That Was A Close One

[phantasm]

So, a massive horde of Trump supporters rallied outside the Capitol Building and thought they could stop the government from... doing what now, exactly?

So they managed to disrupt the functioning of the Electoral College. Well, they accomplished it. They derailed it. For a few hours, anyway.

Then the government got back to doing what they were supposed to do as per the Constitution.

I have no doubt Jan. 6th, 2021 is a date that will go down in history.

A bit of wisdom I stumbled over some time ago says, "We don't rise to the level of our ideals. We sink to the level of our systems."

Well, the Constitution isn't just an idealistic document. There's a massive, explicitly described infrastructure about how to go about running a country.

And despite the congenital flaws in our Constitution, the system really can work.

Still, I am concerned. A large enough crowd, well-armed and trained in the use of weapons, could bring down the physical infrastructure that houses our government.

Now, where that future crowd is going to come from, I'm not sure. You need a lot of material, infrastructure and discipline to raise a real army. These people are definitely a few fries short of a happy meal.

The next crowd, that is the question.....................

[anirbas]

I had to work Wednesday, but, David kept me updated. He had CNN on here at home. I had a feeling this "rally" that had been talked about on social media, was going to go pear shaped. Many had infiltrated Parler and such and were saying they were planning to get nasty at this rally. I don't know why, for the life of me, Washington wasn't better prepared considering all of the chatter on social media. Though I worried, when David told me they overran the Capitol, I remained hopeful, this band of mentally incapacitated, though armed brigands would not prevail with their idiotic insurrection.

When I returned from work, I caught up with the videos and pictures. I died laughing at so many. The guy with his fake? buffalo horns attached to a hat made of fox tails and fur, was so hilarious. I am laughing, again. The idiot strolling away with the podium, waving at the camera, vies with horn fox boy for belly laughs.

Yes, it could have been a whole lot worse. Most of them looked drunk and or hopped up on meth, and fanaticism with their staring eyes.

Hopefully, we will prepare for any possible future events. More importantly, it is time to stop coddling these self-entitled good old white boys mad their forebears lost the "right" to own black people so they can't own two or three now, themselves. Time to call them what they are and have been, home grown terrorist and treat them accordingly, like the treasonous dogs that they are.

Argh. I am so over it and people that support this cult of personality, tRump insurrectionism and fake news bullshit. How can they not see he is promoting a hyper reality that simply does not exist? The virus is a hoax. The election was stolen. And so forth and so on.

[darkness0within]

I saw this on our UK news.

Governments around the world will be hoping that these scenes do not repeat in their neck of the woods. But we all know the power of social media and there is a real chance it might.

Democracy is probably the best system for running a country, but it does have its flaws. Which are apparent in the haves and have not's of society. 

Freedom of speech is a two edged sword. You have it, but it has to have limitations which is a paradox because you cannot say anything you like. By the law of one country or another there a things that are illegal or deemed immoral to say or do. Personally I think that is right. But still the notion of 'freedom of speech' is a bit of a fantasy. the best you can say is that you DO have freedom of speech, but within the confines and parameters of a society.   

Revolution seemed to be in the air for a while as I watched the reports. I think many feel that struggles of the past ended with a handshake from each apposing side. The truth is sometimes it ends badly, and for a while chaos and bloodshed holds sway. This time control was restored. But I do feel this is not the end of the saga yet. 

[phantasm]

The situation still worries me a great deal. I did almost nothing yesterday except watch NBC (I had a day off work that day).
I was cheering on the Republicans for defecting away from Trump. 10 of 'em voted to impeach. There were also 4 abstentions, they didn't vote at all. I was hoping for about 25 Republicans to defect. A bridge too far apparently. Sigh.

I'm worried we're in for a fight for the next generation. The next 20 years is going to be tough sledding. Even a successful impeachment can only go so far. A radical fringe movement is going to rally around Trump one way or another. I have this niggling feeling that we're headed for something akin to the English Civil War type of situation. Congress and the President fielding their own armies? Except, the president, whoever is president, is commander-in-chief. So, maybe, maybe not.

We fight "for the soul of the nation" every couple of years, every election cycle. And the major media outlets create a feeding frenzy. They benefit from promoting hot-button issues.

There's too much purple country. Both sides are totally enmeshed with each other. And if you think a state like California could successfully secede and go it alone, you're probably not familiar enough with the supply lines for food and such. There is far too much interstate traffic to make something like that a viable reality.

I wish I knew what the solution was.......

[phantasm]

Oh, and Darkness, does your country have anti-hate speech laws like America does? Just curious.

[anirbas]

Phantasm, even though we have anti-hate speech laws, it's like we don't, sadly.

Darkness, interesting and horrifying analogy. I hope not. I hope this close to the precipice and no further, with any luck. I watch to many history
documentaries on the "civil" wars, in both our countries. Nothing civil about them, eh?

As an American, a mother and a grandmother, it is my fervent wish that we as a country, get our shit together.

Our government, kind of just let these anti-government groups stew after the Waco tragedy in Texas. Make no mistake, I believe that should have never
happened. David Koresh should have been arrested. But, not at the compound. Not in that manner. Religious fanatics, even with children being willfully
abused by their "messiah" are always willing to die for their chosen belief system. Koresh jogged every day off of compound property. And went into to town at least once a week.

Then they let the rich white ranchers get away with taking over and holding a post office, was it? A federal building. Key words are rich white ranchers.

tRump has been inciting these rabble rousers on Twitter for years. Especially during the Obama administration. He built his voting base in this manner.

After January 6th, I honestly don't know what to say or think of this country, anymore. I mean, almost fifty percent of voters still voted for him, in 2019 after all the carnage he orchestrated for four years. I know kith and kin alike, that made sure everyone knew they voted for this orange mobster. And still proclaim they are not racist, they're "conservatives". I am so ashamed of them and disheartened by their words and their actions, in their vote alone. They are complicit with what went down that day.

I don't know what to say, anymore. I just don't. Or, for the moment. Haha.

[heartfelt7]

Interesting reads that I feel at home with, as if I'm listening to normal people who live and let live. Phantasm hit the nail on the head with the statement that the media profits off the Trump phenomena. Each side can read something to pick them up one day and throw them down the next, an addicting pattern that keeps people coming back for more. They've all made a fortune. I just try to avoid the hate since it reminds me of my granddaughter's math assignment. Add something negative to a negative and the negative grows.

[darkness0within]

Jan 14, 2021 12:33:51 GMT -6 phantasm said:

Oh, and Darkness, does your country have anti-hate speech laws like America does? Just curious.

Yes Phantasm, there are limits to what you can say or do here in the UK. Perhaps not in the same way as the Americas though. But you do really have to be 'out there' to fall foul of the laws. I do suspect that more laws will be coming in time to try and curb the more 'radical' members of the population.

It's funny to me how things are now in US politics. In the distant past the Democrats and republicans seem to have been the polar opposites of how they are now when you go back in time to the end of the Civil war and after.

[darkness0within]

The truth (as I see it anibas) is America is suffering from the scars of its past. The Civil war took its toll on your country, as did the first and second world wars and especially the Vietnam war. and though I don't sign up to the glorification of war, or the glorification of people who fought in the war. I do feel a remembrance of all who fought and died in the civil war and beyond is the right thing to do.

I'll come back to this when I have more time...

[darkness0within]

I see choppy waters ahead for the US. and also the world.

No doubt more gun control measures will become a pivotal part of the next few years presidency. (I notice the NRA have filed for bankruptcy recently to try and move their operations elsewhere). I think this more gun control will cause some to go underground on gun ownership, and I can't see this being a smooth process at all.

One thing is for sure. The criminal fraternity will still have guns as is the way in the UK. Smuggled into the country, or reactivating deactivated firearms, or even manufacturing them. As would be the case in the US. 

Back to the present...

Joe Biden will have his work cut out for him. Economically things at the moment are bleak, as it is world wide. At some point in the near future taxpayers are going to have to pay back what the governments of the world have paid out to keep things afloat. But for the moment the reversing of most, if not all of the last president laws will gain popularity for now with many.