Certain images capture the imagination and express the state of the nation more than any political commentary. In a flash, these images convey a world of information.
Who could not be shocked by recent images out of Los Angeles? The scene is a railyard with a sea of debris and shipping boxes scattered about in chaos. It looks like a tornado or hurricane struck a train and left all in disarray.
However, the disordered railyard is not the result of a natural disaster. It is a daily occurrence. Over the last three months, thieves have descended upon freight trains and “compromised” over 90 shipping containers every day. Taking advantage of slow and stopped trains, the thieves open up thousands of shipping packages from Amazon, UPS and other companies.
Some boxes contain personal items, even a funeral urn, that are ripped open and discarded. Many thieves say they target UPS packages destined for residential addresses since they often carry more expensive consumer items that can be resold. During the plunder sessions, they take what they can and leave the area full of trash.
Even California Gov. Gavin Newsom was forced to condemn the looting, claiming the scene resembles a Third World country. Unfortunately, the criticism has not changed the leftist policies that made the scenes possible.
The dramatic images convey three equally dramatic conclusions.
No Rule of Law in Areas
The first conclusion is that the rule of law no longer exists in many places in America. By definition, the rule of law is a principle under which all persons are accountable to publicly promulgated and equally enforced laws. This legal framework guarantees order and respect for property in society. It is the only way society can function properly and justly.
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The brazen and daily theft of so much material means that there is no effective enforcement of the law. Thieves can act with impunity due to liberal public prosecutors who refuse to take action against the criminals beyond minor misdemeanor charges.
Union Pacific (UP), the carrier of these packages, is helpless in the face of this pillaging. In a letter to the leftist L.A. District Attorney George Gascon, UP representative Adrian Guerrero writes that “Criminals are caught and arrested, turned over to local authorities for booking, arraigned before the local courts, charges are reduced to a misdemeanor or petty offense, and the criminal is released after paying a nominal fine.”
Some criminals can be found again stealing from the trains within twenty-four hours. They even brag about their exploits to media and observers. They taunt UP security officials by telling them that there are no consequences from government officials for their crimes. The railroad reports that there are also dramatic upsurges in the number of “assaults and armed robberies of UP employees performing their duties moving trains.”
Where crimes are committed with impunity and law enforcement is suppressed, there is no rule of law. The daily plundering of the Los Angeles railyard over three months is a clear sign of a breakdown with little hope of improvement.
Official Complicity
The second conclusion is much more serious. Thieves, by definition, steal. It is no surprise that they will do so if given the opportunity. The sad state of fallen human nature makes security and laws necessary to keep order in society.
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What is unexpected is when government officials facilitate the work of thieves. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office becomes an accomplice to the crimes by refusing to prosecute the thieves fully. By putting criminals back on the street within 24 hours, he is endangering the public and the right of property. His no-cash bail policy and extended timeframe for suspects to appear in court make crime pay.
When government officials join with thieves to help steal from the public, the whole community loses confidence and security, which paves the way to disaster.
A Philosophy Behind the Plunder
The last conclusion is even more dramatic.
Los Angeles is not the only city with brazen thieves and government accomplices. The official sanctioning of theft is happening all over the country. Liberal politicians implement leftist policies everywhere despite overwhelming evidence that they promote crime.
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San Francisco has been hit by swarms of shoplifters who take advantage of liberal laws limiting prosecution for items under $900. Thieves brazenly enter stores to steal while carefully staying below this threshold. Many drugstores in blighted areas have closed due to constant theft.
In New York City, the new District Attorney has promised not to prosecute all but the most serious crimes. Many have criticized the move as a “get out of jail free” policy.
The widespread adoption of such policies indicated that this trend is something organized. There is a philosophy behind this madness.
A Marxist Narrative
The radical liberals believe theft results from social structures that force poor people into crime by the circumstances. Thus, thieves are not responsible for their actions and should not be prosecuted.
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The underlying theme is Marxist class struggle, which justifies taking from those who have property by those who do not. All surplus property can be reduced to theft since it takes from those in need.
Those officials who promote this absurd doctrine can do so because they sense the support of academia, woke business, liberal clergy and the liberal establishment. The image of the Union Pacific railyard looting conveys more than just the scene of a crime but the failure of the modern world to uphold the rule of law. It is a symbolic portrayal of where socialism leads when taken to its final consequences.
Photo Credit: © dianaduda – stock.adobe.com