CIA veterans who monitored crackdowns abroad see troubling parallels in Trump's handling of protests

[underpants]

Source: Washington Post

The scenes have been disturbingly familiar to CIA analysts accustomed to monitoring scenes of societal unraveling abroad — the massing of protesters, the ensuing crackdowns and the awkwardly staged displays of strength by a leader determined to project authority.


“I’ve seen this kind of violence,” said Gail Helt, a former CIA analyst responsible for tracking developments in China and Southeast Asia. “This is what autocrats do. This is what happens in countries before a collapse. It really does unnerve me.”



Marc Polymeropoulos, who formerly ran CIA operations in Europe and Asia, was among several former agency officials who recoiled at images of Trump hoisting a Bible in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington after authorities fired rubber bullets and tear gas to clear the president’s path of protesters.

The seeming hypocrisy in the U.S. position has not been lost on foreign targets of American pressure or criticism.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/cia-veterans-who-monitored-crackdowns-abroad-see-troubling-parallels-in-trump-handling-of-protests/2020/06/02/7ab210b8-a4f6-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html

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The headline on the news pop Up was about how the violence (meaning protesters) was like a country ready to collapse. The article is about Trump’s unnerving actions and language.

[ArizonaLib]

1. Every time the government claimed necessity to infringe on individual constitutional protections

for national security reasons - now it is apparent those same individual protections would have saved us from all of this.



Free press
Right to assembly
Protections from government harassment
Freedoms from persecution
Pursuit of happiness
The general welfare


A few of the important tenants the framers established

[Hotler]

2. Notice she didn't refer to the orange one as a fascist. When will someone with a voice...

call him a fascist?

[SergeStorms]

3. Steve Schmidt called him on it the other day...

Last edited Wed Jun 3, 2020, 12:51 PM - Edit history (1)

in a tweet, shortly after the church photo-op. He used the famous quote: "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a flag, carrying a cross". He was definitely talking about The Orange Hemorrhoid, though . We do need someone in the MSM to come out and say it though, because it's so frighteningly true.

[Bayard]

4. I think Rachel is close to it

Remember when she used to try to be so diplomatic and polite? That's all gone now. She's grim.

[abqtommy]

5. Oh puh-lease...are these veterans of the same CIA that commits murder, torture and supports

their criminal behavior by flying in LARGE quantities of cocaine and who knows what else into the U.S.? I just want to be sure about that...

[PSPS]

6. Wow! A combination of whataboutism and shooting the messenger!

[abqtommy]

9. You're welcome. Actually I said nothing about the poster of the original op. If you read closely

you'll see that my comments were directed at "the CIA"... So maybe you can tell me if we're talking
about the same organization?

[olddad65]

7. Ignore his words at your own peril

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

8. What else do you expect?

Trump gets advice from Putin. He admires Putin and Kim Jong Un.