Over the past two days, Republican Party operatives, politicians, and spokespeople, alongside conservative media outlets like Fox News, the Daily Wire, Breitbart, and the Daily Caller, have been whipping themselves into hysteria over some comments made by Democratic Party politician and centrist congresswoman Maxine Waters. Her calls for meek, nonviolent protests against Trump appointees wherever they go were taken as "violent," "extreme," "incendiary" and even "terroristic," with over 100 reactionary congressmen calling for her censure in the House of Representatives. Trump, using racist language from the white supremacist "intellectual dark web" and neoreactionary movements, called the African-American Waters "low IQ."
The Democrats, for their part, were terrified by the idea that employees of an administration that has held children in concentration camps, forcibly injected them with drugs to subdue their resistance, separated them from their parents, and subjected them to rapacious ICE agents face any sort of public shame or outcry. Chuck (Chump) Schumer, the pro-war, pro-surveillance extreme Zionist Senate Minority Leader, condemning Waters's remarks, called threats to protest against Trump's fascistic policies "mean" and "un-American." Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a proud capitalist and an opponent of single-payer health care, called protests "unacceptable" and "uncivil."
On one hand, it is profoundly astonishing to see Establishment politicians attack mild calls to manifest against the opposing party by a pro-war, corporate congressmen at all, let alone in such strong terms. On the other, it is entirely consistent with the character of the Democratic Party, and indeed, liberalism as an ideology.
We should ask- where was Maxine Waters four years ago, when the Obama Administration saw ICE agents torture, rape and sexually abuse migrant children in refugee concentration camps? Where was she when James Comey's FBI established the category of "Black Identity Extremism?" When Occupy Wall Street went down at the hands of Obama and gentrification advocate (and Democratic donor) Michael Bloomberg? Where is she now on the mass slaughter in Yemen, where 10 million are likely to die at the hands of the Obama-Trump coalition with Saudi Arabia- a regime that executes people for homosexuality and "witchcraft?" The criminalisation of anti-pipeline and anti-fascist protestors by state legislators and oil corporations?
Liberalism is an ideology that is not ok with family separation, but cheers on family decimation by mass bombing campaigns, poverty and welfare reform. Under liberalism, one should criticise Trump, sure, but not for his expansion of these wars or his actions against the J20 protestors and journalists. Complaints about environmentalists, poor whites, "super predators," foreigners, activists, opponents of corporate trade deals, left-wing "fake news" websites, and voters, especially for third parties, are strongly encouraged. One should naturally never attack Wall Street, bankers, "law enforcement," "the intelligence community," "norms," NATO, Israel, the mainstream media, or John McCain.
If one cares about human rights, civil liberties, the planet, or economic equality, people like Maxine Waters should be protested as vigorously as Trump or his hideous minions. And we shouldn't be afraid to go further than Waters in her call for pom-pom parades and selfies with cops.
You may have not noticed, but Trump's approval rating has risen to the highest since he took office amid a mass movement of protests in the streets, burning cars, antifascist actions, and political engagement. Like now, activists were debating the merits of direct action and violent protest.
Come February, the Democratic Party put that back into the box, instead directing liberals to pin their hopes on the idea that a spy-novel plot would eject Trump from office. Google searches for "protests" dropped precipitously, and with them Trump's approval ratings. Now, there is once again mass outrage and direct action, and more public energy on the left against Trump than there has been since those days. And his public support has risen to 45 percent.
After all, would you rather daily protests, direct action, and even revolt against the government as well as liberalism, or 12 extra seats occupied by centrists, warmongers, and ex-spooks in the House of Representatives?