My Thoughts on January 6, 2021

I gave a mini-monologue on Spectrum 1 News in Austin

I've had much difficulty summarizing my thoughts about the past 24 hours. This interview on Spectrum 1 News (Austin) is my best effort.

Comments

[Alan Vanneman]

What has Donald Trump said in the last two months that he didn't say when he was running against Hillary in 2016, Josh? Guess you weren't paying attention.

[Queen Amalthea]

It's gotta be tough being a young, rising conservative intellectual star (and let's face it, Josh is this) in the Trump era. On the one hand, you are rising in this world and you want to rise still, and, to be honest, Trump doesn't contradict *that* many conservative ideas at a very basic level. On the other hand anti-intellectualism is kind of a hallmark or essence of Trump, even when takes a stand on something you agree with he does so in a boorish, vulgar and silly way...It must be trying, is the intellectual side of yourself more or less important than the ideological side, and if the answer is more is that outweighed by the increasing reality that this guy is becoming the litmus of the ideological side in most practical opportunities? I'm willing to give folks like Josh a lot of slack here...

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Choose the side of ignorance, intolerance, superstition, and backwardness, get the disdain of better people, be on the wrong side of history, and have your stale and ugly preferences be ignored as America continues to progress against your wishes and efforts.

And get to whine about it, as much as you wish.

All for the rest of your life. Carry on, young clingers.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Keelhaul Kirkland...

[StellaLink_the dog]

Is there a wood chipper in your future or would you prefer the Mussolini treatment?

[Dr. Ed 2]

Anti-intellectualism is an aspect of populism.
Always was -- Andrew Jackson comes to mind.

[StellaLink_the dog]

No threat to you.

[M L]

Now is when we donate millions to a bail fund to support any of the peaceful protesters who got arrested right? Oh wait that's the other side. They blatantly supported much worse all summer long.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Now is when you toe the line, bigot. You can mutter and sputter, rail and flail, fluster and bluster. But you will comply with the preferences of better Americans as they improve America against your wishes . . . or you will wish you had.

[DaivdBehar]

Josh's interview sounds like a legal analysis. It is really a partisan political attack to reverse the election of 2016.

[MollyGodiva]

Protests against police murder is not even close to an attempted coup.

[Jimmy the Dane]

Neither is conducting a brief sit in of a legislative chamber.

[MollyGodiva]

It was an attempted coup, not a sit in.

[DaivdBehar]

They won by cheating.

[Seamus]

How in the world was that an attempted coup? Even if they had succeeded in storming and occupying the chambers, that wouldn't have kept the vote count from being completed at an alternative location. I suppose that if the Members had been so intimidated that they caved to the rioters and recognized Trump as having won the election, that might have constituted a coup, but the chances of that happening were slim to none. In fact, it was completely predictable that the resort to force would have stiffened the backs of the pro-Biden Members, and even caused some pro-Trumpers who were planning to challenge the electoral votes to abandon their efforts.

[MollyGodiva]

No one is saying it was well thought out or could have worked. But they did violently attack the US Captial with the intent of installing an unelected president. Coup.

[DWB]

They were riots Molly -- damn you for still repeating that lie!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Q8oxgn4xrso

[Martinned]

People got arrested yesterday? That's news to me. As far as I could see they just got walked out of the building, with police being careful to make sure they didn't trip.

[Seamus]

Well, except for the one who was carried out on a stretcher with a fatal bullet wound in her neck.

[AmosArch]

Please please please try to impeach Trump again. That would be so awesome if they were dumb enough to do it.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Awesome:

Democratic House

Democratic President

Democratic Senate

Liberal-libertarian mainstream

Liberal-libertarian majority

Liberal-libertarian culture war victory

Liberal-libertarian American future

Disaffected conservatives

Discredited conservatives

Vanquished, impotent conservatives

Whining, whimpering conservatives

[Michael B]

Paul Sperry, in receipt of a report from a former FBI agent, is indicating that at least one busload of Antifa-types was unloaded at the Capitol Hill fiasco and incited, or very much played a critical part in helping to incite what happened on The Hill today.

But, gosh, ho hum, nothing to see here, move on, twitter and the like, suppressing still more free speech, says there's nothing to report.

[Noscitur a sociis]

Paul Sperry is a serial fabulist only slightly more sophisticated than Dr. Ed. The fact that he's saying it is excellent proof that it's not true.

But since you're blaming it on antifa, I take at least have enough of a sense of decency to say the riot was bad?

[Michael B]

Sperry is an investigative reporter and currently with the Hoover Institution.

And your bona fides? You know how to throw out unsubstantiated accusations, calumnies, to serve a political end.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Reasoning, educated, accomplished, modern, decent Americans have had enough of the clingerverse. The Hoover Institution is part of the clingerverse.

[StellaLink_the dog]

Paul Sperry is just Alex Jones without the pretty face.

[grb]

Here's some good advice : Stay away from Fifth Avenue, NYC.

Because shooting random strangers as they walk down that street is only thing left Trump could do to challenge the toadyish bootlicking ardor of his cult fans.

[Jimmy the Dane]

Probably want to stay away because of the lawless gangs marauding the city because being victimized by them is actually a real risk.

[grb]

It's now been well over a year since my last trip up to New York but I didn't see any "lawless gangs marauding the city" during that or any previous visit. A return trip is on my list of things to do when everything settles down, but I doubt I'll see any "lawless gangs marauding the city" then either.

However, I see bootlicking Trump cult toadies in these comments every day, so that at least isn't a fantasy phenomena.....

[DaivdBehar]

While I enjoyed the events of today, I remain disappointed. The owners of the media and of the Democrat Party remain untouchable. Tech billionaires scored an extra $trillion in profits in 2020, for the hysteria they caused about an ordinary, flu like epidemic. Most of the counted deaths are "with COVID" not "from COVID." This is the biggest score from a fraud scheme in human history.

Hitler expressed all the beliefs of the 20 families that put him into power. Some donated $5000 to his campaign, and scored $millions in government contracts from the Nazi Party. After the war, many Nazi officials were hanged. None of these responsible oligarchs were even arrested. They were recruited by the Allies to restart the German economy. They went untouched, and got privileged. Germany was destroyed, and 7 million Germans were killed in the war, a catastrophic mistake in judgement. Their superior intelligence, powers, and wealth are quite frustrating.

[Jimmy the Dane]

We got here largely because the Left kept putting us into a death spiral. When they took political norms off the table because they thought a Trump Presidency was completely unacceptable, that started it. And I really don't know how it is going to end.

If you think the people that had to hear things like "mostly peaceful protest" to dismiss BLM domestic terrorism are going to give two shits about the media suddenly discovering the word "riot" and knowing what constitutes a "rioter" then you are sadly mistaken.

When the liberal establishment supports establishing a lawless zone in a state capital, what kind of message do you think that sends to people?

Same with covering up, downplaying, or just outright justifying violence and property crime. Did you think that was going to end well? Do you think the other side is going to care about appeals to the "rule of law" when they watched public and private monuments get pulled down by mobs without ramification? Of course not.

Well, now we are here and it is going to get messy. Hope everyone is happy.

[DaivdBehar]

This riot is small compared to what happened in 2016.

[Jimmy the Dane]

It was more akin to any sit in I have seen conducted regularly on a college campus.

[Dr. Ed 2]

This was our generation's Kent State Shooting -- with "Four Dead in DC." The GSW was a USAF veteran.

This really isn't about Trump anymore and it's not ended. It's going to be a very long four years as the Thief in Chief learns what "payback" is.

The number of people in DC equaled MLK2's I Have a Dream speech. That's being overlooked...

[Jimmy the Dane]

Crowds are starting to form in various state capitols. If people think this is over they are dead wrong.

[DaivdBehar]

The woman shot by the leftist Commie enforcers is a martyr to liberty. Trump should invite her family to the White House. Award her a medal.

[MoreCurious]

He's too busy giving awards to golfers today.

[DaivdBehar]

Excellent analogy, Kent State.

It is also similar to the Hong Kong freedom protests.

https://www.ft.com/video/398b9942-cb94-440a-bc7e-5e1e144342b0

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

We can make this as painful and decisive as you right-wing losers wish.

But you will comply. If you are a clinger, you will comply.

[DaivdBehar]

Artie, giving orders to Americans is not persuasive. That has been true for 250 years.

I still want to see you say something in lawyer. I can't believe you had legal training.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

The votes of the delegates of the Electoral College have been certified. Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris won. Are any conservative losers still clinging to their delusions, or are Republicans now prepared to accept the reality-based world controlled by their betters?

[DaivdBehar]

They won by cheating.

[MoreCurious]

And, of course, any minute now you're going to provide us with proof of that, right?

[Seamus]

They will give President Biden and Vice President Biden all the respect and support that the Dems gave Trump and Pence for the past four years.

[Jimmy the Dane]

If you want to see what a supposed "insurrection" looks like, check out this article:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9120221/Horned-Arizona-QAnon-supporter-leads-Trump-supporters-looted-Congress.html

This was the equivalent of a college sit in. Nothing more. The protesters were clearly making a point and using civil disobedience to shut down the count to make that point. Say what you will about this kind of activism, but don't for a minute pretend the left doesn't do stuff like this all the time AND that they think it is completely acceptable.

The media, that up up until about 3PM as of January 6th, was unable to write the word "riot" or identify a rioter is now doing the exact opposite out of nothing more than blatant political bias. This event was more orderly than the "mostly peaceful protests" of BLM.

Fanning the flames and fomenting more hate is not going to help the situation. Using obviously biased reporting to hammer your point looks childish and transparent. People can make this the first and only round of insanity, or if you want to double down, it will just continue.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Get out of the way or get run over, clingers. You choose. Your betters will take it from there.

[Commenter_XY]

Professor Blackman...get a damned haircut! You wearing a mop on your head?

[DaivdBehar]

Blackman sounds biased and immature. Professorial means explaining all sides of a subject.

[Cthulunotmyfriend]

Wow! Plenty of nuts on the comments still. I guess if watching crazed protestors with confederate flags looting the capital doesn’t change their minds, then nothing will. What a fool believes he sees, and no wise man has the power to reason away... It is sad, because as Professor Blackman says, there are a lot of policies of Biden that I can’t support, but if forced to choose, I choose policies that I might disagree with over the end of democracy. Funny how all the Trumptards are continuing to snarl that this isn’t over, and there will be more to come. Isn’t that threatening domestic terrorism?

[cMh]

Astonishing! You didn't find some way to blame Chief Justice Roberts. Given your irrational hatred of him, I was sure you would.

[Ghost of Patrick Henry]

I do believe things would have been different if the Court had decided the PA case before the election. Roberts again endangers the nation by sophomoric sophistry.
What could is a ruling on the PA case going to do now??
Briefs due January 21st, I think. Just in time.