Sincerely

[TheNorm]

...my thoughts and prayers go out to all of the doctors and nurses at Walter Reed that have to take care of a racist, fascist, xenophobic toddler the next few days. Good luck.

[Crewe]

I think this pandemic has shown just how weak America really is in many areas, but I just can't fathom how you medical providers have handled this virus, so really, thank you.
I know that's not waht you were angling for but I was kinda making a point that no matter what, our medical providers will care for us. That's one good thing in America, still.

[BojackHorsefella]

Imagine having voted (maybe twice!) for the guy who incited a coup attempt.

But "cancel culture" is the greatest threat to America.

[Crewe]

Im so sick about yesterday.
Ive mentioned before how Trump and his minions have completely zapped my empathy. Well, any that might have been left is surely gone now.
All I hear are yea buts and what abouts regarding earlier riots.
Can we at least be honest now? Can we at least be honest and call this what it is? A bonafide cult, period.

[BojackHorsefella]

A bonafide cult, period.

Yup. People like to act like Trump is just another politician and this is politics as usual, but they're a cult. The lady that was shot and killed was a QAnon follower, her Twitter account is just Trump and QAnon content. Many of these people are just completely disconnected from reality, but it's not even entirely their fault.

BREAKING: The facial reognition company the Washington Times claims IDd Antifa members among Capitol insurrectionists says the paper's story is completely false. "I don’t know where the Wash. Times got that information.” Story was cited by Rep. Mat Gaetz. https://t.co/oiHtsaeLJX

— Craig Silverman (@CraigSilverman) January 7, 2021

?s=20

Matt Gaetz quoted this story from the Washington Times (which is a bullshit, alt-right organization anyways), and we've far, far established that retractions get less eyes than the original article. This bullshit misinformation is being spread by our elected officials (also, funny how no election fraud claims in Senate or House races, just the presidential election)....

They're being misled by the people in power, and yes, they should have the instincts to see it's all bullshit, but they've been getting fed lies and nonsense for about 12 years now, if not longer (we could go back to Reagan and say longer).

I mean, just look at this:

“This is not America,” a woman said to a small group, her voice shaking. “They’re shooting at us. They’re supposed to shoot BLM, but they’re shooting the patriots.” https://t.co/XN2pSct54i

— The Nation (@thenation) January 7, 2021

?s=20


I'm sure we've all seen the pictures of the shirtless man wearing the buffalo headdress deal. He's a big QAnon proponent, has a Parler account (of course he does), and is known in QAnon circles as the Q-Shaman. Trump has, on MULTIPLE occassions, retweeted QAnon content.

The simple fact is, the GOP has courted white supremacists and conspiracy theorists at least since the days of the Tea Party and Sarah Palin, if not even longer, and it's coming back to bite them in the ass. It reminds me of The Dark Knight, when Gordon tells Maroni "You let the clown out of the box." Trump is a symptom. The GOP is the disease. The likes of Gaetz, Jordan, McConnell, Graham, Cruz, all these people who enabled Trump and his base, all are responsible for this fire. They lit the fuse. Now we have multiple QAnon nutjobs literally in the House of Representatives (Marjorie Taylor-Green says hello). I'm not sure how we come back from this.

And that's ignoring State legislatures. Wisconsin, NC, PA...just awful.

[Crewe]

Is it really biting them in the ass though?
I don't see that it is because none of these congressmen (you forgot Hawley btw) will be removed, nothing of consequence will happen to Trump, most certainly not to his idiot family.
They will continue to spew their hatred and the 74 million and growing number of cultists will believe it because the age of education is dead, if there was on really.
People are void of critical thinking. Just like what you posted, they see that crap, yell at liberals, do your research moron.
Deep down I truly have hope for this country, but I really think Im a fatalist. The only result will be business as usual and maybe some shirt tail staffer will do a few months for the tam, but all in all, I dont see it changing.

How is Biden going to ferret out all of the Trumpists in the DOJ, in the Pentagon, in the security detail, police force? he can't.
there's just no way. And don't pretend they aren't there, we all know they are and they are all like those insurrectionists yesterday.
As far as the woman who was killed?
Good. I honest to God do not care. I'm actually sad more weren't killed.
Yea I get it, not all their fault, cultists and the like, but the pawns always fall.
You'll never get to Hannity, to Parlor to the Limbaugh's. And sure, they have freedom of speech like everyone else, but willfully spreading misinformation that led to yesterday, and then hide behind the first?
nothing you can do that I can see.

[TheNorm]

I really have nothing more to add here, you've both pretty much covered my feelings on yesterday (beyond angry). This was an armed insurrection, they are terrorists and should be dealt with as such.

As for the person killed? Guess she should've complied. Oh well, time to figure out what's for lunch...

[BojackHorsefella]

Is it really biting them in the ass though?

I think it will, because I think we may be seeing the beginnings of a GOP split here (I imagine that A) similar statements were made during the Tea Party days and B) I may end up being proven wrong), but there have been plenty of calls from these purely Trump-supporting Republicans for a "Patriot Party." They see the GOP as establishment dinosaurs and, essentially, Trumpism as the future. Will it happen? I don't know, but obviously it would cripple the GOP if it did.

That being said, I'd ASSUME if we saw such a split in the GOP, the Dems may take advantage for a moment, but would eventually see their own (but, I hope, less violent) split between establishment Dems and the DSA types, and maybe, finally, we'll break out of the two party system. Toss in a Voting Rights Act and Ranked Choice Voting, and I don't entirely have any issues with this.

But yeah, cops are white supremacists and our institutions were found with the superiority of the white race in mind, so, you're probably not wrong and while there may be "consequences," there likely won't be accountability for these individuals.

[Crewe]

I really have nothing more to add here, you've both pretty much covered my feelings on yesterday (beyond angry). This was an armed insurrection, they are terrorists and should be dealt with as such.

As for the person killed? Guess she should've complied. Oh well, time to figure out what's for lunch...

well...?

[Crewe]

Is it really biting them in the ass though?

I think it will, because I think we may be seeing the beginnings of a GOP split here (I imagine that A) similar statements were made during the Tea Party days and B) I may end up being proven wrong), but there have been plenty of calls from these purely Trump-supporting Republicans for a "Patriot Party." They see the GOP as establishment dinosaurs and, essentially, Trumpism as the future. Will it happen? I don't know, but obviously it would cripple the GOP if it did.

That being said, I'd ASSUME if we saw such a split in the GOP, the Dems may take advantage for a moment, but would eventually see their own (but, I hope, less violent) split between establishment Dems and the DSA types, and maybe, finally, we'll break out of the two party system. Toss in a Voting Rights Act and Ranked Choice Voting, and I don't entirely have any issues with this.

But yeah, cops are white supremacists and our institutions were found with the superiority of the white race in mind, so, you're probably not wrong and while there may be "consequences," there likely won't be accountability for these individuals.

Seems feasible, but the last time I thought having another party was the answer, we reaped the Tea Party as you noted, and to me, that just devolved in to Trumpism.

I dunno either man, all I can do is donate and vote and I did my part, so, just staying off Twitter for now.

[Crewe]

So Trump legislators are suffering extremely mild consequences for leading an insurrection in this country and I so tire of this reapplication of injustice.
Now, they all say big tech are trying to silence them and rob them of free speech.
Number one, no, they aren't. Number two, not only are they incapable of acknowledging wrongdoing, it isn't even addressed.
Take this insufferable twat; Harvard removed her from their advisory board. Reason was given as her supporting a fraudulent election with no evidence.
Her response?

In a response, Stefanik says, “As a conservative Republican, it is a rite of passage and badge of honor to join the long line of leaders who have been boycotted, protested, and canceled by colleges and universities across America. The decision by Harvard’s administration to cower and cave to the woke Left will continue to erode diversity of thought, public discourse, and ultimately the student experience.”

Woke? lol These people are openly pandering to the ignorant and uneducated and they still cannot grasp it.
Also, didnt see anywhere in that rebuttal, her answer to the actual, you know, reason for her dismissal. Just more lies, which is Republican-ese for "diversity of thought"

It's astonishing to me how I still as of today, have ardent Trump supporters in my own family.
You ask for evidence? You wont get any.
You mention the what, was it north of fifty god damned court cases that were thrown out because of no evidence?
At least one Trump attorney is on court record acknowledging to the judge that yes, they have no evidence to support their claim.
Trump judges threw this nonsense out of court.
But somehow, none of it matters.
It's obvious that these people dont care about anything they spew. Their rants and chants have come in to the full circle of hypocrisy and they still dont get it.
They want rage, violence and hatred to take center stage in the name of Trump and then blame it on BLM.
I really cant even blame them, at least not for everything. They are simply uneducated and ignorant.
That's not an insult, it's just a fact.
You look at who they listen to; fire breathers like Rush, and Bachman, and Jones and Hannity, et al and then you look at others who, at least on the surface are believed to be intelligent. Like this bimbo I mentioned above, like Cruz who is well versed in Constitutional law, but they choose to follow Trump for God only knows what reason and in order to do that, they must forego education, and revert to the playground antics he so richly exemplifies, and why? Because his ignorant base eats it the fuck up.

Btw, the only time, ever, in my life, have I EVER heard a Republican call for unity or fairness is when they were caught being the reason for the unsettling in the first place. That's where that "both sides" shit comes from. And calling for unity now. Really? After you torched your own Capitol, put our elected officials in harms way, serious harm and now? Well you know, we need to put this all behind us.... Blow me

This went deeper than I intended but I guess I had it on my mind.

[BojackHorsefella]

Is it really biting them in the ass though?

I think it will, because I think we may be seeing the beginnings of a GOP split here (I imagine that A) similar statements were made during the Tea Party days and B) I may end up being proven wrong), but there have been plenty of calls from these purely Trump-supporting Republicans for a "Patriot Party." They see the GOP as establishment dinosaurs and, essentially, Trumpism as the future. Will it happen? I don't know, but obviously it would cripple the GOP if it did.

That being said, I'd ASSUME if we saw such a split in the GOP, the Dems may take advantage for a moment, but would eventually see their own (but, I hope, less violent) split between establishment Dems and the DSA types, and maybe, finally, we'll break out of the two party system. Toss in a Voting Rights Act and Ranked Choice Voting, and I don't entirely have any issues with this.

But yeah, cops are white supremacists and our institutions were found with the superiority of the white race in mind, so, you're probably not wrong and while there may be "consequences," there likely won't be accountability for these individuals.

https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-considers-starting-new-patriot-party-wsj-2021-1

And so it may be....

[Crewe]

Is it really biting them in the ass though?

I think it will, because I think we may be seeing the beginnings of a GOP split here (I imagine that A) similar statements were made during the Tea Party days and B) I may end up being proven wrong), but there have been plenty of calls from these purely Trump-supporting Republicans for a "Patriot Party." They see the GOP as establishment dinosaurs and, essentially, Trumpism as the future. Will it happen? I don't know, but obviously it would cripple the GOP if it did.

That being said, I'd ASSUME if we saw such a split in the GOP, the Dems may take advantage for a moment, but would eventually see their own (but, I hope, less violent) split between establishment Dems and the DSA types, and maybe, finally, we'll break out of the two party system. Toss in a Voting Rights Act and Ranked Choice Voting, and I don't entirely have any issues with this.

But yeah, cops are white supremacists and our institutions were found with the superiority of the white race in mind, so, you're probably not wrong and while there may be "consequences," there likely won't be accountability for these individuals.

https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-considers-starting-new-patriot-party-wsj-2021-1

And so it may be....

I doubt Trump would start doing what he said he was going to do now that he's out.
Since his minions didnt get their pardon, I doubt the rest are dumb enough to act on his behalf in such a manner now.
Well, now that I think about it, never mind.

[bigbaldben]

Is it really biting them in the ass though?

I think it will, because I think we may be seeing the beginnings of a GOP split here (I imagine that A) similar statements were made during the Tea Party days and B) I may end up being proven wrong), but there have been plenty of calls from these purely Trump-supporting Republicans for a "Patriot Party." They see the GOP as establishment dinosaurs and, essentially, Trumpism as the future. Will it happen? I don't know, but obviously it would cripple the GOP if it did.

That being said, I'd ASSUME if we saw such a split in the GOP, the Dems may take advantage for a moment, but would eventually see their own (but, I hope, less violent) split between establishment Dems and the DSA types, and maybe, finally, we'll break out of the two party system. Toss in a Voting Rights Act and Ranked Choice Voting, and I don't entirely have any issues with this.

But yeah, cops are white supremacists and our institutions were found with the superiority of the white race in mind, so, you're probably not wrong and while there may be "consequences," there likely won't be accountability for these individuals.

https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-considers-starting-new-patriot-party-wsj-2021-1

And so it may be....

I doubt Trump would start doing what he said he was going to do now that he's out.
Since his minions didnt get their pardon, I doubt the rest are dumb enough to act on his behalf in such a manner now.
Well, now that I think about it, never mind.

I struggle with this one - how did so many people that I love, some of whom I respected - completely fall into the Trump cult and believe the easily disproven lies he peddled in the last year?  These are people I've known my whole life, and when it came to politics, we rarely agreed, but I worked hard to see their point and I believe they saw mine.

But this last year they've devolved into indefensible, rambling, easily manipulated chumps - doubling down on the absolute stupidest things.

Did I think of them too highly all along?  Are Trump and his ilk truly master manipulators?  What role did the fear and constant stress of the pandemic/lockdown play?  Can they ever come back to reality?

I don't know the answers, but like I said, I struggle.  Saying they are "stupid" seems like an easy way out, but what else do you call it?  I'm leaning towards "easily manipulated" but to me, that's scarier because that's a problem much more difficult to solve.  :-(

Anyway, at least their leader has retreated to Florida and has been temporarily marginalized.  But what is next?  And how do I engage with family and friends for whom my respect has taken a nosedive over the last year?

[Crewe]

I too have this thought process.
My aunt is a deeply deeply religious woman and has been as long as I've been alive.
Unlike many, she actually lives the tenets of the bible.
But she is an ardent Trump supporter. I rarely see her, but in the beginning I thought it was her views on abortion that led her to the right.
At least I could grasp that concept, but I talk to her sister, and she says its all Fox News. That's all they watch, the only thing they watch.
I mean she is southern baptist too so that in itself is a contributor, but add to it the rural area and the small town fire and brimstone type services they tend to hold. Sure, makes perfect sense now, I guess 

My older cousin and her husband, a lawyer and engineer, are Trumpers. he was long before she; matter of fact, he was the only one in the family.
But after the election, he brow beat her in to submission, playing in to her fears about the Muslims and the terrorists and now she's full fledged Trump.
Seemingly educated people. My cousin even badgered her mom. Her own mother, her words; "don't you DARE vote for Biden! You can not!!"
I can't have conversations with them, at all.
The pandemic allowed me to gracefully bow out of Thanksgiving this year, but honestly, I'm not going this year either.
Like you said, used to be we would find a pathway to at least disagree with civility, but those days are gone.
Every time I see them, or my aunt, I just wanna ask if I can grab em by the pussy and say hey, at least I asked, youre supposed to let me do it.

I have an uncle who refuses to adhere to the mask mandate put out by our county judge Lina Hidalgo.
And it's really not the mask, it's the simple fact that a mexican woman is telling him waht to do. That's all it is.

I dont blame this uprising on the pandemic, it was always there, Trump just gave them the avenue and they used it.
You go back to Nixons time and you see thats when the media PR machine was set in motion.
Did Fox create Trump, did he embolden them? Either way it was a marriage made in heaven for the GOP.

I used to go to gun shows here because I am a sensible gun enthusiast and no, you will never ever see me parading around or supporting these marching armed morons. But back when Obama was elected, Id see these huge banners and placards of his face with the Nazi symbols and Hitler's stache and I always found it funny. The few rednecks huddled around there, Obama's comin for your guns!
Id confuse the hell out of em by asking them to name one time he said that. Hell, name one time he even alluded to that idea. Id even wait while you looked up allude.
It was always a small contingent of rednecks. they would always be there, I thought.
But now? There are millions and millions of these armed redneck goons.
It's too late to correct the systemic issues now, at least in my lifetime. Education can only help the younger ones.

that was way too much info, and probably not a pertinent response either. I digress.