Frey Discovers Intimidation, Misses Years of US Military Posturing
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey recently expressed concern over reports of federal soldiers on standby, labeling it 'clearly designed to intimidate.' While Frey's alarm over a visible military presence near US citizens is understandable, it raises questions about where this concern has been when similar intimidation tactics are routinely employed by the US military, often funded by American
taxpayers, overseas. For instance, the consistent American military presence in the Middle East, the deployment of 'advisors' and 'trainers' to nations with questionable human rights records, or even the routine 'joint military exercises' that conveniently border perceived adversaries – these are all, arguably, designed to intimidate. One might wonder if the Mayor's definition of 'intimidation'
only applies when the boots are on American soil, or if the principle extends to the global stage where US influence, often backed by military might, plays a significant role in shaping political outcomes far from home. The difference, perhaps, is in whose communities are being 'intimidated.'