This show trial is framed as the smoking gun and the parade of horribles rolled into a Geraldo Rivera Al Capone’s safe special. But like Capone’s safe, there’s probably nothing new inside.
"Meanwhile, everything has turned to poop for many Americans."
We can kick a$$ and chew bubble-gum at the same time. Even given all the valid issues that the American people are facing, we can and should make time to get all of this out in as public of a manner as possible. To be honest, I don't think that it should have taken this long, but better late than never.
"In these times, who cares what a former president did or didn’t do 18 months ago? He didn’t succeed, did he? The very-online people who are constantly worried that someone will assume dictator-like control of our government—except when that person is Barack Obama—want everyone in the country to care like they’ve never cared so much in their lives."
I care, despite the fact that the rubber spines of the Republicans and Democrats' general tendency to trip over their shoelaces will NOT result in any meaningful (read: barred from running for office again, or criminal charges) for Donald Trump. The benefits of these hearings will not be not from the last attempted putsch, but raising the bar to make it more consequential for those attempting the NEXT putsch. I suspect that John Eastman would have loved to sail through the rest of his life as a minor celebrity in conservative intellectual circles - that's now impossible given the widespread notoriety he's earned with his scheming. It's important to broadcast the cops' stories who were attacked and injured during the insurrection so that future #MAGA candidates will be asked to untangle the contradiction of their "Back the Blue" stances and support for Trump's Big Lie. Trump may be basically immune from consequences here, but it's important to show that his enablers do not enjoy the same protections from prosecution should they decide to play along.
The Jan. 6 Committee's job here is to shine as bright of a light on what led up to and occurred on January 6 so that potential supporters of the next putsch don't look at it as a fun and raucous right-wing field trip, but something that will impose real consequences on them, their reputations, and their livelihoods, should they decide to become complicit in the next attempt to overturn an American election. To the extent that the Jan. 6 Committee can show that collaborators at all levels of the incident will be held accountable, the better off we will be in the end.
Well stated Chris. The reality is across the country those purple states that sent trump packing are all facing a changing of the guard regarding the election process (to say nothing of the election law re-writes). They drove out good people of both stripes with their fake allegations and their nonstop harassment. I guess in Steve's mind that's perfectly fine. It's not.
Holding those responsible and accountable should be the objective. Doesn't matter if you were breaking through the blue wall or driving them to do it. 2024 will be here before we know and a rerun of the shitshow should be of interest to no one in their right mind.
I think the reason that the satire flew over my head is that I've heard enough folks making the same (satirical) arguments earnestly. Especially the "who cares" angle, which seemed to be the go-to excuse for Trump during his presidency, so I developed a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, which is on display above.
I wouldn't be too hard on yourself Chris. I've given more speeches than i can count and written more words than i can imagine. I had one guiding principle, if the reader or listener didn't get it, it was on me, not them. Steve's article may well be satire, but i didn't see it until he said so.
Oh it’s on me. I was being too clever by half which is a fault I have. The whole Russian eat a bullet part was the point. Show trials are useless IMO. If we are going after the Jan 6 leaders let’s do it. If Trump had that as part of his intention to keep power (I say he did) then spend all effort going there. Our government handled it poorly. I’d have given all the low level people a pass if they agreed to cooperate in the conspiracy charge against Trump and his WH staff.
You are absolutely right Jay, it doesn't. Was it intended to express irony, exaggeration or ridicule? If so, to whom? My problem is exactly as i suggested in my response regarding Uvalde massacre being next. Some things are bigger than the written word.
Too many writers are trying to minimize these next several days. I'll wait to see and hear what they reveal. And to be clear, i still read Steve because i often enjoy his perspective, it's clearly different from mine.
I read the comments first, so I read the article with the intent of separating the truth from the satire. The truth is that everything has turned to poop for many citizens. The satire has to do with why we should care about what happened eighteen months ago. If Pelosi's committee of the like-minded can prove all that Adam Schiff and Liz Cheney allege, they will have done the country a great service. I do not believe that will happen. What will happen is political theater and grandstanding without the pesky contrary grandstanding to deal with.
No, as they say, “ackshually”… there’s evidence that had the largest part of the crowd penetrated the chamber before Senators could be evacuated, the Federal Protective Service agents (and I believe Secret Service too) were poised with pistols and even fully automatic sub machine guns to mow them down. There’s video evidence of this (even some in the 14 minute video shown on the first night of the hearings) and plenty of testimony of the officers to back it up.
LOL, while many of protesters were being escorted by security through the building, who didn't seem all that concerned about them.
"...even fully automatic sub machine guns.." Wow, *real* serious then :) They really do need to upgrade them to SBRs. Is the official line that they were going to "mow them down"? A little less hyperbole.
From what I've seen of the evidence presented (including the various videos) no one was panicking, no Senators were hurt, and no one needed mowing down, except one unarmed woman, it seems.
Revised security procedures should help improve things going forward, but let's not attempt to balloon it into something it's not simply to provide a platform for 2024 Democrat Party presidential hopefuls.
Yeah, it's pretty much done now. Will take its place with Gore V. Bush 2000, to be dragged out every now and again. Oh, it'll raise some funding in the coming election cycles, but it's not changing any minds, nor resolving anything.
"Meanwhile, everything has turned to poop for many Americans."
We can kick a$$ and chew bubble-gum at the same time. Even given all the valid issues that the American people are facing, we can and should make time to get all of this out in as public of a manner as possible. To be honest, I don't think that it should have taken this long, but better late than never.
"In these times, who cares what a former president did or didn’t do 18 months ago? He didn’t succeed, did he? The very-online people who are constantly worried that someone will assume dictator-like control of our government—except when that person is Barack Obama—want everyone in the country to care like they’ve never cared so much in their lives."
I care, despite the fact that the rubber spines of the Republicans and Democrats' general tendency to trip over their shoelaces will NOT result in any meaningful (read: barred from running for office again, or criminal charges) for Donald Trump. The benefits of these hearings will not be not from the last attempted putsch, but raising the bar to make it more consequential for those attempting the NEXT putsch. I suspect that John Eastman would have loved to sail through the rest of his life as a minor celebrity in conservative intellectual circles - that's now impossible given the widespread notoriety he's earned with his scheming. It's important to broadcast the cops' stories who were attacked and injured during the insurrection so that future #MAGA candidates will be asked to untangle the contradiction of their "Back the Blue" stances and support for Trump's Big Lie. Trump may be basically immune from consequences here, but it's important to show that his enablers do not enjoy the same protections from prosecution should they decide to play along.
The Jan. 6 Committee's job here is to shine as bright of a light on what led up to and occurred on January 6 so that potential supporters of the next putsch don't look at it as a fun and raucous right-wing field trip, but something that will impose real consequences on them, their reputations, and their livelihoods, should they decide to become complicit in the next attempt to overturn an American election. To the extent that the Jan. 6 Committee can show that collaborators at all levels of the incident will be held accountable, the better off we will be in the end.
Well stated Chris. The reality is across the country those purple states that sent trump packing are all facing a changing of the guard regarding the election process (to say nothing of the election law re-writes). They drove out good people of both stripes with their fake allegations and their nonstop harassment. I guess in Steve's mind that's perfectly fine. It's not.
Holding those responsible and accountable should be the objective. Doesn't matter if you were breaking through the blue wall or driving them to do it. 2024 will be here before we know and a rerun of the shitshow should be of interest to no one in their right mind.
The article was satire.
I think the reason that the satire flew over my head is that I've heard enough folks making the same (satirical) arguments earnestly. Especially the "who cares" angle, which seemed to be the go-to excuse for Trump during his presidency, so I developed a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, which is on display above.
I wouldn't be too hard on yourself Chris. I've given more speeches than i can count and written more words than i can imagine. I had one guiding principle, if the reader or listener didn't get it, it was on me, not them. Steve's article may well be satire, but i didn't see it until he said so.
Oh it’s on me. I was being too clever by half which is a fault I have. The whole Russian eat a bullet part was the point. Show trials are useless IMO. If we are going after the Jan 6 leaders let’s do it. If Trump had that as part of his intention to keep power (I say he did) then spend all effort going there. Our government handled it poorly. I’d have given all the low level people a pass if they agreed to cooperate in the conspiracy charge against Trump and his WH staff.
They'd have taken that deal, if there was a conspiracy to rat out.
Kind of like "At this point, what difference does it make?"
You aren't nearly a good enough writer to attempt this. As shown by the final product.
Yet you still read.
Watching the train wreck is it's own reward.
Perhaps a satire piece on Uvalde is next up. It would be about as funny.
Satire need not be humorous.
You are absolutely right Jay, it doesn't. Was it intended to express irony, exaggeration or ridicule? If so, to whom? My problem is exactly as i suggested in my response regarding Uvalde massacre being next. Some things are bigger than the written word.
Too many writers are trying to minimize these next several days. I'll wait to see and hear what they reveal. And to be clear, i still read Steve because i often enjoy his perspective, it's clearly different from mine.
I read the comments first, so I read the article with the intent of separating the truth from the satire. The truth is that everything has turned to poop for many citizens. The satire has to do with why we should care about what happened eighteen months ago. If Pelosi's committee of the like-minded can prove all that Adam Schiff and Liz Cheney allege, they will have done the country a great service. I do not believe that will happen. What will happen is political theater and grandstanding without the pesky contrary grandstanding to deal with.
Um, what massacre of civilians? There's no credible evidence such a thing was going to happen. Otherwise, a reasonably good article.
That's satire :)
No, as they say, “ackshually”… there’s evidence that had the largest part of the crowd penetrated the chamber before Senators could be evacuated, the Federal Protective Service agents (and I believe Secret Service too) were poised with pistols and even fully automatic sub machine guns to mow them down. There’s video evidence of this (even some in the 14 minute video shown on the first night of the hearings) and plenty of testimony of the officers to back it up.
LOL, while many of protesters were being escorted by security through the building, who didn't seem all that concerned about them.
"...even fully automatic sub machine guns.." Wow, *real* serious then :) They really do need to upgrade them to SBRs. Is the official line that they were going to "mow them down"? A little less hyperbole.
From what I've seen of the evidence presented (including the various videos) no one was panicking, no Senators were hurt, and no one needed mowing down, except one unarmed woman, it seems.
Revised security procedures should help improve things going forward, but let's not attempt to balloon it into something it's not simply to provide a platform for 2024 Democrat Party presidential hopefuls.
This comment didn't age well :)
Yeah, it's pretty much done now. Will take its place with Gore V. Bush 2000, to be dragged out every now and again. Oh, it'll raise some funding in the coming election cycles, but it's not changing any minds, nor resolving anything.