By Daniel Nardini
It is becoming immensely scary what is now taking shape. Those who were involved in the January 6th riot at the Capital Building (also called an insurrection), are now being hailed as “heroes” by a number of right wing and ultra-right wing circles. In my mind, it is really not possible to label such people as “heroes.” They tried to stop a democratic process going back over 200 years of certifying election results from every state. Second, they used violence to attack elected representatives to that process. Third, these rioters threatened life and property. Finally, these rioters talked about the last presidential election being “stolen” when in essence they were trying to overturn the very election results. Whatever I personally may think of current U.S. President Joe Biden, I am convinced he was fairly elected and is the legitimate head of the executive branch.
But right wing, ultra-right wing and supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump are convinced that the Democrats and the “deep state” had successfully engineered a “coup” by rigging the voting machines and were able to coerce more than enough people in office to go along with this “charade.” No credible evidence has ever been produced to show for this, and worse all the forces who believe that former U.S. President Donald Trump is “still president” have bought into this mythology that the dark forces of the “left” now rule the country and are going after anyone who “is a true patriot.” There are now more such brainwashed people calling the January 6th rioters “heroes” who tried to “stop the steal” and who tried to “save the country.” Worse, this myth is being perpetuated that the whole presidential election of 2020 was stolen and that somehow the country can be gradually “retaken” in 2022 and 2024. In their minds, anyone who denies the right wing’s insane myth that the election was stolen are themselves in “league with the deep state” and “not a patriot.”
The major problem with such extremism is that it builds upon a crisis that will serve its purpose. At present, America is going through one of the worst periods of inflation in 40 years. People are especially unhappy as it is hitting them in the pocketbook. Many Americans are still chaffing from the extreme lock-downs, the mandates, and all of the onerous Covid regulations from the pandemic that largely Democratic states had enacted. These have to put it mildly made a mess of many people’s lives, and all of this just might give the Republicans and the political right what they want to gain power. As for the January 6th rioters? If the Republicans regain power, these people might all being pardoned. Stranger things in American history have happened.
January 6th Heroes?
By Daniel Nardini
But right wing, ultra-right wing and supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump are convinced that the Democrats and the “deep state” had successfully engineered a “coup” by rigging the voting machines and were able to coerce more than enough people in office to go along with this “charade.” No credible evidence has ever been produced to show for this, and worse all the forces who believe that former U.S. President Donald Trump is “still president” have bought into this mythology that the dark forces of the “left” now rule the country and are going after anyone who “is a true patriot.” There are now more such brainwashed people calling the January 6th rioters “heroes” who tried to “stop the steal” and who tried to “save the country.” Worse, this myth is being perpetuated that the whole presidential election of 2020 was stolen and that somehow the country can be gradually “retaken” in 2022 and 2024. In their minds, anyone who denies the right wing’s insane myth that the election was stolen are themselves in “league with the deep state” and “not a patriot.”
The major problem with such extremism is that it builds upon a crisis that will serve its purpose. At present, America is going through one of the worst periods of inflation in 40 years. People are especially unhappy as it is hitting them in the pocketbook. Many Americans are still chaffing from the extreme lock-downs, the mandates, and all of the onerous Covid regulations from the pandemic that largely Democratic states had enacted. These have to put it mildly made a mess of many people’s lives, and all of this just might give the Republicans and the political right what they want to gain power. As for the January 6th rioters? If the Republicans regain power, these people might all being pardoned. Stranger things in American history have happened.