Presumably, ICE released Ross's footage to bolster their version of events. Something Vance doubles down on. Obviously the self-defence argument does not stand up. Vance knows what the footage shows. ICE knows they haven't got a leg to stand on. And Ross knows he shot in anger, not defence. There is no good faith here, no honest disagreement. It's an exercise in outright cynicism. Only but the most gullible, those who've willingly surrendered their faculties to Trump's misinformation machine are going to believe it. But the lie isn't about shoring up the base, giving activists lines-to-take on social media. It's much worse.
For Vance, his lie is a weapon. Not of misinformation, but as a demonstration of power. It shows that he cannot be called to account, no one can correct him, and that the administration he's (formally) integral to can say and do what they like with impunity. This is important because, along with filling the zone with shit, the brutality and brutalism of Trump's regime is based on shock and awe. We have military spectaculars abroad, and the lawless violence of a state-funded militia for domestic consumption. Particularly in those places that have the temerity to vote for Democrats. In seeming to be beyond democratic checking and reason, murderous violence and brazenly lying about it is supposed to frighten people, cow them, demobilise, and push millions into resigned pessimism. Vance and co. know the polls are against them, but if most opposition-minded people are sufficiently fearful, what are they going to do about it? The lie stands for unaccountability. Its obscenity can stand because no one can cast it down. It's a goad, an insult Vance and ICE are rubbing in the public's face.
Such is the political use of the bare-faced lie. But relying on arms for political power is never the safe bet in the long-term. And the lie, which emotes power, also issues a challenge. Are you going to stand for this? Vance and friends need to be careful, because sooner or later enough Americans will say "No".
Image Credit
5 comments:
Agreed. Ross’ body cam footage was released because it contradicts Vance’s statement, not in spite of that fact. The unaccountability is the point. ‘What are you going to do about it?’
This is convincing about people in power like Vance. I don’t understand why people like Penny Mordaunt on Times Radio - who has no power - equivocates on this incident. Don’t really understand the Times and other right wing outlets inability to call out outright lies and cynicm, but deciding to normalise it?
As Chico once said to Groucho Marx, 'I can believe you or I can believe my eyes'. It appears 39% believe Groucho Vance. I suppose if the Trump base begin to doubt Vance or Trump or Rubio or Miller on one 'fact' then it all that is solid for them might melt. Who would want to be taken for a fool? Better to believe that ICE/Brownshirts are defending the Republic from a dangerous, unarmed mother in SUVs.
It's pure supplication, of course.
The UK (and to a large extent Europe) made the terrible error of outsourcing their military security to the USA at bargain basement prices. Now that the USA has gone fully rogue, the real bill comes due. Hereditary social elites understand this.
It's a serious effort to test whether or not the US public can be shocked out of their complacency. "Hey white suburbanites, we can unaccountably murder you too. Just like we've been openly doing to black people since forever."
The next stage in the game of chicken, if white suburbanites with morals are willing to play it, is to test whether or not the Blackshirts are capable of openly murdering them in sufficient numbers to suppress serious dissent. Odds are that the 39% figure is a number which can only move in one direction, so successful escalation would soon force the regime into needing Soviet levels of information control in order to hold on. (Of course they intend to achieve that control if they can, but probably are some way off doing so, even with the supplication of the techbros.)
Post a Comment