Sure, let’s dive into this whole thing about Trump, protests, and all that jazz. Honestly, it’s like watching a soap opera, right? So here we go.
Trump. Yeah, he thinks sending a bunch of National Guard folks to L.A. is like some boss move. He’s all “Look at me, I’m in charge here!” But you know what? Sometimes trying too hard to be the tough guy kinda backfires. Like, picture this—if people in L.A. mostly protest peacefully, doesn’t it just make Trump look shaky instead of strong? It’s kinda like the protests are more together, and he’s just… rattled?
Counterinsurgency folks, they’ve kinda cracked the code on this. If you wanna stir things up, just show up with too much force against regular folks. David Kilcullen, this dude who advised General Petraeus, totally called it—going all heavy-handed doesn’t calm things down, it lights a fire.
Remember that whole mess at Ruby Ridge? Snipers, standoffs, the works. An FBI sniper took out Randy Weaver’s wife as she stood there holding her baby. Seriously, how’s that for a message gone wrong? It was a standoff over a fugitive warrant, and it just went sideways.
And talking about mess-ups, how about Waco? That one’s burned into history. Literally. Feds tried to nab David Koresh and his group, but it blew up, taking 75 lives with it. Public trust? Out the window. Militias popped up everywhere after that, like some twisted game of Whac-a-Mole. Waco was also a sick motivator for Timothy McVeigh’s Oklahoma City bombing.
The FBI got it though—like a wake-up call after hitting snooze too many times. In Nevada with Cliven Bundy, they just stepped back, not wanting another fiery disaster. And later, during those wildlife refuge occupations? Slow and steady. Waiting, negotiating. Crisis avoided, thank you very much.
Not about being soft, just smart strategy. A misstep and boom, violence. But where’d that wisdom go now?
Trump’s calling the shots again—Pete Hegseth manning the decks, with his crew like Kristi Noem and Kash Patel cheering him on. It’s like moderation’s out, and it’s all about chest-thumping.
But here’s the kicker: sending Guardsmen and Marines might blow up in their faces. Not with a bang, just a quiet revolt, like people finally seeing the government for what it is. Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr.—they knew how this plays out. Nonviolence as a power move, a plot twist in the game of thrones.
King’s marches, though? Not shying away from the spotlight. Showing the ugly, raw truth on TV—kids hit with hoses, faces of brutality. A game-changer, for sure.
Trump and pals might not get it. They’re all about pushing the big guns as if local folks can’t handle it. But strong-arming just shows nerves, not grit.
So, if Trump doubles down, especially on peaceful protests, it might be his biggest oops-yet. People watching from the sidelines might just perk up. Even those who backed Trump could start scratching their heads.
Civil resistance isn’t a walk in the park, sure. It doesn’t always nab the win. But violence against it? Just makes it stronger. That’s the part the strongmen miss. Crackdowns shut doors but open eyes. Power? The more you grab, the more it slips.
Trump’s crew, if they really care about the country? They’d remember the chaotic symphony of Ruby Ridge and Waco. Those tunes played loud and clear lessons about smart moves, or rather, the lack of ‘em.
