It’s still Trump’s party

Trump associates with some rather questionable characters, including Lin Wood:

Despite many in Trump’s orbit declaring war on Wood after he pushed for a boycott of the Georgia Senate races, the president himself has personally kept in touch with the firebrand. Trump has not only encouraged Wood and Powell to continue with their “Kraken” lawsuits, but he also hasn’t told them to tone down their rhetoric, much to the dismay of many of Trump’s advisers.

This article caught my eye:

It seems that even the “free speech” social network Parler has its limits.

The social network that has attracted scores of conservative commentators because of its commitment to free speech has taken down several posts from Trump affiliate Lin Wood, according to a report in Mediaite.

In one of the posts removed from the social media platform, Wood called for the execution of Vice President Mike Pence.

The Trumpistas that stormed the Capitol seem to have similar views:

Meanwhile, the incitements to execute Pence seem to have been the animating factor for at least some of the rioters who stormed the Capitol building on Wednesday. Reuters Photo News Editor Jim Bourg tweeted about hearing at least three different rioters hoping to “find Vice President Mike Pence and execute him by hanging him from a Capitol Hill tree as a traitor.”

There’s discussion over whether Trump was inciting a riot and/or whether a “coup” attempt took place. Most of the discussion has too narrow a focus. For 5 years, Trump has been using violent rhetoric and fascist symbolism to create a misogynist, xenophobic, white nationalist movement in America. He’s demonized foreigners and minorities. He opposes free speech. He repeating praises brutal dictators while denigrating our democratic allies. He advocates putting a million Chinese Muslims into concentration camps. He praises American war criminals. He advocates torture. He invents a poisonous mythology of a stolen election, and tells his supporters to show strength in stopping Congress from stealing the election (while he hides like a coward). He surrounds himself with people who advocate violence, including Steve Bannon (who said Fauci should be beheaded) and Rudy Giuliani (who called for the Capitol Hill mob to engage in “combat”.) And Lin Wood.

Update: I forgot to mention that the Arizona Republican Party encouraged its members to be willing to die for Trump. (Why would anyone want to die to protect a coward?)

Do I really need to connect the dots? How can anyone not see Trump for what he is?

Now you might argue that all this violent rhetoric was “just joking”, or metaphors. Maybe so. But look at the videotape of the morons that stormed Capital Hill. Do these look like people who understand when a person is joking?

It now seems that the GOP is going to stick with Trump. He’ll continue to poll well among average people, and cowardly GOP politicians will therefore stick with him. They cower in fear. That means that each day Trump will drag the Republican Party ever further down into the gutter with him.

It’s still Trump’s party.


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34 Responses to “It’s still Trump’s party”

  1. Gravatar of Jason Jason
    9. January 2021 at 23:05

    Scott, I owe you an apology.

    A BIG one.

    https://youtu.be/fP8APGmWxGs

    I will not be Anakin to your Obi Wan.

    I never liked Trumps personality. In fact, I loathed it. But I saw him as a clown who was doing good things for America at first. 3.7 percent unemployment before the pandemic. Peace deals in the Middle East. Slashing regulations.

    Plus there is the one effect of hearing hair on fire commentary for 4 years.

    You begin to tune it out.

    You rationalise the “lesser evil”

    And then the corona.
    The riots then happened. I saw Minneapolis on fire. Cops killed. The authoritarian left pulling down Americans history. Hyper wokism. Andrew Cuomo murdered seniors.

    And Biden saying “Antifa was just an idea.”

    And Kamala bailing out rioters. Democrats NORMALIZING violence.

    Out of rage and protest. I voted for Trump.

    I saw him as the “lesser evil”

    I was WRONG. (Biden is)

    Fuck Trump.

    Screw that wannabe fascist dictator.

    I hope they prosecute him for sedition.

    https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/part-I/chapter-115

    You and I still have our differences. I think you are way too soft on the CCP.

    But you are right about Trump.

    I’m sorry.

  2. Gravatar of Rajat Rajat
    10. January 2021 at 00:06

    Sorry, I’ve paid next to no attention to American politics, apart from the various election results themselves. But I’ve been hopeful the Republicans will now step away from Trump. I was hoping to read why you thought recent events showed that the Republicans are still Trump’s party – ie, the basis for the post title and your final paragraph conclusion. Apart from the Arizona update, though, are there other recent indicators?

  3. Gravatar of David S David S
    10. January 2021 at 03:06

    Mitch McConnell is exerting all his power to help the GOP Senate slither away from a confrontation with Trump. And his wife’s resignation was a calculated move to avoid having to take a stand on a 25th amendment removal. It’s not too much of a stretch to believe that Trump will pardon every single person who is charged in association with the attack.

    Matt Yglesias has pointed out that it’s good odds that Kevin McCarthy will be the speaker of the House after the 2022 midterm elections. I’m not going to bet against that.

    Maybe all of this will make it marginally harder for Ivanka to run for the Senate, but I’m not betting against her either. Ted Cruz will be Senate Majority leader by then.

  4. Gravatar of Michael Sandifer Michael Sandifer
    10. January 2021 at 03:43

    It is still Trump’s party, but not as much as it would have been, sans the events of last week, beginning with the release of the recorded call, Republicans losing the Senate, and the takeover of the Capitol building.

    Most Republican officeholders are obviously hostages, understanding that Trump is more dangerous to their careers than ever, with less potential upside now with voters. The equation for the country has improved somewhat regarding Trump, and will further improve when he does leave office and it dawns on more members of his base that they were betrayed.
    There is a reckoning that will continue to grow within his base, even if he ultimately keeps 60-80% onboard.

    The point is that I think Trump is finished as a mainstream political figure, though something like Trumpism will live on. This will divide the Republican Party and I think the split on the right will hurt the party politically for at least a cycle or two, and perhaps much longer.

    This will help create opportunities for a left-wing backlash, if sufficiently compelling leadership can emerge. A rockstar politician like an Obama or a Bill Clinton could have tremendous political success with constant attacks on right-wing extremism and the ignoring of many Americans’ economic and other insecurities, while pushing really big spending programs and perhaps inflationary policies, via some newly branded progressivism with an MMT twist. Think of what a politician with FDR’s skills could do for the left right now.

    The Democratic Party is in terrible shape. It would be all the talk of politics if the Republican Party werent in even worse shape. The leadership engenders no love or sense that it possesses any competence and is correctly seen as out of touch and corrupt. It’s a good time for a takeover of the Party, should the right populist emerge.

    It’s quite possible the next big political problem comes from the left. I hope I’m wrong, but there are intelligent, charismatic Democrats who could do a lot more damage than Trump economically, because they wouldn’t be hampered by the extreme narcissistism, laziness, stupidity, ignorance, senility, and selfishness of Trump.

    Such a destructive administration would further feed the fascists, as we continue down the path of what looks like a US version of Latin American banana republic politics, careening hard right or left in many future elections, with the occasional reasonable government in-between, boxed-in by populist nonsense.

  5. Gravatar of foosion foosion
    10. January 2021 at 04:44

    “Imagine 9/11, only no press conferences explaining what happened or what was ongoing, and a third of Congress expressing sympathy with Al Qaida and urging us to forget the attack in the name of unity.”

  6. Gravatar of Mike Sax Mike Sax
    10. January 2021 at 07:16

    Yep. Even Pat Toomey who admits Trump committed impeachable offenses-though suggests ‘there’s no time’-cops out.

    https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1348274777195163656

    In reality of course

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/impeachment-senate-trump-acquitted/2021/01/08/157fb03e-515c-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html

    Ironically had they convicted Trump 11 months ago the GOP might be in better political shape today. Pence would probably have known how to handle the Covid crisis reasonably well.

    He at least wouldn’t have demonized masks and defiantly held Covid parties-that actually led to one of their own new QAnon supporting Republican Congressmen to die before he was even sworn in

    https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/louisiana-congressman-elect-died-from-covid-days-before-being-sworn-into-office

    At least Pence would have gotten some of the usual poll bounce in times of crisis-as he knows how to speak with empathy and be reassuring

  7. Gravatar of Carl Carl
    10. January 2021 at 08:15

    I don’t see any way a Trump heads the Republican ticket in 2024.

  8. Gravatar of Philo Philo
    10. January 2021 at 08:18

    Your criticisms of Trump and of Republican politicians should be extended further. You mention in passing that, “He’ll continue to poll well among average people,” but these average people almost entirely escape your wrath, even though they are the enablers of Trump. In a democracy, power lies with the people. It is no surprise that “cowardly” politicians in a democracy pander to the voters; do not put all the blame on these politicians.

  9. Gravatar of bill bill
    10. January 2021 at 08:24

    Thank you for the ongoing good insights.

  10. Gravatar of Ray Lopez Ray Lopez
    10. January 2021 at 08:33

    What an idiotic comments section. It looks like Morgan Warsler is “Jason”, as the prose is similar? Using obscenities and asking for forgiveness, what a joker.

    I have a theory as to why our host is so bent out of shape: lack of appreciation of hyperbole and irony. It’s the northern European syndrome, where words are foolishly equaled with action. By contrast, almost everywhere else in the western world. words are not treated so deferentially (Asia is a special case where appearances are reality). Hasn’t Sumner heard of hyperbole? Hanging Pence from a tree when I don’t believe Capitol hill even has a tree? C’mon man. I’m sure some Antifa supporters also said, in one of their heated moments, something similar about The Man. It’s time to take a chill pill.

    I wonder whether Sumner will agree with his new Democratic Party overlords once they start taxing his estate? Or does Sumner think now that he’s not making as much income, he’s immune from taxes? I see a wealth tax (net worth tax) on the horizon, as well as hyperinflation due to MMT (which indirectly Sumner helped sponsor, though the real pioneer on this site is Dr. Benjamin Cole).

  11. Gravatar of Ray Lopez Ray Lopez
    10. January 2021 at 08:36

    @Mike Sax – since you still seem to have a scholarly bent, I’ll point out that Trump is not being charged by the DOJ for inciting a riot, even though they have ample opportunity to do so, since he’s leaving and has no strings attached to their budget (to the contrary they must appease Biden now). So it’s impossible to charge Trump if the DOJ doesn’t charge him first. Should we also charge Pelosi with sedition since she improperly and unconstitutionally went behind Trump’s back to talk to the military to diminish Trump’s control over the same? You don’t see the NY Times talking about that.

  12. Gravatar of ssumner ssumner
    10. January 2021 at 08:39

    Jason, And just to be clear, I think the CCP is evil. I’m not sure I’ve said one good thing about the CCP is 11 years of blogging.

    But I do like China. I got married in China.

    Rajat, Just a sense I have. The congressional GOP is still unwilling to stand up to Trump, and I think that’s because they believe the rank and file is still behind him.

    Philo, Somehow it seems worse when powerful politicians know they are lying about Trump, than when average voters are simply fooled by him. But I take your point, there’s plenty of blame to go around.

  13. Gravatar of ssumner ssumner
    10. January 2021 at 08:41

    Ray, Tell that dead DC cop’s family about your theory that words don’t hurt.

  14. Gravatar of xu xu
    10. January 2021 at 08:43

    The first commenter is a bozo.
    If you actually watched the Trump speech, he said “please march peacefully”. He never “incited violence”.

    But to watch the speech, and stay in tune with political happenings, you actually have to turn off the boob tube, something this gentlemen, and CCP Sumner, consistently fail to do.

    When you watch T.v. all day, and that is your sole source if information, then you can consider yourself misinformed.

    Frustrated Americans are not “terrorists”. And the move to silence Trump, and his 75 million supporters, or any company that allows free speech is SEDITION! Google, Apple, Twitter, Amazon, and others have unchecked power, and they are colluding with the democrats to overthrow inalienable rights outlined in the constitution.

    Most of you dingbats, and bimbos, have not read the constitution. But fortunately, for the boob tubers, you only have to read the very first amendment. After you do, let me know what that says.

  15. Gravatar of henry henry
    10. January 2021 at 08:47

    “Ray, Tell that dead DC cop’s family about your theory that words don’t hurt.”

    And???

    It doesn’t Pedophile Sumner.
    It doesn’t matter if “words hurt”.
    It doesn’t matter if your feelings are hurt.

    The only thing that matters is the social contract as outlined in the US constitution.

    And the constitution doesn’t let you and your pathetic pedophile friends to curtail speech.

  16. Gravatar of sarah sarah
    10. January 2021 at 09:26

    Thomas Paine and Samuel Adams were “radicals”, and England called them “domestic terrorists”.

    The only difference between a terrorist and a patriot is which side you are on.

    And the only travesty was that those corrupt politicians lived.
    I was hoping they would at least get rid of Pelosi: MS. Corrupt Tuna Fish. For the politically illiterate, you may google Pelosi and Star Fish Tuna.

  17. Gravatar of Postkey Postkey
    10. January 2021 at 09:49

    “It’s still Trump’s party”

    Really? It’s still the party of the plutocrats and the M.I.C.?

    “Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens
    Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page
    Each of four theoretical traditions in the study of American politics—which can be characterized as theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy, Economic-Elite Domination, and two types of interest-group pluralism, Majoritarian Pluralism and Biased Pluralism—offers different predictions about which sets of actors have how much influence over public policy: average citizens; economic elites; and organized interest groups, mass-based or business-oriented. A great deal of empirical research speaks to the policy influence of one or another set of actors, but until recently it has not been possible to test these contrasting theoretical predictions against each other within a single statistical model. We report on an effort to do so, using a unique data set that includes measures of the key variables for 1,779 policy issues. Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence. The results provide substantial support for theories of Economic-Elite Domination and for theories of Biased Pluralism, but not for theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy or Majoritarian Pluralism. “
    https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/mgilens/files/gilens_and_page_2014_-testing_theories_of_american_politics.doc.pdf

  18. Gravatar of Anonymous Anonymous
    10. January 2021 at 10:21

    Why not ban the bots? They even format their names the same way to make it convenient to identify them (sarah, henry, etc.).

    Henry you dumb bastard – do you have any evidence that Scott is a pedophile? Storming the Capitol to violently interfere with the business of congress is most definitely not protected under the constitution and has nothing to do with words.

    Sarah, nobody wants to Google your random conspiracies. The US is a liberal democracy, sometimes the difference between a freedom fighter and terrorist depends on one’s side, but methods make a difference too. Nobody with morals supports ISIS, no matter what they call themselves, and here in the US we believe in enlightenment values – fighting for independence from monarchy is one thing, trying to interfere with the will of the people and potentially murder politicians is another.

    Xu at least has a unique shtick even if it makes no sense and may actually be a person. Frustrated Americans are not terrorists. People storming the Capitol, trying to violently disrupt one of the most sacred processes of democracy, terrorizing the people within, and murdering police officers are absolutely that.

  19. Gravatar of JC1 JC1
    10. January 2021 at 10:47

    The para-military wing of the demonrat party has been attacking and ruining American cities for almost a year now and Scott reckons Trump is responsible for most of the violence in the US.
    TDS is a terrible illness.

  20. Gravatar of Mike Sax Mike Sax
    10. January 2021 at 10:56

    Ray I will respond to you with some sense of misgiving. Misgiving as in my experience Trump apologists are dug in and pretty much impervious to persuasion.

    Certainly that’s my experience-and there are many Trump apologists among my own friends and family. My first rule is to NEVER engage in politics with them.

    But since you’re just a guy on the other side of a keyboard and can’t follow me into the next room here it goes

    I tend to see Trump apologists as impervious to reason because at this point how much more evidence do you need that Trump is an evil and noxious force in our politics and that the entire Republican party-save Mitt Romney-is entirely complicit?

    In your construing of my comment above I don’t recognize what I said. But that aside your comment strikes me as what I might call Great Adventures in False Equivalence.

    You do the usual trick of Trump apologists-just like everyone in the party outside Romney-attempt to minimize Trump’s assaults on our Rule of Law and our democracy with a string of whataboutisms.

    What about Hillary? What about Hunter Biden? What about BLM? What about Antifa?

    “Should we also charge Pelosi with sedition since she improperly and unconstitutionally went behind Trump’s back to talk to the military to diminish Trump’s control over the same? You don’t see the NY Times talking about that.”

    No-because in no way is Pelosi speaking to the Chief of Staff of the Defense Department equivalent to what Trump did-attempted to steal an election he lost up to and including inciting and activating a violent coup in the nation’s capitol.

    BTW your ‘But Pelosi’ example has the further inconvenience of being in no way-unconstitutional. Members of Congress speak to the leaders of various Executive agencies all the time.

    But the bigger stumbling block you have-very common among Trump apologists-is this canard that ‘words don’t matter only actions matter.’

    There’s a ton of problems with this starting from the fact that when you have the power of the Presidency behind you in a sense your words ARE actions, Executive actions.

    This has been a constant refrain during Trump’s malign regime.

    But under Congressional questioning, Trump’s agency heads have reluctantly admitted that Trump’s tweets ARE policy.

    For example remember when he declared that LGBT people no longer be allowed to serve in the military? Maybe out of your or my mouth that’s a mere opinion but out of Trump’s it was clearly a policy directive.

    Indeed that’s why Trump is freaking out now-without Twitter he feels naked as he himself has admitted without it he wouldn’t be President at all.

    Beyond this clearly the law disagrees with you that ‘mere words’ are ALWAYS necessarily Constitutionally mandated speech. There is a incitement clause-the classic example is you can’t yell ‘fire’ in a crowded theater.

    Trump’s directives to his buddy Roger Stone’s friends at the Proud Boys to ‘stand back and stand by but…’ and on the very morning of the riot-to the rioters’ that the election was stolen and that they should ‘fight’ is about as clear an example of incitement to violence as you will get.

    The best equivalence to what Trump did is when the Ayatollah put a hit on Salman Rushdie. Again-the rioters came with a rope to hang Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi. Trump’s tweet lashing Pence for not refusing to recognize Biden’s win was direct case of activation.

    But again many Trump apologists are so dug in on not admitting how tragically wrong they have been that they can never admit it.

  21. Gravatar of Anonymous Anonymous
    10. January 2021 at 11:05

    Mike Sax, beautifully put.

    And of course none of this has anything to do with what side one is one politically or what policies one supports. It’s just table stakes for supporting the American system of government.

  22. Gravatar of Anonymous Anonymous
    10. January 2021 at 11:17

    Ray, how did Scott indirectly sponsor MMT? He’s written maybe 10+ posts taking it apart this year. Or was that just hyperbole too?

  23. Gravatar of Bob Obrien Bob Obrien
    10. January 2021 at 11:19

    I guess it is ok to riot, burn buildings and kill average people for a year or so since the news media you folks seem to like calls this “mostly peaceful”.

    Finally when a Trump group does something bad the media have discovered their voice. This outrage at the Trump folks is so so so obviously a dem political operation! They are using it as an excuse to violate our first amendment rights big time.

    If we look to the future the danger is the dems assault on our rights not Trump. No Republican will win the presidential election again for a very long time so forget Trump. We need to focus on the real danger. The wacky left wing dems!!!

  24. Gravatar of Anonymous Anonymous
    10. January 2021 at 11:21

    If you’d told me post 9/11 or really any time until maybe this year that a horde of people violently stormed into the US Capitol and started tearing it to pieces and attacking security I wouldn’t have believed that 1) it would be possible, 2) that any significant number of Americans would support this, and 3) that REPUBLICANS would be supporting it.

  25. Gravatar of Jason Jason
    10. January 2021 at 11:24

    https://apple.news/AdB0JiJyMS66N_aDRZrsiAw

    Monster 👿😠😡

  26. Gravatar of Anonymous Anonymous
    10. January 2021 at 11:25

    Bob, no, it’s not OK to riot and burn buildings and while some people may say that you’ll be hard pressed to find a post where Scott says so. We can argue about the details of who did what and where during the BLM protests but it doesn’t matter – it doesn’t make it OK to violently break into the US Capitol. These things were not the same, but it doesn’t actually matter – both sides doing something doesn’t make it OK.

    Where should the line have been drawn? Would you have felt differently if congress people had been injured? Killed? Do you believe in liberal democracy?

  27. Gravatar of Jason Jason
    10. January 2021 at 11:46

    Ray Lopez,
    I’m not Morgan Warstler. 😂.

    What do you call it when trump brings the crowd to the edge, and says “weve got to take back our country…” you call it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shouting_fire_in_a_crowded_theater

    For too long I’ve looked at Trumps flippant, asinine careless attitude as something amusing.

    Well now, 5 people are dead!

    Henry, you are a disgusting moron!

    Sarah,

    Don’t compare Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine with death cult members who revolt AGAINST liberty and democracy.

    Xu,
    I’M A BOZO?!
    What did you THINK was going to happen when Trump brought the crowd to the edge, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shouting_fire_in_a_crowded_theater) and Rudy Giuliani said “LETS HAVE TRIAL BY COMBAT!”
    Flowers and sunshine!??

    Scott,
    I’m glad to see you condemn the CCP. But what do we do about it? It’s malign influence has infected the United States. Corporations bow to it. Tik Tok has infected our young people. (I’m an old millennial, lol 😂)

  28. Gravatar of Peter Peter
    10. January 2021 at 15:10

    “For 5 years, Trump has been using violent rhetoric and fascist symbolism to create a misogynist, xenophobic, white nationalist movement in America”

    Got it, white American men bad, non-white global women good. I mean God forbid should 35% of America want a party that represents them or looks out for their interest.

  29. Gravatar of Michael Sandifer Michael Sandifer
    10. January 2021 at 16:03

    I’m glad to see some commenters commenters come around to the reality that Trump is dangerous, but I see a lot of hyperbole over the threat China represents to the US.

    Yes, the CCP is evil. Yes, China has undue polity influence with some allies, like the Philippines. Yes, China is guilty of human rights abuses on vast scales. But, this has been true for decades.

    True, China is more powerful than ever, and will only grow more powerful, but that will happen no matter what we do.

    All we can do is keep an eye on them, make our military a strong as possible, and contain China militarily, along with allies such as India and Japan.

    Our military preparedness has to include AI and cyber warfare capabilities.

    This doesn’t mean we need a cold war and we certainly don’t need a hot war. It doesn’t mean we should restrict trade, because trade gives us common interests and makes us all wealthier. We should be careful about access to sensitive technology, but also realize that secrets are extremely difficult to keep in republics.

    The only enemy that represents an existential threat to the US is the enemy within. At present, that’s the fascists led by Trump. In the future, it may be left-wing, Peronist-sorts.

    We should remain vigilant about protectimg our republican form of government here at home, or we can never promote it abroad.

  30. Gravatar of Bob Obrien Bob Obrien
    10. January 2021 at 17:54

    From Anonymous:
    “Where should the line have been drawn? Would you have felt differently if congress people had been injured? Killed? Do you believe in liberal democracy?”

    I draw the line at illegal and violent actions. The folks who did this at the capital were wrong and should be brought to justice.

    However, you miss my point. The dems and the press gave a pass to people doing this same thing for the past year. Thus we cannot trust the dems or the press to protect our liberty.

  31. Gravatar of Mike Sax Mike Sax
    10. January 2021 at 21:01

    Thank you Anon-that’s the point. The issue with Trump was never primarily about ideology-he doesn’t have one anyway other than his own mythology.

    With Trump it was always process not policy that was key problem.

  32. Gravatar of anon/portly anon/portly
    10. January 2021 at 22:46

    “There’s discussion over whether Trump was inciting a riot and/or whether a “coup” attempt took place. Most of the discussion has too narrow a focus.”

    But that more narrow discussion is very important. It’s important to understand exactly what happened, what the people who broke into the Capitol were thinking or planning, and what Trump was expecting or planning, or hoping would happen.

    I suppose we can still impeach him if we’re not really sure whether it was a coup or a riot, but I firmly believe that all the t’s and i’s have to be crossed and dotted before we can shoot him.

  33. Gravatar of msgkings msgkings
    10. January 2021 at 23:56

    Still can’t believe we elected a literal narcissistic nihilist president, like in some sci fi dytsopian movie.

  34. Gravatar of ssumner ssumner
    11. January 2021 at 09:37

    Jason, Corporations are foolish to bow to the CCP, but it’s a free country, and they can do as they wish. (BTW, you can argue they are bowing to the Chinese people, who actually want to see Hollywood films that portray China in a positive light.)

    I know nothing about Tik Tok so I can’t comment on that.

    Our foreign policy should be 100% based on the notion that we won’t let China push us around. As far as I can tell, there is bi-partisan agreement on that point. The much bigger threat comes from Russia. That’s where war is more likely.

    And read Michael’s comment.

    Peter, Thanks for proving my point.

    anon/portly, You said:

    “It’s important to understand exactly what happened, what the people who broke into the Capitol were thinking”

    No human being can fully know their own motives. To try to disentangle the motives of hundreds of mentally unstable people we’ve never met is far beyond our capabilities, at least in the 21st century.

    If I had to guess, I’d guess some actually wanted to prevent Biden from taking office, and some just wanted to engage in anarchy.

    I’d also guess that most were doing what they thought Trump wanted them to do (whether they were deluded is another question.)

    When I spoke of too narrow a focus, I meant we need to ask why these people were deluded. And presumably in many cases the cause was Trump, and all the lies he spews out. He fed the conspiracy theories

    msgkings, Yes, I was speechless back in 2016, and I’m still stunned by what happened. I mean Trump’s personality is obvious, even an eighth grader could see that he’s almost like a movie villain. What were people thinking?

    If you say “But Hillary was bad” that just begs the question of how he won the GOP primary. GOP voters actually seem to LIKE a person who has a personality with exactly zero positive features. Why? What’s to like about dishonest, stupid, corrupt, cowardly and cruel? Where’s the one redeeming human quality?

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