For quite some time now, it’s been evident that many so-called “protestors” causing chaos in cities like Minneapolis and Portland are being financially incentivized to be there. Behind the scenes, shadowy figures, potentially including those linked to Soros, are funneling funds and distributing professionally crafted signs for these demonstrations. Have you noticed how these meticulously designed signs appear almost instantly? Such coordination doesn’t come cheap.
Enter Adam Swart, a man who has capitalized on the protest industry through legitimate means. He heads a company called Crowds on Demand, offering a protest-for-hire service. However, unlike the protestors currently causing disruptions in Minneapolis, Swart operates with a set of ethical guidelines. He consciously distances himself from the chaos unfolding in these cities.
Swart’s consistent stance is commendable. As my colleague Teri Christoph reported last July, Swart has long maintained a clear distinction in his business practices, avoiding involvement in such tumultuous events.
Swart’s observations hold weight, and they’ve been echoed by us at RedState and many of our readers since these events began: the protestors are likely undermining their own cause. Yet, despite this counterproductive impact, it seems unlikely that it will deter them.
Why, you ask? Here’s the crux of the matter: these individuals are not prone to epiphanies or moments of clarity. Their actions lack rationality. Glance at the faces of those hurling insults at ICE agents, blocking traffic, and brandishing signs with fervor. They seem to be in a state of frenzy. To put it bluntly, they appear disconnected from reason, which, for them, is an alien concept belonging to others.
But here’s his real cogent observation, and it’s one all of us here at RedState, including most of you readers, have been pointing out and discussing since this all started:
“A lot of the people protesting on the streets are actually violent,” he said. “They are unhinged, unstable people who pose a risk to peaceful protesters. That’s why we’re staying out.”
Swart rejected claims that blocking roads or confronting officers amounts to “nonviolent resistance,” calling those actions inherently dangerous, particularly during active law enforcement operations.
“When you block the ability of federal agents to get in and out of a scene, you are putting them at risk from a violent mob,” he said. “That ability to enter and exit safely is fundamental to law enforcement.”
We can take some comfort, I suppose, in noting that Adam Swart is probably correct, that these lunatics are only hurting their cause. But somehow I don’t think that will stop them. Even if they realize that they are hurting their own cause, I don’t think that will stop them.
Why won’t it stop them? Here’s why, and I’m going to tell you: Because these are not people who are prone to any sudden “Road to Damascus” moments. These people are not rational. Just the opposite; look at the expressions on the faces of any of these people screaming obscenities at ICE agents, jumping in front of vehicles, waving signs, and screeching. They are unhinged. They are, to put it bluntly, nuts. Reason, rationality, to them, these are just things that belong to other people.
They don’t really care about persuading. They don’t care about discourse. They don’t care about finding a solution. They only care about making a scene. They only care about venting. And they hate all things associated with President Trump with a white-hot passion, which only makes them more unhinged.
Adam Swart points out:
Swart said such tactics ultimately undermine protesters’ stated goals and strip their message of credibility.
“When protesters commit illegal activity, what’s lost is the substance of the message,” he said. “People don’t hear what you’re protesting, they just see the blocked street.”
He’s right. And he’s right to have no part of it, and we should give him all due credit for that, regardless of what his own opinions are. But it’s not clear he understands why these people are the way they are; it’s not clear he understands that they are, not to put too fine a point on it, crazy.
Most of us don’t understand crazy. Most of us can’t understand crazy. But if we understand that this is what we’re dealing with, maybe we can finally dispense with the idea that we can talk to people like that. You can’t reason with a crazy person, and even if you do, you’ve proved nothing when you’ve bested a fool. Now, cutting off their funding – that may well make a difference.
Editor’s Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and their efforts to make our cities safer.
