Trump

[TheHangedOne]

Pretty sure this is people performing the Sunk Cost Fallacy.

[Haibane]

A sixth death can be attributed to last Wednesdays riots at the DC Capitol. Capitol police officer Howard Liebengood has died by suicide.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiakoerner/capitol-police-suicide

[Haibane]

Black police officers who tried to stop the Capitol riots give an emotional account of a terrible, harrowing day.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/emmanuelfelton/black-capitol-police-racism-mob

[stormwyrm]

Have a little satire:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/01/09/trump-cabinet-resignations-death-star/

"We've analyzed their attack, sir, and there is a danger. Should I have your ship standing by?"

"Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances."

[Haibane]

The BBC news website often runs live update pages on days or events of importance. This is a link to Tuesday 12th January 2021 and covers events in American politics and specifically the possibility of impeachment v2.0 of President Trump. It notes that two democratic senators have tested positive for C-19 after republicans crowded with them into a room for safety last Wednesday and refused to wear masks.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-55629665

[Haibane]

From the BBC today:

Trump: 'What I said was totally appropriate'

After speaking to reporters about impeachment as he left the White House, Trump took some questions from reporters at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, as he prepared to fly to Texas to visit the border wall.

"You have to always avoid violence," he says. "And we have tremendous support. We have support probably like nobody’s ever seen before. Always have to avoid violence."

Asked about his personal role in what happened at Congress, he deflects blame saying that his words were "totally appropriate".

"If you read my speech - and many people have done it and I’ve seen it both in the papers and in the media on television - it's been analysed and people thought that what I said was totally appropriate."

He adds that "other people", including "politicians at a high level", have said that the protests and riots that took place last year after the death of George Floyd in police custody, were more concerning than the riot in Washington.

"That was a real problem, what they said. But they’ve analysed my speech and my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence, and everybody to the tee thought it was totally appropriate."

At the end of Trump's speech last week, less than two hours before his supporters began attacking police, Trump told the crowd: "We fight like hell.

"And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore," he said, in a phrase that Democrats say amounts to an attempted insurrection.

The man is on a different planet, the lies just dribble from his mouth and he cannot help it. To him, whatever he thinks up and utters is the truth, no matter how nonsensical it is.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-55629665

[Haibane]

Norma Torres (D-CA) describes her harrowing experience in the Capitol on January 6th.

[Oniya]

From the BBC today:

The man is on a different planet, the lies just dribble from his mouth and he cannot help it. To him, whatever he thinks up and utters is the truth, no matter how nonsensical it is.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-55629665

There is a massive analysis of the speech from Trump's rally here - apologies for the format, but I can't find a complete threadreader page for it.  It's seriously worth the read.

By the way, the rally was actually called 'Stop the Steal'.

[Oniya]

Found a complete one:  https://threader.app/conversation/1347908845281095680/L5cJNRlUFB

(Today I learned that if people try to compile a thread that isn't finished, they only get the bits that have already been posted - it doesn't update.)

[Oniya]

Sometimes charges are upgraded if new evidence comes in.  Arrest the person on the lesser charge that you can prove to get them off the street, and talk it over with the judge before trial.

Gah - triple post, but my suspicions above have been confirmed in a statement from officials:

FBI official Steven D'Antuono says the bureau has opened 160 case files relatd to U.S. Capitol insurrection.

"That's just the tip of the iceberg."

Acting U.S. attorney Michael Sherwin on U.S. Capitol investigation.

"I think the scope and scale of this investigation in these cases are really unprecedented not only in FBI history but really in DOJ history."

He says the Capitol Grounds are, essentially, a crime scene.

SHERWIN describes "mind-blowing" range of criminality. Range of charges include:

-Simple trespassing
-Theft of mail
-Theft of digital devices
-Assault on local/fed officers
-Theft of potential national security info
-Felony murder

SHERWIN adds this is just the beginning.

He says they're charging some of these suspects quickly on the first possible charge, which buys law enforcement time to develop far more significant investigations leading to bigger charges.

SHERWIN: "We're looking at significant felony cases tied to sedition and conspiracy."

(Source (five tweets from reporter on-scene))

[Snakes and Lasers]

Good thing many of them were polite enough to leave photographic evidence pff their crimes.

[Regina Minx]

Gah - triple post, but my suspicions above have been confirmed in a statement from officials:

(Source (five tweets from reporter on-scene))

I'm not ruling out Cheeto Jesus pardoning people on the way out the door.

[Oniya]

Good thing many of them were polite enough to leave photographic evidence pff their crimes.

100,000 pieces of digital media, provided by the public.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/mind-blowing-number-crimes-committed-during-capitol-riot-160-case-n1253961

[Aiden]

100,000 pieces of digital media, provided by the public.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/mind-blowing-number-crimes-committed-during-capitol-riot-160-case-n1253961

Best summed up in a meme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R7WrlIIV3o&feature=youtu.be

Warning - Loud

[Mechelle]

I am watching a fascinating ptogramme on ITV in Britain right  now, by Robert Moore of ITV, who was apparently the only reporter to go in the Capitol while it was being stormed.

His take is that the police were unprepared or incompetent rather than collaborators; some did their best in very difficult circumstances, although he points out the difference from how BLM protesters are treated.. Donald Trump (I had missed this, previously) had said he would walk with his supporters to the Capitol, although he did not do so, of course. I am always amazed at Trump's personal cowardice in contrast to his rhetoric, incidentally, but I am sure that comes as no surprise, and wasn't part of the programme.

Inside the Capitol, the entrants fell into  three groups. Some were an incoherent mob, one of whom threatened Moore, while others tried to limit any damage, and indeed protected him. There was also a third group, who remained calm, had targets and were directing people on what to do and where to go; some also came prepared with military equipment.

As in any mob action, I think there are people who get swept up in it,  but there is evidence enough that this was what some people came planned and prepared for it, and it was what Trump wanted. Again, I am sure this is no surprise.

[Humble Scribe]

I am watching a fascinating ptogramme on ITV in Britain right  now, by Robert Moore of ITV, who was apparently the only reporter to go in the Capitol while it was being stormed.

He's going to win awards for what he did that day, and rightfully so.
Here's a summary of his reporting, if anyone outside the UK is interested.
https://www.itv.com/news/2021-01-12/storming-the-capitol-itv-news-team-who-filmed-pictures-that-shocked-world-reveal-inside-story-of-what-they-saw

[gaggedLouise]

Trump has been advised to clearly denounce violence and attacks at the authority of legislatures, governors and Congress among his own fans in order to avoid legal liability for January 6, and for whatever Trumpist riots might happen a week from now.  Ultimately, liability for sedition and attacks on the US constitution. He's unlikely to follow the advice - but is anybody else thinking of the scenes at the end of The Godfather where Michael Corleone, attending the baptism of his child, solemnly swears that he denounces Satan, while elsewhere in the city his hired killers are gunning down other mobsters in a wave of surprise attacks?

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/12/politics/donald-trump-riot-impeachment/index.html

[Oniya]

Metal detectors have been installed in the Capitol.  Certain Congressfolk are throwing tantrums about having to go through them.  I think we can all guess their party affiliations.

Boebert's handbag set it off.  She refused to let the bag be searched.
Mullin and Womack yelled at the Capitol Police about it.
Rodney Davis told them 'not to yell, they're just doing their job', but said that 'he's pissed'.
Scalise says that it 'impedes the ability of members to come and vote'.

We had metal detectors at Little Oni's high school and it didn't 'impede the ability' of students to get to class.

[Oniya]

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-protest-circumvent-new-metal-detectors-inside-capitol-after-riot-n1254011

NBC article source on the above. 

[legomaster00156]

So, first off, Trump has outlived his usefulness to McConnell. Like Trump did to his critics, McConnell is now doing to him: throwing him under a bus.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/mcconnell-trump-impeachment-offences-gop-b1786325.html

Metal detectors have been installed in the Capitol.  Certain Congressfolk are throwing tantrums about having to go through them.  I think we can all guess their party affiliations.

Boebert's handbag set it off.  She refused to let the bag be searched.
Mullin and Womack yelled at the Capitol Police about it.
Rodney Davis told them 'not to yell, they're just doing their job', but said that 'he's pissed'.
Scalise says that it 'impedes the ability of members to come and vote'.

We had metal detectors at Little Oni's high school and it didn't 'impede the ability' of students to get to class.

How exactly is this impeding their ability to vote?

[Chaeronea]

We had metal detectors at Little Oni's high school and it didn't 'impede the ability' of students to get to class.

My mum and I were watching CNN at lunch today when we saw Erin Burnett talking with Dana Nassel, Attorney General of Michigan, talking about hwo the State Capitol of Michigan was vulnerable to attack due to concealed carry laws, laws requiring public access to capitol buildings and lack of metal detectors. We were stunned by the last - I mean America's had a War on Terror since 9/11, countless school shootings, and a state capital building doesn't even have metal detectors??? And the Capitol in Washington DC didn't even have them until after this attack???[/i]

The 'it will never happen here' is strong in the United States, at least among those with wealth and power. What happened on January 6th was terrible but hopefully it will act as a crowbar to pry their heads out of their collective asses.

[clonkertink]

SHERWIN describes "mind-blowing" range of criminality. Range of charges include:

-Simple trespassing
-Theft of mail
-Theft of digital devices
-Assault on local/fed officers
-Theft of potential national security info
-Felony murder

So they're putting Felony Murder on the table. That's a big deal. The Felony Murder rule dictates that if you commit an inherently dangerous act, and in the course of that felony someone dies, you can be charged as if you had committed first-degree murder (even if you didn't kill them yourself). That could mean people are charged not just for Officer Sicknick's death, but potentially any of the other four fatalities from the riot, and the charge will be treated as first-degree murder.

That could also mean that people who didn't actually inflict bodily harm themselves could still catch a murder charge. For example, the guy who was helping Ashli Babbitt through the window could be charged with her murder, as she died while he was committing an inherently dangerous crime.

[Oniya]

And now, the banks are getting involved:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/12/investing/deutsche-bank-trump/index.html

On Monday, Signature Bank said it had started closing Trump's personal accounts and called for the president to resign. The US bank also said it "will not do business in the future with any members of Congress who voted to disregard the Electoral College."

The actions of Deutsche Bank are less clear, but it should be remembered that any of his loans - including the ones for Trump Tower in Chicago, and Mar-a-lago - are held by Deutsche Bank, and come due in just a few years.

[Beguile's Mistress]

Backlash to riot at Capitol hobbles Trump’s business as banks, partners flee the brand

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/backlash-to-riot-at-capitol-hobbles-trump-s-business-as-banks-partners-flee-the-brand/ar-BB1cHsMx?ocid=msedgdhp

[Chulanowa]

I am watching a fascinating ptogramme on ITV in Britain right  now, by Robert Moore of ITV, who was apparently the only reporter to go in the Capitol while it was being stormed.

His take is that the police were unprepared or incompetent rather than collaborators; some did their best in very difficult circumstances, although he points out the difference from how BLM protesters are treated.. Donald Trump (I had missed this, previously) had said he would walk with his supporters to the Capitol, although he did not do so, of course. I am always amazed at Trump's personal cowardice in contrast to his rhetoric, incidentally, but I am sure that comes as no surprise, and wasn't part of the programme.

I'm sure that there are individual officers who did their best to protect the hands that feed them, but no. The Capitol Police department was 100% a complicit participant in what went on. The only way they could have been more complicit is if they had assisted with firepower (I have to assume the only reason they didn't was because there really was no conceivable way for any of this to work). Instead the plan seems to have been "Let the yahoos have free reign, murder some legislators, then cite it as a reason we need more funding." With this level of failure - especially contrasted with the USCPD's prior, ahem, vigilance - there is no explanation beyond intentional-but-feigned incompetency by the people at the top.

Police departments in the US are basically where neonazis go to receive combat training and legal authority to hurt and kill people they think need it. The only system that weeds them out is whether or not they have the patience to file all the paperwork every time they blast a 7 year old child.