The Seattle Commune

For John, BLUF:  I am not sure there is any happy outcome for Seattle's CHAZ, the Capitol Hill Atunomous Zone.  At this point it all seems OK, but this is not a stable situation.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Is Seattle Reliving the Paris Commune?

From PJ Media, by Columnist Tyler O'Neil, 13 June 2020.

Here is the lede plus two:

When antifa militants and fellow-travelers took over six blocks of Seattle, Wash., and established a rogue state called the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), the Islamic State (ISIS) and the Paris Commune came to mind.  Both involved seizing power and territory for largely ideological goals and both proved destructive of public property.  ISIS has been far more bloodthirsty and more unified than either CHAZ or the Paris Commune, however.

Like the Paris Commune, CHAZ claims to represent the people and aspires to bring about a new anarcho-communist utopia.  In fact, the Paris Commune’s proto-socialism later inspired Karl Marx, and Marx referred to the commune as an example of the “dictatorship of the proletariat.”  The Paris Commune also consciously echoed the Jacobin Terror of the French Revolution, an era of expunging the old order by renaming even the days of the week and the months of the year.  CHAZ oozes with this spirit.

Yet CHAZ is also far less serious and less organized than the Paris Commune.  It appears Seattle’s antifa have erected a Paris Commune but without the pesky voting and with far more privilege and lenience from the authorities.

The mayor of Seattle may be correct, that this is just a love fest.  On the other hand, the Paris Commune didn't end well for a lot of folks.

Government Forces	Communards
877 killed, 6,454 wounded, and 183 missing	6,667 confirmed killed and buried; unconfirmed estimates between 10,000 and 20,000 killed

The key to minimizing casualties will be picking the right moment to end CHAZ, the Capitol Hill Atonomous Zone.  Maybe it will disolve on its own.  That is the best case scenario.  Maybe it will descend into chaos and internal rioting and death. That is a worst case scenario.  Maybe the criminal element will step in to restore ordeer, so they can get back to work.  That is a more middle way.

I have a Sister-in-Law with a condo very close to CHAZ—a few blocks.  She isn't living there at this time, but I would hate to see her investment go up in flames.InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff