America is on fire. Many urban areas have been overrun by protests that have turned violent along with looting, arson, assault and property damage to vehicles, businesses and infrastructure. Riots first broke out May 25 following the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, a black man who was pinned down to the ground by white Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin for 8 minutes and 46 seconds after having been accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill in a nearby pharmacy.

The Current Situation

Rioting in Minneapolis has now ceased, but cities across the United States are ablaze and crammed with protesters, agitators and looters from Philadelphia and New York to Portland and Salt Lake City, with one man shot dead in Louisville, Kentucky and various reports and footage of attacks on police, and tense police driving through protesters and tasing a young black couple in their vehicle. Burning city halls and streets littered with burned-out husks of vehicles have dotted the evening news for the past week. The US National Guard was called in by a number of states this weekend and there were around 5,000 arrests made by police. There are charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter against Chauvin who was fired on May 26 along with attending officers Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and Alexander Kuen. Floyd’s family’s lawyer calls the death an act of “premeditated murder.”

This is Not a Drill

In the 2004 film Man on Fire, Denzel Washington plays a former special forces operator called John Creasy who vows to get revenge on criminals who committed an atrocity against the family he was being paid to keep safe. In 2020 America on Fire — which is not a movie — a mass of people of many grievances and agendas are being driven by blind rage at the system. They are smashing the commercial structures that no longer employ 40 million Americans and opposing the police who they associate with racist violence and brutality. There are various groups involved in the ongoing unrest in the United States, despite the attempts by various media and political sides to frame the current situation simplistically. As Murtaza Hussain of the Intercept noted, “lots of people apparently want to condemn the protests and maybe even crush them but only after they’ve labelled them as having been corrupted by some ideological group they’re more comfortable posturing in opposition against.”

A Note on Narrative Building

Political talking points and narratives are constructed constantly, especially surrounding controversial and chaotic events that leave the public wanting straightforward answers. This fits well into politicians plotting how to exploit tragedy for political leverage. Almost immediately the Trump Administration and key supporters latched onto the idea of spoiled white agitators in “antifa” and well-funded hard-left agitators being behind the main acts of violence and instigating the destruction, tying into longstanding theories about George Soros and leftist oligarchs being behind attempts to destroy the United States and collapse the Trump government. Antifa, or “anti-fascist” is a loose umbrella of socialist, communist and anti-capitalist groups with roots in Stalinism.

Liberals, meanwhile, became disillusioned by the destruction and also sought a group to blame that would fit more neatly with their ideological proclivities. After all, communists and antifa have long made it clear that “liberals get the bullet too” and that kind of militancy isn’t exactly reassuring to Sally Soccer Mom in surburban St. Paul, and neither is the idea that a group they sympathize with — namely black people facing discrimination and economic abandonment that is egged on by jackal media and political operators — could also have numerous members of their community who would commit violence and property destruction.

Is Antifa Really Behind This?

The simple truth is that despite obvious instigators and hard-left groups the violence is mainly being driven by people who are angry over the death of George Floyd, poverty and police brutality and boosted along by a some determinedly menacing pencil-armed neo-Marxist white kids with too much time on their hands. The attempt to pin this all on antifa and the claim that they are going to be categorized as a terrorist organization is clearly based on political expediency rather than a pragmatic countermeasure. As Chuck Ross of the Daily Caller put it, “Antifa is terrible and all, but my guess is they’re responsible for a small fraction of the violence and looting going on.”

What About the Racists?

For their part, some suburban liberals found a new scapegoat in the white nationalist bogeyman: this upheaval was somehow a plot to make black people look bad by white racists and Russian agents. Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, Governor Tim Walz and others promoted the idea that most of those damaging the state were from elsewhere, which turned out not to be true. Ellison has previously promoted antifa and was formerly a member of the black nationalist Nation of Islam which has long called for black separatism and violent resistance of the white-dominated societal structure.

To be sure, there is a contingent of peaceful protesters and concerned citizens, along with a smattering of hard left communists and antifa and several riot-curious far right accelerationists and white nationalists, but this last number is miniscule as far as the evidence goes. Despite bizarre attempts by some in the mainstream media to claim the majority of damage is being done by white nationalists, racists and Russian-linked provocateurs trying to accelerate the downfall of modern, multi-racial America by striking at its fault-lines, there is no proof of more than a few white nationalists, militias and Trump supporters working their way into the upheaval. There is seemingly no end to blaming Vladimir Putin for everything that happens in the United States, which is, arguably, one of the ongoing political and media delusions and deflections that has led to this violent moment.

Fox News has been chased down and insulted by mobs, several Trump supporters were surrounded and pushed back to a building with one having his Trump hat burned as the crowd screamed “F*** Trump!” and several white nationalists who did try to infiltrate a protests were tracked and then turned into a bogeyman by antifa and left groups who claim these people are everywhere. Apart from Nick Fuentes and some “boogaloo” types popping up for photo opportunities, the violence does not appear to be orchestrated by these young internet racists. It is particularly odd to see the media blaming Trump for the vandalizing of CNN headquarters in Atlanta, for example, when this was done by a crowd who clearly despises the President and his supporters as well as CNN and mainstream media.

Where’d All the Good People Go?

There are still plenty of good people. Some protesters have restrained and delivered violent agitators to police and others have done their best to stand up to violent looters and agitators. But at the end of the day what is happening in America’s cities is a social problem more than anything else. Trust has broken down and year by year Western civilization is reverting into Thomas Hobbes’ state of nature: every man and women for themselves.

The bottom line here is simple: American society is breaking down. Look for rural communities to increasingly fortify themselves against the cities, protecting their food sources, businesses and streets from outsiders through force of arms and even vigilante patrols. There is plenty of blame to go around and deep-seated problems to reference, however now the situation truly is spiraling out of control. The United States is well on the road to becoming a failed state. Economic meltdown, the COVID-19 pandemic that is still decimating the country and an enraged uprising have come together to form the perfect storm.

Certainly, economic, racial and political aspects have all had a major role in leading to this situation, but at the end of the day the sound you hear is the social fabric tearing apart from Houston to Los Angeles. It’s the frustration boiling over, and whichever agendas and extreme groups may try to use that frustration for their own purposes it would be a mistake to think that the situation itself is entirely engineered or delusional. After all, the media and many politicians continually trying to place the motivation for unrest and problems on anything other than the actual causes of those problems is a big reason why we are in this position today.

Whatever exactly is going on, Jelani Cobb of the New Yorker put it aptly in noting that “you know we’re in uncharted territory when something happens in Minneapolis and they’re setting cars on fire in Salt Lake City.”

L'articolo America on Fire proviene da InsideOver.

Violent riots in northeast Delhi erupted on Sunday, resulting in at least 38 dead and over 200 injured, with little sign of easing up. A controversial citizenship law that has further divided Muslims and Hindus is being identified as the cause, with some labeling India’s new ruling as “anti-Muslim.”

Hindu Mobs Violently Attack India’s Muslim Community

A flood of images and videos surfaced across social media depicting raging fires and numerous acts of vandalism, specifically targeting the Muslim community. The mostly Hindu mobs – armed with guns, batons, sticks, and stones – are seen beating unarmed men, including journalists who have since spoken out on social media about the attacks. Some of the braying crowds were also seen demanding proof of religion by forcing men to show their genitalia to verify if they were circumcised or not, since circumcision is required as per Muslim custom.

BBC reporters said that they saw people at the hospital with various injuries, including bullet wounds, scrambling for treatment. They described the hospital as being “overwhelmed,” and many of the injured as being “too scared to go back home”.

Mohammed Zubair, who was on his way home from a mosque, was ambushed and beaten during the riots.

“They saw I was alone, they saw my cap, beard, shalwar kameez (Muslim clothing) and saw me as a Muslim,” he told Reuters with his head wrapped in bandages and body dotted in bruises. “They just started attacking, shouting slogans. What kind of humanity is this?”

India’s Anti-Muslim Citizenship Law

The conflict in India started last year in December after a law which provided a fast-track system to citizenship for non-Muslims migrants from neighboring countries was introduced. It was a move that riled the Muslim population, with many labeling the new legislation as discriminatory and fascist.

Furthermore, the law heralds another regulation that calls for all Indians to authenticate their “Indian-ness” with the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Non-Muslims who do not fit the criteria could be ineligible for citizenship due to the passing of the new law, whilst Muslims who fail the test could face potential imprisonment or deportation. Many have raised concerns that it could create a situation similar to the plight of the Rohingya – a Muslim minority ethnic group in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar who were expelled after their homes were destroyed, causing more than 100,000 of them to flee to Malaysia.

India’s Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come under heavy criticism, with accusations that this new citizenship law is “anti-Muslim” and goes against India’s secular constitution. Modi has, however, refuted claims of bias and said that the new amendment was needed to protect persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

Loss of Faith in the Police

Thousands of Indian paramilitary police have been deployed since rioting broke out, but faith in the police has rapidly diminished as a result of their inability to subdue the violent upheaval. Scenes of protestors wielding weapons in front of the authorities have been commonplace and reflect the growing public disregard for the police presence.

Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met with victims who were being treated at GTB Hospital and Max Hospital and said that Hindus, Muslims, and policemen have all been injured. He tweeted that the police have been unable to control the situation and urged that the army should be summoned and curfews imposed to restore order to the troubled capital.

On Thursday, at the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet commented on the situation in India with significant concern.

“Indians in huge numbers, and from all communities, have expressed – in a mostly peaceful manner – their opposition to the Act, and support for the country’s long tradition of secularism. I am concerned by reports of police inaction in the face of attacks against Muslims by other groups, as well as previous reports of excessive use of force by police against peaceful protestors.”

As of this writing, Delhi Police have detained more than 400 people and arrested more than 130. Curfews are being implemented in some of the worst-affected areas, while social media continues to be rife with images of ransacked roads strewn with rubble, burnt buildings, and smouldering vehicles.

L'articolo India: Deadly Anti-Muslim Riots Flare Out Of Control proviene da InsideOver.

While the world has been paying attention to Donald Trump’s first visit to India and the many photo opportunities it provides, New Delhi has been witnessing its worst religious riots in decades.

New Delhi Gripped By Deadly Religious Violence

At least 27 people have been killed in the worst violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in the Indian capital of New Delhi in decades. More than 180 people — including around 40 police officers — have also been injured, police said. Since the beginning of the week, different groups with stones and sticks have been attacking each other. Mosques, shops, and cars were also set on fire, as news reports show.

New Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, called on the national government to impose a curfew, also writing on Twitter that the situation is “worrying.” Despite all efforts, the police have been unable to control the situation and “create trust.” Kejriwal asked the national government to instruct the army to oversee a curfew. In some areas, the police have also now been ordered to use live ammunition after warning. This firing order is an indication that the situation is considered extremely serious.

Why is Violence Flaring Up Now in India?

The background to the violence is a naturalization law enforced by the Hindu Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After its implementation, people took their anger to the streets, which ultimately resulted in street battles between Hindus and Muslims. The violence left a trail of devastation in New Delhi, and besides the casualties and injuries, numerous buildings were also destroyed.

It has been the worst religious clash in India’s capital for decades and evokes memories of past violence between Hindus and Muslims. The violence reflects an increasing polarization between opponents and supporters of the new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed late last year. The legislative reform enables citizens of religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came into the country before 2015 without valid papers to obtain naturalization. However, Muslims are excluded from the new legislative, despite being India’s largest religious minority, accounting for around 14 percent of the Indian population.

India’s Muslims Fear Becoming Stateless and Economically Crushed

Indian Muslims now fear above all that if they are unable to provide documentation that proves their birth in India, they could slip into statelessness– an issue particularly for economically challenged Muslim individuals who seldom possess any documentation at all in India.

The riots coincided with President Trump’s Feb. 24 visit to India and his meetings with Modi during his 36-hour stay. While the two heads of state conducted bilateral diplomacy India’s police struggled to control the chaos on the capital’s street – only two hundred fifty kilometers northwest from Trump and Modi.

Trump’s state visit ended on Tuesday with the mutual commitment between he and Modi to increase the fight against terrorism. Trump also said that both states had signed an arms deal of $3 billion in weapons, including 24 Seahawk helicopters and Hellfire missiles for the Indian Navy.

India has been seeking to modernize its armed forces; above all, to reduce the regional military hegemony China has established. For the United States, too, the deal is not merely a business decision, but a geo-strategic one. The deal is vital to the US, who, with its commitment towards India’s military, wants to not only rebalance the power in the region but to slow down China’s influence in Asia as a whole. The business side of things will be discussed reasonably soon also, however, as Trump stated that a “significant trade deal” was currently in the making. However, talks about tariffs and other trade barriers have long been causing a rift between the countries.

Trump also sought to vigorously promote tolerance and the maintenance of religious freedom in India during his two-day visit behind closed doors, according to US government officials. The timing could not have been any better: religious tolerance is something India could use a lot more of.

L'articolo Chaos Erupts in India Amid Trump’s Visit proviene da InsideOver.

After weeks of silence, Haiti’s beleaguered president broke his silence to address the public. Following five weeks of riots, Haitians have called for President Jovenel Moïse to resign. The daily protests have seen tens of thousands take to the streets all across the country, virtually shutting down the Caribbean island of 11 million people. Moïse, who took office in 2017, has so far survived many protests and still has three more years to serve.

Preside Moïse’s press conference

According to the Miami Herald, President Moïse opened his address by insinuating that he was a victim of powerful interests in Haiti – interests that support a system that provides double-digit interest rates to the poor from the government-run pension fund, while offering low rates to the rich and powerful. A system, he said, that has guardians and heirs.

Protestors have demanded that a different system be introduced; the current one that Moïse referred to was indoctrinated after the downfall of the 1986 Duvalier dictatorship. Many argue that the system predominantly serves the wealthy, while 60 per cent of Haitians, who earn less than $2 a day, are hard-pressed by it.

“It would be irresponsible on my part for me to stand here today, to sign and submit a letter of resignation and say ‘I am leaving’ and leave the country like this and the system regenerates itself,” President Jovenel Moïse said in a press conference on the grounds of the National Palace – the official residence of the President.

Instead, he claimed to want to find a way to put an end to the dodgy business contracts and said he is determined to work hard to get things back on track, which included addressing the nation more often.

Reuters reported that the opposition leader, Andre Michel, said that Moïse does not have the moral authority to attack the guardians of the system of exclusion that they are fighting today since those people financed his electoral campaign.

“We are all aware of the need to end this system …(but) the solution of the crisis today requires above all the immediate resignation of Jovenel Moïse,” said Michel.

Cause of nationwide protests

After Moïs’s speech, many Haitians vacated the streets out of fear of more violent riots – which included barricades and burning tyres. It is estimated that around 20 people have been killed in the clashes with the authorities.

The riots began because Haitians have felt frustrated with the poverty and political corruption that has gone on for years. In the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is often ranked as one of the poorest countries.

By mid-September, a fuel shortage, increasing inflation, food scarcities, and a lack of safe drinking water, fuelled the mass nationwide protests, which quickly became violent. As the riots intensified, protestors blocked roads and highway, looted, and set fires.

Last year, an anti-corruption movement, the “Petrochallengers,” demanded that Moïse consent to a formal investigation. It was reported by senate auditors that billions of dollars had been swindled from Venezuela’s PetroCaribe oil program, which was supposed to be invested into public services but never was; Moïse was directly implicated.

On Wednesday, thousands gathered around the country to attend the funerals of some of those who had lost their lives in the ensuing protests.

United Nations Departure

The funerals come just a day after the United Nations ended its 15-year-long Mission for Justice Support for peacekeeping in the country. It is the first time, since 2004, that there will be no peacekeeping operations in Haiti.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN peacekeeping chief, told the Security Council that since 2004, improvements had been “considerable, but the achievements of stability are still fragile and must be deeper rooted in democracy and development.”

He also admitted that “the current context is not ideal for the end of 15 years of peacekeeping in the country”, but said that UN is not completely abandoning Haiti.

Over the years the UN’s role in Haiti has been marred by controversies such as bringing cholera to the country as well as accusations of rape. To date, the UN has shirked the responsibility for the cholera outbreak, which took the lives of over 10,000. UN officials have also, on numerous occasions, been accused of sexual abuse, which includes the rape of minors.

L'articolo Is Haiti On The Brink Of A Revolution After Weeks Of Protests? proviene da InsideOver.