As usual the media which adores the "Storming the Capitol" tale, blows it up but actually it's just another tiny, trivial incident, the American equivalent to that awful man, now forgotten, who used to shout through a megaphone outside the House of Commons. OK - it delayed the announcement of Biden's Presidency by a few hours. Who cares? OK a few protestors got shot. Doesn't that happen at many protest marches and riots? The media LOVES a great story and we love one too. Gripped for a few minutes.Turned on. Talk of nothing else. Then get bored. Move on. Yesterday Covid19. Last month - Brexit. A few years ago? OJ Simpson driving a car. For God's sake, though, don't change your life just because of one silly media hype.

Slightly different..no-one has ever invaded Parliament. Tried to blow it up once but that ended badly for the perpetrators,

If they had the same "Establishment", "Deep State" call it what you want would step in as a "step too far" and be as ruthless as they will be after the Congress incident.

100s of FBI agents and dozens of District Attorneys will seek to make their name and career by pursuing and prosecuting those who stupidly identified themselves ( I notice many were smart enough to wear masks).

It's the big difference between the USA & UK. UK Prosecutors and judges generally act according to law while their US counterparts ambitiously create a career.

And the media in full flight will promote and promote the story and wring every bit of blood out of it.

I suspect you will be proved right JK that the riot will be proved trivial in the sense that it won't be the start of sustained violence and unrest.

What I don't agree is trivial is how this particular riot came about.

It is singular, historical and portentous to have a sitting president incite this. If this is not newsworthy on it's own terms, little is.

This is underlined by a point Hedda made on the other Trump thread that I agree with: I too did not think he will face prison, but he may now and will if he can't accommodate reality.

So a couple of windows got smashed. A desk was rifled. Five people died. NEXT!!!

I don't think he actually "incited" it.
It looks that way only in hindsight.

Honey wrote:
I don't think he actually "incited" it.
It looks that way only in hindsight.

Trump incited it.

He has spent 6 months making false claims of electoral fraud and inciting the masses of supporters to do something about it. He has made numerous false claims with "witnesses" who lied and made false declarations of fraud/

He was there inciting the mob to march on Congress and ensure his victory. He was basically telling them to ensure Pence did not do his job to declare Biden was the winner.

Under law..Trump is the head of snake that incited a riot and his "wink wink, nudge nudge" actions will be no excuse. There is 6 months of Trump's endless falsehoods that encouraged 10,000s to travel to Washington and ensure that Congress did not certify Biden / Harris as winners.

Whether it means Trump is actually prosecuted eventually is touch and go. Depends on whether the "deep state" really want his head to teach any other prospective would-be potentate a lesson.

Either way- the Day of Trump is well and truly over.

# JK is now treating real news as a "Good Story". Most odd.

Well this illustrates society today. I'm surprised at you, Hedda, falling for the media hype. You normally see through it so clearly.

We agree on Trump. We agree on some of his supporters. We agree on the vast majority of the human race - decent, kind, funny, nice people (as in your post about crossing America with a tie dyed girlfriend).

But you fail to see that many, many people will fall for either extreme. Indeed - as the US election proves - it's usually about 50/50. Yet the reality is around the centre. Good bits, bad bits, grey bits.

Was Trump a brilliant President? No; but neither was he an appalling one.
Is he a decent human being? No; but he has some abilities.
One of which is courage - taking on (and beating) the media again and again.
God how they hate him. Almost without exception (the odd grudging "well some still support him" TV piece).

That's what I really admire. It doesn't justify him at his worst. It doesn't make him sane. It doesn't make him safe or stop him being dangerous. Both Hitler and Mussolini achieved a lot - always conveniently forgotten in simplistic history.

But this outsider became President. He dared to change several things (many wrongly) from the old, accepted way.

I think it is frightening he's now (out of power) banned from Twitter. They would never have dared ban him a year ago. As President he would have shut them down.