Category: Bob Small

No Kings But Some Violence

By Bob Small

From a cursory review of the coverage of the No Kings protest, one would believe it was primarily peaceful. However, there were numerous incidents of violence or prevented attacks.

The coverage from Newsweek mentions the car driven into the crowd in Virginia; an injured Police in Portland and a shooting in Salt Lake City.

More is still being reported.

The Salt Lake City shooting resulted in at least one death, Ah Loo, age 39, who died from a bullet intended for someone else. They also added “ No state permit is required to purchase a rifle, shotgun or handgun in Utah. “

The Proud Boys” made an appearance in Atlanta (see below). The violence in L.A. continued.

Scott, who I’ll now designate as my unpaid research assistant, sent this article Riot” Update From Atlanta – Conspiracy Sarah on Substack, where I now have a second home for my literary output. This article raises many unanswered, maybe unanswerable questions, about the whole “No Kings” protest. I urge everyone to read this.

The West Chester rally could of gotten real bloody, real quick, if not for the actions of a West Chester Borough Policeman. “ Kevin Krebs, 31, was questioned and taken into custody after officers found an unlicensed firearm during the search. Krebs was also carrying pepper spray, a pocket knife, six loaded assault rifle magazines, an M9 bayonet knife, a ski mask, and gloves. 

Police found in his car an “AR-15, long gun, ski mask, military gloves and military helmet”.

It seems he was prepared for something.

Trump has the last word.: “A king would say ‘I’m not going to get this … he wouldn’t have to call up [House Speaker] Mike Johnson and [Senate Majority Leader John] Thune and say, ‘Fellas you’ve got to pull this off’ and after years we get it done. No no, we’re not a king, we’re not a king at all.”

I Love A Parade As Does The Donald

By Bob Small

Donald Trump is getting a full military parade on his birthday, which is today, June 14.

Most of us get cards or presents only.

This parade is one of the perks of being President. This also the US Army’s 250th anniversary.

”It also marks a rare example of an official military parade taking place inside the United States,” says Lyle Goldstein, aformer US Naval War College professor. “If, as Americans, we were truly confident in our armed forces we wouldn’t need to display our military might.”

He also maintains that we are not keeping pace with China and Russia, in, for instance, the area of hypersonic missiles. One hopes to be corrected on this.

The total forces being called up reportedly are 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven military bands and thousands of civilians” along with 34 horses, two mules and a dog.

There have already been allusions to Hitler, etc.

German philosopher Theodor Adorno says, fascist rituals portrayed the authoritarian leader as both a “superman” and an ordinary, flawed “average person.”

This feels like stretching the allusion.

The parade will include 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker armored personnel carriers, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, four M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, as well as military relics like World War II-era Sherman tanks, a B-25 bomber, and a P-51 Mustang single-seat fighter plane, according to Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith.

The Guardian, expectedly, focused on some anti-Trump rhetoric.

“Confidence is silent, and insecurity is loud,” the Louisiana senator John Kennedy told MSNBC. “America is the most powerful country in all of human history and we don’t need to show it off. We’re not North Korea. We’re not Russia, we’re not China and I don’t wanna be.”

However, they also presented the other side, somewhat surprisingly, courtesy of current Fox News Host, Kayleigh McEnany  “The Democratic party, they’ve chosen to be an outrage machine at a time when there is outrage fatigue in this country”.

By the way, the only dog marching in the parade is named Doc Holliday.

See also 1932 Harry Richman – I Love A Parade – YouTube

What’s The Problem With Fetterman?

By Bob Small

What’s the problem with John Fetterman? Or is there one?

The problem with Fetterman is the theme of media coverage.

But is the coverage part of the problem?

In a letter to Dr. David Williamson — Fetterman’s neuropsychiatrist at Walter Reed — Adam Gentleson, the former chief of staff to Senator Fetterman said “We do not know if he is taking his meds and his behavior frequently suggests he is not”.

Leaving aside whether this is privileged information, isn’t it a tad strange that this is coming out now, the same time as what I’ll call “the Biden papers” are seeing the light of day.

It should be mentioned that “In the past year — from April 2024 to this March — Fetterman missed 77 of 381 votes, according to GovTrack. This translates to the highest 10 percent “among all senators in terms of total votes missed during each three-month stretch of the calendar in that time.”

This Associated Press article mentions an event where  Fetterman began repeating himself, shouting and questioning why “everybody is mad at me,” “why does everyone hate me, what did I ever do” and slamming his hands on a desk” according to one person who was briefed on what occurred.”

This seems to be “hearsay” inadmissible in a court of law but admissible in the court of public opinion.

Fetterman, a Harvard graduate, is aware of his awkward persona Pa. Sen. John Fetterman: What to know about mental health

He once joked “I don’t even look like a typical person,” He came to Braddock, Pa., by the way,” as an AmeriCorps alumni to set up a GED program. “

He has frequently violated the Senate dress code which led to the passage of “the SHORTS, or Show Our Respect to the Senate, Act “

Part of Fetterman’s response saying he was open about his “conditions” and “it’s like so someone that was trying to accumulate my medical records and leak those things that’s part of this weird grudge for this hit piece.”

See also:

Statewide progressive group reportedly calls on Sen. John …

Pennsylvania Indivisible

How can a Senator be removed from office during a term …

Not An Easy Time To Be Jewish-American

By Bob Small

It’s not an easy time to be Jewish-American

The theme of members of their religion being blamed for the actions of “their” nation-state continues.

Let’s simplify. Not one of us Jewish-Americans has a direct line to Benjamin Netanyahu nor do any Russian-Americans speak to Vladimir Putin.

The latest local expression of this was Barstool Philadelphia posting a sign reading “F##k the Jews”.

The two employees were fired and Dave Portnoy, the Jewish owner of Barstool, then pledged to send the two customers who ordered the sign to a tour of Auschwitz

“Rather than ruin a couple 20-year-olds lives maybe this can be used as a teaching moment,” said Portnoy.

The customers were later identified as students at Temple University.

Temple University suspended them.

We should add that we don’t believe antisemitism comes from Temple anymore than it comes from from, say, Swarthmore. Nor any less.

The Daily Mail notes that Portnoy credits New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft with the tour of Auschwitz idea. Kraft, by the way, has his own foundation.

In a further complication, Portnoy accused ABC’s Katie Katro of doing a “bait and switch” interview,

There have been other developments since then, which local news is carrying breathlessly.

See also Temple University student suspended after an antisemitic …

The SJP Encampment returns to Swarthmore

By Bob Small

The story of the National SJP encampment at Swarthmore College continues to evolve.

We know that there were nine arrests of SJPers, and only two of them were connected with Swarthmore. Having heard the story from KYW, I walked up from the train station and found the “tent city” in front of Trotter Hall. It turns out that if I had tried to enter by the Visitor’s Parking Lot, I might have been turned away as an “outside agitator”. The two persons from SJP who spoke to me handed out flyers, one from Writers Against The War On Gaza and another listing their demands, primarily against Swarthmore College’s collaboration with Cisco.

See SJP(@sarahjessicaparker) • Instagram photos and … for other demands.

By inviting outsiders to join the protest, the SJP, who have their right to protest, stirred up, as Don Imus used to say “a big bowl of stupid”. This gave the College Administration the right to do what they did. It should also be noted that the College intermittently blocked outside access to the Phoenix College Newspaper or that the Swarthmore Public Library had a strange malfunction.

Note; There are 18 pages to the most recent article from the Phoenix.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that this action actually began on April 30. A SJP spokesperson, Ash, said “We want divestment from Cisco because this is a tech company that is used to surveil Palestinians,” .

This is the Instagram Swarthmore SJP with it’s most recent updates.

For a You-Tube presentation, see Pro-Palestinian protests continue at on-campus encampments …

There was also a camp at Penn, among others country-wide. “We’re here to learn, not to fund bombs,” said Hilah Kohen a Falk Fellow in Jewish Studies.

See also

Pro-Palestine Swarthmore students establish a so-called “ …,

Swarthmore Students Begin Another Pro-Palestinian Encampment

Val Smith, president of Swarthmore College says that SJP inviting people from “outside the Campus Community to join them” led her to take action.

The actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyahu are being used as justification for both legitimate protest actions and increasing anti-semitism. That’s the current situation.

Was Musk Forced Out By The Mob?
By Bob Small

The Washington Post reported that Elon Musk told investors, April 22, that his time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly.

From the outside, this could appear as a win for various US based anti-Musk activists.

However, one of the main opponents is a UK-based group Everyone Hates Elon (@everyonehateselon_) which came into existence, in large part, due to Elon tweeting “Free Tommy Robinson.” This controversial anti-Islam campaigner Tommy Robinson is imprisoned due to his conviction on a libel case. For further information, see Meet Everyone Hates Elon, the Campaigners Attempting to …

Meanwhile, back in the US, there’s been a plethora of protests with over 60 protests in 50 states. These are more anti-Trump than anti-Musk, though it’s generally anti-government.

Forbes. Com listed 20! anti-Tesla protests with violent components in them.

This includes this event, on Match 7, my birthday in which “aman unintentionally set his clothes on fire while also setting fire to three Tesla charging stations with Molotov cocktails, in a North Charleston, South Carolina parking lot.”

Just one more example of the Molotov Cocktail Brigade a UMass Boston student was “charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device” in an attack on a Tesla.

Is there lawful possession of an unregistered destructive device? Just asking.

As far as reaction Editorial: Why aren’t Dems condemning anti-Tesla violence?

House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi gave Fox News Digital the cold shoulder when asked to respond to the string of violent attacks against Tesla.

Yet J. D. Vance, among others, quickly condemned the arson attack Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat.

The 50501 group continues, even locally. Counter-protestors may also want to attend.

Some UK and US groups opposing Musk/DOGE;

Everyday Racism

Hands Off 2025

Just Stop Oil

Rainbow Migration: Home

Refuse Fascism: In The Name Of Humanity We Refuse To …

#TeslaTakedown – Action Network

People – VOLCANO Group

On the other side, for far too many administrations, the government just grew and grew, despite the Party in charge. Now, a reckoning has arrived.

Prior to Elon, The Doge was the only Doge we knew.