Shot in the Dark

Desperately Seeking

Twin Cities media – in this case, the “Minnesota Reformer”, aka “MN Monitor 4.0” – is apparently still hoping for the FBI to charge “Umbrella Man” with destroying or damaging 700 buildings last year.

I’m sorry. That was snarky.

I’ll try again.

They are apparently still awaiting formal confirmation that Umbrella Man led a horde of “white supremacists” who managed to damage 700 buildings, while leaving not so much as a single swastika or “14 Words” refernce – being simultaneously a bunch of brain-damaged losers and operatives with Mossad-level fieldcraft skills. .

Updates as the situation warrants.

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Mitch Berg

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48 responses to “Desperately Seeking”

  1. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    As I recall – always an iffy proposition – within days of the deed, the Umbrella Man was pegged as a St Paul police officer. Picture and everything.

    Always seemed odd to me that the video of the guy doing the deed at the auto parts store and then as he walked away. I mean, nothing was happening riot-wise until the Umbrella Man released the People’s Rage. And there was someone right there, johnny on the spot, to film the Key Event of the Entire Riot. And then, as the Umbrella Man walks away, the ones trailing and filming him, just stop doing both after a 100 yards or so.

  2. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    Well, snark is your worst look Mitch, such that you might want a solid opinion from outside your epistemic loop.  And I’m sure you don’t…

    Minnesota Reformer is the best digest of its type (lefty news-zine) that’s come about here, btw.  It’s pro journalism, not even close to Mn Monitor or Daily Planet or whatever.  That Umbrella Man article is a very decent article among many they’ve done.  It’s almost right down the middle in journalistic temperament.  An article on the topic by someone is warranted, no?  Cuz it was a thing, it’s newsworthy  They are doing better reporting here than the Strib.  They commonly do better reporting than the Strib.  And it’s not exceedingly biased, even though they are lefties.  Here they are asking, why is the City cutting quarter million dollar checks to gangs to be “security” at George Floyd Square?

    https://minnesotareformer.com/2021/06/09/cities-turn-to-community-groups-whose-vetting-training-are-unclear/

    I’d grant that their desire and subsequent projection is for the white supremacist angle to have a more solid foundation of reality, generally, as a lot of our urban lefties do.  But the Umbrella Man does firm up the observation that righty accelerationists made their way down there right away to stir things up.  That guy… he ain’t no lefty.

    JDM – Umbrella Man’s ID as a StP cop was a social media thing in the say ensuing 72 hours.  It was conclusively disproved

  3. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    A Somali called in and “tipped” the biker guy who had been accused of giving a Somali woman stink eye in Stillwater the week before.

  4. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    ^ Serious Q: what’s your source for that?  I haven’t found a place to read the full warrant.

    I do think it’s superficially a very weak claim the Aryan Cowboy in Stillwater would be Umbrella man.  The link that they bank there is supposed to be “racism”.

  5. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    That guy… he ain’t no lefty

    And this is based on exactly what?

  6. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    ^It’s a judgment that his attributes we can discern are righty accelerationist rather than lefty activist / revolutionary.

  7. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    Who’s this we? You got a mouse in your pocket?

  8. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    Hypothetical “we” that is inclusive to whoever would discuss.

    Guy has the look and feel of a righty accelerationist. If you want to claim different, go ahead. I predict it as a weak claim. White, dirtbag left rioters have a different look and feel.

  9. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    It wouldn’t be any weaker than your ever so typical naked assertions.

  10. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    Then make a stand on an observation.

    Me (and others) sizing the guy up as righty on his appearance and manner with no other evidence isn’t very solid. We could be wrong. Very decent chance there.

    It remains a better guess that he’s a righty, based on his appearance and mannerisms on the phone vid, than he’s a lefty.

  11. mjb003 Avatar
    mjb003

    I am still of the belief that umbrella man and some of the rioters really have no political affiliation, probably don’t even vote, and just like chaos. It also seems to be mostly college kids from the suburbs who got got on video burning, looting and destroying. They probably have the belief that mom and dad will take care of them and that the places they destroyed were neighborhoods that no one cared about. Don’t know their family situation, but the later assumption true-at least from the perspective of MSP ruling class. Destroyed neighborhoods were places slated for “redevelopment” but always with the challenge of “how do we legally boot out these minority owned business owners?” No one stopped them because the city ultimately didn’t care. If Umbrella Man was politically affiliated, he could have easily been on any side- could have just as easily been Mayor Frey, a white supremacist, a radical leftist, or a police officer. There is a lot of talk of their differences, but I am not sure the first three are mutually exclusive.

  12. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    Make a stand? I don’t know.

    False flag operations are common enough. The culprits behind the Reichstag Fire are still unknown but considered to be Nazis because the Nazis benefited. Or took advantage.

    Who benefited or took advantage of the riots? The progressive (aka anarchist) left. I find the notion of a small coterie of leftists, professionally trained to be used as catalysts, or matches if you will, to be just as compelling as declaring the Umbrella Man to be a righty because of his appearance and mannerisms.

  13. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    Minnesota Reformer is the best digest of its type (lefty news-zine) that’s come about here, btw

    Both things:

    • The “Reformer” has some redeeming journalistic value (sort of like Steve Perry-era City Pages
    • they are yet another Potemkin leftyjourno village floated by “prog” plutocrats with deep pockets, just like the first three editions of the MinnMon (aka the “Monitor”, the “Mindy” and “MinnPost”)

    …can be simultaneously true.

  14. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    Me (and others) sizing the guy up as righty on his appearance and manner with no other evidence isn’t very solid. We could be wrong. Very decent chance there.

    His “politics” (or supposed politics) are much less important than the fact the Big Left desperately wants to have a non-upper-middle-class child of Urban Progressive Privilege to blame for the destruction of two largely immigrant/POC business districts.

  15. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    Mitch @ 10:15

    I think that’s a true and/or quality observation. That’s a thing.

  16. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    Jesus, Kraephammer, it was a Lefty protest that had turned violent the previous day. That is prima Facie evidence that the umbrella man was a Lefty.
    Next you’ll be telling us that Hitler loved the Jews.
    But this is America, you are allowed to have an idiotic, unsupported position.

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/minneapolis-police-identify-man-suspected-of-inciting-violence-11595972184

  17. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    The umbrella was masked. I knew the story was a stinkeroo when the proud lefty police woman who served the warrant said there was an incredible resemblance between umbrella man and the suspect, especially around the eyebrows.
    That is some high grade comedy, right there.

  18. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    ^ No one’s got prima facie evidence on anything.

    The ‘free shit for everyone’ and the whole thing resembling an op are, I think and argue, artifacts of the guy being boog and righty more so than left and antifa.

    I will not be shocked to be wrong on this if we ever find out for sure.  I could be wrong.  But I think it’s a better guess than he was Antifa.

    It wasn’t a good affidavit or warrant.  You could say it was tainted by the politics of that moment.

  19. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    John Kraephammer on June 10, 2021 at 10:33 am said:

    ^ No one’s got prima facie evidence on anything.
    You should reconsider.
    Leftists are rioting. If you are one of the rioters, that is prima facie evidence that you are a leftist. No matter what barbie-cop sez about his eyebrows.
    The poor bastard. The one facial feature he did not hide was his eyebrows, and that’s how they ID’d him.

  20. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    “Leftists are rioting. If you are one of the rioters, that is prima facie evidence that you are a leftist.”

    Nope. Bad statement.

  21. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    Well, then you lack the capacity to use the human power of reason, JK. Good thing you have a job that doesn’t require that!
    For my part, if Umbrella Man is arrested and is identified as part of a White Supremacy group, well my position is gonna be that’s not prima facie evidence of anything. After all, the guy could be a L Wing informant or provacateur who is only masquerading as a white supremacist.
    TDS appears to cause permanent brain damage.

  22. justplainangry Avatar
    justplainangry

    Wrong: Leftists are rioting. If you are one of the rioters, that is prima facie evidence that you are a leftist.

    Right: It remains a better guess that he’s a righty, based on his appearance and mannerisms on the phone vid, than he’s a lefty.

    Logic…exit stage left.

  23. Bill C Avatar
    Bill C

    The ‘free shit for everyone’ and the whole thing resembling an op are, I think and argue, artifacts of the guy being boog and righty more so than left and antifa.

    I’m no militia member nor “boogaloo boy”, but in my reading of their ideals, the right wing militia members aren’t out for “free stuff”. The vast majority of them aren’t looking to “start” anything. Especially not on a “destroy private property” level. Lots of them live prepper lifestyles and are “keeping their powder dry”, so to speak. They’re mostly waiting for the leftist/governmental oppression to get to the point of weapons confiscation, or for the violence to come to their door. To me, that says umbrella man was either a leftist clever enough to carry an umbrella to hide from security cameras, or a paid actor who didn’t care either way, but was getting paid to bust some windows with likely little to no consequence.

  24. justplainangry Avatar
    justplainangry

    Bill, there you go with logic and facts, but logic and facts will always be beat by a better guess that he’s a righty, based on his appearance and mannerisms on the phone vid dontchaknow?

  25. Bill C Avatar
    Bill C

    Keep in mind: “You owe me/I want my free stuff” is not the way “righties” think or live. That’s wholly a leftist tenet. It’s the basis of why the right detests government that takes from the haves and gives to the have-nots, and vice versa.

    Was umbrella man seen carrying loot? Or was he just seen breaking windows?

    Again, as Mitch has repeatedly pointed out. In all of the rioting and vandalism that has occurred since St Floyd of Fentanyl expired, there has not been one picture published showing “righty/white supremacy” graffiti. It has ALL been leftist/anti-cop/anti-Trump. Given the propensity of the media, if something was photographed that was identifiably “right wing”, it would have been narrative-supporting front page news for days.

  26. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    I interpret the “free shit for everyone” thing as an ideological hint of what Umbrella Man thinks of the neighborhood residents / rioters.  There was a regular in the SiTD blog threads here who commented almost daily his belief that urban blacks were mostly interested in free shit.  That’s what I mean when I say the mannerisms were artifacts of… specific righty worldview, ideology, etc.

    Or yes, it’s just straight up Marxist leftist…  I find this jdm @9:59 characterization almost as possible: “I find the notion of a small coterie of leftists, professionally trained to be used as catalysts, or matches if you will, to be just as compelling as declaring the Umbrella Man to be a righty because of his appearance and mannerisms.”

  27. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    You guys and your ‘prima facie’ belief in righty logic.  I watched a year go by and nary any of you get any analysis of the trial itself right. Oooo, Ellison is scared this is such a weak case, oooo, Ellison is losing, oooo, Chauvin will be acquitted because it’s an overcharge…..

  28. kinlaw Avatar
    kinlaw

    kraphead at 12:37: “oh sh*t, I better change the subject, I am getting my ass handed to me. Who said you could use facts and logic? Not fair!

  29. kinlaw Avatar
    kinlaw

    Bill, my only quibble with this:

    “”Given the propensity of the media, if something was photographed that was identifiably “right wing”, it would have been narrative-supporting front page news for days.””

    Is that it wouldn’t have been just “days”. Hours and hours every night for a year.

  30. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    The dude was dressed like Black Bloc, and he used Black Bloc tactics (breaking windows, pray painting slogans).
    According to JK, this does not mean that at first appearance he is a Lefty.
    Good grief. He is TDS addled.

  31. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    ^ The eff I am, you mental has been fox news watching retiree. I’m fully capable of acknowledging other potentials and righty arguments.

  32. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    It’s your imagination that gets you in trouble, JK. In your imagination I watch Fox news (I don’t). In your imagination Umbrella Man was a righty instigator who dressed Black Bloc, used Black Bloc tactics, at a Lefty riot.
    Your imagination is not a reliable indicator or reality. No one’s imagination is. That is why it is best to look at empirical evidence until you know more.

  33. justplainangry Avatar
    justplainangry

    But… but… MO, a better guess is all that is required to trump (pardon the pun) empirical evidence!

  34. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    Probably best to go back to basics. Although the claim was made early on that they knew who the guy was and what his affiliations and beliefs were, and although it was clear he’d committed crimes, no arrests were made.

    So the police don’t know much besides the fact that the perp was dressed like Antifa and wasn’t afraid to be there. Because of that, I tend to go with the notion that he was most likely on the left.

  35. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    Are American white supremacists known for infiltrating black civil rights protests dressed as Black Bloc and inciting blacks to riot?
    Has this ever actually happened? Are the white supremacists this clever?

  36. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    Right wingers of several different types are known for joining these protest frays in numerous ways. Eg, Kyle Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse fails your prima facie test.

  37. Bill C Avatar
    Bill C

    I interpret the “free shit for everyone” thing as an ideological hint of what Umbrella Man thinks of the neighborhood residents / rioters. There was a regular in the SiTD blog threads here who commented almost daily his belief that urban blacks were mostly interested in free shit. That’s what I mean when I say the mannerisms were artifacts of… specific righty worldview, ideology, etc.

    I’m unsuccessfully in unraveling this little bit of word salad. Because (if) Umbrella Man is a boogie boy who thinks urban blacks are all about “getting free shit”, that concurs with Dr. Strunk’s comments. This means that by him breaking the ice with riotous actions, he’s still a righty who wants to open the floodgates to allow the rest of the urban blacks to riot and “get free shit”? Do I have that correctly?

    If so, that’s an AWFULLY long stretch. I’d say his mannerisms were COMPLETELY leftist, and opportunistic as well. I’d say it is FAR more likely that a leftist would go break windows to try and encourage/kick off rioting, than a righty/white supremacist.

  38. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    You bring up black bloc. I acknowledge that as a solid observation. Consider me swayed to that potential.

    I still think the other potential of him being a boog guy is also significant.

  39. Bill C Avatar
    Bill C

    Rittenhouse fails your prima facie test.

    Rittenhouse was not there to riot. He was there to help protect his uncle’s (IIRC) car dealership. The fact that he was able to use deadly force twice, in defense of his physical safety, says nothing about him wanting to riot. He wasn’t walking the streets looking for people to shoot. He was attacked 3 times, and returned deadly force twice.

  40. Bill C Avatar
    Bill C

    dammit, missed the close tag

  41. John Kraephammer Avatar
    John Kraephammer

    ^ He was a zealot there in search of confrontation. There’s barely a distinction there from ‘rioter’.

  42. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    Again, JK, your “analysis” of Ritenhouse’s motives is dependent entirely on your imagination. You people in a bad bucket or a good bucket based on your irrational belief in your ability to read minds, and they can never go from one bucket to another because you discount any evidence that you put them in the wrong bucket, and believe any evidence that you have put them in the correct bucket.
    This leads to poor decision making, and bigotry (bigotry meaning strongly holding to poorly reasoned opinions).

  43. Bill C Avatar
    Bill C

    He was a zealot there in search of confrontation

    Please provide a link stating this as a verifiable fact. As MO says, your preconceived notions don’t make it truth. Most of the articles I read said he was there to help protect his uncle’s car dealership inventory from the violence that was going to erupt in protest of the other person the police shot. If he had slipped up and made ANY mention of the fact that he was there looking for confrontation, as I said in the previous example, you can damn well bet that the entire media complex would have made that 24/7 headline news for days or weeks.

  44. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    Regarding the comments made, given the leftist things I’ve seen over the past 20 years or so in Occupy and Antifa riots, it’s entirely plausible to me to think that a leftist would say that. It’s especially so when we consider that many thought they knew who he was, but he wasn’t arrested. Arresting a Occupy/Antifa type would have destroyed the narrative.

    Having trouble, though, seeing any parallel between Mr. Rittenhouse and this guy. Um, guy goes (rightly or wrongly, in my view wrongly) to protect his uncle’s car dealership with a gun, and that’s equivalent to walking up to someone else’s business and starting to destroy it? Huh?

    JK, let’s work a little bit on your comparisons.

  45. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    I think, therefore I am. -Descartes

    I think it’s so, therefore it is. -Modern Liberal

    You guys are wasting your time.

  46. jdm Avatar
    jdm

    “It isn’t so much that liberals are ignorant. It’s just that they know so many things that aren’t so.”

  47. Maximum Overlord Avatar
    Maximum Overlord

    BTW, if you go to antifa friendly websites & BBS’s, you’ll find that they lie about Leftist violence you witness in the media in terms that are downright Stalinist. The violence they admit to is always a reluctant response to police violence. Or secret police violence, they say that the cops have sekrit undercover units that mingle with peaceful protesters and provoke the non-undercover cops by throwing rocks and other things at them, or by lighting fires. Also there are white supremacist provacateurs, they say, who are capable of acting with greater discipline and secrecy than any actual white supremacist group has ever achieved.
    They believe that most Americans agree with their goals, and these goals would be achieved quickly if weren’t for the reactionary elements spawned by captalism. They do not believe that the enemies of antifa are acting out of ignorance of antifa’s true, humanitarian nature. They believe that journalists & politicians who are their enemies are part of a vast capitalist conspiracy of evil human beings who know that antifa is good, but choose to attack antifa anyway because they are evil.

  48. Night Writer Avatar
    Night Writer

    I remember the videos of the Prague Spring and Velvet Revolution protests. Lots of secret police there, dressed as protesters. The thing is, those “plain-clothes” weren’t stirring up the army or riot police, or exhorting other protesters to do the same. Instead they were going in after the protesters, grabbing, kicking and beating them, then dragging them into vans – no doubt for medical treatment. Those in power don’t want to encourage dissent, but stifle it, and in the most brutal and “educational” manner available.

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