It won't end soon but it will end. People on Twitter are now playing semantics with Trump's "concession" issued thru Scavino's account. They are saying since he didn't say transfer of power, and said transition instead, that it means they should continue. I expect this to go on for at least 2 more weeks, possibly a month or two, then die out once the FBI and Secret service start completing investigations and cracking down. Garland has his work cut out for him, but he will make a lot of people pay for this move.
Knowing GOP incompetence and spinelessness that we have all seen, I doubt they will do anything about it. Oh, they will go after the participants they have identified for trespassing, vandalism, etc., but Trump himself? Ha! Like that will ever happen.
The sad thing is that they have nothing to gain by continuing to be loyal to him right now. Consider the crimes that he has committed since losing the election: (1) actively threatening, harassing, and slandering various officials and vote counters in states he lost, (2) made a call to Georgia basically asking them to fabricate votes to help him steal the election, (3) filed numerous frivolous lawsuits that, if a normal person had done so, would have been sanctioned or found in contempt, (4) and now actively planned, implemented, and assisted a mob in a attempt to stage a coup of the government.
Uh, yeah? Why should Republicans do anything about it? They are the defacto leaders of these people.
First thing to say right now, and it will be very, very unpopular.
These Trumpers are the enemy. For the first and last time, we need to stop trying to "understand" them and punish them like the criminals they are. They need to be hunted down, identified, arrested, and convicted. Those who support them and come up with lies to justify their behavior (it wasn't them, it was ANTIFA!) need to be shunned and for any money that corporations send to them to be taken away. If an employee was found to have been part of Trump's terrorism yesterday, they need to be fired. If it was a student from a school on a scholarship, they need to be asked to leave.
This isn't suppressing people's 1st Amendment rights. The First Amendment says that the government can't restrict people's free speech. But there is nothing that says that we, as the American people, should stay silent as domestic terrorists continue to poison our communities. By actively saying "you are wrong! We don't want you near us," we are exercising our First Amendment rights too.
Think of it this way. A child predator thinks it is ok to have sex with a child, and does so. Should we respect his "first amendment right" and let him do so? Like a child predator, these Trump supporters have crossed the line to the point that their "right to Free Speech" has violated our own rights as Americans. Why should we live in fear while these people threaten, slander, harass, and even commit violence against anyone who is not them? Aren't we Americans too? There are MILLIONS of us, and a few thousand of them!
Trump got banned indefinitely for the next 2 weeks from Facebook hopefully Twitter will follow.
No more coddling these terrorists. No more "let's forgive and forget" nonsense. Once Biden takes power, we must hunt down and convict every single one of these people, from the ones who broke into Congress, to the ones who threaten harm and death to others, to the officers who allowed these protestors to break in and even took selfies with them. EVERY SINGLE ONE. By being convicted, they lose their right to vote for a few years, and then the Republican party doesn't have to cater to them any more. Why court someone who can't vote for you?
These people need to be driven back to the shadows where they belong. They are not Americans or my neighbors. If they think they are being "oppressed" (and how I laugh when I see how they were treated and remember how the BLM protestors were treated a few months ago), then we need to finally give them something to complain about.
Also, Twitter and Facebook need to be made to pay. They have become a vehicle to allow bullies to slander, harass, and engage in acts of terror against people. Yes, I know social media is huge and they can't monitor everything, but what is wrong with making leaders and politicians follow the same rules as everyone else? They are people too, and I don't see anyone other than Trump who consistently spreads lies and calls to people to be harmed like he does! At what point does it stop!? Would they like it if I got on Twitter and said "lets go hunt down and kill Trump's kids because we hate Trump"? NO! I would be sued at the very least and imprisoned at the worst! Is it too much to ask for them to make everyone play by the same rules? If not, then they should not be shielded from sanctions or other measures.
If there is ever a time when we need to stop with the "forgive and forget" sentiment, it is now. Because if any of these people get a free pass, then what is to stop them from doing it again? Or to take over the White House and randomly executing people while holding a fake "trial." (much as the terrorists in Michigan wanted to do).
And enough about "we need to address voter suppression and voter fraud." Democrats have been treated like crap for years, and there is ample voter suppression against them. Stacy Abrams fought it in Georgia the right way, and helped Democrats regain the Senate. Republicans need to put on their "big boy pants" and either suck it up or shut up. Who cares if these terrorists sits out the next few elections? Democrats felt that way twice when our candidates (Gore and Hillary) won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote. Some of us felt "what is the point," and some of us tried harder. If these terrorists can't accept it yet expect us to accept it peacefully when they win, they can forget it. Either they are prosecuted like the terrorists they are, or Democrats have free reign to storm the White House the next time they don't like the result. We played nice twice, and look where it got us. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!!
Hi guys. I haven't been on for a while, trying to enjoy the holidays. @Codyroo I enjoyed your cards and I think you are right on a lot of points. I am not as in tune as most of you but I get "Impressions". I couldn't watch the TV yesterday afternoon, I had a headache from just reading about what was going on. I did however watch last nite. My first impression when I saw Pence and Mitch was the are both PO'd. Don't get me wrong I can't stand either of them. It made me wonder were they mad because what took place violated the Constituition and rule of law or were they mad because they now look like the biggest fools god ever put on this earth. What ever is going on behind closed doors believe me Mitch will try to turn this to his advantage. He has lost part of his power thanks to the orange one and his interference in the Georgia election. Pence I think is just fed up. He did everything that was asked of him short of sediation (please excuse my poor spelling) and he was thrown under the bus. Mitt hit the nail right on the head and said what the others wouldn't that no matter what anyone says the MAGA's won't believe it because theit loyalty isn't too this country but to the great Orange Baby. Lyndsey Graham looked like he was drunk to me! He is a man at the end of his rope and scared to death at whatever the orange one has on him. Don't forget that is how baby donnie came to power, He gathered dirt and blackmails people. All this being said I don't think anything will be done to the Orange baby. His statement that there will be a peaceful transition will let them justify doing nothing.
The idiots that particilatd in yesterdays "revelotion" however will be brought to justice. My two favorites were "Elizabeth" who was teargassed. She was so upset that she was teargassed trying to have her revelution! What the hell did she think was going to happen? The other favorite was the idiot who brokein to Pelosi's office and took a letter. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but stealing US mail is a federal offence. These people are so dumb they think they will not have to payany price for what they did. I think they will find out they were wrong.
My last impression, Who was paying the ring leaders of this movement? Hopefully there will be an investigation and we will find out.
Oh and I did enjoy a small glass of good Kentucky Bourbon as I celebrated Mitch's demotion! Over and out from Kentucky.
I am now very concerned about the safety of the incoming President and VP and others at the inauguration. I think they should just make it a small affair somewhere else, not at the Capitol grounds. Could be that the insurrection was used as a cover to plant explosives in the inauguration event area, or weaken the infrastructure so that it collapses, etc. But even if not, that could still be Trump's next plan to foil the transition of power.
@yofisofi I'm having a hard time finding it in the sea of incredibly accurate predictions that have come true.
There were several - a very subdued Inauguration. No inauguration. When I read them I was filled with sadness - not because I didn't understand there was a global pandemic going on - if anything I felt like a lot of changes to the event were inevitable. But after all this, I felt sad that Biden wasn't going to get what 44 Presidents before him have gotten - some pomp and circumstance to welcome him in to his new role.
You know what's so amazing? Biden doesn't need/want all the pomp and circumstance. I've been thinking about this a lot - a defining feature of a malignant narcissist (like Trump) is the utter lack of empathy - they don't have it, and can't access it. Biden is perhaps the most empathetic politician we have. It's like a complete reversal. In fact, his plans for the inauguration are characterized by that empathy and sound to me like it might the most moving, beautiful inauguration to date. Here is a summary:
“After being sworn in on the west side of the Capitol, Mr. Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and their spouses will participate in Pass in Review, a military tradition that reflects the peaceful transfer of power and will include every branch of the military,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “With the coronavirus still raging across the country, the inauguration committee will be holding a virtual parade instead of the traditional in-person parade and balls. The planned programming is expected to feature Americans across the country along with musical acts, local bands and poets to pay tribute to front-line workers during the pandemic.” The inaugural committee previously announced plans for a memorial on Jan. 19 to honor those who lost their lives to covid that will feature a lighting around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool."
Paying a tribute to front-line workers?? a memorial for those who lost their lives?? I finally feel hope that we are returning to a semblance of humanity! And OF COURSE they are having a virtual parade because they care about human life over the size of a crowd. All this to say, I think it is going to be so lovely and everything that Biden deserves.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/03/politics/biden-inauguration-virtual-parade/index.html