A deeper problem is that the more ‘reasonable’ Republicans created policies that destroyed trust in the ability of their economic and political system to provide stability. It was right wing neoliberal policies that destabilized the global economy, and worse, the response was austerity for those who suffered the harshest consequences while throwing money into ‘saving’ the financial system.
And even today, Republicans are arguing for more austerity for the masses at a time when we’re approaching a massive eviction and unemployment crisis. The Mitt Romneys and Susan Collins’ may seem ‘reasonable’, but they’re still contributing to the problem by virtue of their perpetual stalling. So it’s no wonder that they find themselves being chased out of their own legislative chamber by people with army uniforms, face paint, horned helmets, and spears. That’s representative of what the legislative branch has turned into.
We need to put to rest this corrosive idea that there are reasonable Republicans. How much more evidence do we need? After four years of overt white supremacy, terrorism and an attempted coupe, we get the so-called reasonable Republicans trying squirm and change the subject. The fact is the GOP is an anti-democratic, white nationalist political movement. I know this because the leader of their party supports these values and they support him.
Historically, white American conservatives relied on the state to commit their acts of terror on black people to keep them and in line and preserve their control of government. Now that their control of the levers of governmental power are slipping, they are resorting to overt terrorism. The “reasonable” Republicans aren’t holding them accountable, because they agree with their goals: a state where democracy is for whites.
Look at the proposed response in this thread from a “reasonable” Republican: dunno what the terrorists want, but we should give it to them.
The notion of “forgiveness” is totally meaningless if the other side doesn’t even want to be forgiven and in fact would consider it an insult. Why would they want forgiveness if they see themselves as right, not wrong?
Extending forgiveness to Trumpers would be like if someone said in January 2017, “We hereby forgive all people who supported Hillary in the last election.” All the Hillary supporters would respond “you can take your forgiveness and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.”
Now, that’s not completely fair. Unity only means that when they win elections. When they lose, they only demand 80% their way. Must avoid tyranny of the majority and all that.
What the “sane” Rs always wanted was to create a political system that served a stable oligarchy. The problem is, their policies don’t engender stability. They are failed policies. Many of their rabid supporters don’t necessarily want oligarchy and don’t trust the elites who instituted these systems; they just want status and they are rebelling against the “elites.” They want ethno-nationalism and majoritarianism.
I think what the Romneys and Collins of the GOP are trying to convince Biden and Dems is that you can either deal with what’s left of the oligarch wing of the party, or you will be left to deal with the terrorists, who of course are being used by the oligarchs when they feel that it suits them.
I think you’ve hit on the GOP strategy here. Everyone knows that “unity”, “moving forward” and “forgiveness” are going to fail. The Trump supporters are probably going to tell Biden to stick it no matter what, but the GOP knows they can make appeals to how divisive Biden is rather than have to answer for what their own base just did, and now they’ve set a standard Biden can’t possibly live up to.
This is why “forgiveness” makes so little sense from the Democrats’ perspective.
Yes. We’ll forgive you for claiming you won the election if you forgive us for claiming we won the election may sound like a fair and balanced position, but only if you are operating in a universe disconnected from objective reality.
Otherwise, it is the textbook example of false balance.
Yes, I was wrong on that count. I admit my mistake, see also post #33.
I understand the point about Mr. Walsh feeling partially responsible for the current state of the GOP. My critique about Mr. Walsh’s way forward was more like an IMHO response to the interview itself, given the topic of this discussion as context (“why political forgiveness and cooperation won’t be coming any time soon”). I’m just trying to bring your cite full circle to the Republicans in the BuzzFeed article (post #5) who suggest absolution and cooperation as a path forward.
With proud boys in particular, I don’t think gay rights are an issue, unlike race, which clearly is. But the rest of the insurrectionists and “stay-at-home” disgruntled right wingers, sure. But we must meet those needs, just not say them out loud. Fuck that bullshit!
They can’t be tried by any normal courts of law so it’s up to Congress. The constitution says that so it’s non-negotiable.
Who could have foreseen that the crimes and criminals who committed them would be so numerous in one administration that one court and one judicial panel (Congress) wouldn’t be enough?
Some mostly unarmed yahoos with almost no preparation got within feet of being able to kill high level US govt officials, with not much (certainly insufficient) resistance from law enforcement. Imagine if they were organized and prepared! The US govt at a federal and state level is useless without enforcers. It just so happens that the enforcers are predominantly right leaning, Trumpists or at least sympathizers. Therefore you might as well say it’s Republicans against… mostly Republicans? And even ordinary republicans are armed to the teeth comparatively. If a legit civil war happens its going to make Vietnam look like a walk in the park, with likely a similar outcome, tails between the legs.
Because Trump and his minions all but disarmed the police ahead of time. Good luck with that as long as a Democrat’s in the White House.
Seriously, who didn’t expect at least a couple thousand cops in riot gear waiting for the protesters at the Capitol on January 6th? Instead, there were only a few hundred Capitol police who hadn’t been prepped for anything more than another day at the office. That was an inside job, and it can’t happen again until after a Republican has become President again.
Are they gonna keep 25k national guard in DC for Biden’s entire tenure? Do you think an attack is going to happen when it’s expected? We had people openly question whether a guardsman, ostensibly there to protect, might go rogue and try to kill Biden. Are they gonna have protection galore for each statehouse and every individual congressperson and senator for the next 4-8 years? Yes, there isn’t going to be an “inside job” as in a directive from a Biden appointee, but a devastating attack is still entirely possible.