Which has the deeper, longer term impact upon the United States?

[happystuff]

Alan, thank you for the further explanation and making the reference clearer.

As for the "anonymous nature of this medium", etc. - I like to say "it's interesting".

[GeorgeParker]

I thought my "represented" comment was pretty obvious but I guess not. In the context of other posts leading up to mine, I was implying that there are people who seem to believe that anyone who doesn't engage in the same hateful rhetoric that they enjoy are obviously fascist, racist, totalitarian, (choose your favorite term), etc., and there are those who believe that sort of thing is silly, which seems to make them the subject of the others disdain. It seems that those who choose to engage here are more representative of the first. I hope that answers your question.

In support of Alan's observation: I belong to a motorcycle forum which is usually friendly unless somebody says something totally stupid. But the politics section of that forum is very right wing Trumpian and anyone who dares to wander in there and disagree in the slightest way with the rigid hard-right viewpoint is instantly hounded out of that section and then criticized for several more days as a poor little snowflake, etc. even though they are presumably no longer reading that section. These aren't proud boys or anything, just highly opinionated conservative bikers. But only an idiot would step in there and express an opposing political opinion. So I just ignore that section and keep my mouth shut about politics. The same is probably true here. The raging Trumpians, if they exist at all, probably keep their mouths shut and post their political opinions in a right-wing forum. As far as "in real life", IMO very few people now will express any political opinion in real life unless they're already pretty sure the person they're talking to will agree with them.

[jp1]

Honestly, the part I find fascinating is that non-trump republicans seem to be willing to go to their grave pretending like what happened on 1/6, and all that trump did leading up to it, was no big deal. Perhaps I'm wrong but a concerted effort by the president and an assorted group of the legislative branch to overthrow our government is a big deal. The fact that they were a bunch of sad sack losers destined to fail at their efforts doesn't minimize what they attempted to do.

[frugal-one]

Honestly, the part I find fascinating is that non-trump republicans seem to be willing to go to their grave pretending like what happened on 1/6, and all that trump did leading up to it, was no big deal. Perhaps I'm wrong but a concerted effort by the president and an assorted group of the legislative branch to overthrow our government is a big deal. The fact that they were a bunch of sad sack losers destined to fail at their efforts doesn't minimize what they attempted to do.

Well said!

[iris lilies]

Honestly, the part I find fascinating is that non-trump republicans seem to be willing to go to their grave pretending like what happened on 1/6, and all that trump did leading up to it, was no big deal. Perhaps I'm wrong but a concerted effort by the president and an assorted group of the legislative branch to overthrow our government is a big deal. The fact that they were a bunch of sad sack losers destined to fail at their efforts doesn't minimize what they attempted to do.

I might qualify as a “non trump Republican.” Please show me where I said the Jan. 6 debacle is “no big deal.”

Your continued characterizations of my point of view are wrong.

I don’t think the Jan. 6 event was as big a deal as 9/11 as discussed in another thread, though, for many reasons except perhaps ideologically. The Muslim terrorists, they gonna terrorize, no surprise really other than the outsize nature of their success. Shouldn’t be surprised about that. The element of surprise on Jan.6th by insurrectionists and encouragementent from on high is what is disturbing, not necessarily the actual event.

[Tybee]

I thought my "represented" comment was pretty obvious but I guess not. In the context of other posts leading up to mine, I was implying that there are people who seem to believe that anyone who doesn't engage in the same hateful rhetoric that they enjoy are obviously fascist, racist, totalitarian, (choose your favorite term), etc., and there are those who believe that sort of thing is silly, which seems to make them the subject of the others disdain. It seems that those who choose to engage here are more representative of the first. I hope that answers your question.

To follow up a bit on the paragraph above, I think there must be something about the anonymous nature of this medium that causes people to present themselves in ways they'd never do so in real life. As an example, I've been referred to as racist, misogynist, hitlerian, etc., as too stupid to recognize my own best interests, and a host of other negative characterizations in my time interacting here, while never experiencing any of that in real life. And not responding in kind seems to encourage it. It's weird.

I think the medium encourages folks to needle others, often to try to show off to others how clever they are.

I agree that the result is pretty dreadful, and not something I wish to participate in. If you attempt to stand up to the bullying of the crowd, to try to achieve more just discourse, it just eggs people on in meanness.

I remember one poster saying because I said I believed in God that I was okay with children dying.

There's no point in trying to participate in that kind of forum activity.

Some people seem to want to show off. That's all I can figure for the meanness I see here, the trouble-stirring, the insults, etc. etc. It's like real life bullying--they want to exert power over others, and they want to create an environment with a scapegoat, where they are an admired leader.

[JaneV2.0]

The fact that there were military and law-enforcement members involved in the insurrection, evidence of lengthy pre-planning and coordination, not to mention the Executive Branch's refusal to deploy federal police or the National Guard is more troubling to me than one incident of international terrorism, no matter how spectacularly successful the latter was.

[Yppej]

Well Alan if you're Hitlerian and I'm a Russian troll we still need to find out who is the pawn of China, since bashing that country is popular now. I remember when it used to be the Japanese because they were outcompeting us in auto production, but times change.

[frugal-one]

I might qualify as a “non trump Republican.” Please show me where I said the Jan. 6 debacle is “no big deal.”

Your continued characterizations of my point of view are wrong.

I don’t think the Jan. 6 event was as big a deal as 9/11 as discussed in another thread, though, for many reasons except perhaps ideologically. The Muslim terrorists, they gonna terrorize, no surprise really other than the outsize nature of their success. Shouldn’t be surprised about that. The element of surprise on Jan.6th by insurrectionists and encouragementent from on high is what is disturbing, not necessarily the actual event.

Does not compute!