Is the January 6 committee accomplishing anything worthwhile? Will the next coup attempt be stopped? Unlikely…

January 6 was a terrible event, a permanent blot on the United States that perhaps can never be expunged. The January 6 Select Committee in the US House is currently holding televised hearings that do bring lots of light to what happened January 6 and who was responsible. This is a good thing. But it must be supplemented with context and more layers, which at present it is not being done.

Here is why I am personally not enamored with what is being done in the House. This situation is a whole lot more complicated and serious than what is being represented. I increasingly feel the Democrats lack the seriousness to deal with the underlying issues that caused January 6 and this lack of focus, will make the next coup attempt much smoother (and successful!) for the GOP.

1- As discussed yesterday, Governor DeSantis has already telegraphed how the next coup will happen. It’ll be done at the State Legislative level in how electors are selected. Now, the Democrats with majorities in both houses of Congress in 2021 could have addressed this – by at least attempting to reform the Electoral Count Act of 1887, or at the very least talking about it as a impediment to Democracy and creating awareness to stop the next coup attempt. They have done no such thing, in fact avoiding the conversation completely.

2- Personalizing the issue to Donald Trump has made it appear like January 6 happened in a vacuum. It did not. Global winds are creating momentum for illiberal authoritarian movement and domestic militarism. By making Trump personally the focus of all their fire, the Democrats are making it appear like this sort of thing cannot happen again unless Donald Trump is a candidate. As I mention above, I believe it WILL happen again and will be done in a much more logically organized way by the likes of Ron DeSantis. The Hoodlums which Trump called upon won’t be needed by DeSantis. Nor will they be needed by any other disciplined GOPer who manipulates the the wide open legal ways to steal an election in this country.

3- Authoritarian illiberalism is a global problem. MAGA is the US offshoot of a global fascist/far-right movement. What the committee has done thus far is portray this illiberalism as a connected exclusively to a personality cult. Yes, no question Trump has created that personality cult, and those cults whether on the right or left are very dangerous. But this is so much more than just that.

4- I take strong exception to the committee calling Ben Ginsberg, who actually has successfully been involved in (legally) stealing a Presidential Election for George W. Bush in 2000, as an expert to testify. Perhaps Ginsberg should have been honest and said, “you can overturn the will of the electorate, if you adroitly manipulate the court system and voter rolls as we did rather than depending on muscle in the street and a violent coup to do so like Trump.”

I hope the committee and the Democratic leadership do better in the remaining time left they have to make this case.

3 comments

  1. Nancy Argenziano · ·

    Of course they are making headway. It is to help the majority see what is coming at us. It is showing the corruption, treason, and scary fact that we have so many traitors and people who are so gullible they will even take part in taking down our country. It is needed and there better be criminal Al charges for ANYONE who has committed crimes, especially treason. No slap on the wrists. I am thankful they are exposing the real problems we have. Now the real scary part is finding out how many gullible voters, uninformed voters, hate groups, Authotritarian wannabes, we really have.

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  2. Nancy Argenziano · ·

    To me there is nothing worse then a traitor in respect to the safety of our Democratic Republic. Yes, it’s not just Trump. The GOP and it’s owners, the mega wealthy, corporations have been working towards, and who created over the last few decades the building blocks of protection towards obtaining a authoritarian regime. They were screwed by the Trump movement and it put a monkey wrench in their decades long makings towards authoritarianism. But they have those building blocks already in place. Judges, SCOTUS, FOX, Heritage Foundation, ALEC, Voter suppression, religious organizations , Gerrymandering, their minions appointed in many places, and so much more, they even have the electoral College, which all will be called into play by the likes of a DeSantis. They need every fringe radical group they can get for as many votes they can get by tossing them all some red meat of their particular concern or desire. It’s the radical GOP that has far more in place , ready to go, then any “liberalism” movement has. Traitors need long prison sentences. Insurrectionists getting 6 months is a joke. This committee, not perfect but exposing what all thinking people need to see, understand, is very important and critical in helping us to keep a very fragile and susceptible Democracy. The DOJ better not give us slaps on the wrists. They need to prosecute to the fullest all that are found guilty. Thinking Americans better get off their couches, and and understand what is really at risk. Demand the elected hear the majority. Let’s put blame also on gullible and uninformed, ignorant of fact, hate groups, voters.

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  3. Nancy Argenziano · ·

    Correction, DOJ needs to prosecute all they have evidence on. If found guilty, the courts better give them harsh sentences.

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