Of Cabbages and Kings

Jeff Goldstein Substack ^ | 10 Mar 2023 | Jeff Goldstein

[Rummyfan]

In his recent show, “The White House vs. Tucker Carlson,” Ben Shapiro worries that Republicans may be overplaying their hands by appearing to the media as in solidarity with January 6 defendants still imprisoned. To Shapiro, incentives among some Republicans threaten to become “misaligned” as a result of the footage Tucker Carlson released from January 6; the anger from many in the base who feel they’ve been directly and repeatedly lied to, which Shapiro empathizes with, is politically dangerous insofar as it risks making the 2024 election an referendum on January 6. He singles out, for example, Marjorie Taylor Greene, who he fears may use access to both January 6 footage and January 6 prisoners as more of a “photo op” than anything that may actually help the GOP regain power.

... But from my perspective, his takeaway here is an example of misplaced priorities. The fact is, there are without doubt people — US citizens — being held prisoner whose only real offense was trespassing (or illegally parading): they entered the Capitol, walked around, snapped some pictures, and treated the building with due respect, if not awe. And those people should not be in jail, regardless of how strenuously certain opportunistic Never Trumpers decry them for their misdeeds. In fact, even those accused of rioting — which most conservatives have consistently condemned — should have access to potentially exculpatory footage, along with the right to a speedy trial. The Bill of Rights doesn’t cease to exist because Orange Man Bad — and those who align with Orange Man as Shapiro notes, must then (through “the transitive property”) be equally bad, “insurrectionists” whose parading threatened to overthrow the US government in the worst attack on our democracy since 1812.

[Rummyfan]

But here’s the problem: We have all seen, in similar instances, political rioters favored by the political elite who were arrested by police, then released almost immediately and en masse. We have witnessed the double standard in justice being meted out. And to some of us, the perception is that, not only are we living in a two-tiered justice system, but that most reprehensibly, this hierarchy isn’t even much hidden any longer. It just is, and there’s not a damn thing we in the cellar can do about it.

[Rummyfan]

We have fellow conservatives in jail awaiting trial over two years after the “insurrection,” which was never as insurrection in the first place, outside of an attempt by unscrupulous opportunists to make it one by way of narrative manipulation. The White House, all of its Praetorian guard media stenographers, and members of the corrupt and cynical uniparty, are angry at Carlson not because he’s a threat to democracy, or that he’s “lying”; they are angry at him because they are a threat to democracy who’ve been caught lying

[Organic Panic]

Shapiro is not a fighter. There are only 1% of voters who are persuadable. Trump knows, and I know, that 1% will be persuaded by fighters and people who will defend children against the evil degeneracy of the democrat party.

Hence why the democrats are so eager to destroy the electoral college, rig election systems, and get felons and illegal aliens voting “rights.”

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Shapiro is just another grifter.

[Chewbarkah]

Shapiro should stop wringing his hands, and get the comprehensive Truth on the table. The Truth shows the Democrats have lied, manipulated and concealed evidence, railroaded people into long prison sentences and “process punishments” by violating basic rights and due process, etc. The Truth is that the DoJ and FBI had operatives agitating the crowd, and they have protected those operatives. The Truth is that Nancy Pelosi et al did not want adequate security on January 6, because they thought that would help Trump stage his rally. The Trth is that the democrat Committee did not even review the video evidence before proclaiming bs their conclusions. Yeah, Ben, let’s allow the criminals to keep hiding all that and much more — what a great plan.

[webheart]

He’s glib. Really good at debating. I have gone through a phase of listening to him and Jordan Peterson both of whom are highly intelligent people. I don’t care for Ben because he reminds me of Hannity, always complaining but not really having any suggestions. Bongino is like that too but more capable of offering solutions just he calls people dumb and stupid and since I already know that I don’t need to hear it all the time. I am a big fan of Mark Steyn, Stephen Crowder and Russell Brand. Shapiro is all about his company Daily Wire.

[metmom]

Sad, but true.

[Glad2bnuts]

Shapiro, I never got “it” about him. He is a conservative like the Goldbergs are.

[Glad2bnuts]

Great analysis.

[Glad2bnuts]

One question for people, if you subscribe to Substack, do you get content from all writers?