The slowest Coup D'Etat in recent memory...

[johnny9fingers]

The slowest coup d'état in recent memory continues its grinding path over the US constitution as it slouches towards Bethlehem, bringing bedlam to the American body politic:

www.ft.com/content/6ff4a677-eb2e-438e-ac48-bb5da5a0e588

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/05/trump-protesters-warned-not-to-carry-guns-as-washington-dc-calls-up-national-guard

Wherein we find that '...on Tuesday, Mr Trump falsely suggested that Mr Pence could use the occasion to nullify the result. “The vice-president has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors...” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.'

So I have to ask US Republican voters and the undecided folk if they think this is a precedent which they are happy seeing set? Come on guys, you can't put up with allowing this to happen. He has to go to prison now just for what he's done in this past few weeks; that's if you are serious about protecting the Constitution.

If it's all about sticking it to the Libs then please don't clothe yourselves in the Constitution. Accept that you are actually a fascist and you don't care about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Separation of Power, the makeup of Government etc. You are just about being strong, manly, bullying types who need to beat other folk from time to time to re-enforce your machismo; and who have an unhealthy love of guns; and who aren't too sure about Black folk, because, according to the cartoons on some of your websites, Black folk's skin doesn't make good lampshades.

Have I managed to express my distaste enough, I wonder?

Even so, and to reiterate: Trump needs to go to prison after screwing with the Constitution and the electoral process; no matter what his other sins or crimes may be.

My country is finally getting a real test of what democracy is or isn't here:

[dancesofthelight]

All that cutesy rhetoric that the revolution will be civilized and pro-workers and launched and controlled by edgy posters of Stalin memes has just encountered the American Freikorps seeking to seize the Capitol and prevent an orderly transition of power. In South American politics (defined as everywhere from the Mason--Dixon Line to Tierra del Fuego) they call that Tuesday/Martes/Terca.

Even with the reality of 1860, 1877, 2000, all of that, the USA believed itself above this kind of thing. Above the idea of armed fascists storming citadels of power, and where the idea of revolution was entertained the model was Lenin and not Cromwell or Ayatollah Khomeini. Turns out that in the real world it's fine to have this as a theory, but the reality is much colder and much more terrifying.

The only thing that surprises me is that it took until January for this Rubicon to be crossed and for Marius to demand the overthrow of the Republic at bayonet point.

 I have no idea what happens here from this point, and all I can do is mourn for the last illusions that the ideals I grew up being told to believe were real ever truly were.

The United States I grew up believing in is dead beyond repair. What will replace it is in the very first opening stages of being found out.