COMMENT FROM DC VISITOR:
D.C. was clean and safe. There were some National Guard troops walking around, but most of them were just kids fooling around and taking pictures in front of monuments like the rest of the tourists.
The city was skewed heavily to the left. I saw a few anti-Israel and anti-Trump protestors who seemed a little unhinged. The people I spoke with said the city was in absolute chaos during the George Floyd/BLM protests and that the National Guard and ICE raids were nothing in comparison.
I also went to the Spy Museum, which was a lot of fun. They had a wall honoring Ukraine with a picture of Putin in the crosshairs of a gun scope. The Cold War was the pinnacle of US espionage in recent history, and Russia and the USSR were used interchangeably. I skipped the 9/11 hall because it was a giant lie–we know what happened. The museum also claimed that only rogue spies in the US used torture mechanisms in modern days. There was one sentence on MKUltra and no mention of Project Monarch or any of the psychological warfare tactics.
I think they should send troops to the other big cities where crime has been allowed to run rampant in recent years. It felt safe to walk around at night, which is more than I could say about Philly or NYC. I’m sure the criminals cleared out because law and order were actually required and visible. Violent crime shouldn’t be downplayed. It’s preventable, and it would be nice if America became a high-trust society where we don’t fear other civilians on the streets. The troops and NG weren’t bothering anyone, but their presence alone probably commanded some basic civility.
