Berkeley City Council Doing Its Anti-Democracy Bit

[Urbane Guerrilla]

The Berkeley City Council, which has never officially liked the idea that foreign fascism and other obnoxiousism should perish from the Earth -- it seems their shibboleth that it's the Republicans that keep the fascist flame alive domestically, and how willfully ignorant of Republicans and Fascists is that? -- now attempts harassment of the USMC recruiting office on Shattuck Avenue by the petty gesture of reserving a parking space directly in front of the recruiting office for Code Pink to park vehicles in to further their anti-antifascism campaign. Mala fides is just rampant up there.

Et Semper Mala Fides. This is a petty hit-back at the cause of democracy, and therefore of humanity, for America's cause is humanity's cause. Our opposition is only about oppression, after all is said and done -- and what they do makes people spew.

There is one single councilmember named in one link below who comes out of this wholly without shame -- his was the dissenting vote against the 8 to 1 condemnation measure of the two measures passed against Marine Corps officer recruitment in downtown Berkeley, and I think also against the parking-space reservation, which wasn't as lopsided, passing 6-3. Seems the Marines are particularly looking for UC grads, no doubt from the sciences and engineering. Hardly the dumb high-schoolers of stereotype.

SF Chronicle

Yesterday, on FoxNews.com

Seattle blogger Karl Swenson

Jesse McKinley, for the NYT


The picture this action by the City Council paints has disturbing parallels with the first anti-Jewish law passed by the Nazis, though its scale is far smaller -- the space is reserved for Code Pink parking for four hours, one afternoon each week.

We see a group of persons, Code Pink, who are not sympathetic to the progress of democracy around the globe, or they wouldn't be carrying on the way they do, who have enough influence on an arm of government to cause them to pass a law harassing, well, persons of a different lifestyle choice than theirs. I'll leave it to the reader whether the Marine Corps constitutes a religion, remarking that like most military service, it is intensely formative. But really, where's the difference between what the pinkshirts have done and brownshirts in front of jeweler's shops going "Don't buy from Jews!"?

Whatever problem they have with Republicans breaking Fascists has never been clear to me. I don't think I'll ever understand it, being as I am enlightened these days.

I must say this action by Berkeley's council does strongly offend some deeply held beliefs of mine. How about a little impeachment and regime change in Berkeley? Hey, even a recall election or two would do nicely. So would somebody taking the parking space and fighting the ticket in court, expensively. He could doubtless get at least some pro bono legal representation. Whether the city could, I am not sure; there may be an ordinance against that.