Imagine how Trump supporters would feel if the attack on our Capitol were carried out by Muslims, not Christians.
We saw 911 as a terrorist attack.
Supporters of the attack on the Capitol are making a category error.
That is the wrong category. They were domestic terrorists attempting to overthrow the government. They were participants in a plot to end our system of self-government. Similarly, the five people in each of the planes heading toward crashes into buildings in New York and Washington, D.C. on 911 were not tourists. Wrong category. They were terrorists on a mission. We understand who the 911 hijackers are; we need to understand the Capitol insurrection the same way. They were trying to scare Americans into changing our government through intimidation and violence.
What did Osama Bin Laden do? He had a story of the Great American Satan, and with his charisma, words, and organization encouraged and enabled a group to go to the seat of American government to damage it, to kill and intimidate elected officials, and to demand they change their policy and actions. He had a cause. Get American soldiers out of the Middle East.
What did Donald Trump do? He called on Americans to gather on January 6 to "Stop the Steal." Tens of thousands came. Some people were there as organizers of the rally, some by speaking at it, some by attending it with signs and MAGA hats, and some came with weapons and body armor planning to enter the Capitol itself. Some of those who entered vandalized and looted it, rifled papers, stole laptops to sell to Russia. Videos taken there overhear them describing themselves doing they thought Trump and other officeholders wanted. Some of those who entered actively sought out elected officials to frighten, kidnap, or kill. Some killed a policeman.
Like Osama Bin Laden, President Trump has a devoted following. Like Bin Laden, Trump was not present at the final act, nor did he personally direct their specific actions, but, like Bin Laden, he encouraged it and financed it and articulated the goal they pursued, overthrowing the government.
America's seat of government was under attack by more than just the several thousand people who entered the Capitol by force. They had help. They were encouraged by Republican officeholders--like Mitch McConnell--now who says that of course the election was fair, that of course Biden won and Trump lost, that we realized all along but didn't want to rock the boat and Trump and the people he had fooled. Others of Trump's enablers are backtracking and trying to redefine what they did. They no longer clearly assert the election was stolen, but only that a lot of people still think that it was, that they were just giving voice to the misled, and it is time to forgive, forget, and unify. Since people believed Trump you cannot really blame them for doing what they did.
People believed Osama Bin Laden, too.
There is a problem with forgetting and unification. It normalizes insurrection. Tens of thousands at the rally and the tens of millions who were at home silently supporting the "Save the Steal" idea were cheering the overthrow of an election. They would be the equivalent of passengers on flight 93 who might have insisted that the five terrorists were just patriotic people with a great cause: Get American troops out of the Middle East. Don't think about the tactics, think about the result. We get to keep Trump!
The people inside the Capitol were the equivalent of the actual terrorists on each plane, people doing the hands-on work of destroying American democracy. Donald Trump was the equivalent of Osama Bin Laden, the brains and financing behind the enterprise.
Forgetting and "unification" should happen after the domestic terrorists and their cheerleaders and supporters understand and integrate into their thinking and politics what they were doing, the category of their actions. They were terrorists, supporting a demagogue who wanted them to overthrow American government.
8 comments:
Here’s another category error: The Republican Party. A political party is based on certain philosophical or political principals. It concerns itself with governing. The Republicans have ceased being a political group, it has become a cult dedicated to the adoration of its leader. It does not focus on governance, it focuses on dogmatic following of a non-fact based belief system.
I think that it’s a category error to paint everyone who was at the Capitol on January 6 with the same brush. Some were insurrectionists with a plan who should be prosecuted. Some were non-serious cosplayers (like that dope with the horns on his head). Some were swept up in the crowd.
Some were there for a peaceful protest and never entered the Capitol. Many of those people were advocating for Congress to exercise its constitutional role regarding confirmation of the votes of the electors.
If law enforcement had been competent that day, no one would have gotten into the Capitol and the whole thing would have been a non-event.
Watch this video from the Kavanaugh Confirmation demonstrations. Ask yourself what would have happened in the Supreme Court building if those doors had not been locked and competently guarded.
link
Supporters of Trump like the fact that ONE WHITE MAN can dictate and belittle the norms of civil discourse and the rule of law. Pushing their agenda and belief that America is White, Anglo-Saxon and Christian. Some, of course, don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth as long as they get from him what they want. The insurrection facilitated by the Trump Re-election campaign coffers brought the masses to Washington D.C. to "Stop the Steal". There can not be unity by capitulation when it would mean a majority of voters would be denied their candidate. The laws of our nation are on display. Will we charge and try the leaders of the insurrection? If we don't charge "them" we essentially admit the President is above to law of our nation. If Joe Bidden extends the olive branch to Republicans intent on insurrection what's to stop further armed opposition to our republic? A question to the Trump supporters - what happens to Trump supporters and sycophants when they're no longer needed or express concern of his behavior? Some of the insurrectionists already know the answer - no pardon came from President Trump in his last days as President. Let's see how the Senate takes up the second articles of impeachment against Trump.
It's been reported that as many as 1000 will be prosecuted after the riot. Each of them will receive due process. They are fortunate to live in America. Elsewhere they might never be seen again.
As each rioter is questioned they will be asked to implicate others in order to receive better treatment, a fair trade. Every single one of them is guilty of the same crime; it's called "being an accomplice". The moment when they stormed the front steps was the last chance to walk away and avoid implication in vandalism, assault and murder.
A "non-fact based belief system" is well put. It is fascinating in a way to see how the Republican adoption of conservatism has led to a cult and a con man. Was it always ordained so? Whatever value it had, fiscal responsibility, etc., was sabotaged by its systematic limiting of opportunity for disadvantaged citizens, in favor of a moneyed ruling class.
Great comparison. I’m afraid the Rand Pauls, and the other apologists will attempt to walk away from the destruction and turn it into the bad apples argument. Like the clown Mike Nearman who opened the door in Salem to let in militants who sprayed the capital police with bear spray and ducked back into another entrance and acted like nothing happened. These are the demigods we need to cull from a government based on democracy. Trump supporters in my neighborhood still have their signs in their windows. Waiting for the second coming and the rapture of 2024? Keep up the heat or the Timothy McVeighs will rise again. Stay mean.
You can't teach "smart", you either have it or you don't, and like Trump himself, his followers "ain't got it!" The only thing an AK-47 totin' Trump acolyte understands is a hit in the head. coerced into at least attempting to achieve some "smarts" by requiring them to attend schools we have simply taught these ignorant louts that we ofteen eschew combat, fold our tents and slink away in fear. The apologists and defenders of Trump
(those who swallow his lies on a wholesale basis) expose themselves as hopelessly partisan hacks who are either hopelessly stupid or opportunistic psycopaths who would risk treason to keep their lying bigot in power indefinitely.
And as an Oregonian who is fed up with the over--the-top tolerance of the Portland Oregon authorities for countenancing the nightly protests, I say "Step aside, and let someone more competent deal with the intolerable situation now transpiring. We need someone not afraid to break a few heads when a situation warrants a direct approach.
Bob Warren
Christians... #CmonMan. These guys literally have the fanaticism similar to the Nazi war machine. The question is how many have the cajones to truly act on it, we're going to face some scary moments in the months ahead alot dictated by how the TrumpOP deals with his disposal.
And PS. get vaccinated... spred the love.
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