The Donald.

[Kimbers]

Loved the Quote I just heard on the radio from a Trump supporter that really shows us Brits don't understand SOME Americans at all.

"Yes we may have been carrying guns and riot shields, but it was a peaceful protest". 

According to the internet (and we know everything is true on there) the woman shot was a Veteran of 3 tours of Iraq. 

[GavinT]

The breach of the Capital building was no different that of the breach of the Benghazi compound in 2012, and should of been met with the appropriate force.  In many ways the authorities were very lenient. The death of the 35 year old women was unfortunate, but the simple fact is she would be alive if she had not chosen to follow the mob into the building.

We have the right to peaceful protest but not to cross the line.

 

 

 

 

[drdoom]

The authorities handled this show of depraved ignorance quite perfectly, and that is the only reason for such a low casualty count. What is a touch depressing is how many will continue to fantasize as to the realities of it all. The hubris is colossal.

[GavinT]

I have chosen to make America my home and it has been for 20+ years. I was appalled at what I saw yesterday. 
 

I have been involved in many Trump rallies, working for the White House. I will say that the people I witnessed attending theses rallies were not the violent mob that attacked the Capital building.    

[drdoom]

Violent actors are always in the minority but this does not detract from the facts characterising any mob. A mob are united usually around a common point of view, in this case the declaration that not getting what one wants constitutes having been robbed. I just learned some 121 Republican Representatives persist in formally opposing the results of the Presidential election on the basis of, " I believe . . " not " the facts show . ." or " the evidence shows . . " On the matter of hubris I rest my case. 

[EldonZ]

31 minutes ago, drdoom said:

Violent actors are always in the minority but this does not detract from the facts characterising any mob. A mob are united usually around a common point of view, in this case the declaration that not getting what one wants constitutes having been robbed. I just learned some 121 Republican Representatives persist in formally opposing the results of the Presidential election on the basis of, " I believe . . " not " the facts show . ." or " the evidence shows . . " On the matter of hubris I rest my case. 

Actually, in the objection to the Pennsylvania, I believe the count was at least 135.

Later,
Eldon

[pete]

59 minutes ago, GavinT said:

I have chosen to make America my home and it has been for 20+ years. I was appalled at what I saw yesterday. 
 

I have been involved in many Trump rallies, working for the White House. I will say that the people I witnessed attending theses rallies were not the violent mob that attacked the Capital building.    

Do you really believe that

[GavinT]

Yes. 

[C8RKH]

53 minutes ago, pete said:

Do you really believe that

How many have you met at those Rallies @pete?  I'd wager @GavinThas a more intimate knowledge as he has and is there and has met the people at the rallies.

[pete]

He seems brainwashed like all around Trump. Several of those being interviewed on CNN were at the rally he had before they all went to the capitol. None of them had any regrets and think it could be the start of a civil war.

[C8RKH]

Think you're being a bit harsh with the "brainwashed" tag - he did say you should not cross the line and he was appalled at the scenes. Hardly sounds like someone brainwashed to me.

But let's agree to differ. Wouldn't want to start a civil war in the UK. Well, maybe after we've had a cup of tea first.

[pete]

[Bibs]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/us/politics/trump-self-pardon.html

What's the point of the Pres being able to pardon people? Surely if they're criminals then they need to be put in front of a court and tried, am I missing something?

[Barrykearley]

He might be an utter twat - but he’s one devious and comical twat.

[GavinT]

1 hour ago, pete said:

He seems brainwashed like all around Trump. Several of those being interviewed on CNN were at the rally he had before they all went to the capitol. None of them had any regrets and think it could be the start of a civil war.

Hardly!!!

I have travelled the country with the campaign and have seen the regular ‘Joe’ from the ‘Regular Suburban Neighborhood’ come out to the rallies.

[pete]

And?

[Barrykearley]

They didn’t riot or burn down any buildings?

[GavinT]

Just normal people, living normal lives.  Coming from all walks of life.  They were not maniacs looking to start a riot.  

[Barrykearley]

We are used to the bbc misrepresentation @GavinT

[drdoom]

Friends, we should be ever mindful that it is among media's first priorities to stir the pot. It has ever been so. We should all take care to be as broad minded as is reasonable. With something like 74 million voting for the Donald it would be unsound to write them all off in a single stroke as clones. Working class folks throughout the West are in a mood of discontent, and not without reason. The Donald had the instincts and coaching to pull together his base on the back of that, and this problem remains no matter what becomes of the Trumps, Berlusconi's and whomever that is running the Hungarian show. Damned complicated world these days.

[scotty435]

I FOUND ONE

[snowrx]

Stopped counting the number of times I've heard quotes from his supporters stating that the folks in the Capital were not MAGA protestors, but were instead BLM and Antifa agitators. 

You really have to want to believe to be among the faithful!

But drdoom is correct, there are lots of fine, frustrated good people here that support Trump, perhaps while holding their nose, in part because our partisan duopoly leaves them only one choice, and in good part because Government(corporatocracy?) does not seem to represent them, is beyond their control, and is plainly more interested in self promotion than bettering the common good.  So why not pick the spoiler?

[andydclements]

We have been told many times that when there are such protests, that some of the members are a hard core of people who turn up to such events purely to be violent. For some it may be irrespective of the cause, for others perhaps it's as long as the cause doesn't directly oppose their beliefs. So what @GavinT has stated would hold true. You'd have a group of people who turned up to protest, and they may have been the more militant extreme of the supporters, but probably have no desire or intent for violence, then you get what may be a very small faction who have turned up specifically to be violent, and the whole event changes. It goes from a show of support, to what it became.

You can look to many such things in the UK (I refer to these since we are the ones who are perhaps seeing a filtered UK media view of events), 1980s miners strikes, protests over nuclear missile bases at Greenham, fuel price protests, various protest about road building, more recently the 2011 London riots etc. At those events, many will have turned up to show the extent of the view of the matter, but then some will have turned up pretty much armed for the occasion. Some of those who committed violence/destruction would have turned up for that sole purpose.

In the US Capitol event, there's that wonderful scene of the guy smiling as he carries off a lectern, he must know that taking that isn't about protesting, it's simply looting.

[Kimbers]

TBH I know several Trump supporters well and they are normal people like me and you. 

He does attract a higher % of right wing extremists and conspiracy theorists though and feeds their desire for publicity in a dangerous way.

[ramjet]

Our news here said that one guy was arrested for possessing a firearm and had 10 pipebombs in his possession.

Why do you go to a political rally with that sort of stuff unless you know something is going to happen?

Either that or you are just a nutcase.