The Trump administration is deploying federal forces in Portland and other cities in military-like units that are abducting citizens from the street into unmarked vehicles. These agents did not identify themselves and it is not clear what the full rationale is for the abductions and assumed arrests.
This isn't a political stunt, it is testing the waters for further fascism. Domestic policing agencies have no business using unidentified vehicles and acting without identifying themselves in the United States. There are several clear goals we can infer from this latest escalation of fascist tactics.
When they received push-back about deploying US military against US citizens Trump's administration had to change tactics. Deploying Department of Homeland Security or Customs agents in unmarked vehicles or without identification is an attempt to subvert State sovereignty. This is an act to increase the federal government's power over citizens in defiance of the wishes of the States that these agents are operating in. Again, this isn't a stunt, it's gaging the populace's response to these increasingly fascist tactics.
While it may prove popular in some Trump bastions of support, the other part of this goal here is to create fear around protesters of being abducted and possibly held without charges in federal holding sites. Fear will reduce the turn-out to protest events by less dedicated activists leading directly to the third goal of these new tactics.
The third goal that is clear is an effort to provoke left-leaning activists into responding to this show of force. By generating a response from leftists the administration can point to the reaction as justification for the escalation of force and provide justification for further escalations of force and other underhanded tactics. Similar to the COINTELPRO operations during and against the Civil Rights campaigns of the 60s and 70s, the goal is to delegitimize the leftists by provoking them to violence against the State or Federal agents. This serves to also justify the new tactics used by the DHS and Customs agents. This highlights another fact.
By failing to call out fascism for what it is the media is failing the American people. By failing to identify these tactics as explicitly fascist they are complicit in enabling this administration in escalating the violence and fascism they are increasingly turning to in the US.
As has been clear the interests of the media are not, nor have they ever been, leftist. The interests of the media are corporate and capitalist. Delegitimizing the leftist movements serves the capital interests of the media and thus the lack of calling out the administration for fascism is par for the course. The media is ultimately interested in creating consumers not necessarily informed citizenry.
By attempting to remain neutral the media has sided with this administration in helping to shift America toward a clear movement to fascism. It is time we called them out.
I contacted my State Governor and House and State representatives with my concerns. I urge you to do the same.