I have never really had any desire to live in Portland although I do know a few people from my time overseas that call this place home. The slogan there is unofficially "Keep Portland Weird" and it's kind of a matter of perspective as to what that actually means. Portland gets accused of being on the cutting edge of hispter-dom and other such things like vaping competitions and being an area where paying more than $10 for a latte is common. I don't actually have any idea if any of this is true since I have never been there. I do know that it is very expensive to live in Portland even though in the grand scheme of things it isn't a highly populated city.
Not to be outdone by the insanity and spraypainting and random damage to property in other big cities, the people of Portland have decided to protest / riot for many days straight and these protests become increasingly violent and destructive as the days go on. I think this is for a number of reasons the first one being that these people aren't really protesting anything in particular and probably wanted to just fuck shit up from the get go.
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At just over 650,000 people it isn't exactly Little House on the Prairie countryside, but a sprawling metropolis it is not. Politically speaking, Portland embodies the pinnacle of liberalism in the same way that any metropolitan area on the West coast does. You'd be hard pressed to find any large group of people that are conservative and honestly, they are probably afraid to let it be very widely known these days since people are becoming a bit nuts about how they handle political differences.
These protests/riots are happening primarily in cities where the leaders of that community are just as liberal as those in the streets, and they already agree with you so much that they won't even authorize the police force to disperse you, I can't help but look at this situation and wonder what the F&&K these people are hoping to accomplish here? If they want a free television I can at least understand that desire but breaking random shop windows just for the hell of it? Who is this helping?
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I feel as though when these things turn into situations where the mostly young group of people in the streets are setting things on fire, breaking random business windows, and provoking police continually, that they are there for the sake of destruction or to score some points on social media: I don't believe they are really hoping to be able to accomplish a great deal using these tactics since their local officials are already on their side.
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Then we have these guys, which some people are calling "secret police" and others have referred to as "Gestapo." These guys come by in unmarked vehicles and are arresting what appears to be select rioters. Perhaps the people they arrest are those that are suspected of being leaders in whatever this is. We don't have any idea yet.
The problem that people have with this is that the officers do not read Miranda rights nor do they identify themselves before whisking someone away. I can understand why we wouldn't want this to be widespread but here is the issue I take with people that are complaining about this.
The rioting masses are not obeying any sort of rules yet expect the other side to play extremely nice. They expect the police to maintain order but to not use any force or even tear gas in the meantime. Or another side could be that the local government, just like we saw in Seattle, won't do anything to end this situation and the federal government is stepping in. I honestly don't know what to think about this but here i am on the other side of the world looking at a city that I have never been to and I am shaking my head and thinking "what the hell are you people doing over there? You are destroying your own communities and all the while the leaders of said community are already on your side." Portland is one of the most left-leaning cities in America... what are these protesters claiming to want?
Because from over here where I am sitting, it looks like they want mayhem and destruction without fear of reprisal. But when a response actually does come in the way of force they cry foul. How can anyone be on their side? Does anyone even know what they want? Most protests have a purpose but i can't figure out what this one is protesting.
I realize that it has recently come to light that they are not actually "secret police" but actually are federal authorities, which a guess is a different thing. I just don't really like that they need to exist. I don't live in America at the moment but I think i am just surprised that this ever happened in my lifetime.
I rarely post anything politically-oriented but after seeing this I felt a need to do so. If you know something I don't know I would appreciate the heads up because honestly guys, this is crazy to me.
I live in the Portland area. This crap (so called protests) has been going on for over 50 straight days. Businesses have been looted and buildings vandalized. I don't and won't go downtown Portland. Businesses are closing and I doubt most come back. Why would they?
Portland has a long history of allowing protests to get out of hand. I have no confidence in the city government, and for that matter the governor of the state.
As for the federal forces, there would have been no need for them to come to Portland if the city had gotten things under control. And, as for the federal forces arresting people, etc., here's an example of what has been happening.
The federal forces came to protect federal property (primarily the federal courthouse) which has been vandalized, graffiti, broken windows, fires. A few days ago the federal forces put up fencing around the courthouse. The federal troops stayed inside the fencing. But, what transpired? The so called protesters tore down the fences, threw fireworks and other projectiles at the federal forces, rushed the building, causing chaos. Only then did the federal forces react -- and in my opinion, rightfully so.
As others have said, many people in the Portland OR area are feed up. This rioting needs to stop. If it takes federal forces for that to occur, so be it.
So, there you have my perspective.
thanks for your perspective. That was really eye-opening. I hope that the people of Portland will keep this in mind when it comes time to vote for mayor again next time. That guy seems like a real piece of work.
Indeed!
They just want to cause trouble with no consequences and this shouldn't be an issue. Drag them off and beat them up is the answer as they must be scum of society if they think like this. I would love to be on official in a clean up duty on this one.
I don't really know a lot about what is happening in Oregon specifically. Things are much more calm around where I live. I do think that deploying federal troops in any circumstance is just a bad idea. I think if we didn't have those in charge at the highest level saying ridiculous things and those at the local level feeling they need to defy those ridiculous things then a lot of this would probably just go away. My hope is that the negative stuff goes away and we can really get to work on the stuff that needs to be fixed because honestly as a country I think we have a lot of work to do.
Not so sure most even know what they are protesting about, scared, being led by mass hysteria, we have experienced similar it adds to the craziness of the times we are living in.
@tipu curate
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It honestly feels to me like the collapse of Rome - no other way to describe it. It feels like ALL sides (and there are many more than 2) have lost touch with what matters and what the consequences of this senseless violence might be. It feels like it has escalated past a point where it can be be mediated. It seems like an ugly social zit has burst and the nasty stuff inside is out in the open.
Finding a non-biased news source?? Yikes - it's hard to know where to start with that one.
And here I am complaining that $0.70 for a coffee is too much!
Or maybe they are just being paid by the George Soros, Rothschilds and Heartland Institutes of this world to "go out and play." After all, they already paid people in Ukraine, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Hong Kong... to go out and riot. Why not doing the same in the US?
Maybe they don't want to accomplish anything. If they are being paid to riot, all they want is their paychecks.
This world is extremely polarised and some of the big players are capitalising on that. They only need to pay a few hundred bucks a week to a bunch of poor people and they go out on the streets breaking and destroying everything in their path... without even thinking about the consequences. The poorer the country, the easier they do it... but even if paychecks in America are higher... the USA is not out of their reach, that's for sure.
HEY!! Hope all is well on your side of the world.
I am shaking my head too. Minus a few goof balls and bad authority individuals, I think protests are an okay thing. When the protest is not organized, turns into a riot, contains too many different leaders and agendas, then mix in a few agitators and opposition.. you have blurred lines and a hazy understanding along with a real big mess. I am glad I live on the East coast where everything is practically perfect.. haha. Would like to visit the west sometime, but not right now maybe.
Tell Nadi Hello!! Posted about Pepper today. I included a few video you may like. He was wound up over a few goose feathers! haha. Talk to ya soon!!
It really comes down to whether or not these "police" are arresting people who are committing violence or those that are peacefully protesting. Not identifying yourself as law enforcement creates a huge problem though. As far as I'm concerned, you have every right to defend yourself against them with all necessary force if they aren't identifying themselves as police officers. I don't have a problem at all with police using force to stop people from committing violence and property crimes but I have a huge problem with people who won't identify themselves kidnapping people who are peacefully protesting. Which is really happening? I'm not there so I can't say.
therein lies the problem, the media is the problem in all of this. Depending on your source you get totally conflicting information. Now that I have looked a little bit I am hearing that the officers in fact ARE identifying themselves and that the people they detain are made aware of what is going on. The one video of the kid immediately complying was cherry-picked as it turns out and there are a boatload of other people violently resisting.
But resisting what? Arrest for committing violence and property destruction or kidnapping for peacefully protesting or both? I fully support arresting those doing damage but it needs to be done right and federal agencies don't need to be involved. If Portland or whatever city wants to let looters and rioters destroy the city then that is their problem. Just don't provide Federal funds for cleanup and repair. I realize there are those there who don't agree with local government decisions but they are apparently in the minority. It's time for them to think about packing up and moving elsewhere. Unless the governor or appropriate state or local authorities are requesting Federal help, they need to go home. States have a right to govern themselves stupidly provided they aren't actively violating the Constitutional rights of others.
some very good words in what you just wrote there. I think what the narrative (which is a word i didn't use until a few years ago) has shifted to is that they federal police are there to protect federal property.
If this is all political theater, and it certainly looks like it is... i totally agree with you and that the feds should stand back, let them do whatever they want and then, as you said, deny federal money for the fix later.
I live in Portland and I'm just as confused as you. It started as BLM/ police reform protests but seems to have turned into a shitshow.
Luckily, everything shown on TV is confined to downtown. I live in the city but a river separates downtown from where I live 60 blocks away. Honestly I would have no idea this was even happening if it wasn't on the news.
I just hope this cools off and everyone stops being dumb asses soon.
oh well that is good to know. Ha! Reminds me of when there was a coup that happened while I was staying in Bangkok, and if someone didn't tell me it happened, I wouldn't have had any idea because I was asleep when the military vehicles took over he capital.
I also live near the Portland madness. Grew up around here most of my life too. I live in fear every time I drive to work. The land of a million bike lanes, crosswalks, and crosswalk lights. Pedestrian privilege mandates that they should avoid using any of the safety crosswalks when there is an opportunity to cause drivers to slam on the brakes, because you can cuss them out or win a lawsuit afterwards.
Portland has always been more disgusting than weird as it claims to be. Last week I saw multiple people in Sellwood dropping trow to relieve themselves in view of the main street. Formerly the upscale south end of Portland, it is is now a street druggie garden of Eden.
When the Oregonian and Willamette Week first reported on the lockdown order by Governor Kate Brown, the online comments from locals were moderated to show mostly a certain demographic. The lumps wanted a monthly paycheck, rent free homes, and to be removed from the essential businesses list so they could also pick up lavish unemployment benefits, while contributing nothing.
Anyway, I wanted to chime in and say the protests do not represent the local majority at all. Most people are confused why protests do not follow laws or observe social distancing and mask mandates. Most people are scared to vocalize any political opinion on the matter. Erasure culture combined with covid laws are causing too many businesses to go bankrupt because they cannot adapt. It is too costly. Customers are complaining about having to wear masks, and vice versa. Business have to hire security or risk being damaged, looted, and vandalized with lies and profanity.
There are many pockets of individuals in the area willing to demonstrate open opposition to the protests. I have seen F150 trucks driving around with American flags and Confederate flags up on a bed pole mount. Today I saw some Baby Boomer women holding up "Recall Kate Brown" signs in West Portland, and they were gathering signatures. A MAMA counter protest started recently, and they seem to want to restore the city to the safety we had before the Floyd protests began.
I support our armed forces. Especially night time arrests. Lock them all up. All Fourth of July fireworks are illegal right now. Graffiti and garbage is gross vandalism. The Mayor has always been a scandalous joke.
The Albina district is a headquarters for Antifa and Anarchy. Watch Project Veritas, as they expose this. They are using a bookstore community center to re-educate the local population to blame whites for what they describe as gentrification. Now they have Mayor Wheeler by the balls, because he is a white beta male who inherited a privileged life from a successful family business logging empire.
These protests would be much safer if the Mayor would allow the Police Chief to enforce the laws our people voted for. Instead he puts everybody at risk by allowing the most volitile individuals to establish the new chaotic anarchy rules, filled with contradictions and danger.
wow, this was really good to read. It is nice to see a perspective of someone that actually lives there. It seems we have to bypass the media in order to get any real information these days anyway. Thanks for your comment as that was super educational for me.
Because the top Globalists, are allowing it through their support of such chaos?