It has become obvious there were two groups reacting to George Floyd’s death. His family/friends/supporters who wanted wanted answers from government and were exercising their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble and petition for redress of grievances; and the Antifa, looking to cause trouble.
Antifa has been very careful – there have been no homes destroyed, nobody killed, no personal danger. They are destroying businesses to protest capitalism’s exploitation of low income and minority people.
Except . . . most businesses carry insurance and most of those policies cover “civil unrest” which means Antifa is really striking at insurance companies. Fine, they’re capitalist organizations, they deserve it.
Except insurance companies spread their risk over multiple lines – home, auto, business – so if the company takes a hit in the business line, they can cover it by raising rates in the home and auto lines. Which means Antifa is really attacking every home owner and car owner in Minnesota. Fine, they’re rich capitalist pigs, they deserve it, too.
Except . . . remember all those programs to help low income and minorities into homes? The escalator to wealth? The first step on the ladder? Those homes were all purchased with loans that require the homeowner to maintain insurance. For wealthy homeowners, no problem, pay the higher rates. But for marginal homeowners, it’s an issue. And it’s a bigger issue in the time of Covid, when minority and low income people have been laid off in higher numbers. Which means Antifa is really attacking low income and minority homeowners.
I know, it takes effort to understand your actions have effects which are SEEN and also effects which are UNSEEN. it takes effort to see the ripple effect of Black homelessness downstream from burning some schmuck’s bar. It takes effort to redirect your actions into productive, positive, beneficial work instead of mindless destruction.
But failure to think the problem all the way through, means you end up harming the people you intended to help. That includes your supporters, like Governor Walz’ daughter Hope and Attorney General Ellison.
Joe Doakes
We’ll need to revisit this in ten years, when the DFL power structure wonders where the &^%^% their tax base went.
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