Few people realize that the United States is involved in a domestic war.  It appears to be a war of civilization against anarchy.  It is actually a war of civilization against the totalitarian left.  These anarchist riots are only a prelude to an attempted leftist totalitarian takeover.  The troops confronting the forces of anarchy are a thin blue line, the nation's police forces.  They are being handicapped by ludicrous rules of engagement.

The commander in chief, rank-and-file law enforcement, and a majority of the American people are on one side of this conflict.  Many local officials up to the level of governor are sympathetic with the insurgents.  If they were not in positions of leadership, they would be out on the streets themselves.

This is a conflict where many captains and generals side with the opposition.  Nancy Pelosi has tweeted about "Unidentified stormtroopers.  Unmarked cars.  Kidnapping protesters and causing severe injuries in response to graffiti."  The intelligence agencies and the organizations that provide information (CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS) side with the opposition.  The judicial system often sides with the rioters.  "Prisoners of war" are captured and immediately released to rejoin the battle.  These POWs have been augmented by criminals who were released because of the coronavirus.

Police are being handicapped by rules of engagement that do not apply to the insurgents.  Cities like Seattle and Portland have banned the use of tear gas and pepper spray.  There do not appear to be any restrictions of the weapons used by the insurgency.  In addition to rocks and bottles, they have been using lasers.  A laser safety site claims they are used to temporarily flashblind law enforcement.  The site warns, "Be wary of any official accounts of eye injuries.  They may not be accurate."  Revealing where the site stands on this issue is its remark that government claims that three officers may not recover their sight appeared to be untrue.  They quote an official: "We've had a number of officers (113) who had days-long blindness. So far, they've all kind of come back, if you will."  Yes, "kind of."  Insurgents in Portland have also used a mortar to launch commercial-grade fireworks at police.  

The current crop of Antifa mayors have been more discreet than former Baltimore mayor Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake, who announced after the 2015 "protests" that "[w]hile we tried to make sure that they were protected from the cars and the other things that were going on, we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well."  New York Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins complained, "The men and women are being pelted with rocks, bricks, cars [are] lit on fire. Our hands are being tied."

Who tied the NYPD's hands?  According to former mayor Rudy Giuliani, Mayor de Blasio has, in order to circumvent the police commissioner, been calling individual police chiefs and telling them not to enforce the law or make arrests.

This policy is followed in major cities and even in some smaller towns.  In Fredericksburg, Virginia, a young mother's car was surrounded by rioters.  She called 911 and was informed, "We can't do anything, ma'am.  The city told us that this is a sanctioned event."  The dispatcher advised her, "We would suggest you call up city hall to let them know about your frustrations."  This must have been very reassuring as terrorists were jumping on her car.

The media have gone to absurd lengths to portray these riots as "peaceful protests."  A classic example is MSNBC's Ali Velshi claiming, "This is a mostly a protest.  It is not generally speaking unruly."  He makes this statement with fires raging in the background. 

 
YouTube screen grab.

There has been sparse coverage of the deaths resulting from the riots.  A watchdog group found that "all coverage of mass protests and civil unrest on ABC's Good Morning America, ABC's World News Tonight, CBS This Morning, CBS Sunday Morning, the CBS Evening News, NBC's Today, NBC's Sunday Today and the NBC Nightly News between May 28 and June 3" found an overwhelming absence of riot death mentions.

Incidents that would show the insurgents in a bad light are downplayed.  The attack on the Ronald McDonald House has been described as unconscionable.  This home provides supports for sick children and their families while the child receives medical treatment.  More than 30 families and their sick children were sleeping inside when the looters started attacking the building.

John Dietrich is a freelance writer and the author of The Morgenthau Plan: Soviet Influence on American Postwar Policy (Algora Publishing).  He has a Master of Arts degree in international relations from St. Mary's University.  He is retired from the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.  He is featured on the BBC's program "Things We Forgot to Remember:" Morgenthau Plan and Post-War Germany.