Looting as a Political Act

And just to note:  This took place a few minutes drive from my house.

So we've already heard the narrative about Saturday:  The "peaceful" protesters versus the evil looters.  The peaceful protesters who will, of course, accomplish nothing in the face of the terror wrought upon them, and the looters, who will accomplish nothing either, except get themselves a new pair of sneakers. Even presumably liberal mayors and governors, like ours here in Los Angeles, join in defense of the police, who are obvously far more out of control than the protesters, while condemning the looters as subhumans with no right to a voice in how their lives are mangled by their own governments.

Well, here is what I wonder:  How loudly did all these moral authorities speak out when Donald Trump looted two trillion dollars from the treasury for his rich backers?  How loudly did they speak out when Donald Trump stole a hundred thousand American lives in order to try to hold on to the Presidency which he has so misused?  How loudly did they speak out for the last four decades, as the rich and powerful looted the entire country, looted the hopes of an entire generation that lives on the edge of poverty so a few thousand people can have yachts and ten bedroom country houses?  How loudly did they speak out when the rich and powerful looted our medical system, our education system, our infrastructure, until they were all on the point of collapse?

But stealing a pair of sneakers is an abominable crime.

Well, screw you, moral scolds.  If lawlessness and greed are good enough for the rich, then they are good enough for the poor.  This country's chaos was created by the rich, not the poor.  Its fatal dysfunction was created by the rich.  Its violence and indifference to the fate of others were created by the rich.  Don't you dare try to tell me that what is happening in this country today is the fault of that guy with a new pair of sneakers he didn't pay for.  That guy isn't interested in hearing your moral maundering any more, and frankly, neither am I.