I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the events of this day, one year ago, so I’ll share here what I said on Facebook this morning. Be great humans, earthlings, and Americans, my friends, in that exact order. ❤️
It was one year ago today when a big lie by the former president pushed a demonstration into a riot that delayed the rightful transfer of power and threatened the safety of our elected officials. By some accounts, our very democracy was at stake.
Some have called it an attempted coup or insurrection, and others have called it nothing but a group of tourists on a stroll. Probably both of those sentiments go too far.
What it was, however, was a wake-up call. A call to come together, to understand that in this country we have a diverse populace with a wide range of views. If we are to survive as a republic we must understand and even accept the diversity of those views and allow a measure of live and let live, guided by a set of principles, rules, and regulations that allow for a peaceful coexistence.
I see the words #NeverForget many times throughout the year on these pages, and I think it’s important that we do remember key moments in our history, and the lessons that they have taught us. I will never forget this day, when we came so near to going too far.
But in the year since, the republic has not fallen. America prevails. We have our warts, but we also remain beautiful. Here’s to the future of a country that must, and will, learn to work together for the betterment of all. Let us continue to form a more perfect union and never forget how much went wrong, one year ago today.
Tom Being Tom 
If only. The problem is half of the country think nothing was wrong with those strolling tourists.
🙁
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To be honest with you, I COULD tell you something Bad or tragic that happened to someone almost every day last year. I could, but I won’t. I don’t have a solution to the problem, so instead I’ve been really working on making sure I am not Part of the problem. I avoided almost all types of media for the last year, so I haven’t seen any of your posts. I have missed them
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Thanks, Grace, I’ve missed you, too. Truly, there are tragedies everywhere, every day. But, like 9/11, this event was incredibly unusual, very violent, really bad, and televised. The people involved in carrying it out and instigating it should be chastised and/or punished in the most vehement manner. The more we learn about the president at the time and his actions involving this scenario the more we learn about his abhorrent character and the more we need to point it out. That’s a given.
But beyond this president is an ideology that many Americans adhere to, a valid one. Conservatives believe very strongly in certain principles, just like liberals do, and anyone who denigrates those principles (or takes advantage of them to gain power, as Trump did) is being disingenuous. I am an extremely liberal person but, as I’ve said many times, I respect the conservative view and those who hold it greatly. Imagine a world where those conservatives did the same, and we all treated each other with respect as we agree to disagree.
In that world, there would be no assault on the Capitol. There would be no need. Because we wouldn’t give a guy like Trump a voice to incite with. He’d be a joke to all of us because we’d see through his game before he ever stepped on the escalator.
Good seeing you again. Hope all is well!
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I don’t know about “half the country.” Let me look that up…
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Whew!
“An overwhelming majority (72%) of Americans believe the people involved in the attack on the Capitol were “threatening democracy,” while 1 in 4 Americans believes that the individuals involved were “protecting democracy.””
3/4 of the country knows what’s up. That’s about what I figured. 🙂
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That’s good to hear. I suppose they’re just louder and are drowning out everyone else. Fingers crossed the mid term elections prove you right.
🤞
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The Incoherent Bloviating Imbecile became a hero to the vapid-rabid-rabble. In order to sway those IQ challenged ID10Ts they’ll need the IBI’s replacement. But, if we’re go actually persist as a nationalized, patriotic entity (something I do not condone), that replacement will need to be a bait-n-switch expert. He’ll have to lure the MAGA thralls into some sense of comfort, of seemingly Righteous Right sympathy — and then pull the red-bull cape from their eyes — “You’ve all been fools to believe such illogical nonsense!”
Imagine if Ol’ Ronny Reagan had suddenly announced that “workers are important, corporations are evil, and only government can create a level playing field for Capitalism”? The raging herd of Red Elephants would have trampled the country in their indignation. But many would have tried to understand the new Reaganism.
Something like that needs to happen.
But then again, as I said, good ol’ USofA is nothing I feel needs saving. Let it die. Then again, maybe our current corptocracy is evidence enough that it is already dead.
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“There is nothing wrong with America that can’t be fixed by what is right with America.” ~Bill Clinton
Or something like that.
It was a good line, but the larger truth is there are no “great” nations. Never were. There is a collection of people who believe a fiction together called a “state” or a “democracy.” Germany believed in its “state” before and after Adolf Hitler, and for a while after they believed in two German “states.” Russians believed the fiction “USSR” for a bit. Americans believe in this democracy.
Those who believe this democracy is perfect (or is even an actual democracy), believe in its inherent exceptionalism, or believe it is a Christian nation are a little bit crazy, yes, but hasn’t that always been the case? Doesn’t every “nation” on the planet hold the same afflictions, in one form or another?
No, America is worth saving for one simple fact: the alternative to our stale republic is worse. It looks like January 6th everywhere. What we need most, right now, is to reestablish the institution of this “democracy” and heal the wounds of this divisive era that culminated in Trump, but actually originated with (in my opinion) Limbaugh. The talking heads, the demagogues, divide. We need a coming together.
I think, as always, that the long arc of history continues to favor progress, of a progressive nature, but only as long as we hold to the fictions that have, indeed, gotten us this far. That all men are created equal. That the Constitution, and indeed the nation, were formed for the people. As I’ve written about before we have consistently fallen short of the most noble ends to those goals, but we have – at least – forged slowly towards them. If we rip up the fiction, we rip up the progress.
The corpocracy needs broken, just as – say – the institution of slavery and the power of the early 20th-century monopolies needed to be, then. We’ll get to that. But we won’t get to one more damn thing if we can’t stick together, in spite of our differences.
Or, at least, that’s the way I see it. As I’ve also stated many times: what the hell do I know? 😂
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When I’m not totally disconnected from the material world and the existential fact that life is pointless, I drift down to these lower planes where everyday living takes over one’s mind. When I do so, and think of such matters as politics, right/wrong, red/blue, logic vs religion, etc… and consider the concept of “country” I tend to despise “nationalism” and wish nothing more than the dissolution of all borders and the total reconfiguration of humanity.
But, then again, Heat-Death of the Universe.
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Is that Paul writing through Anony? 😉
Hey, I agree. Nationalism is abhorrent. Borders are silly, to say the least. But it’s what we got, at this particular moment in time. I am an American, by birth, so this is my country. I don’t believe it to be “the best country (God) ever built,” but it is mine. I love it like I love the Rams. I also hate it like I hate the Rams, sometimes. The difference being in how I define “winning” for each. For the Rams, outscoring opponents, getting to the playoffs, maybe win the division, get to the Super Bowl, win an occasional ring.
For America, it’s different. Victory for America isn’t about wars or borders but about living up to the principles in that founding document, even if our very forefathers could not. Equality for all. The universal right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Domestic tranquility. General welfare. All of that. When we do, on occasion, live up to our billing, I’m proud. If I were Dutch or Canadian or what have you and my country lived up to those ideals (occasionally) I’d be just as proud. Hell, I’m an American who is proud when they live up to it, too (I sometimes root for Tom Brady, a non-Ram, as well).
At any moment, in any epoch, we are living with the tools and surroundings of that time. We are still in the fragmented, nationalistic phase of our evolution. But there are a lot less fragments now than there were, say, 5000 years ago. The history of humanity is a constant march towards unity. We are more united now than ever and, 5000 years from now (if we survive), we’ll be far more united still. Many fight that, with a vigor, and march on capitols with flags and faces of hate to try and preserve disunity but, try as they might, the long arc of history prevails.
Yeah, we’ll all die. Everything will. But while we are alive, we can appreciate the era in which we live and the many great gifts it has bestowed upon us.
Not the least of which is cheap beer. 😉 🍻
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A non-American is frowning right now. Be great humans, earthlings, citizens of the world. That alone will do.
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Sure, that was my point. But I do believe we, as Americans, need to get our own glass house in order instead of throwing stones.
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Proceed, soldier.
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