Now we know what it takes to get Congress off its collective ass: Insurrection, mob action, bombs on the Capitol grounds, barbarians in the halls of Congress, theft of possibly sensitive papers and digital material, emergency evacuation of the Capitol, treason, anarchy and chaos, and five more dead Americans including a Capitol Police officer. All done by a mostly white mob cheered on by the president.
Trump was able to accomplish all of the above in a few hours. Can anyone now really doubt what damage he could do in two weeks if he's allowed to remain in office?
Congress has wasted time and energy for months, dithering and blathering over nothing of import even as Trump was plotting to overthrow the Constitution and nearly 4,000 Americans were dying of COVID-19 daily.
But let even a hint of harm threaten their worthless carcasses, and they turn tail and duck into hidey holes like a pack of whipped dogs.
If you're an American and you're not outraged there's something wrong with you. If nothing else, you should be outraged that Congress, who have watched Trump closely for four years, isn't 100% outraged. They should be marching en masse to the White House with torches and pitchforks.
Of course there's talk of the 25th Amendment and of impeachment. They have to cover their shivering asses with something. Talk is cheap. Watch for action and see who votes.
The 25th is DOA because there's no way Mike Pence will put himself in the driver's seat, even for two weeks. He's a frightened marshmallow, tharn in Trump's gaze. All he wants is out. I'm not even going to give him credit for reading off his scripted lines during the certification proceeding. It shouldn't be news, but he has been complicit in making it news by leaving his man parts behind when he took on the VP job.
And speaking of complicity, the entire body of Congressional Republicans should be tarred, feathered, and run out of office and out of DC. By allowing what was once called the Grand Old Party to become a cult of personality based on Trump, they have together threatened the very soul and fabric of this democracy. Mitch McConnell deserves imprisonment, and the rest of them should be dismissed from office.
Make no mistake. What we have witnessed in the last several months has been nothing less than a coup attempt. Donald Trump's primary goal has been to remain in office indefinitely by using whatever means he deems necessary.
To that dastardly end he has repeatedly tried to diminish the authority of Congress and to arrogate powers to the Executive branch in violation of the Constitution. He has overridden the proper allocation of federal monies by falsely proclaiming a state of emergency in order to divert funds to the border wall. And he has launched an all-out assault of the electoral process by trying to force the courts to overturn a legal election.
Failing in that he incited a mob to lay siege to the Capitol, hold Congress hostage, and force them to deny and vacate the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Five people died as a direct result of his order to the mob to march on the Capitol.
Those deaths should be laid directly on Trump, and he should be charged and arrested before his term ends.
Sic semper tyrannis.
--- Diogenes, 1/8/2021