cultural degeneracy, political polarization and extremism). I disagreed.
This weekend’s riot in Berkeley suggest that he was right and I was wrong. A society is on the fast track to hell when Left and Right each cheer “their” thugs fighting in the street. That the police are unable or unwilling to quickly suppress them is confirming evidence.
Street riots often develop an episode that brings together the various social dynamics stressing that society. The confrontation of two representatives of Left and Right in America today.
On the Left
A masked young woman using various pseudonyms (e.g., Louise Rosealma). She is a porn star (in one of her videos she says she has an affinity towards pain and is exploring that side of her personality). She describes herself as “Model, Photographer, Free Soul, ANTIFA, V, Queer, Aesthetic Muse, Spitfire.” See her bio and online mentions here. Compare with her high school photo to see the effect of an expensive “education” at America’s toxic colleges. See her history in photos here.
See this video in which she appears to be asked “Do you condemn the throwing of fireworks at people?”. She appears to reply “The Revolution isn’t easy.” {There are frequent reports of ANTIFA thugs throwing fireworks, even M-80s, into crowds; see here and here.}
The Right’s trolls have released her contact information and are harassing her (a small example here). A GoFundMe account has been set up for her medical bills (if any).
On the Right
Nathan Damigo grew up in San Jose and rose to corporal in the US Marines. He attempted suicide after his first tour of duty in Iraq. In November 2007 he committed armed robbery ($43) after his second tour and spend five years behind bars. His family said this resulted from PTSD (plus drug and alcohol abuse). Their efforts to get his dishonorable discharged changed attracted attention of many media and military and civilian officials.
His story was sympathetically described in the HBO documentary “Wartorn 1861-2010
As with so many other people, his reading in prison radicalized him (especially David Duke’s My Awakening: A Path to Racial Understanding
He got an AA degree in prison and has attended Cal State Stanislaus. He is roughly 30 years old and lives in his family’s five acre compound in Oakdale, near the university (see the history of his family here). The media fawns on him, with insanely benign stories like the Modesto Bee’s “Turlock university copes with white supremacy uproar” and the LA Times’ “In diverse California, a young white supremacist seeks to convert fellow college students“.
Symbolism: Left and Right fight over a trash container.
The incident at Berkeley
Various groups organized a “Patriot Day” in Berkeley for people who support the president. Unlike events organized by the Left, where journalists lovingly describe their goals and organization, news accounts barely mentioned the event (see the stories by Reuters, CNN, and the LA Times).
The leftists attacking the pro-Trump rally contrasted with the peaceful marches demanding that Trump release his tax returns — where the violent neo-Nazi Trump supporters were conspicuous by their absence (no headlines about that). Here is a video of the event.
That these two clowns have attracted so much praise is a symptom of our problem. So let’s look at that fight more closely.
Damigo charges. Rosealma sees him, raises her hands and charges him. Update: He is attacking, she defending. Sad that something so obvious must be said.
Rosealma launches an uppercut. Damigo cocks his arm to punch her.
Both connect.
A close up of her fist connecting to his jaw.
Update: She wears what looks like a sap glove on her right hand (a weighted-knuckle glove). They are illegal in California if the knuckles are metal.
Another update: running the video in slow mo shows that those shiny things on the knuckles look like air holes – like those on a bike glove. She drove for 6 hours to get there. Why wear one heavy leather bike glove?
Unlike TV and films, he hits her harder than she hit him.
She has learned much from the many films and TV shows showing women hitting men. The men either go down (often flying across the room), or back off before her display of righteous feminism. She probably overestimated the effect of her sap glove (it is a force multiplier, not an equalizer). {It looks like a leather bike glove.}
I have written about this (The new wave: women hitting men and A new hot trend from Hollywood: women hitting men), wondering if women would apply this daft lesson in real life. Apparently some have. There is a genre of YouTube videos of women hitting men – with men, mostly African-Americans, hitting back (e.g., here).
Stories of the Left & Right about the Berkeley riot reveal much about us
America’s police in action
Tweet by journalist Tim Poole.
As the violence escalated police in Berkeley stood down and retreated from the crowds. I have never seen so few police at an event like this
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) April 16, 2017
Interview from the Berkeley riot by Shane Bauer of Mother Jones.
I tell a police officer I’ve been seeing people get beat up all day and they haven’t been around. “Okay, and?” he says. pic.twitter.com/OuGEcvvb8R
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) April 15, 2017
Update: Berkeley police confiscated dozens of weapons, including a sticks, wooden dowels, poles, knives, bear spray, pepper spray, a stun gun, a mace, an axe handle, and a can filled with concrete. Seven people were sent to the hospital, including one stabbing victim. The Sheriff’s Office arrest log shows 7 arrests for felonies (mostly assault and assault with a deadly weapon) and 16 arrests for misdemeanors. More arrests are likely after police review video and social media. For details see the BPD statement and this news story.
Conclusions
Trump’s best allies.
Domestic violence is a pox on society, whether done in homes or during riots. It cannot have good effects. Cheering it, even quiet approval (it’s in a good cause) puts America on the fast track to decay.
We have had clashes of values before in our history — both America’s and the West’s. Violence didn’t help. Masked or costumed rioters — often attracted by the opportunity for violence, and enjoying it (some people just want to see the world burn) — should be condemned by both sides. Update: the reaction to the post in the comments and on Twitter consists largely of people cheering “their” thugs.
Cheering violent rioters is especially daft for the Left, as they are a gift to the Right. Every appearance builds support for the Right — and for the police. It is an instinctive response, like that of cats to snakes. Hundreds of years of history have taught the middle class that leftist mobs hate and despise them.
Let’s hope both Left and Right, Republicans and Democrats, some to their senses. Each of us can help by condemning political violence.
Dīvide et īmpera!
— Divide and rule — the motto of the 1% throughout history.
Other posts about the Berkeley riot
Was Louise Rosealma an innocent victim or a thug throwing bottles? Was Nathan Damigo a white knight defender or a right-wing thug? See the truth about stories of the Berkeley riot. See how Left and Right twist the evidence and dream up narratives to justify the actions of “their” thugs. If not suppressed, increasing political violence will put America on the fast track to serious trouble. See the stories told by Left and Right about the Berkeley riot.
The Berkeley riot might be only a taste of what’s coming: Fear the rise of political violence in America. We can still stop it.
Is the Berkeley riot the start of an uprising of America’s young men?
The Berkeley riot: a political event or scene from Lord of the Flies?
For More Information
Update — Here is an account of the Berkeley riot as seen from the Right: “Proud Boys Declare Victory in Berkeley” by Gavin McInnes at Taki’s Magazine.
If you liked this post, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. See all posts about protests, about Trump & and our new politics, about Reforming America: steps to new politics, and especially these …
- How to stage effective protests in the 21st century.
- Martin Luther King Jr’s advice to us about using violence to reform America.
- Why don’t political protests work? What are the larger lessons from our repeated failures?
- The protesters at Ferguson might have won, but choose to lose.
- Analysis of Left’s mob violence at Middlebury, their fast track to irrelevance.
- The Left steps across a line and embraces political violence. — The folly of “punching Nazis”.
- New research predicts a just and logical result to violent anti-Trump protests.
Contrast the Berkeley clown show with effective protests.
Marchers for the Berkeley Free Speech Movement on 20 November 1964.
Civil rights march to Selma in 30 March 1965.
