Coup attempts, insurrection, political violence, civil war … the left wallows in conspiracy theories
In the world of politics, there are always nutcase conspiratorial theories. In the conservative movement, they come from those we call “tinfoil hat” folks. They are the ever-present part of the fringe. Very small in numbers and very void of influence. They could never garner serious attention – nor cause serious harm. The same is true of the left. In the past, they were mostly treated by those on the left much like we on the right treated our nutcases.
Then there are the nutcases on the right and left who are dangerous. They are either lone wolves or small groups who take up violence in support of some imagined cause that preoccupies their twisted minds. Historically, they have been treated as whacko individuals or groups that both sides condemn.
But things have changed.
The new left has decided to make the nutcases on the right the center stage – giving them much more credence and power than they deserve. The Democratic Party has gone all in on right-wing conspiracy theories as a real threat to the Republic – as have their media allies. They smear the entire Republic Party with exaggerated claims and accusations.
What tends to protect President Trump more than anything is the outrageousness of the never-ending accusations that go beyond the facts and into the realm of nutcase conspiracy theories. Democrats smear millions of Republican voters with their hyperbolic conspiracy theories.
To understand the extent of their strategic reliance on concocted conspiracy theories, we must remember how they kept the Russian Conspiracy Theory at the top of the news for several years – only to have it totally debunked by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. And they even now deny that he debunked it — although the final report proclaimed that no American conspired with Russia.
Neither humbled nor shamed, they used a protest-turned-riot on Capitol Hill to claim an Arron Burr-level treason on the part of Trump, the GOP leadership, and tens of millions of conservative voters.
In journalism, there is a phenomenon called “story creep.” It occurs when a story keeps getting increasingly embellished even though the facts of the situation do not change. That is why the Capitol Hill riot rose in the left-wing echo chamber to an insurrection – and onto an attempted coup … and onto an ongoing coup attempt … and on to a prospective civil war.
The left’s conspiracy theory would have us believe that the 246-year-old American Republic was – and is – teetering on the edge of collapse. Should Republicans regain power in Washington, democracy in America ends immediately. They actually say that.
Of course, the left’s nutty conspiracy theories are not mental derangement (at least not entirely). It is strategic. They are peddling it as propaganda in a calculated effort to cling to power after the November midterm elections.
If you examine their conspiratorial claims closely, you will see that they actually report things that never happen as their vision of the future.
You will recall that the left-wing media warned that the riot (their insurrection) was part of a nationwide attempt at a violent takeover of the American government. They warned of violence erupting in major communities throughout the nation. None of that happened.
On the anniversary of the January 6th riot, they warned of violent throngs descending on the Capitol to continue their insurrection. This time Speaker Pelosi built a fence around the Capitol Building and deployed the National Guard. (We still have not been told why she rejected such protection on the day of the riot.) About 100 or so protesters – with proper permits – arrived on the scene. They listened to a few speeches and went home peacefully. The predicted coincidental nationwide violent protests never happened.
Weeell … you would think that with their various conspiracy theories falling flatter than a fashion model’s chest, the conspiracy theorists on the left would cool it. But nooooo. They are now trying to sell an even more outrageous theory … a pending civil war. (It is hard for me to be kind to folks who profess belief in this garbage. Are they just that gullible? Are they really that stupid? Or are they just dishonest for political purposes?)
There have been several reports on left-wing media that various groups are planning to launch a civil war. There may be some nutcases out there who get off on romanticizing such an event – just as we have seen the nutcases on the left romanticizing their version of a revolution to overthrow the government.
What has been missing from the reports is any evidence of a civil war in the offing. No amassing of forces on the scale a civil war would require. In fact, most Americans have no appetite for political violence – much less a civil war. Even in these times of partisan political animosity, the people are not sufficiently distressed to take their pitchforks to the barricades.
Following the raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, the left-leaning newsies started to AGAIN raise the notion of widespread violence and the potential of civil war. The point to the one nutcase who tried to enter an FBI facility with a nail gun. (Maybe he did not know that “nailing” some FBI agents is a metaphor.)
That action resulted and grave warnings of potential assaults on FBI agents. The Agency sent out directives and warnings. The government and media response was overwhelming – even claiming that Trump was responsible for the attack. Pretty heavy stuff. (You might have noticed that the left-wing nutcase who planned to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not get anything near the reaction from Democrats or the left-leaning media. No warnings about left-wing terrorism. It is a point worth noting,)
Perhaps the best example of this sort of baseless fearmongering conspiratorial reporting is (you will not be surprised) CNN’s supposed media analyst Brian Stelter.
(CNN is supposedly trying to move to a more moderate reporting position, but their plan will fail as long as they keep guys like Stelter on the payroll. But I digress.)
In portending real violence, Stelter claimed that after the raid on Trump’s home, there was a noticeable increase in violent chatter on social media. Stelter – and others – take terms such as “lock and load” and “target Democrats” as literal calls to shoot government officials. In one case, he read an online posting by Jim Barnes, who tweeted that “Republicans have a moral duty to fight back” as evidence of a call for violence. That was the entire tweet. Using that as an example of a call for violence is dishonest. It is not a bridge too far since no bridge can span Stelter’s report and reality. Those terms are all metaphors that are commonly used in political campaigns (🡨 also a military term) and Stelter knows it.
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough went into one of his iconic rants about the criticism of the FBI after the raid on Trump’s home. He repeatedly said it COULD lead to violence. But like Stelter’s report, there was no hint of mass violence in the wake of the raid on Mar-a-Lago. In fact, the only serious incident of political violence in the current news was the arrest of a terrorist intending to assassinate a conservative political figure, Trump’s former White House foreign policy advisor John Bolton.
Stelter and Scarborough know that there is no evidence of any real organized political violence – and certainly nothing that warrants claims of insurrection or coup attempts. It is all malarky. It is disinformation. It is a left-wing political spin.
Yes, there can be periodic violence from nutcases on the American right AND the left – and an occasional terrorist. But these anecdotal cases do not suggest anything close to a widespread uprising against the government any more than one of those senseless mass shootings represents a “movement.” Folks mentally bent on violence will find their excuse – and sometimes is political.
For sure, America is sharply divided along partisan and philosophic lines. There is a general dissatisfaction with the great institutions – law enforcement, the courts, news media, government, religious institutions, schools, etc.
It is occurring on both sides of the divide. The left stands up for the FBI and the Capitol Hill police but condemns the Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and local community police. Ironically, the left’s attacks on local policing have been a major factor in the surge of non-political street violence. That is very real.
Compare the criminal street violence that Democrat policies and officials protect to the amount of violence coming from the imaginary ongoing insurrection and it is a million to zero. (I exaggerate, but you get the point.)
We can all agree that Trump and his associates were very aggressive in trying to flip the initial results of the 2020 election. Most of their attempts were both legal and constitutional – even if some were unprecedented and repugnant to one’s sensibilities.
It is entirely possible that some actions by some folks were outside the limits of law and constitutionality – and that is what the various investigations are all about. The Select Committee investigation is nothing more than political posturing and overheated Trump hatred. The actions of the Department of Justice and various local prosecutors are the only games that count. Whether they are politically motivated, they still have the force of law – and they still have to convince 12 jurors that there is guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. We are a long way from those decisions.
In the meantime, take heart and abandon all fear. There was no real insurrection – and there is no ongoing coup attempt. We are not on the edge of civil war. The American Republic remains sound. It is not about to fall – and was not close to falling on January 6, 2021. The rhetoric coming from the left does not represent reality. It is shameful political disinformation.
On the other hand, if you want to focus on the real long-term threat to the America’s democratic Republic, look to the growing power and oppression of the federal government. America is not in imminent danger of a sudden coup as much as it is from a slow evolution to national authoritarianism coming from the left – and from the political party that believes in ruling over the populace without opposition. But a closer look at that will have to wait for a future commentary.
So, there ‘tis.
They can’t win on issues except for deep blue states. But them places are populated by idiots
Unfortunately, idiots also win when there are too many of them. And this is what is happening now. !
Ever notice that when wallowing in self-pity, writers tend to go long… Larry has written a very long article. This is a very long response :>)
Larry kicks off with: “In the conservative movement, they come from those we call “tinfoil hat” folks. They are the ever-present part of the fringe. Very small in numbers and very void of influence. They could never garner serious attention – nor cause serious harm.” Bully for him to admit his huge tin foil hat constituency although he might be kinder. After all, they pay his bills :>) Yet apparently, he has not heard about The Big Lie or how this tin-foil hat conspiracy kicked off the 1.6 storming of the Capitol bolstered by main-stream conservative media and Congressional support. Who can forget Hawley’s thumbs up following by his chickenshit “congressmen first, women and children be damned” terrified run, run, run away. Sounds like a pretty mainstream conspiracy theory supported by influential media and political pundits which is worth billions to Trump. They stopped the election certification, threatened violence to members of Congress and the Vice President, while Captain Bonespur watched on TV, chortled, tossed burgers at the wall, and did nothing. For hour upon hour as the pictures of violence crossed the globe. Nothing. Larry calls this a protest turned riot. Well, he’s at least getting a bit stronger in his depiction. Of course, that alludes to spontaneity and discounts any planning, which did take place, or intent, which the SEVEN Trump plans to overturn the election flies in the face of.
“The new left has decided to make the nutcases on the right the center stage – giving them much more credence and power than they deserve” Larry, can you say Tucker, Laura, Hannity, and FOX? Trump makes all his money on lending credence and credibility to fringe bringing them full force into the main stream.
Larry loves to tout how the left: “kept the Russian Conspiracy Theory at the top of the news for several years – only to have it totally debunked by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. And they even now deny that he debunked it — although the final report proclaimed that no American conspired with Russia.” Yet he argues less that the investigation was not warranted. And he keeps putting words in Mueller’s mouth, making others conclusions into Mullers. Mueller filed chargers against 37 defendants, got seven guilty pleas, got a conviction at trial including six Trump associates and advisors. Muller testified to Congress, under oath, that the report DID NOT exonerate Trump on obstruction, but he could not prove collusion even with hundreds of Trump associate meetings with the Russians. He never used the word: exonerate for Russiagate, but instead his summary is there was not sufficient evidence to indict. He adds that Russia meddled with our election to Trump’s benefit. Trump never dared to testify. Captain Bonespur, the Great Grifter, will not testify to anything except the fifth to avoid incriminating himself for illegal acts. IOW, Team Muller could not indict Trump on a crime, but he could not exonerate him either. Your lack of reading comprehension is only topped by hyper-inflation of the Muller’s words in service to your King. Speaking on Trump’s wikileaks praise for stealing and printing, at his pubic request, Clinton’s private emails, Muller states:
“Problematic is an understatement in terms of what it displays in terms of giving some hope, or, I don’t know, some boost to what is, and should be, illegal activity,” Smoke, lots of it, but can’t find enough fire.
You then skip the second impeachment, the Ukrainian extortion plot to yet again get dirt on a political opponent, where Trump was guilty as sin and your mainstream tin foil hatters let him go via Congressional nullification.
You really jump off the rails stating “they used a protest-turned-riot on Capitol Hill to claim an Arron Burr-level treason on the part of Trump, the GOP leadership, and tens of millions of conservative voters.” By June of 2022, polls show only 13% of Republicans believe this was an insurrection, 45% don’t even think it was a riot and 61% — a large majority of the Republican party think it was, and is, a legitimate protest. The majority of the Law and Order party think Larry’s riot was a legitimate protest. That’s tens of millions of Republican voters that disagree with Larry’s downplay of that day’s actions caused by Trump’s Big Lie. More than 50% of all Republicans are avoiding the special committee’s investigations. I’m sorry Larry, but they stormed the Capitol, stopped the election certification process, and were looking to kill Pence and Pelosi. They were armed, they pre-planned the event, Trump people even met with them the evening of 1.5, they took a Republican Congressmen’s guided tour of the Capitol the day before, they had weapon stashes around the Capitol, and it was only ONE of Trump’s seven different plans to overturn the election, of which only a couple were legal; like the 60 failed court cases. You treat the BLM protest in the park across Pennsylvania Avenue with harsher criticism than you do the storming of the Capitol. Amazing.
Larry seems not to notice that Congressman Paul Gosar advocates white supremacy as well as a number of far-right fringe groups. Law n Order Republicans did not even shame him for his AOC-murder meme or his Biden-attack post. Is a Congressman a mainstream Republican?
On 1/6, Mo Brooks told the Trumplicant insurrectionist crowd that they: “should start taking down names and kicking ass.” Another mainstream Republican in Congress?
Marjorie Taylor Greene suggested executing Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats before she entered Congress and has not put a governor on that hate speak since. Mainstream enough?
Montana’s Republican Governor assaulted a reporter and still got elected. He just didn’t like that question. He assaulted his way to the Governorship.
It’s mainstream Larry. “It will be wild.” Polling shows that 30% of Republicans feel the US is so far off track, violence is appropriate to bring it back; Big Lie supporters even more so. That ain’t no fringe, it’s top dead center and the effect is on everyday people:
In June, in Houston, a former Marine quit being the grand marshal of a July 4 parade after numerous death threats based on her transgender rights support.
In July, a gay major in Oklahoma quit because of threats of violence and attacks. Followed for just walking the dog, tires slashed, homophobic tirades launched at public meetings, it was just getting too dangerous to continue.
Kari Lake, the probable next AZ governor said: ““Our government is rotten to the core. These tyrants will stop at nothing to silence the patriots who are working hard to save America.”“If we accept it,” she added, “America is dead.” Tyrants, rotten, can’t accept it, or dead.
Eric Greitens, who advertised himself accompanied by men armed with assault rifles as they stormed — SWAT team-style — into a home in search of RINOs lost his recent primary, thank goodness.
Kinzinger was told: “We know where your family is, and we’re going to get you … We’re going to get your wife, going to get your kids.” Another ominously warned, “I hope you naturally die as quickly as f**king possible.”
Trump’s siege judge must be protected 24×7; meme’s with gallows and nooses are popular.
Mainstream “Law and Order” Republicans are calling for DEFUND the FBI because we are at war. War they say. Mainstream Republicans are saying it. Civil War. Not a fringe any more. Open domestic terrorism investigations have doubled. Threats against Congress are at an all time high. Polls indicate that over 20M Republicans think violence will be needed to put Trump back into office.
But Republican Representative Bobert perhaps summed up the Republican mainstream thoughts best in her August tweet that said: “They hate us. They don’t just want to eliminate conservative ideology. They want to eliminate conservatives.”
Sure sounds like a mainstream call to arms starting with Trump, the leader of your Law and Order party, and including many right-wing Congressional members. Yes, there is some on the left too. We have had our summer-of-Floyd, our Scotus attacks, and more. My point is the incitements to violence are coming from the mainstream. From FOX. From Congress. From Trump. I think you are wrong to minimalize it and attempt to deflect into a nothing burger and blame the left for that and it’s ongoing takeover of American politics and culture.
“We can all agree that Trump and his associates were very aggressive in trying to flip the initial results of the 2020 election. Most of their attempts were both legal and constitutional – even if some were unprecedented and repugnant to one’s sensibilities.” No Larry, we vehemently disagree. Most of Trump’s plans are illegal, only the court cases and the “elector plans” had legal aspects and the elector plan soon turned illegal as well. The other plans: 1) states overturning results 2) congress overturns votes 3) Pence overturns votes 4) DOJ interference 5) military seizure of voting machines, 5) and the 1/6 insurrection to stop the vote ——- all five of these are illegal acts. And while some did not progress well, or progress far, they are all indicative of Trump’s intent to mandate the election’s outcome in his favor. Illegally. Violently. With malice and forethought.
And now he has 35 boxes of the people’s papers as a nest egg for his next rainy day when the sheep stop sending their hard earned dollars to Mar A Loser. And you’re worried about his ad hoc declassification process where he declassifies all, before he even reads it, and then tells no one. I would think the 11 sets of classified documents that Trump said did not exist, existed. Or that he gave 15 boxes up, said he had no more, only to be outed by an insider who could take it no more, and then 20 more boxes turn up. It’s a nothing burger to you. I would think the Law and Order party would at least wonder: why? What was his intent here? Couldn’t have been to read in his retirement. Why? And why hide them? Why lie about then? And why not tell anyone he declassified all this shit for over two years? You just don’t seen anything unusual when it comes to your King, or they violent majority of your party. I think we are in a California-style political environment —– lots of tinder, too little water, and just waiting for the spark to set the entire political landscape ablaze.
Frank, It looks like you hit all the issues. But of course Larry won’t reply to your comments, another instance of him refusing to face the facts….
Mike … read my response to Frank Stetson and you will understand why I neither have the time, the patience or the interest in engaging in prolonged diatribes — as much as you seem to want the satisfaction of my attention to your opinions. The owner of this site provides you and other critics of me and the site your free speech. You are entitled to nothing more. Enjoy.
That’s OK. Mostly Larry responds with vitriolic snark, generalizations, stereotyping, but very little actual, factual, support usually authenticating with his famous “well, it’s common knowledge that everyone knows,” OR “look it up yourself.”
Frank Stetson — Your comments seem to be a perfect example of what your are criticizing. I assume it hurts your ego that I prefer not to engage in prolonged written debate. I state my opinions and you — and others –state theirs, but usually with snide and snarky insults. I just will not engage in that level of debate. I prefer to allow the board range of readers judge our opinions on their own. I believe they see though your hyperbolic rhetoric and mendacious narratives. Beside, it would be a waste of my time. I have a real life beyond these commentaries. In view of your obsessive ad hominin insults and attacks, I sometimes wonder if you do.
That’s OK. Mostly you respond with vitriolic snark, generalizations, stereotyping, but very little actual, factual, support usually authenticating with his famous “well, it’s common knowledge that everyone knows,” OR “look it up yourself.” I would rather you not reply given the quality of your research.
And we got a new 1/6 punishment record: 10 years for believing The Big Lie.
The jury pushed back on lies!
It’s getting wild.
It’s burger time.
As their leader languishes in fl playing golf and catching up on his reading of the classifieds. It’s good to be King.
Victory for the rule of law.