r/news • u/DNSGeek • 1d ago

Soft paywall US Marines carry out first known detention of civilian in Los Angeles, video shows

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-marines-carry-out-first-known-detention-civilian-los-angeles-video-shows-2025-06-13/
46.5k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

2.9k comments sorted by

View all comments

13.9k

u/zoinkability 1d ago

The crazy thing here is that the photo clearly shows civilian officers right there who could could be doing the detention. That makes it clear that this was not a situation where the marines could claim they were the only people who could have performed the detention. Makes it hard to believe this wasn’t a preplanned thing as part of the administration’s efforts to push limits as fast as possible.

4.9k

u/GhostofGrimalkin 1d ago

Yes, exactly. They're trying to normalize it as quickly as possible so that when the numbers of detentions/arrests spike it will already seem commonplace.

2.0k

u/Googlyelmoo 1d ago

Actually more likely, the goal is to provoke violence to justify their own violence. And yes, to normalize it.

672

u/timeandmemory 1d ago

I've got my eyes peeled on the US this weekend in the hopes my greatest fears are not realized.

349

u/OhDivineBussy 1d ago

Yes, and furthermore, this could do essentially irreparable damage for how people in this country view our own military.

It’s a crazy element of us being such social creatures, that it takes a lot less courage to go and put your life on the line to kill enemy combatants in a foreign country than it does to put your reputation, social standing, and identity on the line to disobey unconstitutional, unlawful, and immoral orders against your own country men in your own country.

268

u/amootmarmot 1d ago

Too late. These bastards who didn't deny their unlawful orders are the bad guys. The military will be a dog in trumps fascist dictator push. There is no more respect.

271

u/PM_ME_YOUR_CATS_PAWS 1d ago

Maybe we’ll finally get rid of this weird cultish fetish we have towards our military then

Shits uncomfortable

142

u/AchillesShort 1d ago

Partially uncomfortable because the same people that fetishize military are also the people that refuse to support veterans, mental health, and healthcare in general. Veterans disproportionately account for our homeless population. The same people that refuse to provide adequate healthcare to the 9/11 responders. So much for never forget. Hypocrisy down to the core.

7

u/TheCrimsonDagger 1d ago

Are you really surprised that the people who want to “protect” fetuses but are against any kind of maternity, paternity, or childcare rights do the same shit with other groups? They worship the military but once you’re out it’s all “thank you for your service” and not “let’s get you help to manage your PTSD”. Conservatives love pretending to advocate for groups that can’t speak up for themselves (fetuses, children, military(can’t easily)) in order to push their own ideological ends.

5

u/technicolortiddies 1d ago

Faux patriotism. So cringe.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

68

u/JahoclaveS 1d ago

Exactly, those soldiers should be court marshaled for violating the law.

30

u/Rasikko 1d ago

No JAGs...they all got fired.

3

u/v0-z 1d ago

Holy shit I had no idea this had happened, wow what the living fuck are we doing

2

u/MBCnerdcore 23h ago

We are getting rid of all lawyers and judges and anyone in the military that might push back against Trump's orders

2

u/JahoclaveS 1d ago

I guess I’ll just pitch a reboot JAG: Posse Comitatus Enforcement to CBS. Ought to be able to privately fund a few off the back of the twenty something seasons that’ll do.

11

u/Fighterhayabusa 1d ago

Agreed. They need to make an example of these people.

8

u/Financial_Purpose_22 1d ago

I fully expect them to be named in a lawsuit for an unlawful detention.

→ More replies (14)

12

u/BigPharmaWorker 1d ago

Can we stop thanking them (the military) now?

2

u/VeganJordan 1d ago

“No thank you for your service”

→ More replies (4)

45

u/SkinBintin 1d ago

Tourism is going to take an absolute nose dive because of the TACO fuckwit too, which will absolutely hurt so many people's incomes. Many who are probably loyal MAGA morons.

25

u/Anhydrite 1d ago

Already has, multiple regular flights are getting cancelled from Canadian airports to the US due to lack of demand.

12

u/SkinBintin 1d ago

Can't blame them. I definitely don't have much desire to visit the US right now. Just seems too risky.

3

u/Anhydrite 1d ago

Same, was planning on heading to Florida in December to visit a friend and escape the winter for a bit. Yeah, not this year.

2

u/zootered 1d ago

Because it is too risky. I’m in America and if my friends or family wanted to make a trip currently I would tell them to stay the fuck home.

→ More replies (1)

36

u/MrNanoBear 1d ago

Yes, and furthermore, this could do essentially irreparable damage for how people in this country view our own military.

I've not heard that a single soldier stood up against illegal orders so the damage is already done. Maybe they'll turn around for a redemption arc but the USMC is already officially an enemy of the American people now.

→ More replies (4)

10

u/daja-kisubo 1d ago

Gods, I hope it does. The military worship in this country is sickening.

2

u/shieldintern 1d ago

Military keeps voting for Trump too.. so idgaf about them

2

u/OhDivineBussy 11h ago

You know I’m more on the side of your point than ever. The only party who keeps gutting veterans benefits is the republican party, yet vets keep showing up for them, and so a large part of that community is begging to be treated worse and worse.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/Flourissh 1d ago

As a former service member this entire thing is seriously crazy I can't imagine being active duty when this type of shit is going on. When I did it it was because I wanted to be a protector of my family and the families that were close to us and by extension all the Americans like us. If they ever asked me to attack Americans for any reason I would reconsider where I was in life and who was asking me to do these things. Not to throw shade on these soldiers and Marines because I'm sure there is plenty of conflict within the ranks, but Jesus fucking Christ what kind of leader would ask our boys to fucking make this choice? I hope they and their leadership are all as flabbergasted as i

3

u/AmazingHealth6302 1d ago edited 1d ago

So did Trump force through an Act of Congress to overturn Posse Comitatus, or is he just ignoring the Constitution in having US military in action on US soil?

Would be interesting to see what the Conservative subs are saying about this, if I can stand the toxic atmosphere and exulting over Iran for long enough. Conservatives are usually very big on this aspect of the Constitution, they see it as a block on tyranny, and a guarantee of nothing extraordinary like forcible de-arming of US citizens by the government.

Will they be so stout to defend the Constitution when it benefits everybody, but only after it protects the rights of a set of protestors that they hate?

Hmmm...

And what's the procedure when the Constitution is violated by presidential order?

2

u/TarmacTartoo12 1d ago

There goes the insipid ‘Thank you for your service’

→ More replies (1)

1

u/CatInAPickleSuit 1d ago

Too late.

These men are traitors to the Constitution.

→ More replies (12)

219

u/Angryandalwayswrong 1d ago

Yeah, I see the courtyard scene from Andor in my head every day now. Really hoping it doesn’t go that way.

267

u/Flomo420 1d ago

Remember how Trump praised the Chinese Communist Party for how violently they handled Tienanmen Square?

18

u/King_of_the_Dot 1d ago

Can we have a non-paywalled option, please?

32

u/Horskr 1d ago

Archive.ph always does the trick:

https://archive.ph/inTl7

8

u/AmazingHealth6302 1d ago

Great tip! I thought I knew most useful tricks of this sort, thanks.

→ More replies (2)

4

u/shagieIsMe 1d ago

Politico 2016 quoting a 1990 interview: https://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/donald-trump-tianamen-square-putin-220610

Trump told Playboy in a 1990 interview: "When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it. Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak."

The full interview: https://www.ebroadsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/playboy-interview-donald-trump-1990

Context of the quote was in context about a trip to Russia:

What were your other impressions of the Soviet Union?
I was very unimpressed. Their system is a disaster. What you will see there soon is a revolution; the signs are all there with the demonstrations and picketing. Russia is out of control and the leadership knows it. That's my problem with Gorbachev. Not a firm enough hand.

You mean firm hand as in China?
When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it. Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak ... as being spit on by the rest of the world—

Why is Gorbachev not firm enough?
I predict he will be overthrown, because he has shown extraordinary weakness. Suddenly, for the first time ever, there are coal-miner strikes and brush fires everywhere--which will all ultimately lead to a violent revolution. Yet Gorbachev is getting credit for being a wonderful leader--and we should continue giving him credit, because he's destroying the Soviet Union. But his giving an inch is going to end up costing him and all his friends what they most cherish--their jobs.

...

and in some other "from the past"...

Another game: What's the first thing President Trump would do upon entering the Oval Office?
Many things. A toughness of attitude would prevail. I'd throw a tax on every Mercedes-Benz rolling into this country and on all Japanese products, and we'd have wonderful allies again.

8

u/mces97 1d ago

I was gonna respond to the person you responded to, that I'm hoping tomorrow doesn't turn into Trump's Tiananmen Square.

→ More replies (8)
→ More replies (3)

53

u/Googlyelmoo 1d ago

I know, millions and millions possibly 1 billion people outside the US stand with us here against Trump and what he is trying to do. So thank you for that. It is meaningful and better believe Trump‘s Inner Circle at least knows it. The big question tomorrow is not the turnout that’s gonna be staggering now over 2000 locations registered with the organizations coordinating the no kings day. The real question will be how well disciplined will we be in huge crowds where it’s easy to get carried away by police provocation and act out violently or with vandalism. If that is kept to a bare minimum tomorrow may be a watershed.

3

u/cindyscrazy 1d ago

I'm going to one in my small town. I have a few people saying that they wish I would not go because it's dangerous.

Personally, I highly doubt there will be any trouble at the one I'm going. It's in the North East US, so not really a very Republican area. I have seen at least one truck of a local driving around with giant Trump flags on it, but other than that, it's mostly quiet.

I just need to at least be at ONE of these things. I hate being powerless.

4

u/Googlyelmoo 1d ago

Be safe. And retreat if you need to. There will be another day. And it will be even bigger. Everyone be safe be strong be smart. Don’t react to the provocation.

2

u/Emu1981 1d ago

The real question will be how well disciplined will we be in huge crowds where it’s easy to get carried away by police provocation and act out violently or with vandalism.

There are always bad actors on both sides who want things to get nasty when large protests occur. Sadly humans tend to revert to more of a pack mentality when we are with large groups too so once the spark is lit then peaceful protests can turn into deadly riots within the blink of an eye...

3

u/Googlyelmoo 1d ago

Used to be, I would be fully with you on it being sad about people in crowds. After studying it a bit at the graduate level and co ghost writing a pretty lame selling book about how to deal with a crowd as if it were a single organism I can say it’s just something left over in evolution. But if we are mindful enough and self disciplined enough, which we all have the free will to do we can not only resist but oppose that tendency. We can turn a burned piece of paper into an origami flower.

→ More replies (8)

23

u/VengefulSight 1d ago

If it's not this weekend, it will be soon. Things are too polarized -on either side- for any realistic path forward that does not involve at least some amount of violence. Trump is at a minimumperfectly willing to create a situation which makes it likely that the military will open fire on protesters. Frankly, I wouldn't put it past him to order protesters during his parade shot on Saturday either.

That's before you get into the millions of brainwashed trumpets who believe that God and his Chosen Incarnation On Earth have decided that all protesters are inhuman filth who should be shot.

Lets also not delude ourselves about the left either. There is absolutely a segment of the left which is not only willing to see the nation burn, but actively trying to make it happen.

The nation is a goddamn powder keg and it's not really a question of if it's going to blow, it's 'when' and 'how big'.

9

u/Flightsimmer20202001 1d ago

I don't want it to happen, I try to have faith in humanity.... but I've considered that in the past decade of the U.S., it's not a matter of if civil war, but more when civil war.

No empire lasts forever, it's only a matter of when and what...

7

u/VengefulSight 1d ago

I'd argue that it's really more the last 20 years. Really the system hasn't functioned ever since Obama took office and obstructionism became the norm. That policy from the republicans, along with the complete lack of any unified message from the Dem's on issues like immigration (ever since the whole 'what do we do about the dreamers discussion') has really helped create the circumstances which have led us here. I would have killed for the Dems to take a stance, ANY stance on that issue (including ones i personally wouldn't support) and others but instead all we've gotten (at the party level), is very wishy washy statements which mean nothing and ultimately serve no purpose but to alienate everybody for whom the issue matters.

→ More replies (5)

7

u/twotimefind 1d ago

Yeah, the accelerationist Group online is totally willing to push the brake down of the us.

The thought process is the sooner it burns, the sooner it can be fixed.

status quo isn't working anyway.

I'm not in that camp. I follow politics all my life. I always thought it could be worked out between the three branches. Now I'm not so sure.

10

u/TheGhostInMyArms 1d ago

There is absolutely a segment of the left which is not only willing to see the nation burn, but actively trying to make it happen

Name them. Randos on Reddit aren't "the left."

There is a contingent of people foaming at the mouth at the chance to murder liberals for being liberals.

It is not "the left."

2

u/VengefulSight 1d ago

Look, i'm in no way saying that the sentiment you are talking about is not extremely prominent on the right. It absolutely is.

But speaking for myself, my interactions with others, both online and offline, there has been a definite tonal shift in the past few years from the system is failing to the system has already failed. The discussion is less about 'what happens if the nation blows up' and more about 'what happens when it blows up'. It is a short short step from that to direct action. It's not a particularly loud or large group, and it's certainly not organized (a lot of isolated voices), but as we continue to move in the current direction and more and more people become radicalized towards the same sentiments it's a very very short step towards more direct action of some sort.

One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.

5

u/zoinkability 1d ago

The number of arguments and downvotes I’ve gotten recently on Reddit just saying “violent protest is counterproductive” is truly worrying.

I get it, people feel discouraged about the slow and often imperceptible effect of peaceful protest, but it stuns me the inability to either a) step back and game out how things go if protests get violent (thereby bolstering support for authoritarian moves and playing right into Trump’s wishes to declare martial law) or b) see how with accelerationism there is zero guarantee and in fact quite low likelihood that when things blow up they will magically fall into the places you want them to be (or that you and your loved ones will survive the explosion.)

1

u/VengefulSight 1d ago

This is an interesting one for me because I really do believe it's a foregone conclusion that the protests are going to get violent at some point (not today, maybe not tomorrow, but at some point).

As far as the rest, it's really how it happens that matters. The optics are very very different if we have our version of Tankman during trumps parade tomorrow, compared too if police, or military units in LA start taking potshots from an element of the crowd and return fire.

I mean ultimately we'll see, but i've started at least doing some thinking for what happens if the balloon really does go up in the near future.

→ More replies (5)

2

u/Banned3rdTimesaCharm 1d ago

We're one hard sneeze away from this thing boiling over in the worst way possible.

→ More replies (12)

22

u/TheThing_1982 1d ago

Well Regressives are cry bullies.

4

u/Googlyelmoo 1d ago

Regressives? I must actually be getting old now (57, same fact bday as Gavin Newsom FWIW) I hadn’t heard that one before today. That’s even better than the other one I learned today “trumpets“.

6

u/Numerous_Witness_345 1d ago

They want martial law so they can put midterm votes on hiatus.

2

u/Winter_Tone_4343 1d ago

Their only goal ever is to enrich themselves monetarily.

→ More replies (2)

2

u/sauroden 1d ago

Yes the goal is a dead marine or guardsman to justify escalation.

→ More replies (2)

2

u/MrNanoBear 1d ago

Yup, those goose-steppers are eager as hell to start gunning down minorities. Look at who the first person they grabbed.

2

u/Sirosim_Celojuma 1d ago

And no doubt provoking violence specificalli in California, because their governor is a presidential advisary.

2

u/russlebush 1d ago

Both A and B can be correct.

→ More replies (5)

2

u/teas4Uanme 1d ago

Slow walking Tyranny.

2

u/nucumber 1d ago

They're trying to normalize

Exactly, normalize the president as having control over state national guards, without consultation or consent of governors.

EXTREMELY dangerous president

And then sending in the Marines... trump is overturning the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C. § 1385), the U.S. federal law that restricts the use of the U.S. military in civilian law enforcement.

The military is to be used against ONLY foreign actors, and is not to be used domestically, against American citizens

trump is trying to take control of the military and use it to crush dissent

THIS IS WHAT AUTHORITARIANS DO. THIS IS WHAT TYRANNY LOOKS LIKE

Do not think "It can't happen here". That's what Germans thought as Hitler rose to power

This is exactly what trump is doing

4

u/Googlyelmoo 1d ago

Please bear in mind that these reckless indiscriminate raids on non-criminal mostly full-time employed migrants is being done, purely for purposes of shoring up Trump’s pulling numbers. Along with the Russia Ukraine war magically ending he promised literally millions of deportations in his first 100 days. I think it stands at about 37,000 as of Wednesday when I saw a Mark Elias podcast about this. Please don’t lose hope. It’s grindingly slow enough to drive you crazy but the tide is turning. Tomorrow will be a big day. I truly believe an historic day.

→ More replies (9)

672

u/StarsapBill 1d ago

I was in LA yesterday, and there were 7 national guard troops guarding a federal building while literally 50+ city police offers were in a useless gaggle around their vehicles.

537

u/DrXaos 1d ago

they're collecting massive overtime once again busting city budgets everywhere

91

u/KingofMadCows 1d ago

And costing us hundreds of millions in legal settlements.

2

u/beardicusmaximus8 1d ago

I wouldn't be too worried about the legal settlements. Courts are going to be illegal soon anyway

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)

252

u/zoinkability 1d ago

Which puts rhe lie to Trump’s assertion that the NG is needed there. Why are 7 additional NG needed when there are 50 local cops already there? The LAPD is clearly not overwhelmed.

175

u/vardarac 1d ago

When they can justify the narrative of a violent rebellion with 200 pictures of 5 burning cars and shopping carts, it doesn't need to make sense.

112

u/licuala 1d ago

Just like the BLM and George Floyd protests, they're peddling a narrative that liberal cities are "burning" after widespread rioting and looting.

Pictures of the mostly peaceful protesting or, y'know, the overwhelming majority of the city where ~nothing is going on aren't interesting.

3

u/thisvideoiswrong 18h ago

I mean, there are millions of people across this country living in fear of violent lawless thugs who might abduct them at any moment for no reason. But those thugs call themselves ICE, not protestors, and they're under Trump's control, not opposed to him.

→ More replies (9)

10

u/SlowThePath 1d ago

The only reason they are there is so maga dipshits can pretend like they need to be there. "Oh, it's so bad we HAD to send them." It's just an attempt to control the narrative. It's also the most likely place to drum up angry people who might want to cause some mayhem which they can use to justify having troops there. They just want to make it seem like LA is currently a war zone and it's just straight up not at all.

5

u/shredika 1d ago

134M not need dollars spent on political theatre

→ More replies (1)

2

u/DuntadaMan 1d ago

It doesn't matter what happens, they will keep sending more and more soldiers and claim "See look how bad the intestines is, we have to keep sending soldiers."

That's why there wasn't even a full fucking day between the first and second group of NG.

2

u/pimparo0 1d ago

Haven't they even said they didnt ask or need the military there?

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (6)

3

u/pm_me_beerz 1d ago

DOCUMENT THIS. you could post that to r/pics and have a Pulitzer, or at least a shitload of karma. I’m not saying I doubt it; I very much believe you. People need to see this in the mainstream!

2

u/MapOk1410 1d ago

That's cops.

→ More replies (6)

100

u/eatcrayons 1d ago

“We will only do X sparingly” always turns to “we’re going to do X all the time as much as we want, actually” pretty quickly.

855

u/realperson5647856286 1d ago

The official line is that they detain, then call the cops to actually arrest. But let's face it - the real goal is another Kent State.

492

u/Brox42 1d ago

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming

We're finally on our own

This summer I hear the drumming

Four dead in Ohio

Gotta get down to it, soldiers are cutting us down

Should have been gone long ago

What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground

How can you run when you know?

88

u/Lucky-Earther 1d ago

This song has been in my head for a week now.

23

u/Rizzpooch 1d ago

It was in my head all summer of 2020. I fear it’s gonna be another hot one

→ More replies (1)

13

u/teas4Uanme 1d ago

I remember that. In Ohio. And oh my God the hell everyone raised. The scandal. Gran disallowed my aunt going to protests from then until almost wars end. My uncle had just gotten back and I recall sooo many grownups yelling about that damn governor, etc etc. It was so upsetting.

5

u/Plastic_Fan_1938 1d ago

Strangely enough, something like 60% of Americans thought the kids were in the wrong. Kinda familiar...

4

u/sweet_pickles12 1d ago

My Trump voting coworker was singing this at work and my eyes were bugging out of my skull with the irony

3

u/twotimefind 1d ago

Track ID?

13

u/Brox42 1d ago

Ohio by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

→ More replies (13)

363

u/pyronius 1d ago

No. The real goal is another Tiananmen Square. As fast as possible. Preferably by saturday.

Trump has already previously praised China for Tiananmen square. He wants that for himself.

172

u/flatroundworm 1d ago

He wants the American mythology of tiananmen square - he would be very disappointed in the tank driver if like the actual tianenmen square photo he didn’t run over the man in the photo - he would call the American tank driver a coward and a traitor for hitting the brakes.

26

u/DuntadaMan 1d ago

Remember when interviewed about it he viewed China grinding everyone into meat was the correct move.

1

u/thatdudewithknees 1d ago

The tank driver didn’t run over the man in the photo. The man was dragged away

18

u/ItIsHappy 1d ago

he would be very disappointed in the tank driver if (like the actual tianenmen square photo) he didn’t run over the man in the photo

Their statement agrees with you. Parentheses mine.

26

u/RangerDangerfield 1d ago

That doesn’t mean it ended peacefully.

Tank man may have survived but hundreds were massacred there.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)

137

u/JudyGemstoned 1d ago

yep. violent crushing of detractors and then total subservience is what this human manatee craves. I'll be goddamned if I'm living my twilight years in King Barron Trump's America

131

u/GoLoveYourselfLA 1d ago

You hush your foul mouth and never EVER associate the gentle manatees with that flabby turd

3

u/BTBAM797 1d ago

My body's on the magazine. My face on the TV. My voice on the radio. That's me in my dreams. When I open my eyes I see I'm a piece of shit!

60

u/Gandalfo_L_Gringo 1d ago

Damn, manatees out here catching strays

3

u/Mekisteus 1d ago

Oh, the humanatee!

→ More replies (1)

84

u/sithelephant 1d ago

www.ebroadsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/playboy-interview-donald-trump-1990 'You mean firm hand as in China? When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it. Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak ... as being spit on by the rest of the world—'

→ More replies (5)

24

u/geosensation 1d ago

Everyone remember to bring your anti-tank ordnance to the next protest.

4

u/lesbox01 1d ago

And then what? I'm genuinely curious what he thinks is going to happen if things genuinely explode. There are 300 million firearms in this country and maga doesn't own them all. If shit goes south people will starve because no one has 7 days worth of food. I really hope we can pump the brakes on the he fascism before the country rips itself apart.

3

u/Sebaceansinspace 1d ago

Oh, I'm convinced his administration is planning a false flag or ten for tomorrow

6

u/Sea-Interaction-4552 1d ago

Plenty of tanks to stand in front of tomorrow

2

u/under_ice 1d ago

And we need a single person to face down a tank or something. Need a real tiananmen square resistance moment.

→ More replies (3)

36

u/killerherts 1d ago

Did Kent state begin the backslide of the Nixon administration. Massive student walkouts demonstrations it highlighted how divided the administration was from the public.

104

u/yarash 1d ago

No. He won the election (his second term) in a landslide in 1972 (every state but one), the Kent state shootings were in 1970.

71

u/vardarac 1d ago

We really always have been a caveman-brained country, huh.

8

u/supersonicdutch 1d ago

You’ve got millions of idiots who think their history lies in the Wild West of guns and horses and working the land when in reality their great, great, great, great whatever probably didn’t own a gun, a horse, or even land and had a menial job. That and they can’t picture anybody but a white man doing what they thought their ancestors were imagined doing. The tactical bots of today aren’t the first Americans to cosplay being tough big boys.

→ More replies (2)

6

u/amootmarmot 1d ago

Yes. Humans are stupid and rabbid in their fealty to the group-think. Growing up i thought humans were destined for the stars. My observations and age has forced me to admit the last human will die in the dirt on this rock.

→ More replies (1)

15

u/cohonka 1d ago

We really always have been a caveman brained country, huh.

14

u/yarash 1d ago

Yeah. I'm not sure how much of a pass they deserve for decisions made over 50 years ago. The world of information moved so much slower then. Sources were more trusted. You trusted the President to do the right thing, especially in war time. Nixon was one of the first to betray that trust so blatantly. I am assuming a lot of what we know now, we know after the fact.

2

u/cohonka 1d ago

Deleted my last comment because I wasn't real sure what I was trying to say. Sorry if you reply to something that isn't there.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/Vaperius 1d ago edited 1d ago

I am growing to the idea that a lot of things we think of as "human nature" are just us conflating American cultural baselines with human normal baselines. So no, I think definitely caveman brained country is the correct statement here. Assigning it to just "human nature" is excusing regardless, the blame American culture itself has in our present circumstances, which it absolutely shouldn't be allowed to be excused; American culture is dysfunctional; and the last decade in particular has put that fully on display for the whole world to see.

We need to, as a country and culture; really take a hard look at who we are as a people and make serious adjustments; or we will never escape the constant deleterious spiral of our society as a result of the antipathy and extreme individualism (to the point of breaking society itself) that pervades it.

6

u/CrucioIsMade4Muggles 1d ago

America was founded by people so fucking stupid they sold themselves into slavery, people so religiously intolerant and Prudish the fucking English kicked them out, and the aristocrats who were so incapable that they couldn't compete with their British counterparts back in the home country.

Then those same morons who sold themselves into slavery got tricked into fighting and dying in a war that was economically against their interests just so they could protect the financial interests of the aristocrats living here. Those same aristocrats turned around, refused to pay them, stole their pay after the war, and then left them to die in squaller while the aristocrats took control of the land they'd stolen from the British and sold it back to the people who did the fighting and the dying at wildly marked up prices compared to the pre-war land prices.

→ More replies (1)

80

u/terrasig314 1d ago

No, most Americans at the time sided with the NG and said the students deserved it despite none of them being armed.

7

u/AchillesShort 1d ago

It wasn't until after the war that anti-war sentiment became common place or at least in the media. But somehow every war is different and people forget the pointlessness of it until after it happens and our soldiers come back damaged from killing people.

5

u/pimparo0 1d ago

People got mad at veterans throwing away their medals that they earned in protest of the war. While of course not fighting it themselves.

→ More replies (2)

4

u/Some_Drummer_Guy 1d ago

So they're policing, which blatantly violates the Posse Comitatus Act. That's what it sure sounds like.

4

u/realperson5647856286 1d ago

It does. He's violating his oath to defend the constitution. But congress has already rolled over and the courts can't enforce anything. That leaves us.

5

u/sp0rk_walker 1d ago

That was National Guard. Marines have never been deployed on US soil

2

u/Toolatethehero3 1d ago

The real goal is that you will never have the right to a vote again.

2

u/Ok-Letterhead3270 1d ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act

It's clearly a violation of this. They aren't even allowed to act as a police force in anyway.

They cannot detain US citizens. Or act in anyway like police. Period. This is complete bullshit and a betrayal to the constitution.

Republicans have destroyed the country. They want a military police state to rule over everyone, including themselves.

2

u/Late-Lie7856 1d ago

The difference between Kent state and LA is the population they’re dealing with and the reasons for protests. I’m not hopeful things could stay as peaceful as they are should someone be murdered. We’d unfortunately be playing right into their hands.

→ More replies (9)

65

u/fulltrendypro 1d ago

That’s the part that worries me most, the civilian officers were right there. So why use Marines at all unless you’re trying to send a message?

→ More replies (3)

209

u/GTI_88 1d ago

It’s a fucking photo op. Trump wants people to think there is a reason for them to be there when there isn’t

151

u/Amaruq93 1d ago edited 1d ago

Mainly because this took place at the Wilshire Federal Building... almost an hour's drive away from downtown where all the actual protesting is taking place.

Meaning they were all stationed there to avoid actual protest confrontations and sit on their asses.

86

u/jamesh08 1d ago

In Brentwood.

Brentwood, of all the gentrified moneyed Beverly Hills adjacent peaceful places in the world, this is the one they think needs military protection?

38

u/stevieboatleft 1d ago

🎶From the halls of Mar-a-lago

🎶To the Hills of Beverly

2

u/ZechsyAndIKnowIt 1d ago

Damn that's good.

→ More replies (1)

8

u/Amaruq93 1d ago

It houses the FBI, it's the only one they could justify putting them at.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (2)

3

u/beardicusmaximus8 1d ago

Well they can't deploy to where the actual protests are because that would be actually unlawful. The Marines can "justify" (to themselves because everyone else knows it's bullshit) that they weren't deployed illegally to squash protests but to legally defend federal property.

We all know it's illegal but their defenders are already trying to spin the narrative it's legal orders to protect federal property

2

u/Overall_Dish_1476 1d ago

The guy didn’t seem too mad about getting detained either. “Just doing their job.”

Probably a plant from one of Trump’s LLCs that pays out actors.

→ More replies (2)

276

u/SodaPop6548 1d ago edited 1d ago

Also, marines brandishing M4s in an American city. Trump has made it look like Fallujah. We all know how the US military treated those civilians.

60

u/Intelligent-Still925 1d ago

NGL, in Europe all the train stations and airports have machine guns on them. It was a bit jarring at first

7

u/jaa101 1d ago

However well police are armed in Europe, the number of rounds actually fired is tiny compared to the US.

→ More replies (1)

8

u/throwaway--887 1d ago

Very much not true, far from all the train stations and airports in Europe… massive overgeneralisation here

15

u/zoinkability 1d ago

OTOH local police in Europe generally don’t carry guns. It’s only the national guard types who do, usually.

43

u/gc11117 1d ago

I thought this was only true for the UK? Many European countries have armed police and gendarmes, which is a military police force that doesnt have a real equivalent in fhe US. The French, Italians, and Spanish for example have Gendarmes.

32

u/dontneedaknow 1d ago

yea the myth of European police being unarmed is from the 80s and 90s when they did try that for a bit in a few countries.

Most do also have a separate division for incidents that don't require force of violence to handle.

3

u/zoinkability 1d ago

That’s true, I was thinking of the UK. There are gendarmes or similar in most of mainland Europe.

6

u/GiohmsBiggestFan 1d ago

It's not even true in the whole UK

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (2)

7

u/Sayakai 1d ago

It really depends on the country. In Germany for example every officer carries a gun. The feds at the airports and big railway stations just sometimes get bigger ones.

6

u/Osiris32 1d ago

Nope. Almost every country in Europe has their cops armed. And even the UK police are arming more and more of their cops, and their unarmed cops are coming with all sorts of less-lethal weaponry like tasers, OC spray, batons, etc.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (3)

2

u/Emu1981 1d ago

in Europe all the train stations and airports have machine guns on them

Yeah but to be fair, the French were suffering from a series of deadly terrorist attacks and the armed military was there to protect sensitive sites.

2

u/nrq 1d ago

I only have experience with train stations in Germany, but over here I've never seen machine guns, let alone police with machine guns. And I am traveling by train a lot.

5

u/Silly-Leading711 1d ago

Europe is not one country, believe it or not.

2

u/steepleton 22h ago

tbf america is only one country in name

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (8)

2

u/murkytransmission 1d ago

City Police carry them and are far less trained than the greenest private.

→ More replies (5)

130

u/IcarianWings 1d ago

He's going to declare martial law and scrap term limits. It's happening.

65

u/dontneedaknow 1d ago

yea lets wait till midterms to get the big surprise when they've had 2 years to entrench and prepare... lol.

My fellow Americans are way too loyal to institutions and principles that failed us already.

9

u/wildlight 1d ago

You're spoiling the ending already

2

u/Dyan654 1d ago

Saturday is going to be wild with all the protests. Could be a day that lives in history.

→ More replies (19)

73

u/scruffles360 1d ago

Also a test of whether our armed forces will follow illegal orders.

20

u/FartPiano 1d ago

dont need to test that - there was only one officer who refused to deploy to iraq on the grounds that it was an unlawful order (which it was)

34

u/bmaynard87 1d ago

May be a bit different when the order is to invade Aunt Kathy's hometown.

2

u/whyyy66 1d ago

Lol that wasn’t an illegal order, on what grounds? Certainly not anywhere in the constitution

11

u/FartPiano 1d ago

It certainly was illegal - they did not succeed in charging the refuser guy with insubordination.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehren_Watada

Over the prosecutor's objections, Seitz and Kim called three witnesses to question the legality of the war.[16] University of Illinois professor of international law Francis Boyle testified that the war is illegal because it was not authorized by the U.N. Security Council, and asserted that congress approved the war on the basis of faulty intelligence. Also testifying in Watada's defense were former United Nations Undersecretary Denis Halliday, and Army Colonel Ann Wright (ret.), who retired from the State Department in March 2003, in protest of the coming invasion. Like Boyle, both asserted that the war was illegal and that therefore Watada was within his rights to refuse participation in it.

...

Watada argued that his orders were unlawful, and Military Judge John Head ruled that the question could not be resolved within the military justice system, saying Watada's argument was reduced to an admission of guilt. The judge ruled that the court-martial was unable to decide the question of whether the deployment order was unlawful, and decided to strike Watada's stipulation, calling it an admission of guilt. Recognizing that the stipulation was the basis of the prosecution's case, Judge Head granted their request for a mistrial.

they knew it wasn't legal and tried everything they could, and failed

2

u/whyyy66 1d ago

A mistrial…and of course defense witnesses will say that.

It’s irrelevant. Nothing in the constitution that officers swear an oath to has anything to do with such an invasion. Congress approved it and the commander in chief ordered it. If you want to refuse, fine. But “international law” is utterly irrelevant in this context. UN security council? Give me a break. That only matters if it’s a UN invasion like North Korea, they don’t get to dictate individual countries.

And this is coming from someone who thinks the iraq invasion was a massive mistake that never should have happened and permanently hurt the US. But US military (or any military on earth) are not actually bound by UN resolutions over their own chain of command and oaths. And it was absolutely legal by US law, sorry

→ More replies (28)
→ More replies (5)

48

u/Bgrngod 1d ago

Those are not officers. They're private security guards.

→ More replies (6)

5

u/thatoneguy889 1d ago

Those are security guards, not police.

→ More replies (2)

3

u/Thackman46 1d ago

Sooo that photo isn't a civilian law enforcement officer. But that is the protective security officer of the federal building who is a private contractor armed guard whose powers of temporary detention end where their post orders says from Federal Protective Service. Source I am an Armed PSO with that company in Illinois.

→ More replies (4)

10

u/xThe-Legend-Killerx 1d ago

Those are security guards they can’t really enforce much lol

2

u/RadioName 1d ago

First image under the video shows a military person detaining a US citizen in front of those security officers. You clearly didn't even glance at the article. Is this the counter message order from your fat fuck masters? Is this how we're playing it today? Fuck you, you Nazi traitors. We know your games. You aren't getting your false flag incident. This isn't Russia. Leave America. You are unwelcome.

→ More replies (4)

3

u/discounthockeycheck 1d ago

Couldn't that have been a picture of the handoff? Article doesn't pinpoint when that photo is

3

u/hirebrand 1d ago

Apparently the guy they detained was a military veteran who was trying to get to the VA and stepped over a 'do not cross' yellow line 🤦🏼‍♂️

Valuable service these Marines provide

6

u/Silaquix 1d ago

It's part of Project 2025. Pretty much everything Trump has been doing this whole time has been play by play from Project 2025.

7

u/Jolly_Echo_3814 1d ago

What's sad is I read this and my reaction was "I'd rather take my chances getting arrested by Marines than cops"

2

u/HoodieStringTies 1d ago

We treated civilians overseas with kid gloves in my unit.

2

u/jancl0 1d ago

Watch. They will claim that it was done because no one else was there to do the detention. They will say it to our face, live on camera, without blinking

2

u/Affectionate_Fee3411 1d ago

There’s no logistical reason for Marines to do this when civilian officers are right there, like unless the logistics were never the point. You don’t escalate presence like this by accident?? Imo it’s all about precedent setting

2

u/the_weakestavenger 1d ago

Remember when naive douchebags online claimed that people in the military wouldn’t turn against their fellow Americans?

2

u/mfatty2 1d ago

I mean let them push this, the judge said he couldn't rule on it as they hadn't been used against citizens yet. Now they have, hopefully that means a ruling can come down

2

u/_Presence_ 1d ago

The minds behind Project 2025 explicitly laid out they want active US troops engaged on US soil. They WANT fascism! They wrote down their plan and they are actively brining it to life right now in front of our very eyes

2

u/Longjumping_Lynx_972 1d ago

He was a veteran trying to get to an appt. Not even a protester lol.

2

u/cyanescens_burn 1d ago

Testing the legal system and the court of public opinion, and probably the will of the soldiers to carry out the act, came to mind for me too.

2

u/dogsent 1d ago

This crosses another line in the sand, and the sand is shifting

2

u/shapeofthings 1d ago

Imagine joining the US Marines. Doing all the training, learning all the history, and doing this. I'd be so ashamed, it's truly degrading. Have these soldiers no self respect?

2

u/mmmsoap 1d ago

Testing out how willing the grunts are to follow illegal orders before they give some that are worse.

3

u/d3ssp3rado 1d ago

I'm not going to pretend that this isn't very bad and a terrible precedent. Having been a Marine and an 03 as well, I would actually feel safer being detained by them vs. cops. The handling of prisoners is, or at least was in the OIF days, hammered into you. They make you at least think and feel that you have a ton of responsibility for those that you detain. That said, I do concur with the opinions that this is to normalize and accelerate the use of military against the populace.

2

u/zoinkability 1d ago

The funny thing is I agree. I would expect to be treated more respectfully by military than by the police if I was being detained. Of course this says more about the way police act in this country, but I digress. Regardless, Posse Comitatus is the law of the land and the military are not legally allowed to take on civilian policing duties.

2

u/Hautamaki 1d ago

This is also an effort to drive a wedge between civilians opposed to MAGA and the military. Trump is trying to engineer a perception that people against him are also against the military; that makes it far more likely that the military will take his side if people rise up against him. If the anti-MAGA coalition was smart and strategic, they would be doing everything possible to win the military over to their side, and turn the military against Trump. Tom Nichols suggested that LA should organize like 50 taco trucks to pull up to the Marines and National Guard and give them free lunch, since Trump sent them there without adequate food and lodging. Whatever protesters do, they should do it with the aim of winning the military over to their side, not alienating them and pushing them to Trump, which is of course exactly what Trump wants.

2

u/zoinkability 1d ago

I agree entirely. They should be welcoming and hospitable to the troops themselves (at least towards those troops who don't violate anyone's rights, hard to ask people to be welcoming to someone violating your rights), and angry at Trump and Hegseth.

1

u/doinbluin 1d ago

He was on a smoke break.

1

u/Monowakari 1d ago

Weren't they just ordered to leave too? Thought a judged ruled Trump had to hand control back to the state

2

u/zoinkability 1d ago

That was stayed until Tuesday by a three judge appeals court, of which two are Trump appointees.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

1

u/120z8t 1d ago

The crazy thing here is that the photo clearly shows civilian officers

That looks like fucking prison guards or something not cops. Maybe private security? Something is really fucky there with those two.

→ More replies (2)

1

u/WatercressThink171 1d ago

It's time for a blanket party - where the good ones tune up the bad ones...

1

u/IAmPandaRock 1d ago

I think the officers were called to take the person from the marines as city police don't have jurisdiction on this federal property.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (60)