Federal Agents as Political Tools
📰 THE STORY: Al Jazeera reports that Donald Trump has ordered federal agents to 'stay away from protests in Democrat cities,' amidst ongoing criticism of the administration's controversial deployments and immigration crackdowns in these urban centers. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This isn't just about 'protests' or 'immigration.' This playbook is as old as COINTELPRO, the
FBI's counterintelligence program that from 1956 to 1971 systematically surveilled, infiltrated, discredited, and disrupted domestic political organizations, including civil rights groups, anti-war movements, and socialist organizations. The goal was to neutralize dissent, often targeting specific leaders and groups just as federal agents were deployed using vague mandates against diverse protest
movements in 2020. Double Standard: When governments in countries like Venezuela (2019, Maduro against Guaidó protests) or Iran (2022, against protests partly fueled by foreign-backed groups) deploy federal or national security forces to manage or suppress protests, Western media universally condemns it as authoritarian 'crackdowns.' Yet, when the US president deploys camouflaged, badge-less
federal agents to cities like Portland to kettle, detain, and use unmarked vans against citizens exercising First Amendment rights, it's framed as either 'restoring order' or a 'controversial move' from domestic political maneuvering. The language is softened, the underlying authoritarianism sanitized. Follow the Money: Beyond direct financial benefit, the value here is political capital. Federal