At times like these, with our major cities melting down into what looks a lot like open rebellion, with the leaders of those cities openly defiant of state and federal authority, it's tempting, nay, necessary to ask one question: How bad could things get?
The answer, of course, is "Pretty bad." I've been documenting the downfall of our major cities for some time now; feckless and incompetent leadership, revolving-door court systems, infestations of homeless enclaves, and the influx of illegal aliens attracted by "sanctuary" laws have driven our cities to the brink of collapse, even if the anointed "leaders" of those cities don't realize it yet.
For the past eight months, we've had a president and an administration who are determined to bring law and order back to our cities and to start enforcing immigration laws. The results? Our major cities are consumed with angry protests and riots. Things are bad, and they may well be getting worse. Only hours ago, as I write this, I reported on the city of Chicago, where rioters have been arrested with handguns and what appear to be improvised explosives.
Read More: Escalation: Now Chicago Anti-ICE Rioters Are Carrying Guns
So what might happen next?
Here's the thing: Most of these goblins don't recognize that a handgun is essentially a defensive weapon. To go on the offense, a rifle is many times more effective. What happens when Antifa goblins start showing up with rifles? Charlie Kirk's assassin and the goblin who shot up an ICE facility in Texas both obviously figured out the capabilities of a powerful bolt-action hunting rifle at range. Will the federal government's rules of engagement be changed to match the late Colonel Jeff Cooper's aphorism that "... a masked man with a weapon has identified himself as a target, and should be dealt with accordingly"? How will they deal with an environment in which there may be a deadly threat on every rooftop within 300 yards?
We should note that the other side, the domestic terror groups and their useful idiots, won't have any rules of engagement.
Here's something else: The initial clashes haven't gone all that well for Antifa and their fellow travelers. Not nearly enough of them have been arrested and tossed in the pokey, but neither have they stormed any federal facilities and freed any detainees. Will they be smart enough to change tactics?
We've already seen ICE agents doxed, their families threatened. What if Antifa turns to targeted assassinations? To target not only federal officers, but also families? These are horrible things, but they are things we must consider and be prepared for. These are classic guerilla tactics, and that's how the anti-ICE and Antifa goblins see themselves. Any of them with enough brains to figure out that they can't go head-to-head with federal law enforcement or possibly the military will be smart enough to figure out alternative tactics.
They may well be able to count on the support, at least through inaction, of their local elected officials.
Read More: New: Bad Night for Antifa in Portland As Feds Move In
Oh My: Democrat Senator's Cowardice on Portland Situation Exposed in Wild X Back and Forth
Speaking of those elected officials, many of them have been on the side of the rioters, some openly, some passively, through inaction. What will these mostly Democrat pols do when the streets of their cities descend into open conflict? Will they side with the United States, with the Constitution, with the rule of law? Or will they run interference for the rebels? That would constitute a significant escalation, with not just a bunch of idiot youths but also elected metropolitan officials openly defying federal authorities. Many, indeed, are already leaning in this direction.
That's a rebellion. What's to be done about that?
The worst case, then, is open armed conflict on the streets of our major cities. It will likely be confined to those cities, but the effects won't be. Case in point: My wife and I are indeed fortunate to have our rural home in the Susitna Valley. We know all our neighbors well. Almost all of them are hunters. Almost all of them are armed. We’re far enough away from any major city, including Anchorage, that the troubles won’t impinge on us directly. But they will hit us indirectly, as we are dependent on the Forty-Eight for so many things, from manufactured goods to fresh fruit. Not to mention that our children and grandchildren are all down there, although not in major cities. But it won't be just fresh fruit and manufactured goods that we'll be missing, and that many other rural areas across the United States will be missing. There are many like my wife, who has a heart condition that requires several highly specialized medications to manage. Without them, she may not last long. Multiply that loss by hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, and you may have that many enraged rural dwellers with guns, the knowledge to use them to great effect, with nothing left to lose, and bent on revenge.
I cannot say that, even at my age, I wouldn't be among them.
We would likely come out the far side of this thing with a country we no longer recognize. That's why the Trump administration and state and local law enforcement have to quell these rebellions, right now, right away. Because it's either that or open, armed rebellion, and in Chicago, in Portland, in Los Angeles, in several major cities, we're very nearly there now.
