I disagree. Keeping these protest peaceful, is exactly what the Trump administration doesn't want. If they are looking for a justification to escalate the situation, then NOT giving them one, makes it that much harder for them to accomplish their objectives. Every single opportunity to prove them wrong about what they are doing, is a victory. It needs to be demonstrated at every turn.

At this point, at least they're still using rubber bullets. But, that's the entire plan at the moment...keep shooting non-lethal rounds until someone shoots back.

Then...the safeties come off, and a lot of people die. It all depends on how long the protesters can keep their shit together before someone changes the nature of the conflict.

Right now, most of those soldiers are not going to be ok shooting civilians. But the instant they're getting shot at, there are no civilians anymore. Just targets.

If you've already decided that you want a civil war, then Trump doesn't need to find an excuse. You're going to force his hand. And any possibility that those soldiers might be on your side, disappears.

Only if people go into this looking for it.

No one is saying, "just sit back and let it happen". Only, "Don't do exactly what they want, and call it "resistance"".

That's the Insurrection Act. The only way Trump could invoke it, would be if the protesters were armed and attacking the government. That's the entire reason why armed protests are a very bad idea in the US.

And THIS is what the 2nd amendment is actually for. California needs its own state-run militia to defend its territory from Federal overreach.

It was never about individual civilians owning weapons. All that would do, is give Trump a justification to invoke the Insurrection Act. But if the State of California itself is armed against tyranny, then the people's rights are being defended.

Escalation to violence is exactly what they want. It gives them all the justification they need to invoke the Insurrection Act, declare martial law and suspend your Constitutional rights. And not just in California.

AI consumes more resources than Bitcoin, at this point. We are accelerating our own demise, all for the spectacle of watching a computer hallucinate on command. There is nothing more decadently bourgeoisie than that.

I can't even imagine the mental gymnastics required to be both "pro-labor" and "pro-AI". I mean, yeah I'm all about workers rights...but imagine how much money my boss could make if he just replaced us all with robots?

...but, did it work?

There is an implied contract between the States and the Federal government regarding taxation. The Federal government cannot cut funding to a State and still expect them to keep their end of that agreement.