2021: American Insurrection
Havoc Ensures
Anyone who is familiar to my blog (if you read the articles, thank you! You're epic!) knows that I'm not a fan of Biden. If I thought that he was awesome, then I wouldn't have posted articles like the following:
- Thought About The 2020 Election: Post-Election Blues (17 Nov, 2020)
- Thoughts About The 2020 Election: So Far (14 Mar, 2020)
- Thought About The 2020 Election: Super Tuesday (11 Mar, 2020)
- Thoughts About The 2020 Election: Reflections Of 2008 and 2012 (23 Mar, 2020)
Their is no love of Biden on this blog. The last thing this country needed was another insider. However, the other option wasn't any better. While people are entitled to their opinions of him, those opinions need to be formed on things of actual merit and not baloney nonsense that one got from some click-bait mill turning out the digital equivalent of bumper stickers. Their is enough reasons to be angry at him and Trump alike without resorting to such drivel. One could argue that at the end of the day, red or blue, what's the difference? (The "differences" is only real when politics is substituted in place of religion)
As much dislike their is for Biden here, we need to live by facts, not not conspiracy theories or sensationalist click-bait. While we are entitled to our opinions, we are not entitled to our own facts. Regardless of how we feel, Biden still won the election democratically. Their has been no evidence of voter fraud. The investigation have been done, and their is no evidence to support it. I would believe the claims of voter fraud if their was actual substance to it. This hasn't been the case though and no, sensationalist click-bait from partisan mills doesn't quality as "evidence".
I can make the safe assumption that the vast majority of those voted for Trump are level-headed individuals who moved on with their lives after he lost the election. They accepted reality and weren't going to let unjust emotions consume them in a very unhealthy manner. Many did vote for him based on an rational interpretation of party policy. Many of those who voted for him weren't consumed by violent rhetoric, zero-sums nonsense, red-baiting, or general sensationalist drivel found on Facebook. They continued with life as they should. They were above the unfounded lies that many others and Trump promoted. I can't be mad at them. I refuse to be mad at them. Their is no reason to be. They became victims because of the selfish actions of others who simply wanted their way, regardless of the results.
These were the individuals who just couldn't accept the results and thus quickly divorced themselves from reality. They were echoing the claims of voter fraud even before the election started. These were the individuals who were consumed by unfounded fear and paranoia. These extreme fringe supporters were planning on declaring voter fraud anyway, regardless of the outcome. Several of these supporters wanted him in the White House, regardless of the results. These fringe supporters premeditated the event that occurred in the Capital as well. The extreme fringe supporters have planned their moves since the election ended. This wasn't some spontaneous event that occurred out of nowhere.
These supporters didn't want a president, but a king; Democracy be damned. They didn't care about the results. Extreme anger and hostility formed around baseless claims that have no merit. For them, the outcome of the legitimate investigations and recounts doesn't change anything unless if those results were manipulated to the outcome they want. Would that make the recount legitimate then?
These selfish supporters didn't give a crap if they gave the Republican Party or the multitudes of their level-headed supporters a bad name. It was all about what they wanted. Many of those level-headed supports have a feeling that they are being looked down upon because of the actions of those rowdy fools who occupied The Capital.
These level-headed supporters are the real victims, (along with the actual victims affected by the riot), along with many of the Republicans politicians who feel ashamed of the actions of the rioters their party in general, but remain silent for they don't want to feel the wrath coming not from a President, but the glorified God-king that many others made him out to be. Trump knows that regardless of whether one is of faith or not, many have made him their pillar of worship.
Trump has been feeding the sharks, along with many other Republicans who have been enabling his reckless actions. While many would eventually condemn his actions, they enabled his baseless rhetoric until it was too late. Trump wasn't interested in selling facts, but charged emotions. Trump knows that those who are in emotional overdrive will cling onto every claim that he echoes, regardless.
Trump created the new "Stabbed-in-the-back" myth of the 2020's. Despite full transparency and lack of evidence, he has convinced millions that the election was stolen. People went to the conspiracy mills. The cartoon villains and invisible boogeymen became real for millions. Several would go on to believe the claims simply because they think it's true, regardless of the facts. Millions of others brought into the false claims simply because they wanted it to be true. Believing in it would confirm their preconceived bias and validate their worldview.
Many used politics as an substitute for religion. For those, being told that you made an honest mistake or error in judgement in embracing these false claims is seen as heresy. Those who worship at the altar of Trump had molded mundane politics into that all-is-at-stake zero-sums game. The loud-mouth demagogue has become their spiritual pillar. Those who made him into that broken pillar have transformed him into that heroic martyr.
Conclusions (Notice that it's plural)
One can draw a few conclusions from this election. First, politics becomes much more destructive when it's blindly elevated as an substitute for religion. This happens regardless of the political slant. If people invested as much energy into "love thy neighbor" as they do into partisan politics, their would be a lot less hostility. Secular leaders are not spiritual pillars, nor should they be treated as such.
Another conclusion that should be drawn is that people need to remember that political parties are only meant to be civic representations of our views, nothing more. They were not intended as being all-encompassing pillars that define our personality. It's best not be to bound by them at all if possible. Both parties are prone to corruption and are defined by their moral and ethical shortcomings. They're given false representation when they are made into something that they are not.
As such, for those not bound to political party, its easy to call them both out. I don't owe anything to either party. We need to do our own thinking, and not let the parties do it for us. People need to vote based on the merit of the individual candidate, and not how their party tells them to vote. Why do people feel that they have to owe something to their preferred party? While on this topic, using fear to scare voters to vote in a particular manner is the most diabolical and sinister thing that a politician can do, regardless of party.
In many ways, the DNC is just as responsible for what happened for what transpired at Washington as the GOP. Trump wouldn't have never became President in the first place if it wasn't for Obama's shortcomings. Obama was much more interested in being a career politician than representing the people who voted for him. The voters became alienated and frustrated with party politics. The DNC refused to acknowledge the changing winds. They red-baited Bernie Sanders because he was a threat to him. They sold him as a Hell-bent Commie who was out to destroy them. They worshiped money and those who reflected their interest. They were eager to wash their hands PontiusPilate-style as they crucified Sanders while making that deal with the Devil by nominating Hillary. With Hillary's nominated, the DNC showed what was more important to them. Given a choice between sacrificing integrity or billion-dollar donors, the decision was obvious. They would dearly pay for their bargain with the Devil. We all would.
Those who shared divisive click-bait on Facebook and promoted the conspiracy theories (and continue to do so) are just as much complicit as those who took part in the event. Lies and deception have been fed into that machine called social media. Many were much more invested in chasing click-bait and conspiracy theories then exercising their critical thinking skills. Many blindly believe whatever they read simply because it caters to their opinions. "Would a website that has the words "Christian", "America", "Liberty", or "Freedom" in the title lie to me!" proclaims those on the street. Those running the sites know how gullible their audience is. They can make the most outrageous claims knowing that their intended audience wouldn't bat an eye. All that energy that one invested into click-bait could have been used to foster greater understanding.
Granted, the frustration against corporate media is understandable. When one consumes news that is "sold" rather than reported, the anger is justified. Non-profit fact-checkers have largely assumed the role of news as a public service instead of a for-profit business. However, in the rejection of corporate media, many have embraced sources that were far more biased and hyper-partisan than anything they would have gotten from TV or cable. Many went to the worst place that they could get information from: social media. (Facebook in particular) People didn't simply want disagreements, but were looking for a fight instead. People didn't want opposite opinions, but villains to demonize.
People no longer wanted to educate themselves. Those who shared outlandish click-bait became patriotic Americans while those who lived by objective facts became the brainwashed imbeciles. However, what they failed to realize is that when we reach a point where we become complacent and dismissive of what we don't understand, we stop growing as an person. We start rotting from the inside out when we stop educating ourselves.
Regardless of who won, we lost as a people. I know that who consume tribal politics as an addictive drug will beg differently, but this is the case. Regardless of whether it was Biden or Trump who won, we lost. Biden and Trump are just simply two sides of the same coin. Both are also consumed by their mental handicaps. Biden is a career politician who has memory issues. Trump is a mindless buffoon who promotes conspiracy theories on a regular basis. Are they really all that different?Why not call them both out instead of cherry-picking the villain of the week. Even after voting for someone, you can still call them out. One doesn't have to blindly support whoever they voted for. The parties are not unquestioned pillars of righteousness that many make them out to be.
The protesters are both simultaneously victims and villains. Their were victims in that their unfounded rage was fed by someone who exploited it for his own ends. They were victims in that they were blind to Trump's manipulation. In their own distorted way, they thought that they were doing freedom and democracy a favor. However, they surrendered to charged emotions. They saw villains who weren't their. Mob rule took over. Thus, they became villains and became the very thing that they were fighting. For them, the baseless lies became the gospel truth. For them, their freedoms were on the verge of being lost even though they were never under threat. They murdered logic and reason in cold blood. Their selfish actions weren't justified. In their misplaced patriotism, they ended up bringing shame upon their country instead. These protesters are not patriots.
Their is an another villain here. This villain constantly toyed with their fears. This villain took advantage of their patriotism for his own ends. This villain sold them those absurd lies. Do those who spread violent rhetoric think that it's all fun and games until violence ensures. Their are real-world consequences for stroking violent rhetoric and conspiracy theories. Will those in power be held responsible for spreading lies that end up harming people?
For someone who sold himself as the President of law-and-order, horrible riots occurred on his watch, criminals who lied to the FBI were pardoned, and an attempted coup occurred (I never though in my whole life that I would have ever to type that phrase). Is this the rule of law that the Philadelphia Trumpet proudly proclaims? Seems more like anarchy to me.
What about those who act on those lies. While the protesters did have a right to demonstrate peacefully, one would hardly considering storming The Capital as a peaceful protest, People got killed. Regardless though, those who reacted to these false claims with violence are still responsible for their reckless behavior. Those who advocated the destructive rhetoric and entertained those outlandish conspiracy theories have made their bed of nails. They will have to lie in it when that time comes.
Their is no justification for this violence. Like Portland, All of it could have been avoided.
Snopes : When US Politicians Spread Lies on Social Media, Who Is Responsible? : https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/11/13/transition-chaos/
ProPublica : Capitol Rioters Planned for Weeks in Plain Sight. The Police Weren’t Ready. : https://www.propublica.org/article/capitol-rioters-planned-for-weeks-in-plain-sight-the-police-weren...
BBC - The 65 days that led to chaos at the Capitol : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55592332
BBC - 'QAnon Shaman' Jake Angeli charged over pro-Trump riots : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55606044
Georgia election: Trump voter fraud claims and others fact-checked (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/55561877
Violent pro-Trump mob storms US Capitol (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/live/election-us-2020-55558355
US Congress in turmoil as violent Trump supporters breach building (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55555074
US election 2020: The people who still believe Trump won (BBC) : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55481521
BBC - The deep roots of Trump’s 'voter fraud' strategy : https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-55009950
Stab In The Back Myth (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stab-in-the-back_myth
Snopes - Trump Supporters Storm US Capitol, Lawmakers Evacuated : https://www.snopes.com/ap/2021/01/06/trump-supporters-storm-us-capitol-lawmakers-evacuated/
Snopes - Did 50K Ballots Suspiciously Appear at Polls Overnight in Georgia Senate Runoffs? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ballots-georgia-senate/
Snopes - Pro-Trump Mob Storms US Capitol in Bid to Overturn Election : https://www.snopes.com/ap/2021/01/06/pro-trump-mob-storms-us-capitol-in-bid-to-overturn-election/
Snopes - World Leaders Express Shock at Storming of US Capitol : https://www.snopes.com/ap/2021/01/06/world-leaders-express-shock-at-storming-of-us-capitol/
Snopes - A Moment in America, Unimaginable But Perhaps Inevitable : https://www.snopes.com/ap/2021/01/06/a-moment-in-america-unimaginable-but-perhaps-inevitable/
Thought About The 2020 Election: Post-Election Blues (Kixmiller Pigeon) : https://rkixmiller.dudaone.com/thought-about-the-2020-election-post-election-blues
Thoughts About The 2020 Election: So Far (Kixmiller Pigeon) : https://rkixmiller.dudaone.com/thought-about-the-2020-election-so-far
Thought About The 2020 Election: Super Tuesday (Kixmiller Pigeon) : https://rkixmiller.dudaone.com/thought-about-the-2020-election-part-1
Thoughts About The 2020 Election: Reflections Of 2008 and 2012 (Kixmiller Pigeon) : https://rkixmiller.dudaone.com/thought-about-the-2020-election-so-far-1
BBC - US election: Trump camp's lawsuit struck down in
Pennsylvania : https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55030617
BBC
- US election 2020: Fact-checking Trump team's main fraud claims : https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55016029
BBC
- US Election 2020: The 'dead voters' in Michigan who are still alive
: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54874120
BBC - Michigan
votes to certify Biden's win over Trump
: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-55052640
IN THE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
: https://pacer-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/147/127057/15517440654.pdf
PolitiFact - Donald Trump’s Pants on Fire claim about illegal
votes : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/nov/06/donald-trump/donald-trumps-pants-fire-claim-about-...
PolitiFact
- How has Joe Biden fared on the Truth-O-Meter? : https://www.politifact.com/article/2020/sep/29/how-has-joe-biden-fared-truth-o-meter/
Snopes
- RUMOR ALERT: Dominion Voting Systems Fraud Claims : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/rumor-alert-dominion-voting-systems-fraud-claims/
Snopes
- Fraud Claims Aimed in Part at Keeping Trump Base Loyal : https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/11/08/fraud-claims-aimed-in-part-at-keeping-trump-base-loyal/
Snopes - Did a Fox 2 Detroit Report Expose Voter Fraud in the 2020 Election? :
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/detroit-voter-roll-lawsuit/
Snopes - Do Hundreds of Counties Have
1.8 Million ‘Ghost Voters’ in the US? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ghost-voters-in-29-states/
Snopes
- Did Libertarian Candidate Jo Jorgensen Lose 40K Votes in 10 Minutes
in Pennsylvania? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/jorgensen-40k/
Snopes
- Georgia Poll Worker in Hiding After False Claims Online : https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/11/07/georgia-poll-worker-in-hiding-after-false-claims-online/
Snopes
- Was the Ballot of Deceased Man Named William Bradley Counted in
Michigan? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/william-bradley-voted-dead/
Snopes
- ‘This Isn’t Over!’: Trump Supporters Refuse to Accept Defeat
: https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/11/07/this-isnt-over-trump-supporters-refuse-to-accept-defeat/
Snopes
- Military Voters Fear They’re Part of Unsupported Fraud Claim : https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/11/13/military-voters-fear-theyre-part-of-unsupported-fraud-claim/
FactCheck.org - Trump’s Wild, Baseless Claims of Illegal Voting :
https://www.factcheck.org/2020/11/trumps-wild-baseless-claims-of-illegal-voting/
FiveThirtyEight - Americans Were Primed To Believe The Current Onslaught Of Disinformation:
PolitiFact - No, receiving multiple ballot applications doesn’t let you vote more than once:
PolitiFact - Donald Trump says Joe Biden can only win by a 'rigged election.' That's wrong in several ways :
FactCheck -Trump Campaign Exaggerates Potential for Mail-In Voting Fraud After Election :
Ken Paxton (Wikipedia) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Paxton
PolitiFact - What is QAnon, the baseless conspiracy spilling into US politics? : https://www.politifact.com/article/2020/aug/27/what-qanon-baseless-conspiracy-spilling-us-politic/
Snopes - ‘He Spent Their Blood Like Currency’: Trump Promotes Falconer’s Bizarre Anti-Biden Conspiracy Theory : https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/10/16/biden-trump-seal-team-six/
BBC News - US election 2020: 'QAnon might affect how my friends vote' : https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-54440973
BBC News - Trump stokes 'birther' conspiracy theory about Kamala Harris : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53774289
Snopes - How a Pro-Trump Network Is Building a Fake Empire on Facebook and Getting Away with It : https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/11/12/bl-fake-profiles/
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