Americans wondering about how and why the media insists on referring to riots as “mostly” non-violent protests morphed so quickly into ugly mob attacks on not just the police and civil society but as an excuse to loot and destroy businesses in city after city should read Vicky Osterweil’s new book.
To those who have never heard of Osterweil are in for a shock. She is a radical leftist writer and activist living in Philadelphia who is widely published and admired in progressive circles. Her new book is called “In Defense of Looting” and argues that what’s going on is a “method of direct redistribution of wealth from store owners and capitalists to the poor.” Ms. Osterwiel, in fact, sees the looting not as an aberration, but as a goal of the protest because it undermines the very concept of private property that she detests and sees as the foundation of a capitalist system she believes must be destroyed to “fundamentally transform” America.
She also celebrates the looting and theft as good for the looters because it gives them “joy” and empowers them. It also improves their lives materially “first of all, it makes it easier to live your life because you get lots of stuff for free.” Grabbing a sixty-inch flat-screen television to take home and enjoy would, of course, make watching the Sunday “NFL Game of the Week” more enjoyable without guilt since in addition to enjoying the game he and his guests could take comfort knowing they had more right to it than those from whom it was “liberated.”
SEE ALSO: Meet the 21 Identified Victims of This Summer’s Nationwide Riots
In several cities, the “mostly peaceful” protestors have, after stripping the stores they’ve broken into migrated to residential neighborhoods demanding that those living there turn over their homes to them. If any do, they will presumably be even happier as they will then have a “free” place to live and enjoy the rest of their free stuff.
Ms. Osterweil says she doesn’t favor violence or killing but believes white Americans who have benefitted from the systemic racism around them have no right to hold on to wealth that should be given to the poor… or taken if that proves the only way.
In recent days, Democratic Presidential wannabe Joe Biden has begun belatedly and half-heartedly suggesting that he doesn’t really support the violent protests plaguing so many of our cities. He is, according to most analysts, doing so because his pollsters are telling him that the public is outraged at what’s going on and want it to stop. The former Vice President has never had any difficulty changing his position on issues when the wind shifts, so can be expected in the days ahead to try to further distance himself from the violence without offending those within his party more sympathetic than most voters to the looters and the views of Ms. Osterweil.
Chief among them is his running-mate, Kamala Harris, who has expressed sympathy with the protestors and has pointedly refused to condemn the extremists among them and who he chose at least in part to make his candidacy more palatable to the radicals within his party.
As the looting raged, Harris declared, like Ms. Osterweil, during an interview that the “movement” now underway to transform America is “not going to stop.” The protestors, she said, are not going to let up and they should not and we should not.” Those are the sorts of words that candidate Biden is trying to get out from under. One can only wonder if he can do so without distancing himself from his running-mate.
We won’t know until November if Biden can successfully satisfy the Harris and Osterweil factions now in control of his party while at the same time convincing a majority of America’s voters to vote for him, but doing so may be more difficult than he and his managers of a friendly media believe.
READ NEXT: CNN’s Don Lemon Has Powerful Warning for Rioters >>
Advertisement
Help President Trump Stop Joe Biden [ACT NOW]
Her death would be a public service.
I agree, kill the Communist b****.
Is she on something? She sure thinks like a nut job on something strong!
Yes, it’s a massive dose of covetousness and hate.
Perhaps if some of her things were liberated, she’d be singing a different time!!?
It is perfectly ok that looters can loot as much as they wish as long as it is at these left wing writers homes.
Well that’s a BIG OLD effen DUH!!! ALL democrats are backing and funding these anti American democrat communist terrorist traitors! Just like their abortions!!!!!!
She should be arrested for inciting the rioters and then have her home and anyplace where her books are sold at looted.
…you mean “liberated and redistributed”. She really cannot complain about that, could she??? Hypocrisy is alive and well on the “left”…
So by her standards if I V were to park -“a .357 in her brain pan .. because it brought me joy, I’d be okay. Sweet!
Take back all the free stuff the government gives looters then shoot them for trespassing.
Wealth distribution to the poor?!?!? There’s nothing poor about these rioters you fool. The level of blindness here is evidence of a deranged mind who’s motivation and IQ are to be questioned. We’ve seen these rioters, many of whom are being paid quite well, along with teens and twenty somethings just looking for excitement and loot. The poor are still poor and they get nothing from these maniacs that are destroying in many cases the livelihoods and peace of the very poor you think are benefiting from this nonsense. You are an educated pontificating embarrassment.
Definitely NOT educated…and apparently NOT learned either. This wannabe “woman thing” is a product of “indoctrination” which passes for “higher learning” in their “hemisphere”…
I didn’t realize there was a defense for looting and burning other people’s property. I bet if it were their property, their tune would change.
There isn’t in reality; that only occurs in the land of pixies and unicorns…
How’s about charging her with “corruption of minors” ( many looters are), aiding and abetting felons, etc., (legally minded souls am sure can come up with a host of charges) and “liberate” her “journalistic dividends” and “redistribute” them to help alleviate poverty.
How come these leftist are free from getting their property looted…maybe if their house was broken into and their stuff stolen….and then their place burned to the ground that would be justice too.
I personally cannot imagine stealing anything from anyone. I was raised very poor, but honest. I was taught that hard work and dedication to education would help me free myself from poverty. I worked my way through school without assistance from anyone. It was hard. I went to bed hungry many nights and lived off of ramen noodle. But, I now make a comfortable living. I’m far from rich, but I have the self esteem that I raised myself from poverty. This woman is trying to promote everything wrong in this world. She is asking and promoting people to break into homes and businesses, where in some, they might find out what protections are given with the second amendment.
Steal her book! This fool will will have a different attitude when it’s her money!
Get used to it people, this is the mindset of the liberal left and it will only get worse from this point. Very soon, the murder of the true property owner will be sanctioned by these pukes. The civil war is coming and much sooner than you might think. And if you’re NOT READY, shame on you.
There is NO logical reason on God’s green Earth we should “get used to it”! That sounds like Neville Chamberlain’s deal with Hitler…
Let her digs get ransacked, looted, and burned. Then see if she talks outta the other side of her mouth.
Ms Osterweil seriously needs a face to face with the Author of law and order, of right and wrong, ASAP! What she is advocating is plain, simple THEFT (as in thou shalt not steal), based on envy (thou shalt not covet)! There is no “right” to it, no matter what she believes, or how she tries to contort the definitions of words to exonerate the covetous thieves!
This woman should consider moving to a different country! There is no place for her in the U.S.A.!
Wonder if this person will feel the same way when her Royalties (Assuming any of her scribbling actually sells) are taken from her “For the poor”?
Look at the ‘success’ that is S. Africa. Thirty years ago it was a thriving nation. Now it is just one more completely destroyed anarchist hellholes just like everything south of the USA. Vote for ANY CATHOLIC and you vote for destruction and anarchy forever.