On our way to Biden's Inauguration (Trump #119)

[Roussette]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4128420-Capitol-Hill-and-the-next-2-weeks-Trump-118?watched=1&msgid=103459695#103459695

Here we are on our fast moving theads

Jon Sopel @bbcjonsopel
This statement really is a big deal. The most famous coach in American football, turning down Donald Trump’s announcement that he would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom - and citing the #CapitolRiot

@AuldAlliance

Did Corbyn hold office?

Only in the Labour Party.

Footage of that Capitol Police officer, Eugene Goodman, luring the mob away from the Senate chamber. It's absolutely obvious that he's doing it completely deliberately, especially the way he gives little shoves a couple of times to keep the packleader engaged.

Goodman could have chosen to hold the mob at the top of the stairs, where he turns and faces them with his stick. He'd have sent that packleader down like a ninepin, bowling those below too, if he'd had a mind to. Instead, he kept drawing them upwards to where his colleagues were, and away from the chamber.

Incredible.

Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman hailed as 'a hero'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55623752

More exiters.

edition.cnn.com/2021/01/11/politics/chad-wolf-homeland-security/index.html?utm_medium=social&utm_content=2021-01-11T22%3A19%3A02&utm_term=link&utm_source=twCNN

Oh my! The Trump gaffes youtube is hilarious!

Well done that person turning down Medal of Freedom. Jim Jordan didn't day before yesterday.

@RedToothBrush

Jon Sopel *@bbcjonsopel* This statement really is a big deal. The most famous coach in American football, turning down Donald Trump’s announcement that he would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom - and citing the #CapitolRiot

Bill Belichick is also one of the most hated football coaches in the country, engaged in all sorts of cheating for years. Just another rat fleeing the ship going down, he'll get no points for this.

That Capitol Police Officer deserves the equivalent of a medal earned for bravery and valour in a war. More disturbing footage emerging, and still no explanation or debrief from Federal authorities of what happened, including what must have been hundreds of injuries of men and women like that officer. Senator in charge of security issues for the Dems said yesterday he still has not been contacted by anyone in the security services about the fact that there was a bomb found outside Dem HQ.

In the 5 minutes of sunshine on Wednesday, between the 2 Georgia elections going to the Dems and the riot, the mayor of DC said that she hoped the Dems would prioritise making Washington DC a state in its own right. Surely this riot gives that cause a huge amount of weight. Had DC been a state in its own right, then it would, I assume, have the authority and authorities to protect itself.

Had DC been a state in its own right, then it would, I assume, have the authority and authorities to protect itself.

If Washington DC were a state in its own right and could elect senators, presumably a lot of things would be different!

It's strange that a country that prides itself on its democracy is so undemocratic (but then the UK goes on about the Magna Carta while still having hereditary peers in the Lords, so we can't talk).

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jan/12/bill-belichick-donald-trump-presidential-medal-of-freedom?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Interesting article on Belichick and his relationship with Trump.

Help me out oh wise ones. I've seen or read recently a few Trumpettes making statements along the lines of "The USA is not a democracy, it's a Republic". Can anyone translate Fruitloop to English for me and explain the point they think they're making?

The first few minutes of that Chris Hayes vid, BlueCatRedCat.

Footage of the mob dragging an officer down the steps of the Capitol. Horrifyingly the officer disappears from view beneath the crowd and all you can see are the men standing above him beating him with objects – including the American flag!

God almighty I hope that officer is OK.

Merrymouse, hopefully one of the US posters will correct me if I am wrong, but I think the key state authority wrt state security is the governorship.

@PerkingFaintly

The first few minutes of that Chris Hayes vid, BlueCatRedCat.

Footage of the mob dragging an officer down the steps of the Capitol. Horrifyingly the officer disappears from view beneath the crowd and all you can see are the men standing above him beating him with objects – including the American flag!

God almighty I hope that officer is OK.

I know. There will have been a lot of these. Are the victims names being withheld/their words gagged? It's all very fishy. The only names that have been cited as victims, apart from the poor policeman, are 4 insurrectionist terrorists, and I am really not sure why they are being talked about in reverent terms in much of the press coverage and in Melania's statement.

Not a democracy it's a republic
I think this statement indicates they do not understand the meaning of democracy or Republic, as far as I'm aware the two things are not mutually exclusive!

Thanks, Coffeeandbiscuitime, that is a comprehensive article on Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots. We’ve come a long way since Trump was leading the criticism of NFL players protesting by taking a knee.

Last season the powerful head of the NFL apologised for mandating against players taking the knee. And while Belichick may have voted for Trump in 2016, according to Trump reading out a letter of praise from BB, as far as I know he hasn’t said much since.

Apparently the much-hated New England Patriots have been having conversations and presentations on social justice every Monday through this season (after their Sunday games). Those wouldn’t be happening without Belichick’s blessing - he rules with an iron fist.

The main reasons the US aren't quite Democratic have little to do with being a Republic.
One of the issues is that the President isn't elected directly.
The other is the non proportional representation in the Senate. Not to mention gerrymandering.

Help me out oh wise ones. I've seen or read recently a few Trumpettes making statements along the lines of "The USA is not a democracy, it's a Republic". Can anyone translate Fruitloop to English for me and explain the point they think they're making?

Basically it is fruit loop.

In a true democracy everyone would vote on everything. However, I can't think of any 'democratic' country that does that. There is always compromise.

Equally in the UK we aren't a republic, we aren't a complete democracy (House of Lords, Queen), and there are constant discussions about how much oversight parliament should have. That doesn't mean that anything goes because 'we aren't a democracy'.

www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/why-republicans-keep-saying-that-the-united-states-isnt-a-democracy

And the end of that same Chris Hayes vid!

About 10:47 mins in, Giuliani's voicemail to a Trumpie senator, left just after the Capitol was secured:

"I know they're reconvening at 8 tonight, but it... the only strategy we can follow is to object to numerous states and raise issues so that we get ourselves into tomorrow—ideally until the end of tomorrow."

End of tomorrow in order to achieve what? What were Giuliani and his pals hoping would occur during that time?

(Direct link to vid, in case anyone's losing track: )

Also, from a more liberal view point:

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/03/america-is-not-a-democracy/550931/

"To some degree, of course, the unresponsiveness of America’s political system is by design. The United States was founded as a republic, not a democracy. As Alexander Hamilton and James Madison made clear in the Federalist Papers, the essence of this republic would consist—their emphasis—“IN THE TOTAL EXCLUSION OF THE PEOPLE, IN THEIR COLLECTIVE CAPACITY, from any share” in the government. Instead, popular views would be translated into public policy through the election of representatives “whose wisdom may,” in Madison’s words, “best discern the true interest of their country.” That this radically curtailed the degree to which the people could directly influence the government was no accident."

However, it's hardly abnormal for countries described as 'democracies' to delegate power to representatives.

Yes, it's very easy for "the people" to claim their representatives aren't representing. In fact that's basically what happens in every uprising isn't it?

..

However, it's hardly abnormal for countries described as 'democracies' to delegate power to representatives.

We can't have a referendum for everything.
Even in countries where referendums (referenda?) are common, such as Switzerland.
The US also elect lots of people at different levels and for all sorts of positions.

In Portugal, for example, we only elect members of Parliament (only one chamber), members of the European Parliament, local councils, local assemblies, and the President.
Nobody relating to law enforcement or justice, for example. We don't vote for laws directly, and have had very few referenda. In my life time, we had 3, IIRC.
People here would be shocked if anyone said it wasn't a Democracy. After all we had a Revolution to do away with a Dictatorship.

@TooTrueToBeGood

Help me out oh wise ones. I've seen or read recently a few Trumpettes making statements along the lines of "The USA is not a democracy, it's a Republic". Can anyone translate Fruitloop to English for me and explain the point they think they're making?

This is an explanation from @AcrossthePond55 from before the election, I screenshotted it because I found it interesting. There was also some discussion on (I think) the last thread about the role of the Electoral College. It’s a Republic on account of not having a monarch, AFAIK.

"Bill Belichick is also one of the most hated football coaches in the country, engaged in all sorts of cheating for years. Just another rat fleeing the ship going down, he'll get no points for this."

@dreamingbohemian

No shit! As far as 'most famous' has Sopel never heard of Bear Bryant, Tom Landry, and Vincent Lombardi? And those are just three within my living memory!

I mean, I'm glad he turned it down and all, but let's not make a saint out of the man.