Smashing

Thumbs up for smashed windows in Tesla stores! Yay, smashing!

The psychology is not complicated. 1. Adopt a two-dimensional cartoon view of the world, removing humanity, consistency, and morality from consideration. Then... 2. Smash, with relish.

I don't like Elon Musk. I pray for his stock price to keep crashing so his loans get called in so he no longer has infinite money to perpetrate evil. I'll do anything legal and principled to try to stop him.

But Tesla dealerships are not run by Luftwaffe colonels. They're run by actual people, inconvenient as that might be to the two-dimensional cartoon view. I can't believe this needs stating, but a vandalized Tesla or Tesla dealership might be (and probably is!) run by a progressive who was trying to reduce carbon emissions. They're likely trying to get out from under their investment (tricky given the market). They might even be LGBTQ or trans or some other victim group you deem worth loads of extra consideration.

This is just one reason smashing is a bad tactic. The problem with summary judgement is that we're incredibly shitty/sloppy judges.

Smashing stuff smashes the vaunted "rule of law" you're suddenly super in love with this year. If you celebrate illegal smashing, you deserve a Daily Show-style clip contrasting that with your weighty pronouncements about Institutions and The Rule of Law, because—surprise!—now you're the flag-waving fake patriot hypocrite goon.

If you don't want to live in a cartoon world where the rule of law means nothing whenever anyone decides that Baddies need smashing, consider adding the magical third dimension of thoughtfulness and morality. At least don't *egg on* the smashers. Could you manage the milquetoast credo of "No 'Thumbs Up' for Smashing!"? That's not a heavy lift, is it? You don't necessarily need to scold them amid their smashy good fun. Just maybe don't offer your full-throated support.

Because the face-eating hyenas always eat your face in the end. Guaranteed. Not just the MAGAs. All extremists. All smashers. And your admiration fuels them.

Fuck.