Mr. Trump, May I Introduce You to Michelle Carter

 


Words have consequences. Each of us is deemed by law to intend the logical and foreseeable consequences of our actions.

Around this time last year Michelle Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for cajoling her supposed boyfriend, Conrad Roy, to take his own life. Evidence showed that Carter, then 17, relentlessly texted Roy, goading him to commit suicide. In a final telephone call, Carter ordered Roy to fill his truck with carbon monoxide fumes.  Roy did just that in a K-Mart parking lot in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. 

Words have consequences.

Trump is equally guilty of inciting yesterday's wave of domestic terrorism against Congress. I endured his entire one hour, ten minute harangue of the crowd of thugs that showed up to hear him speak. Again and again he depicted the election as having been stolen. He assured the horde that their votes had been stolen, blaming, by turns, the evil media, the Democrats, weak and disloyal Republicans at both the federal and state levels, the Department of Justice, former A.G. Bill Barr, Senate Majority leader, Mitch McConnell, even the Supreme Court. He repeatedly told the crowd their votes had been stolen by these enemies of the people, enemies of the faithful. Then he said that senators and representatives were about to meet to confirm this iniquity and hand the country to Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and the socialist Democrats. He looked at the crowd and said "We're not going to let that happen." Then he gave them their marching orders to swarm the Capitol building. 

What happened, the terrorist attack on Congress and the Constitution, was entirely logical and foreseeable. To emphasize how intentional Trump's criminal terrorism was, he sat by for a couple of hours while the siege and then forced occupation of the Senate and House transpired. He could have gone to the Capitol and told his thugs to disperse but he chose not to. 

Only later, when he realized his own party was turning on him, did Trump issue a video in which he urged his thugs to go home, telling them he loved them and they were special. Trump both inflamed his followers and incited their terrorist attack on the Capitol. Trump is guilty of terrorism. He also has the deaths of four people on his hands.

Michell Carter's homicide conviction will be with her for life. What she did was monstrous. Trump's crimes are infinitely worse and every bit as monstrous.  

Comments

  1. Northern PoVJanuary 8, 2021 at 6:17 AM

    "Trump is guilty of terrorism. " I think 'sedition' is what you are looking for.

    For the classic, mainstream definition of terrorism, you are correct of course
    "the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims."

    But given who these privileged folks were, let's consider the " one person’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter" angle. These spoiled* clowns were not the equivalent of Irgun or the PLO or the Viet Cong.

    I suspect they all had dreams of sparking a 'colour revolution'.
    Classic Berger: Any protest that is not a 'rehearsal for revolution' is just public spectacle.

    For Trump, it was spectacle. For the chumps who did it? It was the start of the revolution.

    *I saw an interview with a weeping young lady who got tear gassed.
    "It's not fair" she said.
    Reporter: "What were you doing to get gassed?"
    "We're stormin' the capitol - it's the revolution." she answered, in an annoyed, (are you being stupid) voice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Disaffected LibJanuary 8, 2021 at 8:31 AM

      I watched the clip of that tear gassed woman. What an idiot. It was a revolution, man. We were going to overthrow the government, man. And look, the bastards gassed me!

      Biden's remarks yesterday said it was sedition but it was also domestic terrorism. Recall that Trump's acting attorney-general has mused about charging the leaders of BLM marches with domestic terrorism.

      The 'one person's terrorist is another's freedom fighter' thing works when you're discussing insurgency in someone else's country, not your own.

      When I watched Trump's speech on Wednesday I was struck at how well-written it was. That was the handiwork of Trump's personal Renfield, the black-hearted Stephen Miller. He got Trump to say shit he should never have been allowed to say. That should have gone through the White House lawyers. I suppose it went to Rudy instead.

      Delete
  2. Northern PoVJanuary 8, 2021 at 8:38 AM

    "someone else's country" yikes ... well maybe that fits IRGUN ;-)
    but the the PLO or the Viet Cong??

    au contraire - When a force invades from another country, that's usually a state actor - an army.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Northern PoVJanuary 8, 2021 at 10:39 AM

    YCMTU
    "A woman who was reportedly trampled to death during a riot inside the U.S. Capitol carried a Gadsden "don't tread on me" flag at a protest before the violent siege."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Northern PoVJanuary 8, 2021 at 10:41 AM

      "While looting the Capitol building, a Trumpist insurrectionist tased himself in the balls until he died."

      Delete
    2. Northern PoVJanuary 8, 2021 at 1:28 PM

      "It's only a coup if it's from the coup d'etat region of France.
      Otherwise it's a just sparkling white terrorism."

      Delete
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