It is a difficult task to argue one offered Fascist candidate is a
lesser evil than an incumbent Fascist President, but things are shaking
out that way.
DHS in Portland escalated a protest into a riot when Trump/Barr sent in a squad of Darth Vaders. That level of abuse of the public needs to be halted, the sooner the better.
More can be written, and has been, on the topic of Homeland Security.
Leave it at the Wikipedia image
of DHS headquarters in DC. With roof line shooting breaks designed in,
for what, shooting at protesting citizens? All that's missing from that
ediface is a portcullus. Likely that was dropped when the ediface was -
like the agency - behind schedule and over budget.
Too fat and sassy, for public servants financed out of public taxpayer money.
Digby wrote,
and if not defunded, the agency should clearly be downfunded and
repurposed to be less a thugish private army for a mad and mean White
House crew. Trump and Barr,
in tandem proved that point in Portland. Likely there are some on the DHS payroll who would be happy to see less taking it to the streets
against citizen Constitutional rights, and more cyber science and other
protective aims in disbursements.
_____________UPDATE____________
Among Trump and Barr, add Chad Wolf. Trump likely found him working a copy room Xerox machine at some white power think tank. Dressed him in a tailored suit, put on a Trump tie, and he still looks dorkish. Again, this link.
FURTHER: Regarding this Chad Wolf person, readers who care can go to Wikipedia, while here is a sampling of recent MSM thought: Oregon Live, Breitbart, Mediate, ZeroHedge, TheHill, posting mid-item:
His [Wolf's] remarks mirrored those of acting Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli, [you can look that nasty fucker up] who told CNN's "New Day" on Monday that other cities experiencing protests over the death of George Floyd could see DHS deployments should agents learn of "planned attacks" against federal officers or facilities, as he alleged was the case in Portland.
“If we get the same kind of intelligence in other places about threats to other federal facilities or officers, we would respond the same way," Cuccinelli said.
The two have argued that the Trump administration retains authority to conduct law enforcement activities in cities where they are not welcomed by local officials, including in Oregon, where Gov. Kate Brown (D) insisted that DHS withdraw. Portland's mayor has made similar calls.
[link in original]
Last
link, Guardian, effectively calling a snake a snake (or alternatively,
calling at weasel a weasel while linking to the Oregon Live item):
Since becoming acting DHS secretary in November 2019, Wolf has denied there is a problem with systemic racism in US law enforcement and downplayed the threat of Covid-19. He has also overseen the implementation of extreme immigration restrictions the White House claimed would stem the spread of coronavirus.
Wolf is the fifth person to serve in the role under Trump in an acting or confirmed capacity, while George W Bush and Barack Obama each had three people in the job over the course of their two presidential terms. Wolf was named to the post only after two of the president’s preferred candidates were ruled ineligible to take up the job.
The Plano, Texas, native moved to Washington DC after graduating from Southern Methodist University. He was an architect of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) and left DHS in 2005 to become a lobbyist.
After more than a decade lobbying, Wolf returned to the department to work for the Trump administration, where he has held multiple roles. The most glaring item on his resume, until Portland, was his central role in the Trump administration’s family separation policy while working as the chief of staff for then DHS secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
At a June 2019 hearing, Wolf testified that he learned about family separation in April 2018, just before it was publicly announced.
“My job was not to determine whether it was the right or wrong policy,” Wolf testified. “My job at the time was to ensure that the secretary had all the information that [Nielsen] needed.”
Months later, NBC News revealed that Wolf included family separation on a list of 16 policy recommendations he drafted for senior department figures in December 2017.
Wolf’s name is on the list, and Trump approved the policy, but it was Nielsen who was the face of family separation. Her dismissal last year was emblematic of the Trump administration’s chaotic rule over the agency.
[italics added, extensive authentication linking omitted] As
with the disastrously offensive storm trooper mischief of the
Trump/Barr/Wolf order-giving to DHS and Marshal's Service, (and willing hirlings'
"just following orders") there likely are those other, sensible and
dedicated non-cowboy DHS personnel who'd enjoy seeing the doorknob get
Wolf on the way out the door. Sooner being better than later.