It took me a couple of hours and several breaks to finish reading the Washington Post write-up of the January 6 coup attempt. I’m surprised at how many emotions it stirred. On the other hand, I’m almost ashamed that I’d let my anger subside somewhat over the last ten months. Most of all, I’m furious that Donald Trump remains a free man. What he did was not just unforgivable, it was and continues to be a lethal threat to our entire system of government and the security of our county.
He must be held accountable for his actions.
To understand the consequences of letting Trump float away from the insurrection unscathed, consider that an early October Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll showed him more popular than ever in Iowa with 54 percent favorable numbers. FiveThirtyEight has been tracking Trump’s favorability ratings, and it’s like the insurrection never happened.
Overall, Trump’s unfavorability — now that he’s out of office we’re tracking his favorability numbers rather than his approval rating, both of which capture popularity — has remained steady just as his low approval numbers mostly did during his presidency. His popularity took a dip following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, which meant that his overall favorability was quite low when we began tracking those numbers in February. But as you can see in the chart above, Trump’s favorability numbers have more or less returned to where his approval rating was before the insurrection.
This is an outrage. It’s completely unacceptable.
Obviously, the American people are chiefly to blame. After all, if Republicans voters didn’t overwhelmingly support Trump, then Republican lawmakers would be willing to stand up to him. Still, is it really worth being an elected official if you’re nothing but a hostage?
The Democrats have a country to run and the Biden administration has campaign promises to keep. I understand that they can’t remain stuck on January 6, 2021. I also know that investigations take time. But things need to change soon. The hammer has to come down on Trump.
There’s a narrative growing that Trump will run for president again. The Senate could have prevented this by convicting Trump in the Second Impeachment Trial, but the Republicans were to cowardly to act. Now even a prison cell might not be able to prevent Trump from running again, but it would presumably be an impediment to actually winning.
To be clear, Trump tried to remain in office after losing a presidential election. He demanded that his vice-president help him orchestrate a coup, and when Pence refused, he set a violent mob on Congress in a desperate effort to remain in power by force. People died, dozens were severely injured, and there was massive property damage. Throughout it all, Trump refused to put a stop to it because it was his last chance to remain in the Oval Office.
He is the biggest criminal the country has seen since the onset of the Civil War.
And we’re all just sitting around wondering if his his new social media platform with be a success or not.
We’re in a dreamworld.
Yes, I care whether or not Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema ultimately help Biden pass his agenda. But I care more that they act like it’s vital that the Democrats not do anything too divisive. As things stand, the Democrats are going to lose power in Congress after the 2022 midterms, and a Trumpian Death Cult will take over. Perhaps that possibility should foremost in people’s minds.
Preventing that starts with holding Trump accountable. The House investigation can play a part in that, but it’s really up to the Department of Justice to get off their ass and press some charges.
We need a John Doar (counsel to the House Judiciary Committee for Nixon’s impeachment, legendary DOJ attorney during the civil rights movement) or Leon Jaworski (special prosecutor after Archibald Cox resigned). We also need judges like John Sirica. All of them recognized the imminent threat to our democracy and Constitution and acted swiftly and decisively to protect them.
I agree and just for good measure Manchin just stood on stage and gave a massive “fuck you” to Biden and all democrats. But he seems to be saying the $1.75t will be twice that. So who is double counting here?
So while we are trying to hold on to power the DOJ is full of cowardice and the dem party and the Jan 6 assholes are failing miserably. Meanwhile the dems got my phone number and keep begging for more money. Fuck you all.
Alison Camerota on CNN just reminded me that on Jan6 Trump waited for 187 minutes before doing anything about the attack on the Capitol. Well of course,– he sent the mob down there.
I just wish Joe Manchin realized the danger. If the Republican death cult takes takes power in 2022, I believe a great deal of blame will go to Manchin. He has not been negotiating in good faith. He has weakened Biden’s agenda, enabled Republicans to make Biden less popular, constantly attacked the Democratic brand, made it impossible for any kind of filibuster reform even a carve out for voting protection. He is in his 70s, wealthy, and not even up for re-election, and yet he feels the need to keep delaying. He apparently doesn’t realize the danger of climate change either. Yes, 50-50 Senate, but that fact doesn’t force him to do what he is doing.
He doesn’t seem to have a care in the world, does he, except that he gets whatever woke him up this morning.
It seems that the momentum at this point is close to unstoppable. We have elected Senators in the Democratic Party who either simply do not seem to believe that American democracy is in danger, or they are willing participants in what is to come, and accessories to the Trump resurgence. But without a doubt, it is coming. And if/when they stand up and say that they never expected that it would be this bad, they should be politically crucified.
It is hard for me to believe, after all that has happened, that this country is poised to welcome Donald Trump back into a position of supreme power, and that it seems the Democratic Party is powerless to stop it. The only hope left is with the Judiciary, and from all appearances the Biden DOJ is a proverbial deer in the headlights. The sand is running out of the hour glass. 2022 will be here in the blink of an eye, and the entire American media empire is salivating at the prospect of a massive Democratic Party collapse. It is not hyperbole to say we are staring into an abyss, which is the end of the American democratic experiment. And the fact so many corners seem to be cheering it on makes me believe that it is nearly inevitable.
Yes the DOJ seems bound up almost in fear.
I remember shouting all of this back in November of last year.
Nothing much has changed.
Again, the Second Amendment isn’t just a right, it’s a responsibility.
No, the 2nd amendment is an anachronism that at best has been proven unnecessary by subsequent events (dozens of tyrannical governments have been toppled by nonviolent, democratic movements over the last 230+ years), and at worst existed to preserve white supremacy (via slave patrols in the South, and genocidal, anti-Native militias in the North).
Far better to redouble our 1st amendment actions: i.e., speech, assembly, petition. For tactical suggestions, see Gene Sharp’s dated-but-still-useful 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action. https://www.aeinstein.org/nonviolentaction/198-methods-of-nonviolent-action/
When the fascists are given permission to murder you and your family, no amount of free speech is going to save you.
Good luck though.
Thanks. As research on violent and nonviolent movements by Erica Chenoweth and others has shown, nonviolent movements have roughly twice the chances of succeeding: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erica_Chenoweth
Like Sharp, Chenoweth’s not that interested in the morality of violence and nonviolence, but more interested in the effectiveness of each method in achieving the ends of a democratic society.
Why do you equate safely owning and operating a firearm to a “violent movement”.
I’m not encouraging people to LARP at COSTCO. I’m encouraging people to own and operate a firearm, safely, so that when the fascists decide to finally Make America Great Again, you don’t just die quietly and politely as they expect you to do.
Oh, and I can guarantee that any firearm you purchase is only going to appreciate in value. They’re a better store of value than any precious metal or fiat currency.