The “occupation” of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office for five weeks in June and July, and a violent confrontation between anarchist “Antifa” groups and a Patriot Prayer/Proud Boys group on August 4, both occurring in Portland, OR, are reminiscent of the tribalism and descent into depravity depicted in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, first published in 1954.

Golding’s classic novel depicts the fate of British schoolboys marooned on a tropical island during an unnamed war. The boys organize into two groups, one led by Ralph, assisted by bespectacled, overweight Piggy, and another led by the malevolent Jack. The two groups have conflicts over hunting, work rules, and power on their remote island.