Posted on 07/30/2021 5:30:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
When several hundred extremists mobbed Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, they engaged in a deplorably un-American act of criminality. It was an embarrassing day for the nation, and a dangerous one for the many innocent people and officials engulfed in the mayhem.
Here's what Jan. 6 wasn't:
It wasn't the "worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War." Nor did it veer anywhere near the vicinity of being as dangerous as 9/11. Nor was it a "coup" or an "insurrection" -- not in any way we commonly understand those words. It wasn't a "putsch." Nor did it, as the chairman of the Jan. 6 committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, claimed, come "dangerously close to succeeding" in upending "American democracy." That's all a myth. It was a riot. Or, as Christopher Caldwell more forgivingly called it in The New York Times, perhaps "a political protest that got out of control."
And, contra House Republican Adam Kinzinger's overwrought contention on the first day of the Jan. 6 select committee, there's no evidence that "self-governance" was threatened by the rioters. Only two sets of people gain anything from pretending that these rioters had anything approaching the wherewithal to overthrow the United States government: Democrats and the extremists.
Kinzinger is, of course, correct when he notes that rioters were "rejecting the rule of law." There's a lot of that going on these days. He'd have more credibility on the matter if he, and others who talk about Jan. 6 as if it were a modern-day Gettysburg, showed any genuine concern about the wide-ranging leftist political violence of 2020, which cost billions in damage and numerous lives. But Kinzinger rejects even the notion that BLM/antifa riots should be considered in the same terms, saying "some have concocted a counternarrative" -- which is actually a textbook example of a false dilemma, as both narratives can comfortably coexist.
A lot of genuine anger is caused by the media's and Washington's demanding that we play by two sets of rules. In May 2020, Secret Service agents, for instance, had to stick then-President Donald Trump into a bunker for hours as hundreds of protesters began overwhelming police, some throwing rocks and bottles and trying to break down police barricades. Good thing law enforcement was prepared for that one, I guess. Let's also not forget the attempted firebombing of a federal building in Portland, Oregon, (and other cities) and the killing of five police officers by a self-professed BLM activist in 2016. Cops are being attacked around the country right now. Do we get to blame all progressives for fueling the anger that motivates those extremists to act out?
Kinzinger will tell you there is an important "difference" between "a crime -- even grave crimes -- and a coup." Right. Which is why it's important to stress there was no coup on Jan. 6. The protesters had no plan. There isn't any evidence that Trump, who used grossly irresponsible rhetoric that day, was scheming -- or knew how to scheme or knew anyone who knew how to scheme -- a coup d'etat. Not even Gen. Mark Milley, who was allegedly nervous about such a possibility, makes that claim. The Electoral College had already been counted. Then-Vice President Mike Pence had already spurned Trump's request to reject the results. No court was going to overturn an election or stand with the cretins wandering around vandalizing Congress.
It would be one thing if the commission were principally concerned with figuring out how protesters breached security. But the central purpose of the commission -- whether Republicans cooperate or not -- is to create the impression that the GOP is in the midst of attempting to overturning "democracy." They want to use Jan. 6 to push their unconstitutional efforts to nationalize elections. And they definitely want to use it to make Trump the central topic of the 2022 midterms.
These days, anyone who fails to adopt Kinzinger's hyperbolic tone and obsess over Jan. 6 is accused of "minimizing" the event or being in league with the insurrectionists. For the past five years, we have been engulfed in political hysteria. Sure, a number of conservatives have tried to whitewash the ugliness of that day. Rep. Elise Stefanik's contention that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "bears responsibility, as Speaker of the House, for the tragedy that occurred on Jan. 6" is weak tea. That fact, however, doesn't make the claim that the American republic faced an existential threat on Jan. 6 any less preposterous.
Knock it off with the extremist talk. Exactly how does the author know they were extremists? Why use the word 'deplorable'? Is that some reference to Trump supporters? Prove they were Trump supporters. There seems to be evidence that FBI assets were leading the way. Let's see who was really involved before writing such garbage.
When they talk about it being deplorable, they must mean the shooting of Ashley Babbitt. That’s the only thing that comes to my mind as being deplorable.
The rest of it could at most be characterized as stupid or shortsighted where people are causing damage or stealing things.
Democrats got scared because it threatened the ratification of the election. In fact, if I remember right, it did get delayed.
As much as I believe the election was stolen (no, not pervasive, Bill Bar, just in key jurisdictions to flip the electoral college), I have to agree. An intrusion on the sovereign functions of the congress should be considered a problem.
But this whole thing has gone hyper-political. Democrats want to assign guilt and shame, not just on the protestors outside the capitol that day, but to have the voters in this nation. They also don’t care that they cheated, and they are scared to death that it will get exposed.
It was a false flag attack by leftists to blame on Trump voters. Nothing more.
The whole operation was not even being run by the people who are being blamed for it. The organization and execution came from direct orders by Speaker Pelosi, who controlled the whole deployment of “protective” Capitol police. These were the same guardians who stepped aside when the BLM/Antifa mob, wearing false flags of apparent Trump support, led the actual incursion of the Capitol grounds. Also among this crowd were a number of FBI instigators, herding and directing the movement of the flow of participants through the Capitol.
Absolutely.
I completely disagree. It was January 6, 2021 and they just stole the election. I think Jan 6 was totally appropriate, outside of murdering Ashli Babbitt.
Why is it that when patriots rise up in righteous anger all the elites get uppity? But let there be months of looting, mayhem, and dissolution of the rule of law, and hey, that’s mostly peaceful.
Nonsense. In the full context of our founding fathers January 6 was completely justified and didn’t go far enough, again, outside of the cold-blooded murder of Babbitt.
In any case, the core point about it not being a coup, insurrection, or threat to democracy is absolutely correct. And certainly nobody deserved to get shot.
Nancy Pelosi et al should realize there will be no realization of a coup.
Dead people realize nothing
The coup happened on Nov 3.
It was a false flag attack designed by liars to blame on Trump voters.
Trespassing? OK,I'll accept that. I've seen it suggested that many didn't even realize they were trespassing. But ignorance of the law,they say,is no excuse.
If we're talking "insurrection" we need to talk about firebombs being thrown at Federal courthouses in Portland,Seattle and elsewhere last year.
January 6th wasn't within 100 light years of being an "insurrection".
Government must be terrified of the People. Anything other than that inevitably leads to tyranny.
Along with days and weeks before and after.
They were extremists. ANTIFA extremists, BLM extremists, FBI agents provocateur, etc. mixed into the crowd to get something started.
In this case, the defense against trespassing isn’t ignorance of the law, but rather ignorance of the fact that they weren’t permitted to be where they were. And that is a legally valid potential defense.
Harsanyi is an establishment mouthpiece.
Never should be mistaken for a conservative.
To the extent that that might be true it seems that they had no reason to believe they were trespassing.
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