Eric Cantor vs "the mobs"

 
"House GOP Leader Eric Cantor decried the protests that started several weeks ago in New York, and have spread to major cities across the country. Cantor said in a speech at the Values Voters Summit in Washington that he is "increasingly concerned" about the "growing mobs" represented at the protests."  MSNBC

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Eric Cantor (R)  Member for central Virginia  (District 7) has proudly displayed his fawning allegiance to Bibi and the Likud many times.  Now he has taken the plunge and decided to demonstrate his commitment to the protection of wealth, however acquired.

His overseas friends have the techniques for dealing with "mobs."  First there is a warning, preferably delivered by bullhorn.  Then, CS gas is employed.  Then, the infantry opens fire with rubber covered steel spheres or cylinders fired from super-caliber devices atached to rifles.  Then, when "all else fails, the troops switch to ball ammunition while marksmen watch the "mob" for leaders, medical people etc.

They don't do that in Israel?  An IDF lieutenent told me in 1999 in Bethlehem that only his "prudence" had saved me from a sniper when I  unexpectedly found myself in a street scene like this in front of Rachel's tomb.  I had made the mistake of trying to help a wounded teenager.

Hey!  They're just rabble!  We'll show them who is boss.  If it comes to this, let the National Guard handle it.  pl

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/07/8206043-cantor-says-hes-concerned-by-mobs-at-occupy-wall-street?ocid=ansmsnbc11

 

 

Comments

[Mj]

But if they wear funny hats and are strapped with a glock they are "Patriots".

[Matthew]

I might ask Mr. Cantor to read the First Amendment. It protects, inter alia, "the right of the people peaceably to assemble." It does not say, "legally assemble." Every tyranny permits only the latter.

[bth]

Col., I've found the body politic of Virginia to be moderate and intelligent. How is it that Cantor can get into office? Is he representative of his district?

[walrus]

Col. Lang, has there ever been any doubt that things would go this way?

[turcopolier]

walrus

Even in the darkest days of VN, I don't remember anyone calling the American people in the streets, a "mob." things got rough in Chicago in 1968 but nobody suggested that the demonstraters were a lesser breed who should be suppressed. pl

[William R. Cumming]

Is Cantor a dual citizen? My understanding is few active duty, reservists, or National Guard troops are adequately trained (if at all?) in dealing with riots and civil disorders domestically. If deployed NG are utilized hoping no tragedies like KENT STATE! Does NY STATE LAW allow concealed weapons? Given the length of time the protest is running, public health issues may become paramount.

[turcopolier]

WRC

His staff says that he is not. pl

[Nancy K]

I am shocked, shocked I tell you that Cantor, Beck, Limbaugh and Faux loved the Tea Party and loathe the mob that is occupying Wall Street and other cities in US. One is a group of patriotic Americans demonstrating Democracy in action, the other is a group of socialist, french leaning, fascists (I did hear those words being used)that hate America and want to destroy her, oh yes they are also too lazy to work.

[Farmer Don]

Well, who can blame the protesters?

Never ending wars on credit.
Government selling a climate of fear.
More restrictions on everyday freedoms.
Bailouts for the banks.
A dropping standard of living.
Home values going down.
Jobs hard to find.
Concentration of wealth.

[turcopolier]

WRC

The National Guard are militia. let them kill their fellow citizens, not the Regular Army. pl

[The Twisted Genius]

Cantor and his ilk (and they are legion) ought to be concerned about the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement. It's still extremely fragile, but it may grow into a popular movement capable of challenging the status quo. The movement's current fluidity is a fine example of open source warfare, but it has a long way to go. Cantor, Limbaugh and others are doing their best to characterize the movement as a dangerous mob playing to the public fear that they have nurtured for the last decade. If they accomplish this, the heavily militarized state internal security apparatus can move in with a cunning efficiency to crush OWS to the cheers of the frightened sheeple.

I recommend Richard Archer's book "As If an Enemy's Country: The British Occupation of Boston and the Origins of Revolution" as an appropriate read for the current situation. Cantor obviously views the OWS "mob" as an enemy country.

http://www.amazon.com/As-Enemys-Country-Occupation-Revolution/dp/0195382471

[turcopolier]

bth

You are correct about the people, but the district has been constructed to be full of small farmers, and business owners. Cantor brings many companies to the area and since there may well not be a synagogue in the district, he is a curiosity who talks and acts like them. He is well disguised. Nobody would see him as other than a Virginian. His AIPAC role is well hidden pl

[Mike Martin, Yorktown, VA]

Wonder what the ops tempo is like at HQ NORTHCOM right now? Isn't ARNORTH apportioned a BCT for support to civil authorities? Please, please no "Seven Days in May" scenario.

[Lars]

I wonder what Mr. Cantor would think about Tom Paine, or Patrick Henry? I suspect what he fears is the organic development of the OWS crowds as compared with the Koch Suckers (aka Tea Party) that he has lauded in the past.

However, the soon to be USA started as an organic rebellion. Then they raised an army and the rest is history, as they say.

[graywolf]

Who thinks this bunch of whining losers can change anything anywhere?
Last time I looked, out of work actors, potheads and guilty trust funders were not exactly big players on history's stage.
"Arab spring"?
How about some Irish Spring?
I just heard that George Soros addressed the group on Wall St.
Irony, anybody?

[Fred]

TTG,

I would say this is a budding social movement that hasn't been co-opted by the likes of Dick Armey (The Democrats seem to be practicing lip-service leadership so they certainly will be jumping on the band-wagon, not driving it) or any of the domestic law enforcement/intelligence agencies. Cantor and company should be worried, not scared, as they will likely be un-employed. If they are truly crooks they'll have to chose between heading to Dubai to join Erik Prince or heading to a federal penitentiary.

[Fred]

graywolf,

When the cops start macing Fox News reporters things are getting out of hand:
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/occupy-wall-street-protest-broadens-scope-20111005

NYC isn't the only place this is happening, either.

[William R. Cumming]

To some degree off post! Some may not be familiar with Michael Lewis, an author. His first book, LIARS POKER, introduced him on the stage of public intellectual. His newly issued book called BOOMERANG documents the USA as a third world country. Also has the book behind the new movie MONEY BALL! All his writings worth a read IMO. MY guess is the OWS crowd reads him.

[Fred]

Cantor cars for the 1%:

http://boingboing.net/2011/10/05/in-chicago-board-of-trade-building-we-are-the-1-percent-signs-mocking-occupy-wall-street-and-occupy-chicago-protests.html

He could care less about the other 99%:

http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/
The protests are spreading: (Ann Arbor, below) I liked the "To Hell with Greed" - God sign. I wonder what our mega-church multimillionaire preachers will say to that sentiment?

http://bloggingformichigan.com/2011/10/07/occupy-ann-arbor-rally-1062011-getting-organized/

As I recall just a two years back driving through the Shenandoah Valley that the economy there wasn't in the best of shape, I can't imagine its improved much - WallStreet's bail out not withstanding. Then again the psychology of traders leaves much to be desired:
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/113599/traders-psychopaths-comparison-barrons?mod=bb-budgeting&sec=topStories&pos=6&asset=&ccode=

[PirateLaddie]

Earlier pushback of the 'garchs took place under truly aristocratic American presidents -- Roosevelts, both from the Dutch landed gentry of the Hudson River Valley.
Not many of those critters around these days.
Perhaps best left unsaid was the presence, during both episodes, of a "clear and present danger" to members of the preening elite (bombings of Wall Street instituions, a wave of kidnappings of "our betters," the glorification of bank robbers, etc.), combined with the deeply unreasonable fear of "godless communism" that was rapidly approaching the homeland of unfettered capitalism -- a growing threat that stubbornly refused to come over the horizon and dissolved into the aether, just about the same time America's middle class started to defenstrated by newly deregulated financial institutions... say, you don't suppose?

[highlander]

P Laddie,

If you where among the 100 million or so souls, which "godless communism" managed to WACK, during its 70 year run.

Well then Laddie, you might just decide, the fear wasn't quite so unreasonable.

[highlander]

You always follow the $$$$$$. Isn't anyone remotely curious, as to how these kids in the mob, are financing their growing operations?

And don't give us some BS about massive small donations over the internet. Like the 2008 Obama campaign said,and the MSM agreed. When in reality. the $$$$$ were really coming from Wall Street.

[turcopolier]

highlander

So, who is the guilty party? the democrats? They are just as sold out to WS as the GOP. pl

[jerseycityjoan]

Who's going to pay your Social Security, Medicare and nursing home costs when your yearly tab of government mandated benefits costs more than the average worker's yearly take home pay?

That's where things are headed.

If you expect to receive your retirements benefits, you'd better hope things start to change so there's a workforce that can afford to pay them.

[bth]

If the few demonstrators I know are indicative of the larger group, they are grass roots and representative of many more people. Also that it is diffuse and grass roots in origin seems to worry those in Washington who probably figure that they can buy people off with some meaningless promise if they could only figure out where the leadership was. Electronic social networking is making it relatively easy to organize but not control. Lastly, remember that college started in September. Let's see what it looks like in December.