Incredible that anyone who was in that Capitol that day could even consider voting to acquit. Since that day, even during that day as those six senators continued to object to the count even AFTER a coup attempt -- a coup attempt! -- I have been asking myself how many would have had to have been murdered that day. How many police offic…
Incredible that anyone who was in that Capitol that day could even consider voting to acquit. Since that day, even during that day as those six senators continued to object to the count even AFTER a coup attempt -- a coup attempt! -- I have been asking myself how many would have had to have been murdered that day. How many police officers? One was not enough, clearly. How many senators and representatives? How many members of their staff? How many members of their families who happened to be there that day? Two? Five? 10? 20? 50? 100? 200? 500?
It's only a mysterious combination of dumb luck and some kind of cosmic intervention that prevented the deaths of more people. Those rioters were there to kill. Kill our elected leaders. Murder them in OUR capitol building, perhaps hang them in their crude but functional gallows in broad daylight.
What on God's Earth would it take for these senators to impeach (just freakin' impeach -- not indict, not criminally convict, not sentence, not put in jail, not execute, just impeach!) the man who incited those rioters? And yes, he got hot and heavy with his demonic lies after he lost, but that man was inciting this from BEFORE the day he took office. Well before.
I agree. It is incredulous. The few days after January 6th it seemed they might be woke but it was an aberration that didn't last. On Jan. 19: "The mob was fed lies,” McConnell said. “They were provoked by the president and other powerful people, and they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like.” Will McConnell vote to convict and bring some other Republicans with him? I believe it is still an open question. I hope it is.
Oh, I definitely think it is still an open question. I only meant what would it have taken for them to, without hesitation, convict the hell out of him immediately?
It would have taken those legislators who did not vote to impeach the difficult step of losing their blind ambition, self-concern, and desire for power. Maybe they would even have had to lose the illusion that they and their judgment matter to our future, as if their ideological positions were paramount. They would have had to place the nation above their careers in politics.
Thanks. There are lots of otherwise good writers who make errors like the incredulous/incredible one, or affect/effect, or "I want you to lay down and get some sleep", and there are many other errors that frequently get past copy editors (also in the NYT and WaPo), and it drives me crazy, but of course I'm nuts, and I have to admit I make these mistakes too. I once corrected the effect/affect error in a NYT comment, and the guy thanked me but pointed out an error (a big one!) I had made in my correction. But I think most people who post comments prefer to do so in correct English, so I just try to lend a hand now and then.
It is actually logical when one thinks about it although English grammar is frequently illogical! Not to worry. I prefer to have someone correct me and I liked being incredulous. ... Made me smile!
I’ve thought about that a lot too, and I really don’t want to know the answer. Far too many national tragedies have been marked only by “thoughts and prayers” and then quickly consigned to the dustbin of history. “We must move forward and begin healing....”
I'm trying to play the long game in my mind about all of this. It's only been a month since the insurrection happened. In our quick fix society where you hardly have to wait for anything anymore, I'm taking a step back to look at the bigger picture. Politics is changing and since 1/6. I come from the same mindset at HCR in that those senators who vote 'nay' for impeachment and / or conviction will be used front and center from here until midterms and the next POTUS election as traitors to our democracy. It will be relentless. Meanwhile, President Biden continues to help the people. In ways that have been missing for at least 4 years and in ways that are bringing quick relief. And most of all hope that the government does care about its citizenry.
Since there has been some discussion about word choice below, I'll add my two cents worth: Only the House can impeach. The impeachment is the charge. It is the Senate's duty, once they've received the article(s) of impeachment, to try the impeached official. My hope is that there will be enough business GOP senators eager to purge the party of the QAnon/Tea Party faction to listen carefully to the evidence during the trial and to vote to convict. It is also my hope that further impeachments will be delivered for at least 2 senators and a generous handful of representatives. O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
I hope you took the opportunity to read the entire poem, "Jabberwocky." Sometimes, I feel that Democrats' talking points are as comprehensible to Republicans as that poem was to the first graders to whom I read it when I was a volunteer classroom aide in high school. (I certainly learned more from that lesson than any 1st grader did - to get them to start thinking about playing with understanding some new and strange language, I should have tried some scaffolding first - the other teachers here will understand what I mean by scaffolding.) The problem with the Republicans in the Senate, however, is not that they don't understand the concepts, but that, in the words of their leader when then Senator Joe Biden once tried to talk about a bill he thought McConnell should support, "You must be under the mistaken impression that I care."
Nothing will convince them! They recognize that their now permanent status as a national minority party, saved from ignominy only by gerrymandering and control of local party mechanisms, requires alliances! Right now, they have welcomed as allies the conspiracy-driven nut jobs on the right, evangelicals, pro-gun groups, pro-life groups and those who are still fighting the Civil War. But it could be anyone. Who's next? Vegetarians? Prohibitionists? They are that desperate.
Incredible that anyone who was in that Capitol that day could even consider voting to acquit. Since that day, even during that day as those six senators continued to object to the count even AFTER a coup attempt -- a coup attempt! -- I have been asking myself how many would have had to have been murdered that day. How many police officers? One was not enough, clearly. How many senators and representatives? How many members of their staff? How many members of their families who happened to be there that day? Two? Five? 10? 20? 50? 100? 200? 500?
It's only a mysterious combination of dumb luck and some kind of cosmic intervention that prevented the deaths of more people. Those rioters were there to kill. Kill our elected leaders. Murder them in OUR capitol building, perhaps hang them in their crude but functional gallows in broad daylight.
What on God's Earth would it take for these senators to impeach (just freakin' impeach -- not indict, not criminally convict, not sentence, not put in jail, not execute, just impeach!) the man who incited those rioters? And yes, he got hot and heavy with his demonic lies after he lost, but that man was inciting this from BEFORE the day he took office. Well before.
I truly want to know what it would take.
I agree. It is incredulous. The few days after January 6th it seemed they might be woke but it was an aberration that didn't last. On Jan. 19: "The mob was fed lies,” McConnell said. “They were provoked by the president and other powerful people, and they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like.” Will McConnell vote to convict and bring some other Republicans with him? I believe it is still an open question. I hope it is.
Oh, I definitely think it is still an open question. I only meant what would it have taken for them to, without hesitation, convict the hell out of him immediately?
It would have taken those legislators who did not vote to impeach the difficult step of losing their blind ambition, self-concern, and desire for power. Maybe they would even have had to lose the illusion that they and their judgment matter to our future, as if their ideological positions were paramount. They would have had to place the nation above their careers in politics.
Yes, I'm with you on that. The betting odds are quite long although it has gone from about 5% on conviction on January 24th to 8% yesterday.
Cathy, I believe you are incredulous (so am I), but "it" is incredible. It really is.
Never knew the distinction. Thank you.
Sorry, I'm an obsessive former English teacher.
I applaud the way you explained the difference. You must have been (and still are) a very good teacher
Thanks. There are lots of otherwise good writers who make errors like the incredulous/incredible one, or affect/effect, or "I want you to lay down and get some sleep", and there are many other errors that frequently get past copy editors (also in the NYT and WaPo), and it drives me crazy, but of course I'm nuts, and I have to admit I make these mistakes too. I once corrected the effect/affect error in a NYT comment, and the guy thanked me but pointed out an error (a big one!) I had made in my correction. But I think most people who post comments prefer to do so in correct English, so I just try to lend a hand now and then.
It is actually logical when one thinks about it although English grammar is frequently illogical! Not to worry. I prefer to have someone correct me and I liked being incredulous. ... Made me smile!
English has many rules that are honored only in the breach. Consider this nonsensical but grammatically correct sentence:
"The tough coughs as he ploughs through the dough in the lough."
1 spelling, 5 different pronunciations. Where's the rule???
As the French (and Stuart) would say, "ca n'existe pas."
I’ve thought about that a lot too, and I really don’t want to know the answer. Far too many national tragedies have been marked only by “thoughts and prayers” and then quickly consigned to the dustbin of history. “We must move forward and begin healing....”
I'm trying to play the long game in my mind about all of this. It's only been a month since the insurrection happened. In our quick fix society where you hardly have to wait for anything anymore, I'm taking a step back to look at the bigger picture. Politics is changing and since 1/6. I come from the same mindset at HCR in that those senators who vote 'nay' for impeachment and / or conviction will be used front and center from here until midterms and the next POTUS election as traitors to our democracy. It will be relentless. Meanwhile, President Biden continues to help the people. In ways that have been missing for at least 4 years and in ways that are bringing quick relief. And most of all hope that the government does care about its citizenry.
Since there has been some discussion about word choice below, I'll add my two cents worth: Only the House can impeach. The impeachment is the charge. It is the Senate's duty, once they've received the article(s) of impeachment, to try the impeached official. My hope is that there will be enough business GOP senators eager to purge the party of the QAnon/Tea Party faction to listen carefully to the evidence during the trial and to vote to convict. It is also my hope that further impeachments will be delivered for at least 2 senators and a generous handful of representatives. O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
Thanks for inducing us to look up frabjous. It's a good day when we learn something!
I hope you took the opportunity to read the entire poem, "Jabberwocky." Sometimes, I feel that Democrats' talking points are as comprehensible to Republicans as that poem was to the first graders to whom I read it when I was a volunteer classroom aide in high school. (I certainly learned more from that lesson than any 1st grader did - to get them to start thinking about playing with understanding some new and strange language, I should have tried some scaffolding first - the other teachers here will understand what I mean by scaffolding.) The problem with the Republicans in the Senate, however, is not that they don't understand the concepts, but that, in the words of their leader when then Senator Joe Biden once tried to talk about a bill he thought McConnell should support, "You must be under the mistaken impression that I care."
(((He chortled in his joy)))
Nothing will convince them! They recognize that their now permanent status as a national minority party, saved from ignominy only by gerrymandering and control of local party mechanisms, requires alliances! Right now, they have welcomed as allies the conspiracy-driven nut jobs on the right, evangelicals, pro-gun groups, pro-life groups and those who are still fighting the Civil War. But it could be anyone. Who's next? Vegetarians? Prohibitionists? They are that desperate.
As a vegetarian turned full vegan, I can testify they won't get much traction from that group. We actual have ethics!
Not to say meat-eaters don't have. I live with one and our politics are the same, if our food choices aren't.
We are living, breathing and suffering from homemade corruption. It's not new here, just almost as blatant as blatant gets.