Tensions Flare in Ferguson, Missouri

[Agro]

FERGUSON — Chinese and Russian officials are warning of a potential humanitarian crisis in the restive American province of Missouri, where ancient communal tensions have boiled over into full-blown violence.

"We must use all means at our disposal to end the violence and restore calm to the region," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in comments to an emergency United Nations Security Council session on the America crisis.

The crisis began a week ago in Ferguson, a remote Missouri village that has been a hotbed of sectarian tension. State security forces shot and killed an unarmed man, which regional analysts say has angered the local population by surfacing deep-seated sectarian grievances. Regime security forces cracked down brutally on largely peaceful protests, worsening the crisis.

America has been roiled by political instability and protests in recent years, which analysts warn can create fertile ground for extremists.

Missouri, far-removed from the glistening capital city of Washington, is ostensibly ruled by a charismatic but troubled official named Jay Nixon, who has appeared unable to successfully intervene and has resisted efforts at mediation from central government officials. Complicating matters, President Obama is himself a member of the minority sect protesting in Ferguson, which is ruled overwhelmingly by members of America's majority "white people" sect.

Analysts who study the opaque American political system, in which all provinces are granted semi-autonomous self-rule, warned that Nixon may seize the opportunity to move against weakened municipal rulers in Ferguson. Missouri's provincial legislature, a traditional "shura council," is dominated by the opposition faction. Though fears of a military coup remain low, it is still unknown how Nixon's allies within the capital will respond should the crisis continue.

Now, international leaders say they fear the crisis could spread.

"The only lasting solution is reconciliation among American communities and stronger Missouri security forces," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech from his vacation home in Hainan. "However, we can and should support moderate forces who can bring stability to America. So we will continue to pursue a broader strategy that empowers Americans to confront this crisis."

Xi's comments were widely taken as an indication that China would begin arming moderate factions in Missouri, in the hopes of overpowering rogue regime forces and preventing extremism from taking root. An unknown number of Kurdish peshmerga military "advisers" have traveled to the region to help provide security. Gun sales have been spiking in the US since the crisis began.

Analysts warn the violence could spread toward oil-producing regions such as Oklahoma or even disrupt the flow of American beer supplies, some of the largest in the world, and could provide a fertile breeding ground for extremists. Though al-Qaeda is not known to have yet established a foothold in Missouri, its leaders have previously hinted at assets there.

Though Missouri is infamous abroad for its simmering sectarian tensions and brutal regime crackdowns, foreign visitors here are greeted warmly and with hospitality. A lawless expanse of dogwood trees and beer breweries, Missouri is located in a central United States region that Americans refer to, curiously, as the "MidWest" though it is nearer to the country's east.

It is known among Americans as the home of Mark Twain, a provincial writer from the country's small but cherished literary culture, and as the originator of Budweiser, a traditional American alcoholic beverage. Budweiser itself is now owned by a Belgian firm, in a sign of how globalization is transforming even this remote area of the United States. Analysts say some american communities have struggled as globalization has pulled jobs into more developed countries, worsening instability here.


Locals here eat a regional delicacy known as barbecue, made from the rib bones of pigs, and subsist on traditional crafts such as agriculture and aerospace engineering. The regional center of commerce is known locally as Saint Louis, named for a 13th century French king, a legacy of Missouri's history as a remote and violent corner of the French Empire.

Though Ferguson's streets remained quiet on Friday, a palpable sense of tension and uncertainty hung in the air. A Chinese Embassy official here declined to comment but urged all parties to exhibit restraint and respect for the rule of law. In Moscow, Kremlin planners were said to be preparing for a possible military intervention should political instability spread to the nearby oil-producing region of Texas.

 

__________________

 

(this is from a satirical article, but please do actually discuss what's going on)

[Andx]

Well this just made lurking today worthwhile.

 

Anyway as for the actually crisis in Ferguson, everyone jumped to conclusions way too fast. But hey that's what the media wants. They like the violent protests because that makes it easier to fill their broadcasting time without having to look very hard for stories. They want the big dramatic and controversial stories. The race card was slapped on this before we even knew the cop's name or if he was white.

 

I don't mean to justify anyone's actions as I don't know what happened there either. None of us do yet. Far too soon to be making any moral judgement... Well except for the looters who came from out of the town to take advantage of everything. That's just not an acceptable response to anything.

[Legend Zero]

Don't know all the facts but here is my current opinion.

1. Autopsy showed he was shot 6 times (2 in head), that is too much regardless of intention.
2. Was not shot in the back like initial 'witnesses' said.
3. He was unarmed
4. Is a suspect in a local store robbery

My conclusion atm? I don't see a way to justify the 6 shots on an unarmed person.

[Agro]

Reports from last night, from the police press conference specifically, mention that tear gas was used on protestors after molotov cocktails were thrown at police, however no one reporting on the scene saw anything close to that, reporting in response that the tear gas was unprovoked. Another reason that tear gas was reportedly used was a break in to a local McDonalds, however that didn't occur until AFTER tear gas was used, because protestors were trying to get milk in an attempt to treat the tear gas.

 

I'd also like to note that this all happened a full 2 hours prior to the curfew that was put in place starting on Saturday. The police response to every day of these protests has been over the line.

 

However, it's important to note that there are definitely still people trying to provoke police, and likely those that aren't even from Ferguson, such as those who took advantage of the protests to loot stores on Friday. It's not a majority of the protestors in the slightest, but it's part of the problem here.

 

Also to add to your autopsy report, LZ, even though the kid wasn't shot in the back, the gunshot wounds on the inside of his arm would indicate that his arms were in the air when shot.

[Dad]

So God damn tired of hearing about these Ambassadors stepping in.  I feel like they don't have a place here, not in our business.  That being said, they could be affected by disruption of supplies if we've got any business with the fucks.  Either way, I don't like the thought of having Chinese and Russian peeps armed in U.S. Territory.  Am I the only one who thinks that's stupid fucking business procedure?  Whatever.  Eat shit.

[Goose]

I think this should be reserved for the judiciary to decide because the court of public opinion is often wrong and never fulling informed.

[Tentacruel]

Basically, none of us know what happened, so it's pointless to cast judgement. 

[Agro]

Well there are a few things we know.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUdHIatS36A

[Goose]

I thought this was the worst Last Week Tonight I've seen

[Agro]

May not have been the best, but I laughed. He put more focus on the issues surrounding the story than the actual story, which I found a bit refreshing.

[Tentacruel]

I mean the details of the actual encounter.  "He reached for my gun," "No he didn't."  He said she said.

 

As a whole it seems they've got some serious problems.  The war on drugs in general is utter bullshit. 

 

That being said, the looting and violence is troubling as well.  

 

 

Also, I like John Oliver, but the clapping and jeering tends to bother me.  Is this a good thing?  Do we want this to happen?  I get the feeling some people really just like their political views to be validated. 

[Cin]

For the violence, alot of that is because in protests against the police or authority, people who do not actually care for cause decide it's a good idea to fight against them.

 

As for the shooting, I don't really know what to think.