US law and disorder

The rioting in the US state of Wisconsin follows a depressing pattern. On Sunday, police shot an African-american man in the back seven times; he is alive but, it is feared, permanently paralysed. Peaceful demonstrations broke out, but as day turned to night, the situation became nasty, with looting, arson and violence. Vigilantes stalked the streets. The Right accuses the media of trying to cover-up the scale of America’s urban crisis: the graphic in one news report described “fiery but mostly peaceful protests” and its reporter admitted that things had become “a little bit more contentious”. He was standing in front of a burning building.

Such disorder is now the inescapable backdrop to the US presidential election. Donald Trump’s campaign had been floundering, his intention to run as the candidate of a strong economy was disrupted by the impact of lockdown, although a recovery is now under way and US stock markets are reaching fresh highs. However, amid the radicalism of Black Lives Matter – with its absurd demand to “defund” the police – and the Democrats’ ambivalent attitude towards the movement, Mr Trump’s strong message on law and order may begin to win wider appeal.

Right now, Joe Biden is ahead in the polls, but not by a landslide – and, as in 2016, voters could be hiding their true intentions, particularly given the sensitivity of the issues under discussion. If Mr Trump wins a second term, it is not impossible that it will be as a consequence of Black Lives Matter. A movement that was energised by an obvious injustice – the killing of George Floyd – has become confused, hijacked by extremists intent on destruction.