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I grew up in a family of urban liberal intellectuals, voted for Carter (the first time) still regard him to be earnest and good hearted, but inept and wrong-headed. It would impossible to say that of today's leftists. There is nothing good or commendable in them anymore. We have to adhere to our rules, but some very dark days are coming. I don't look for trouble, but if they end up coming for me or my family, I will take as many as I can with me

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Erick, Well documented and written. The only thing missing is what are we to do now? I know we can and will likely need to wait for the November election and see just how much crying out there is from the other side if Republicans actually do win significantly. Of course we need to make it from now to then. On the other hand, with so many on the left fully involved in lie and deceit, as you so accurately portrayed, with mostly peaceful meaning burn it down, how do we hold them to account? Frankly, they would need to lose so massively in 2022 that the Republicans could override any presidential veto.

How many times did Joe Biden say "the rule of law"? in that speech. I think at least twice. He is so far outside the "rule of law" as his nose should have stretched several feet. How many laws has he broken or refused to obey? He complains when states put voting laws he doesn't like...and he looks to rewrite the constitution so that he can enact his own laws to replace it.

We are in real trouble.

For the most part our politicians no longer believe they will ever give an account. It disturbed me greatly to hear Mr. Biden use God's name several times during the speech. I believe there is a commandment about using His name in Vain. God knows the intent of our hearts...and at this moment I do not see either Mr, Biden or Mr. Trump actually looking to what the Lord wants.

So how must we now live? What are we to think, say, and do?

A lot to ponder, and I look forward to your advice.

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YES!!

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https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-histrionics-and-melodrama-around

I hope Glenn opens this up for non-subscribers. A long thoughtful and fact-packed analysis of J6.

His closing

What happened on January 6 was ugly and disturbing. But it was nowhere near an insurrection, a coup, or anything threatening in a fundamental or sustained way. That core truth — that it was a protest that turned into a three-hour riot killing nobody except four of the protesters — destroys its value. Only the false narrative that has been constructed over the last year and consecrated by today's inane festivities can convert this banal episode into some world-historic event that at once makes heroes out of those who were there to oppose it and justifies everything and anything done in the name of preventing its repetition.

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You can’t admit the election was legitimate while at the same time saying, “Jan 6 was not an insurrection” or “Jan 6 was not an attempted coup”. Why? Because if those who rioted at the capital on Jan 6 had been successful, Mr. Trump would still be president. And our process of free elections of our leaders would be forever destroyed. All in conflict with the actual outcome of the election.

Erick, it’s nifty how you decry ‘what-about-ism’ just prior to launching into half a page of it yourself (it’s your bread and butter). The truth is that January 6 is something Republicans should be deeply ashamed of. Especially those at the top with their greed obsessed manipulation of their gullible sheep through conservative TV “News” and talk radio.

Ashley Babbitt, as you say, is no martyr. In fact, she’s a victim. Her blood is on your own hands mister. Not old enough or wise enough to recognize the patterns coming from the right, she was sucked in by your (and those who came before you, i.e. Boortz, Rush, Sean) persuasive outrage and eloquent but deceptive reasoning. All for the sake of protecting the wealth of the few who can afford such elaborate and deceptive means of protection. I’m often embarrassed at how long it took me to recognize the same patterns. Your audience is full of such victims as Ashley. Many of whom are reading this right now.

Shame on you. For siding with the ones who would sacrifice the planet. For siding with those who feed on and oppress the weakest members of our society. Shame on you for even a single second of defending those who have become grotesquely wealthy beyond any sensible justification. (The top 1% of Americans have more wealth than the bottom 50%). All while tent communities grow even for working US citizens. And while America is the last civilized country on the planet with a “for profit” healthcare system. And while the US has the 4th highest poverty rate on the planet.

Shame on you for persuading your audience that Matthew 25:34-46 doesn’t apply to them. Shame on you for attempting to equate any previous riots from either side to what happened on Jan 6. There is no argument for equivalence that even comes close. This was the United States capital.

Shame on you for propagating a deceptively conciliatory (pacifying!) defense of January 6. This is the United States of America. It was an insurrection. It was an attempted coup. They were acting at the behest of Trump to destroy this country. Have no doubt, if they had been successful, it would have been the end of our country. The end of greatest country to ever be established on this planet. The end. That’s how history will view Jan 6. If they had been successful, Mr. Trump would still be president in spite of a legally administered election. That’s the very definition of an attempted coup. No mercy for them.

If they had been successful, Trump would still be president. And it would have been the end of the United States of America as a free country. That’s how you know it was an attempted coup.

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I love how our beloved Gov here in Fla responded to this hyped up anniversary:

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot is “Christmas” for Democrats and the mainstream media before vowing to pass on what he called the “nauseating” coverage.

“They are going to take this and milk this for anything they can to be able to smear anyone who ever supported Donald Trump​,” he added.

DeSantis predicted the coverage would be a “politicized Charlie Foxtrot,” using military slang for a chaotic situation.

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At the risk of sounding like a right-wing kook, I have a different view. I think some of the folks did the (extremely) wrong thing, but for the right reasons.

The U. S. Constituion (Article One, Section Four) reads "The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators."

Multiple states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania among others, enacted changes to voting laws in contradiction to the legally-enacted laws of their states, which makes votes unconstitutional and therefore illegal.

I do not believe the election was stolen via rigged machines or malfeasance (though Sec. State Raffensberger has launched an investigation into credible allegations of illegal ballot harvesting.) But mass-mailed unsolicited ballots, which were not allowed under GA law but were instituted under the Covid-19 state of emergency certainly had the potential to tip the election (especially the 2 Senate seats) in direct defiance of the Constitution.

Could Ashley Babbit (and others) simply been woefully, incorrectly and mistakenly trying to fulfil the oath she took when she enlisted to "defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic"?

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Love it! Thank you for your insight...and sharing it!!

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There you go again, applying logic equally ❤

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A good friend of mine and I had a discussion the other day about the double standards of Democrats rioting violently and being called "mostly peaceful protesters", exercising their rights, and the claim that January 6th was a "violent insurrection and an attempted coup". She was defending the Capitol rioters based on "well, why should they be treated differently than the arsonists and rioters on the Left", who weren't punished for their actions. It's a hard question to answer...because they ALL should have been punished, and only those at the Capitol riot seem to be. All I could say was "If you thought that the Leftist rioters should be punished but the Capitol rioters should not be...then you have double standards also."

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Jan 6, 2022Liked by Erick-Woods Erickson

Words mean something, which is why so many are being redefined. "Immigrant," for instance, has replaced "illegal alien" and that drives me nuts because they do NOT mean the same thing. So I hate that the word "patriot" has been coopted! My first memory of this was hawkers selling cruises on Fox News, but it has since become an adopted moniker by many conservatives wishing to self-rightously elevate themselves above leftists. And IMO this contributed to what happened on January 6 because in their minds they weren't criminals, they were the Boston Tea Party circa 2021.

And Erick, GREAT job of pointing out the storming of the Wisconsin and Texas capitols. Frankly, I had forgotten those events, but it's nice to have them in my arsenal should I need to argue the point.

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The January 6th episode will not be put to rest until there is a full, fair and impartial investigation into what went down that day versus the sham proceedings led by the Queen of Sham, Nancy Pelosi. Many crucial facts and unanswered questions. Why were so-called protesters allowed in on the Senate side of the House and shown around like tourists? Ditto on the House side. Yes, windows and doors were breached, but I've seen videos of police in full riot gear on the steps of the Capitol standing down and allowing rioters to pass right by them. Ditto once inside - video of Capitol Police officers literally telling the rioters were to go to access the House chamber. And what about the FBI and CIAs role. Clearly, they had intel regarding the potential for malicious acts, yet nothing was done to prevent them. Why? As with your repeated assertions that Trump "lied" about the election results when anyone with common sense knows that there were irregularities surrounding mail-in / absentee ballots in key battle-ground states, January 6th will not be put to rest until the fullness of truth sees the light of day.

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Interesting perspective Erick. Serious question - is there any truth to the video tape currently being reviewed by Raffensberger. 240 people paid to harvest ballots between Nov 3rd and the run-off? He’s going to be on with John Fredericks for an hour to discuss from what I understand.

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Ronald Reagan could never win a primary in today's Republican Party. He wasn't bat-s**t crazy enough. "People Are Stupid"

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I certainly Do Not condone Jan. 6, as a matter of fact it embaresses me. I am also sick of hearing about it. But some how I cannot get passed the fact that They burned a church

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What reforms are talked about for The Electoral College?

Ted Cruz and others wanted a commission to investigate the claims of ballot stuffing. We didn’t get it. That with the Democrats wanting to let anyone, citizen or not, dead or alive, vote makes one think that the past election was stolen. People no longer have faith in their government. The cherry on the cake is the hypocrisy of the elites with Covid restrictions.

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