Information Clearing House ✒ Many commentators are dismissing the extraordinary events at the US Capitol as something much less serious than an attempted coup.

Finian Cunningham

Some have even joked about it as if it were a carnival of crazies high on Trumpism.

Five people died on January 6 when thousands of Trump supporters forced their way into the seat of US government. That’s hardly a picnic gone awry.

And let’s be clear, the seizure of the Congressional buildings came right after President Trump fired up an angry crowd to march down Pennsylvania Avenue in order to “save American democracy”… because “you can’t win by being weak”.

Perhaps many among the crowd swarming the Capitol had no malign ambitions against lawmakers inside who were at that time certifying the election of President-elect Joe Biden. However, there is no doubt it was Trump and his most ardent supporters’ intention to overturn the electoral process. Overthrowing the political process is getting close to a definition of coup.

It is also clear that among the invading throngs were members of Neo-fascist militia who were armed and carrying zip ties. That suggests there were plans to kidnap people within the Congressional building and forcibly detain them. 

Continue reading @ Information Clearing House.

Don’t Dismiss US Coup

Information Clearing House ✒ Many commentators are dismissing the extraordinary events at the US Capitol as something much less serious than an attempted coup.

Finian Cunningham

Some have even joked about it as if it were a carnival of crazies high on Trumpism.

Five people died on January 6 when thousands of Trump supporters forced their way into the seat of US government. That’s hardly a picnic gone awry.

And let’s be clear, the seizure of the Congressional buildings came right after President Trump fired up an angry crowd to march down Pennsylvania Avenue in order to “save American democracy”… because “you can’t win by being weak”.

Perhaps many among the crowd swarming the Capitol had no malign ambitions against lawmakers inside who were at that time certifying the election of President-elect Joe Biden. However, there is no doubt it was Trump and his most ardent supporters’ intention to overturn the electoral process. Overthrowing the political process is getting close to a definition of coup.

It is also clear that among the invading throngs were members of Neo-fascist militia who were armed and carrying zip ties. That suggests there were plans to kidnap people within the Congressional building and forcibly detain them. 

Continue reading @ Information Clearing House.

26 comments:

  1. To use words like coup in this scenario is to belittle your argument. They should watch archive videos of proper coups. It seems to me some of Trump's enemies are intent on making a martyr out an imbecile.
    This is a man who ran on being tough on immigration then deports less people than Obama in his first term. A man who ran on non interventionism, then brags in the most clumsy way of assassinating an Iranian general. Thalidomides are better at building walls than Trump. It's left to people like Ann Counter ffs to point out he's a charlatan. The 'left' decided the best way to go after a free hit President is conspiracy theories, he's a Russian spy, Putin has pee tapes blah, blah.
    What's is the point in this latest impeachment? So he can't run again? If you're scared of that, you're want to take a look at your own political party. What does that achieve? Can he not throw his base behind another candidate. Even the author of this site, who is usually rational and logical lost the plot with Trump. You're playing in to his hands here, now his failures won't be scrutinised, he'll give it 'the deep state undermined my presidency' blah blah, his base will give it 'USA! USA!' And it rumbles on and a lot of you helped create his stupid myth.

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    1. And where has the author of this site lost the plot on Trump?

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  2. This is a man who refused to concede that he had lost a free and fair election; this is a man who has egged on far right militias such as the Proud Boys; this is a man who has exploited every imaginable racial and cultural divide; this is a man who violates every known norm of democracy; this is a man who started out his political career by spreading the malicious 'birther' conspiracy theory about President Obama and who indulges in other egregious lies such as Pizzagate and 'China got up the climate change hoax.

    Oh yes, his failures will be scrutinised with his criminally negligent handling of the Covid-19 pandemic top of the list. Not far behind will be the propaganda gifts he has handed to authoritarian leaders and dictatorships round the world; Putin, Iran, China and all the other usual suspects.

    I suppose by David's logic keeping out of foreign wars by not (yet)activating the nuclear codes counts as some sort of success.

    Trump's behaviour is no different to that of others in history who refused to accept the results of democratic elections. Think Franco. Think Pinochet. Think those who overthrew Mossadegh in Iran. In other words, that of a coup plotter and seditionist.

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  3. Anthony,
    I can't remember the exact words you used, something along the lines of you usually don't bother who the US president is because someone gets it but with Trump you made an exception.
    Barry,
    I don't know what you mean by nuclear codes and my logic if you want me to respond, you'll have to elaborate. If you're putting Trump on a par with Franco and Pinochet, you're an idiot who could do with a history lesson.

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    1. And how would that amount to losing the plot?

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  4. Anthony,
    It wouldn't if you want analytical about it. It's a more a figure of speech. You changed your very reasoned stand on US presidents, why else would you do that, if not that you seen this buffoon as some sort of great threat?

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  5. I see him as a great buffoon who would pander to the religious right more than any previous president. That is more than enough reason the prefer him to lose

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  6. I prefer him to lose myself. Apart from his base who didn't. The hysteria around him is not for me. He's a showman not a dictator. Trump panders to the religious right, Biden/Harris pander to the woke left and behind the scenes the empire rolls on. What changes?

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    1. In my view, he would readily endorse dictatorship. Not that he has a worked out fascist thought in his head but merely as a result of being willing to utilise any opportunity for his own advantage. No president in living memory (and I recall quite a few) has been so contemptuous of process - which in my view always legitimises outcome - or promoted hatred to the extent he has.
      I used to think American constitutional democracy was robust enough to withstand any of this but I guess now we will have to wait and see what the long terms effects of it all are.
      Hysteria is a useless response to anything but it is hardly all hysteria. Complacency is just as bad.

      Delete
  7. David

    What I mean by nuclear codes is that, as it stands, Trump as Commander-in-Chief of the US armed forces he has access to them and order his chiefs of staff to activate them; he can order any military action he likes as COC. A scenario that Nancy Pelosi is desperately trying to avoid by getting the Chiefs of Staff to keep Trump away from any such temptation.

    It is quite in order to compare the Trump movement with Franco and Pinochet. All three are far right, fascistic movements who did not accept the results of democratic elections; are hostile to liberal democratic values, norms and processes and were prepared to use force of arms to get their way. Mercifully, Trump does not have the support of the armed forces (yet!).

    Regarding your 'idiot' comment; your postings on many issues on this weblog leave you resident in a very large glasshouse.

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  8. The issue isn't about Trump. His personal faults and failings have enabled the swamp and career jobs for life bought and paid for parasites to divert public attention from what's really going on. That is that Trump has drawn the swamp out, exposed two party fake democracy for what it is and those who are exposed don't like it. The swamp things are well dug in. I hope Trump is only the beginning of "alternative" candidates.

    Larry Hughes

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    1. Larry

      "I hope Trump is only the beginning of "alternative" candidates."

      Like a modern day Charles Lindbergh, George Wallace, Lyndon La Rouche, Pat Buchanan e.g.?

      Sorry but your contempt for "two party fake democracy" gives away some deeply unpleasant, quasi fascist leanings on your part. I do not use the "f" word lightly.

      Delete
  9. Barry,
    He's about to start an nuclear war now? That's an idiotic statement.
    Franco's men raped and murdered wives of Republicans, socialists and anarchists. He littered the countryside with corpses. Pinochet's death squads and disappeared are notorious to make comparisons with Trump is idiotic.
    To suggest that Trump couldn't get the support of the military in four years but he might get it in his last days is also idiotic, see the theme here?

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    1. David

      He may not start a nuclear war in the next ten days but the very fact that such a narcisstic demagogue has had access to the nuclear codes as COC should have marked him down as a national security risk from the outset.

      Trump will not get the opportunity to replicate the atrocities of a Franco or Pinochet because mercifully the transition to a Biden Presidency is on course proving the durability of US democracy (for now).

      But the comparisons are valid because a glance at the variety of far right, insurrectionary images among the Trump mob show that this is a violent, reactionary anti-democratic movement which I fear will become part of US political topography long after Trump departs.

      Delete
  10. Seems to be a weird set of misapprehensions regarding Trump on here.

    1, He's no buffoon, he knows exactly what he is doing and is stoking up the Right to cloud the stage.

    2, He really does not care one little bit about anyone but himself due to his narcissism.

    3, He feels vindicated by having such a large vote and his ego cannot accept he lost.

    4, As a result he will pull another stunt on Bidens inauguration day to bring the focus back on him, and this has the potential for serious disorder.

    5, He will happily watch the country rip itself apart believing this is the best course of action for his re-election, and he'll posit himself as such in the coming months.

    The US's enemies will take advantage of the turmoil.

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  11. Steve,
    I bet anything you want nothing major happens. He'll cry foul play and become a cult hero figure with the fringe, politics in his country will move on. The social and economic paradigms don't exist for the country to rip itself apart.
    The enemies of the US will do nothing, as they haven't the capabilities. When people make these claims do they forget the US has Russia surrounded, strolls about the South China sea as they see fit?

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    1. David

      The US is a country riven by divisions over identity politics exacerbated by vast socio-economic inequalities and a very coarse communications culture (including social media). The chasm between Red State and World State worldviews have eroded the shared commitments to truth and and mutual respect essential to democratic stability. Add to that the echoes of the Civil war and the potential is there for the US to tear itself apart.

      This century is the century when China becomes the most powerful global superpower. The US empire is in retreat but you do not seem to be aware of it.

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    2. David,

      Don't bet on it, he's just been impeached for the second time and that's a serious affront to his ego.

      "The enemies of the US will do nothing, as they haven't the capabilities. When people make these claims do they forget the US has Russia surrounded, strolls about the South China sea as they see fit?"

      Capabilities? They have more than enough in their cyber-warfare set up to cause havoc in the US electrical grid, arterial traffic mangement and Healthcare systems. Couple these with political turmoil in DC it wouldn't be hard to imagine a State actor thinking it's a perfect time for expansion or to test resolve.

      The South China Sea is the new physical battleground as China has decided to build entire islands for military purposes to control the trade route through there. China has already warned the US not to travel through with their Naval vessels.

      Delete
  12. Barry,
    How do you stop a narcissist demagogue running for office? Was Trump the first?
    So, what his plan was, lie low the first term and then send out his rapacious death squads in his second term until good old creepy Joe stopped him? You should think before you write, I don't think you grasp the principles of the US constitution, the militias you bitch about on another thread are to combat, nullify that very thing.
    Law and order are essential to democracy, you can disrespect each other all you want, it's not an etiquette school. Where are the yanks in retreat? imagine the Russians were camped in south America, how long do you think they'd last? I'd to see a Chinese warship sailing down the gulf of Mexico, they comments make no sense. The US military is miles superior otherwise why are the Chinese going down the one road, one belt route, diplomacy is all the have

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  13. Barry,
    One more thing, in response to Larry you don't use facist lightly, Just wrongly. Gianni Gentile's doctrine of facism gives you an insight, not as in depth as the communist manifesto, but it's worth a read, neo Hegelianism was apparently an influence, you could read on that. Calling anybody who is right wing a facist just for being right wing, lightly or otherwise is ridiculous.

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  14. Larry Hughes comments

    Barry both parties in USA are owned by big pharma and corporate America. Same in UK and Ireland. Tory Party giving 22 billion pounds to one of its PR companies rather than the NHS is indicative of their real intent. This fakedemic won't end while there's public money to be robbed. People like you Barry under the bed applauding the NHS rather than fighting for it are a Tory delight. Big pharma give TDs shares in the companies when locating factories here. That's likely why governments have been so willing to facilitate the fakedemic vaccines scam. Time for your opiods tablets and thalidomide shots Barry...and off you go back under yer bed.

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    1. Larry

      I sincerely hope that you do not contract this virus which does kill and severely incapacitate. Just look at the coverage of how the virus has stretched the capacity of ICUs at Papworth Hospital and other medical centres and at the emotions of one young to middle aged woman who thought she would die on You Tube and then try tell me that this is a fakedemic.

      In your book I "go back under yer bed". In my book, I follow the science and public health advice; observe social distancing; wear masks in supermarkets; self-isolate when requested and only travel for work purposes. Because sociopathic Covid denialists, taking their cue from the Dom Cummings and Michelle O'Neills of this world, wish to display their "fuck you" attitudes does not give me a licence to do the same.

      Life is a lot more complex than the facile, reductionist picture you paint of major parties in the pay of Big Pharma and corporate interests. Undue influence they certainly have; but far more damaging is the web of chumocracy around the contracts awarded by the Tories to private companies providing Test and Trace services and PPE equipment. The handling by Boris of the pandemic has been scandalous but that is not because he is in the hands of Big Pharma (yawn).

      Unlike thalidomide and opioids; the three vaccines on stream have been subject to rigorous clinical trials and I see no reason to doubt their safety and efficacy.


      So off you go down your rabbit hole, Larry.

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  15. Larry you are sounding like a conspiracy theorist....The fact what you say is true is a moot point...

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  16. Barry
    I didn't bother me arse reading yer gimp monologue. Fauci is a self confessed liar. I'm very upset the off sales closed 8pm I'm devestated.
    Frankie
    Behave yerself.. oh wait.. have ye any beers in the fwidge.. I need a hot beer I'm feeling flu symptoms coming on... 😂

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    1. Larry

      Simple question; what attracts you to conspiracy theories such as Covid-19 denialism and anti-vax falsehoods?

      Did you have adverse experiences with doctors or other medical authorities for example? I know that David Icke's lack of success in finding a cure for the arthritis that ended his football career at age 21 was a factor in his embrace of anti-vax ideas.

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  17. Steve,
    His ego has nothing to do with it. You got to have military backing, structural organisation, volunteers prepared to die and above all balls and self sacrifice to launch a coup. Trump has none of these.
    I'd bet anything. The US military has more capabilities than it's enemies combined, cyber or otherwise, the reason we hear about China's capabilities is leaks from the Pentagon to justify their spending. You'll never hear of their the US true capabilities.
    The US routinely threaten China allies, surround them with their military, openly supports Taiwan, sails through the south China sea regularly. I don't think their threats carry much weight in the US

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