Some people wonder why I am a Libertarian. In the midst of all the chaos, my Libertarian friends offer the most intelligent perspectives. They validate the concerns of blacks; who have been an oppressed community for decades, and are mourning the unjust murder of yet another black man. They recognize that it is likely not legitimate protesters causing the looting and rioting. They know that no single group is responsible for the mayhem right now.
Libertarians have the ability to rise above the chaos, hold nuanced positions, step away from the tribalism and see things for how they really are. That is why I am a Libertarian.
Here is such an example from my friend Bruce Guthrie.
So, a smart friend of mine (RR) asked a great question: “Why did the protesters attack the Target store?” My response:
I’m literal-minded, being abut 1/4 Aspie, and against my own better sense, I am actually going to try and answer your question. Why hit the Target?
There are many individuals out on the streets. Lumping them into any number of groups is also incorrect, but perhaps a step in the right direction from thinking of them as one group. Here are some possible groups I can think of: Each will have different sets of motivations. Some individuals may fall into multiple groups. Some groups hit the Target, others did not. Some are groups I am sympathetic to, and some not:
1) Poor black people who are pissed off at the cops for killing people while arresting them on suspicion of minor crimes. They want to protest peacefully and have the guilty cops prosecuted and the system reformed. These did not hit the Target.
2) Poor people of ANY race who see this as an opportunity to loot the Target.
3) Young, mostly white socialist hoodlums (Antifa) who see this as their chance to bring down capitalism. Lefty-anarchists. Mostly from out-of-town. Might be funded by Soros? They hit the Target.
4) Middle class urban liberal whites who want to support the “Black Lives Matter” cause. Partially well-intentioned and partially virtue signalling. They did not hit the Target.
5) Right-wing skin-head white racist fascists who want to make the black protesters look bad. They hit the Target.
6) Militia-types who see this as the time for “Boogaloo” (The next American Revolution). They see the government as having betrayed the Constitution. Mostly white and from out-of-town. They hit the Police Department, not the Target. Some of these soldier-of-fortune wanna-bes actually stood in front of businesses to protect them. Malcolm-X type blacks may have joined them. At least they are hitting the right target.
7) Undercover Cops who want to make the protesters look bad and distract people from the racism in their departments or undermine the movement. Agents Provocatueurs. These may even be FBI. They hit the Target.