I think it’s important to assume? acknowledge? that because of this MAGA Megaphone, a good portion of Americans actually don’t understand/can’t see the difference between 1/6 and, say, the Black Lives Matter protests. It doesn’t matter if we think they should or we don’t understand how they can’t. What matters is that they don’t. I think the best thing the hearings can do is provide a civics lesson and primer on why this insurrection attempt was and is dangerous and different than vandalizing a Starbucks in a centuries old plea for equity and equality. Also, not for nothing, I think a good portion of Americans are conflating democracy with Democrats and have decided they’re against democracy because the Democrats are socialists. It doesn’t have to make sense to seem real. As trump so aptly said in 2018.
I stopped posting on "MAGA-friendly" Facebook more than two years ago but shared your essay there this morning because, well, I can take a hint. I hope my "friends" get the message.
An ultra MAGA Republican congressional candidate just made a runoff against the incumbent in my district (and got the most votes in the first round) despite a paucity of resources, very slight name recognition and (as you might expect) no establishment support. I consume an embarrassingly large volume of political news and had heard about him twice before Election Day. But Bannon and various Bannonites have been pumping him up. Anyway, it brought home (again) the point about the power of the parallel disinformation universe.
Taking a page from the Biden administration (and yes, I know that can be seen as an iffy idea), in the run-up to the Russian invasion, they went hard at announcing just what the Russians were doing and planning, the misinformation and disinformation. The pretext planning to make it look like the Ukrainians were the aggressor. It worked well to keep NATO countries from peeling away.
I hope that this committee, many experienced in prosecution, many experienced in the impeachments, will follow this course and spend significant time in their opening remarks calling out the outright lies, pretexts, and false narratives that the GOP will be using.
I hope they concentrate heavily on three points: 1) the sedition and conspiracy that birthed it; 2) that a ramped-up effort is already being planned for the elections in 2022, 2023, and 2024; and finally, 3) expose the MAGA GOP’s ongoing efforts to dismiss the committee, to lie about its findings, and wish away the events of January 6.
In the spirit of manifesting the future, I’m going to write down what I hope we learn in these hearings:
1. Trump knew he was lying about voter fraud. Because, yes, we all know he’s lying… but imagine how disheartening it would be to his followers if there was evidence that he knew he was lying and they’re a bunch of rubes for believing him.
2. Trump mocking his supporters. The dude makes fun of everyone. Is it that hard to imagine that he would make fun of those ass-hats? “My toothless warriors! My mullet militia! March like the dancing monkeys you are!” I want that video.
MAGA friendly? Interesting. My page isn’t. I am not being coerced, enticed, duped or bamboozled. So this must be about already MAGA sympathizers being turned up to 11 or the other constituency that is not us: the masses? A great idea to have more clearly progressive platforms but why didnt they work when they tried? The Fox model works on demonizing the mere appearance the mere sniff of some progressive. Remember Hilary? “The United States is not Sweden.” The crowd roared, with thinking. Perhaps real progressives eschew demonizing, it does stick in my craw, but Facebook has done us a huge unintended favor by exposing the fantasy the USA is, was or likely will be a progressive nation. Cultures centered on “me” never are. It seems to me the natural collective instincts we have had since the hunter gatherer are specifically proscribed by the constitution the Left imagines its bible. Case in definite point: gun control. There is no impulse to ban guns entirely. Their is only the move to limit guns to the qualified (sane) members of the community. Who shall reserve their right to kill anyone they sanely imagine is threatening them, or their property. This is the fascist one step beyond
It was powerful. I don’t understand why they are taking it out of prime time. It’s like you’re winning the race and you stop to take a nap. OT they never should have delivered the impeachment to the Senate. What happened was easily predictable, including Trump getting higher numbers. They should’ve just said we’ve done our job, if the Senate wants it they need to ask for it officially which would have required 60 votes.
Hoping for a statement from the hearing that is equivalent to Trump's "I could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and get away with it," but more disrespectful of his MAGA supporters. Could be a disparaging remark about a GOP Congressperson or Senator or even Mike Pence. Then take that remark and blast it on social media, various talk shows, and campaign ads. Maybe the shock of being insulted by their Dear Leader will open up some mental pathways to the Truth. Just an idea to build on Tom's sage comments below on calling out the fallacy of the GOP talking points.
I think it’s important to assume? acknowledge? that because of this MAGA Megaphone, a good portion of Americans actually don’t understand/can’t see the difference between 1/6 and, say, the Black Lives Matter protests. It doesn’t matter if we think they should or we don’t understand how they can’t. What matters is that they don’t. I think the best thing the hearings can do is provide a civics lesson and primer on why this insurrection attempt was and is dangerous and different than vandalizing a Starbucks in a centuries old plea for equity and equality. Also, not for nothing, I think a good portion of Americans are conflating democracy with Democrats and have decided they’re against democracy because the Democrats are socialists. It doesn’t have to make sense to seem real. As trump so aptly said in 2018.
I stopped posting on "MAGA-friendly" Facebook more than two years ago but shared your essay there this morning because, well, I can take a hint. I hope my "friends" get the message.
An ultra MAGA Republican congressional candidate just made a runoff against the incumbent in my district (and got the most votes in the first round) despite a paucity of resources, very slight name recognition and (as you might expect) no establishment support. I consume an embarrassingly large volume of political news and had heard about him twice before Election Day. But Bannon and various Bannonites have been pumping him up. Anyway, it brought home (again) the point about the power of the parallel disinformation universe.
Taking a page from the Biden administration (and yes, I know that can be seen as an iffy idea), in the run-up to the Russian invasion, they went hard at announcing just what the Russians were doing and planning, the misinformation and disinformation. The pretext planning to make it look like the Ukrainians were the aggressor. It worked well to keep NATO countries from peeling away.
I hope that this committee, many experienced in prosecution, many experienced in the impeachments, will follow this course and spend significant time in their opening remarks calling out the outright lies, pretexts, and false narratives that the GOP will be using.
I hope they concentrate heavily on three points: 1) the sedition and conspiracy that birthed it; 2) that a ramped-up effort is already being planned for the elections in 2022, 2023, and 2024; and finally, 3) expose the MAGA GOP’s ongoing efforts to dismiss the committee, to lie about its findings, and wish away the events of January 6.
In the spirit of manifesting the future, I’m going to write down what I hope we learn in these hearings:
1. Trump knew he was lying about voter fraud. Because, yes, we all know he’s lying… but imagine how disheartening it would be to his followers if there was evidence that he knew he was lying and they’re a bunch of rubes for believing him.
2. Trump mocking his supporters. The dude makes fun of everyone. Is it that hard to imagine that he would make fun of those ass-hats? “My toothless warriors! My mullet militia! March like the dancing monkeys you are!” I want that video.
A man can dream. Right?
Spot on, Dan.
Do you believe the Democratic Party (as in the hierarchy at the national level) get it sufficiently yet?
Maybe we can chip in and send a complimentary copy of your book to every MOC (I know what I said), all Dem state party chairs, etc.
Flood the zone.
"Long extinct media world" ... got that right Dan; apocalypse now.
MAGA friendly? Interesting. My page isn’t. I am not being coerced, enticed, duped or bamboozled. So this must be about already MAGA sympathizers being turned up to 11 or the other constituency that is not us: the masses? A great idea to have more clearly progressive platforms but why didnt they work when they tried? The Fox model works on demonizing the mere appearance the mere sniff of some progressive. Remember Hilary? “The United States is not Sweden.” The crowd roared, with thinking. Perhaps real progressives eschew demonizing, it does stick in my craw, but Facebook has done us a huge unintended favor by exposing the fantasy the USA is, was or likely will be a progressive nation. Cultures centered on “me” never are. It seems to me the natural collective instincts we have had since the hunter gatherer are specifically proscribed by the constitution the Left imagines its bible. Case in definite point: gun control. There is no impulse to ban guns entirely. Their is only the move to limit guns to the qualified (sane) members of the community. Who shall reserve their right to kill anyone they sanely imagine is threatening them, or their property. This is the fascist one step beyond
It was powerful. I don’t understand why they are taking it out of prime time. It’s like you’re winning the race and you stop to take a nap. OT they never should have delivered the impeachment to the Senate. What happened was easily predictable, including Trump getting higher numbers. They should’ve just said we’ve done our job, if the Senate wants it they need to ask for it officially which would have required 60 votes.
Hoping for a statement from the hearing that is equivalent to Trump's "I could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and get away with it," but more disrespectful of his MAGA supporters. Could be a disparaging remark about a GOP Congressperson or Senator or even Mike Pence. Then take that remark and blast it on social media, various talk shows, and campaign ads. Maybe the shock of being insulted by their Dear Leader will open up some mental pathways to the Truth. Just an idea to build on Tom's sage comments below on calling out the fallacy of the GOP talking points.