Jan 10

Jan 10 Mixed-Up Confusion

Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations, Chicago

“Nothing was delivered
And I tell this truth to you
Not out of spite or anger
But simply ‘cause it’s true
Now you must provide some answers
For what you sell was not received
And the sooner you come up with them
Then the sooner you can leave
”

— Bob Dylan, Nothing Was Delivered, from the Basement Tapes (circa 1967)

Several hours after today’s demonstration near Federal Plaza over the killing of Renee Nicole Good by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross, 300 local activists descended on Jane Byrne Plaza (the Old Water Tower) for a demonstration against Donald J. Trump’s war on Venezuela. Fortunately, Trump and Defense (War) Secretary Pete Hegseth have not unleashed the U.S. military directly on Venezuela a second time, although the Trump has left the his military blockade in place. He has also laid U.S. hands on Venezuelan oil by taking possession of 30 million to 50 million barrels of heavy oil. The $500 million question is whether the proceeds from the sale of that oil will benefit the people of Venezuela or become part of a slush fund controlled by Trump.

Naturally, Trump’s exercise of what is fast become U.S. unchecked imperial power has only just increased the ire felt by those who already detest Trump, which is why Chicago activists called for the demonstration in Jane Byrne Plaza today. Regrettably, I had another commitment, only allowing me to attend the rally for 45 minutes. I missed the march that followed.

This gathering of the Far Left illustrates perfectly the problem that they have with messaging. Put simply, the Far Left has no message discipline. The rally was supposed to focus on Trump’s invasion of Venezuela, but the signage on display touched on a laundry list of unrelated issues. I, for example, saw many signs referencing Renee Nicole Good. Where were those people at this morning’s anemic rally near Federal Plaza? Other people held signs addressing the war in Gaza, income inequality, expenditures for Federal social services, Jeffrey Epstein, ICE immigration enforcement efforts, and class warfare. Some demonstrators held generic anti-Trump and anti-Fascist signs.

Although I was only half paying attention to the speeches, as usual, the remarks covered the map. The long and short of it: When each person uses a rally to raise the issue that most concerns them, the rally is meaningless and ineffectual. In other words, nothing was delivered.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]