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Is Stephen Miller Trying to Incite Violence From the Left to Justify Further Crackdowns?
Is Stephen Miller Trying to Incite Violence From the Left to Justify Further Crackdowns?PASTEMAGAZINE.COM
By Shane Ryan | June 22, 2018 | 9:58am
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty
https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/06/is-stephen-miller-trying-to-incite-violence-from-t.html
Why did Stephen Miller, and in fact, Kirstjen Nielsen, eat out in public in Mexican restaurants?
But why? Was it just to be a pain in the ass, or because he couldn’t resist his own private joke?
Maybe. But when you consider Miller’s past—his history of “triggering” liberals by various means—it’s clear that the fundamental goal of his political life has been sowing division between the American left and right. The idea itself is inherently fascist, in that he wants a crystal-clear division between sides, and wants his side to become ascendant. This is somebody who has always been far ahead of the polarization trend in America—he didn’t just see it coming, he had a vision for where it could go. And that vision, though it’s beginning to clarify, is still something we can’t fully imagine. Our best guess, knowing Miller, is that it’s horrible, and that his enemies will be severely punished.
The prototype for this kind of power grab, of course, is Adolf Hitler. (The anonymous White House adviser quoted above called Miller “Waffen-SS.”) And a critical part of the Nazis’ rise to power came a month after Hitler became chancellor, when a fire at the German parliament building was blamed on communists, and used by Hitler to consolidate his power and begin a series of vicious crackdowns on his opponents. It was the spark that laid the groundwork for the brutal decade to follow, and though it’s still not clear whether the Reichstag Fire was truly set by communists, or by the Nazis as a false flag, there’s no doubt that it served as an effective method to elevate Hitler above the German democracy.
Maybe. But when you consider Miller’s past—his history of “triggering” liberals by various means—it’s clear that the fundamental goal of his political life has been sowing division between the American left and right. The idea itself is inherently fascist, in that he wants a crystal-clear division between sides, and wants his side to become ascendant. This is somebody who has always been far ahead of the polarization trend in America—he didn’t just see it coming, he had a vision for where it could go. And that vision, though it’s beginning to clarify, is still something we can’t fully imagine. Our best guess, knowing Miller, is that it’s horrible, and that his enemies will be severely punished.
The prototype for this kind of power grab, of course, is Adolf Hitler. (The anonymous White House adviser quoted above called Miller “Waffen-SS.”) And a critical part of the Nazis’ rise to power came a month after Hitler became chancellor, when a fire at the German parliament building was blamed on communists, and used by Hitler to consolidate his power and begin a series of vicious crackdowns on his opponents. It was the spark that laid the groundwork for the brutal decade to follow, and though it’s still not clear whether the Reichstag Fire was truly set by communists, or by the Nazis as a false flag, there’s no doubt that it served as an effective method to elevate Hitler above the German democracy.
SNIP
In fact, I think that to understand Miller, we have to recognize the historical parallels. Why did he instigate the family separation madness, and why did he see fit to nudge liberals by eating at a Mexican restaurant so soon after his colleague’s night had been ruined doing the same? It can only be read as a larger plan to stoke liberal fury. And the minute something happens—which it very well could, because his goal of fomenting extreme anger on the left succeeded wildly, and it may be only a matter of time before that anger spills into violence—he and Trump will be ready to take the next small step toward totalitarianism.
It’s hard to gauge what that step will be, especially because it depends on the reaction they provoke. But what remains certain is that it won’t be enough to cry “fake news,” or to blame every problem on Democrats forever—eventually, those tricks will fall flat with the majority, though they would resound forever with the dyed-in-the-wool fascist element. What they’ll need instead is evidence they can take to the people to say, “look, leftists are dangerous.” All it will take is an act of violence or two for them to paint a false pattern, and then the escalating crackdowns can begin.
To this purpose, the likes of Stephen Miller are perpetrating heinous and offensive acts with the aim of enraging their opponents. I don’t mean to argue that they don’t believe in their policies—I’m sure Miller gets plenty of kicks watching children suffer, and can justify it to himself with political logic—but only that they eagerly anticipate the reaction. When civility breaks down, the powerful profit. As such, the Trump Republicans play their inciting role in the hope that a desperate, angry left will join them in the swamps of violence. It’s a game they know they can’t lose.
It’s hard to gauge what that step will be, especially because it depends on the reaction they provoke. But what remains certain is that it won’t be enough to cry “fake news,” or to blame every problem on Democrats forever—eventually, those tricks will fall flat with the majority, though they would resound forever with the dyed-in-the-wool fascist element. What they’ll need instead is evidence they can take to the people to say, “look, leftists are dangerous.” All it will take is an act of violence or two for them to paint a false pattern, and then the escalating crackdowns can begin.
To this purpose, the likes of Stephen Miller are perpetrating heinous and offensive acts with the aim of enraging their opponents. I don’t mean to argue that they don’t believe in their policies—I’m sure Miller gets plenty of kicks watching children suffer, and can justify it to himself with political logic—but only that they eagerly anticipate the reaction. When civility breaks down, the powerful profit. As such, the Trump Republicans play their inciting role in the hope that a desperate, angry left will join them in the swamps of violence. It’s a game they know they can’t lose.
11 replies
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The Reichstag fire comes to mind. This is not as big a thing as the fire, perhaps.. but definitely in the same ball park. Bait the bear. Tease the dogs. Stir up the vermin. Fascists are really good at these things. 
It's all part of the playbook.
