Texas Progressives talk BLM peacefulness, important obits, more

This corner of the Texas Progressives has split off important national news from state and local items this week, and there's plenty of the former to discuss. BLM and policing, peacefulness in protests and guns on "both" sides (there's actually more than two), and more are all in the hopper.

BLM and related issues

Repeat after me: 93 percent of Black Lives Matter protests are peaceful. And, less than 93 percent of either alt-right or cop reactions are. Sleepy Joe Biden thinks that the way we fix policing is MORE federal money. And, you wonder why I don't vote Dem?

Trump has blamed black "thugs" for ongoing violence in Baltimore. Rather, per Pro Publica, a five-year semi-regular "blue flu" after Freddie Gray seems to be the culprit. It's a long read and worth it, because of what police are doing now. Cops get mad over funding cuts, not over bad cops that lead to those cuts. One of the oldest stories in the book.

No mention by Trump of cops continuing to have love for white thugs.

"Get out of jail free" cards only exist in Monopoly, but get out of traffic tickets free cards exist if you have buddies in a police union.

Speaking of black and white? If you want stars on your shoulders and you're Black, one bit of advice. Don't join the Marines.

At the same time, on the "peacefulness"? Michael Forest Reinoehl's life is the latest reminder of why I don't glorify so-called "antifa" and why you should stop writing blank checks to them too. I had previously written about Garrett Foster here in Texas. His life in general was more exemplary than Reinoehl's, but he chose on multiple occasions to bring an AR-15 to protests. The last time, he chose to confront an apparently deliberately aggressive driver and got himself killed.

State elections

Breaking: Texas' 14th Appeals Court rules in favor of Libertarian plaintiffs on their ballot access case the state appealed from district court, largely upholds their TRO, and says that SoS Ruth Hughs cannot block from the ballot ANY third party candidate who refused to pay the HB 2504 fees. Details:

The Court ORDERS that Defendant Hughs is temporarily enjoined from refusing to certify third-party nominees for the general-election ballot on the grounds that the nominee did not pay a filing fee or submit a petition in lieu thereof at the time of filing or at any other time.

NOTE: This is only for 2020, though. And, the Texas Supreme Court, in its own ruling against the Texas GOP's cock-block of Libertarians last week, seem to indicate that, on the permanent plane, it believes HB 2504's fees are constitutional.

National elections

The Biden-Trump battle comes down to the suburbs. Politico claims neither has a good clue.

Good news for Biden if he's considered the debate underdog? But, it's duopoly. Since this is the worst election in a century among the two duopoly candidates, per my poll, I won't be watching. Kabuki theater.

The snooping-spying world

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals says the dragnet National Security Agency spying revealed by Edward Snowden is unconstitutional. Does the government appeal?

A couple of judges have, very rightfully, rejected their police departments' request for "geofence warrants." The story dives in further on just how much Google et al help police spy on Americans, which also relates to current protest. (Side note? If you're going go video protests, etc., that you're at? Be smart enough to get a burner phone if you're at a protest hotspot. Burner social media accounts probably aren't bad either.)

Speaking of smartphones? The disgustingness of the whole Amazon driver world on display.

Other issues

Anti-gun control wingnuts think active shooter drills are step 1 in keeping kids in school safe from guns. But studies now confirm what was suspected by many: they have major mental health issues.

Yes, social media uses tool oriented to our subconscious psychology to try to keep us online and active. But, so do supermarkets. In both cases, we're more than just neurochemistry and more than just a subconscious or unconscious. On social media, if you read one book about it in the next year, make it The Twittering Machine. Per author Seymour, I plead guilty to using it to waste time at times. What that says about larger American culture and the vapidness of work has been answered, in part, by David Graeber and others.

Speaking of Graeber?

SocraticGadfly had three "critical" RIPs of people in political, cultural and social news recently, most recently with Green Party activist Kevin Zeese, then before that with heterodox anthropologist and economics critic David Graeber and first with secular humanist leader Ed Brayton.

I also say RIP Lou Brock.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission warns that climate change could affect the financial markets. It's disgusting that this is what it might take to wake up some Rethugs, but that's better than nothing — if it does wake up that many.