Increasing Risk

[Revoltingest]

Yes. The quality of the person is critical, first and foremost.
I would prefer small business owners, and service employees, and academics, etc...etc... If you make more than 10 times the median income, you likely have lost any idea what it is to be a worker in America.

Ameristan is a mix of large & small business.
Ignore either at our peril.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

We will never know how close we came to having political leaders targeted and slaughtered by a fascist mob egged on by Trump and his enablers. Imagine if they had gotten their hands on Pence. Imagine if they had been able to grab Pelosi or members of the Squad.

And yet there is a spineless refusal to invoke the 25th Amendment.

Does anyone truly believe that the worst is behind us?

Jay, people are in denial. For five years they have taken for granted what IS and failed to appreciate the possibilities of what COULD be.

That is why so many have defended, deflected, supported and provided air cover for Trump.

Remember when Michael Cohen testified to Congress after knowing Trump for 25 years, he’s afraid there won’t be a peaceful transition of power?

Remember when General Mattis, Trump’s own appointee, said the President is a threat to our Constitution, back in June?

Remember when John Bolton, Trump’s own National Security Advisor, said the President needed to be removed from office?

We were warned. But instead of heeding the tornado sirens we looked outside, felt a gentle breeze and concluded it can’t happen.

I am afraid a domestic terror attack is all but certain. I truly am. 10 million Americans downloaded Parler over the past few months and now they are cut off from reality, aggrieved, self-righteous and believe in violence as a justified means to their ends.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Even as Trumpworld is defeated and marginalized, they become more extreme and desperate. Like part of a balloon being squeezed, it may pop ...

I am not afraid of the government being overthrown - the chances are zero. I am afraid of violence. On January 6 there were 30,000 people at the Trump rally. It only takes one person to wield an assault rifle or detonate a bomb.

Sorry to sound dark, or dramatic. But after warning about Trump for five years I don’t know how else to get people’s attention. Life will go on but not the same way if we underestimate these people.

Even before the attempted coup last Wednesday, I've been getting flashbacks lately to when the militia movement came to prominence in the 90s for bad reasons.

Trump's base definitely has the potential to generate several Oklahoma City bombings and more than a few Ruby Ridges.

It seems to me that while 9/11 distracted everyone from the militia movement - with all of its links to white supremacy and violence - it never really went away.

 

[exchemist]

Actually what you foresee is not the “opposite” of what Sunstone foresees.

BOTH can happen at the same time.

Even as Trumpworld is defeated and marginalized, they become more extreme and desperate. Like part of a balloon being squeezed, it may pop ...

I am not afraid of the government being overthrown - the chances are zero. I am afraid of violence. On January 6 there were 30,000 people at the Trump rally. It only takes one person to wield an assault rifle or detonate a bomb.

Sorry to sound dark, or dramatic. But after warning about Trump for five years I don’t know how else to get people’s attention. Life will go on but not the same way if we underestimate these people.

Yes, that's a fair point. There could be a blow-up out of sheer stupidity and incompetence.

 

[Sunstone]

Once again, I seriously hope those in charge are taking this seriously and have enough *loyal* forces to counter the onslaught.

That's the nail-biter of the hour, isn't it.

 

[sun rise]

That's what they say on the left. But could the real
motive for opposing voter ID be that they expect
illegal aliens to vote for their candidates?

Horse****. You're smarter than to repeat right wing lies. We're against the voter suppression that occurs when unneeded barriers are put in place from excessive voter requirements to shutting down polling places to purging eligible voters from the rolls etc.

Either you are in favor of making sure everyone who is eligible to vote can vote or you're against it. Which side are you on?

 

[Revoltingest]

You're smarter than to repeat right wing lies.

Perhaps you fail to see sins in your own ranks.
Determined opposition to identification, &
failure to consider solutions to the claimed
problems belies another motive.

I am on the side of voter identification
being easily available to all eligible voters.
Why oppose this if not for political gain?

 

[sun rise]

That's the nail-biter of the hour, isn't it.

If I were younger, I'd be buying whatever large rifle was legal for me to own in case I needed to defend America with my life. I hope and pray that the terrorists are put down by whatever means necessary by police and national guard. Because if they aren't:

 

[sun rise]

Perhaps you fail to see sins in your own ranks.
Determined opposition to identification, &
failure to consider solutions to the claimed
problems belies another motive.

Think what you want about me however wrong you are. "Claimed" lies, damn lies and evil lies. I can claim you are a minion of the fanatical right wing sowing doubt and disruption. That does not mean I believe it but I can CLAIM it.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

But my best guess would be that the next couple of weeks will prove to be less threatening than the last.

Possibly, but we put that theory to the test at our peril.

If there is no bloodshed in the next couple weeks, it will only be because law enforcement made tremendous efforts and took the threat extremely seriously.

I would be shocked frankly if there were not attempts of violence. The only question in my mind is whether those attempts succeed or can be discouraged.

 

[exchemist]

Why not? It worked for the Germans after the failed Beer Hall Putsch. They had nothing to worry about for years, I'm told.

Do me a favour and read what I wrote, would you mind?

 

[Revoltingest]

Think what you want about me however wrong you are. "Claimed" lies, damn lies and evil lies. I can claim you are a minion of the fanatical right wing sowing doubt and disruption. That does not mean I believe it but I can CLAIM it.

I find your claim histrionic,
& blind to the left's mischief.

 

[Sunstone]

Do me a favour and read what I wrote, would you mind?

I did. I thought your post was extraordinarily naive in regards to the realities of American politics. Mark my words, Sir.

 

[Audie]

Here's hoping that those who failed to provide proper
security are so embarrassed & worried about their
jobs that they prepare appropriately for Jan 20.

Dragging him out of the oval orifice
might be just the thing to provoke a genuinely
violent response.
Pelosi is playing politics with fire.

 

[Audie]

I find your claim histrionic,
& blind to the left's mischief.

The left is worse than the right with
a lot of their apparently serious statements.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

They won't and, more to the point, nor will the real military. Recent speeches by Mark Milley make that crystal clear.

The fact that we are even having this conversation means things have gone much too far. The personal loyalties of senior military like Mark Milley ... that’s the backup parachute.

I have many, many friends in Midwestern states who are increasingly estranged from Trump supporter parents, or siblings.

You see the same thing in the videos of the family members of Ashli Babbit, the woman who was shot, and the other woman who was trampled. Their obsession with Trump was not understood even by their own families.

It’s happened all over the country.

General Michael Flynn, if he hadn’t lied to the FBI, would have been Trump’s National Security Advisor. He is a QAnon conspiracy theorist who said Trump could impose martial law if he wanted to redo the election.

We are extremely lucky people like Mark Milley happen to control the military and not people like Michael Flynn. But surely there are many Michael Flynn’s within the military since they are all over the country. The woman who was shot, Ashli Babbit, was former Air Force - admittedly low level.

Again I am confident America will persevere ... but not because we didn’t worry a little. Worry leads to preparation which was clearly lacking on January 6.

 

[exchemist]

I did. I thought your post was extraordinarily naive in regards to the realities of American politics. Mark my words, Sir.

Your OP suggests the risk of further "shenanigans" by Trump is increasing by the day as we approach Biden's inauguration. I think it is decreasing. I don't for a moment suggest there is no problem and we can all go to sleep.

 

[Revoltingest]

Dragging him out of the oval orifice
might be just the thing to provoke a genuinely
violent response.
Pelosi is playing politics with fire.

We shall see.
There are things that need to happen,
eg, Biden assuming office. They should
better prepare for a crazy violent reaction.

 

[exchemist]

The fact that we are even having this conversation means things have gone much too far. The personal loyalties of senior military like Mark Milley ... that’s the backup parachute.

I have many, many friends in Midwestern states who are increasingly estranged from Trump supporter parents, or siblings.

You see the same thing in the videos of the family members of Ashli Babbit, the woman who was shot, and the other woman who was trampled. Their obsession with Trump was not understood even by their own families.

It’s happened all over the country.

General Michael Flynn, if he hadn’t lied to the FBI, would have been Trump’s National Security Advisor. He is a QAnon conspiracy theorist who said Trump could impose martial law if he wanted to redo the election.

We are extremely lucky people like Mark Milley happen to control the military and not people like Michael Flynn. But surely there are many Michael Flynn’s within the military since they are all over the country. The woman who was shot, Ashli Babbit, was former Air Force - admittedly low level.

Again I am confident America will persevere ... but not because we didn’t worry a little. Worry leads to preparation which was clearly lacking on January 6.

That's fair I think, except that it is more than just a "personal" loyalty on the part of Milley. He is the guy in charge of the whole military and what he says will be the longstanding tradition of the US military in general, not just a personal opinion. So I think it is pretty safe to count on that.

 

[Revoltingest]

The left is worse than the right with
a lot of their apparently serious statements.

Getting hard to tell who is worse.
But Trumpers have been winning
that competition in this last week.