“Will we adhere to the rule of law? Will we respect the rulings of our courts? Will we preserve the peaceful transition of power?” Rep. Liz Cheney asked these disturbing questions at the House hearing on July 27 to investigate the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol. She warned that unless there is accountability for the insurrection, “This will remain a cancer on our constitutional Republic. … We will face the threat of more violence in the months to come and another Jan. 6 every four years.”
We know what happened: Thousands of angry people, incited by Donald Trump’s assertion that the election was stolen from him, tried to capture the Capitol. Insurrectionists included white nationalists, anti-Semites wearing “Camp Auschwitz” shirts, racists with Confederacy regalia, and heavily armed people determined to defy the election results at all costs and to stop the legitimate transfer of power.
Five people died and at least 140 people were injured; Capitol police were brutally assaulted; videos of the terror and mayhem looked like a chaotic attack in a failed state, not in the leading nation of the free world.
A red line crossed
There has been debate over an appropriate political label for the rioters and for Trump himself. I have come to agree with Columbia University historian Robert Paxton. An expert on fascism, the day after the Capitol attack, he wrote, “I have been reluctant to use the F word for Trumpism, but yesterday’s use of violence against democratic institutions crosses the red line.”
Many experts agree with Paxton: We crossed that red line.
It was crossed when people in positions of power willingly abandoned the rule of law, the decisions of the courts, and the peaceful transition of power, all of which Cheney cited in her remarks. These foundational principles of our democracy were utterly irrelevant in the face of powerful incitements to rebellion.
In a recent poll in Business Insider (June 28, 2021), fully 26% of Americans scored high on right-wing authoritarianism, defined as “a desire to submit to some authority, [with] aggression directed against whomever the authority says should be targeted, and a desire to have everybody follow the norms and social conventions that the authority says should be followed.” About a third — 34% — of right-leaning adults and 26% of high-right-wing respondents said the Capitol rioters were protecting the government when they stormed the building.
Many Americans refuse to admit the truth of what happened, or to support an investigation, or to assume responsibility. They have a mix of apathy, resignation that we should just move on, and, of course, the view that there was nothing illegitimate. The Republican support for the rioters, including from members of Congress, is beyond belief.
What happens if we look the other way?
In 1936, the democratically elected government in Spain was challenged by fascists, conservatives, right-wing military leaders, rich and powerful oligarchs, and reactionary members of the populace. They were enraged over democratic hopes of equality for women, more equitable resource distribution for the poor, universal education, and loosening the stranglehold of the Catholic Church. This challenge turned into a coup against the fledgling democracy.
People around the world were paying attention. More than 40,000 volunteers from 52 countries traveled to Spain to fight on the side of the Loyalists, the pro-democracy advocates, against the military and their supporters. Among those volunteers were 2,800 Americans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade – men and women of all backgrounds who had one goal: to defeat fascism in Spain.
The leading supporters of the fascist military side, known as the Nationalists: Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
A proxy battle
The ensuing Spanish Civil War was more than a battle within Spain. It was a proxy battle between fascism and democracy and a rehearsal for the looming cataclysm throughout Europe.
The outcome was tragic. Over the course of three long and brutal years, the fascists gained control of Spain and remained in power until Gen. Francisco Franco’s death in 1975.
The United States’ position was isolationist. The Soviet Union and Mexico were the only countries to come to Spain’s aid against fascism. Hitler, however, sent thousands of fighters, pilots, bombs, planes, ships, and artillery, along with money and training, to obliterate Spain’s democracy. Mussolini did likewise.
[image_caption]Ellen Kennedy[/image_caption]
Several years ago, I stood at Spanish battlefields where the pro-democracy forces tried to hold on. It was December, cold, gray, and windy. I wept for the loss – not only of the lives, but for the loss of a better society that people from all over the world had tried to build in Spain.
The volunteer fighters gave their lives for what they saw as the biggest battle in the world: the battle against fascism.
We failed Spain and its democracy in the 1930s. We have a chance to save a democracy now.
Will we – can we — save democracy in America?
***
World Without Genocide is hosting a public webinar on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 7-9 p.m. CDT on Zoom, titled “Incitement, Hate and Genocide.” Featured speakers include U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, who was the lead manager of the second Donald Trump Senate impeachment trial; Mark Potok, former senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center; and Imran Ahmed, CEO, Center for Countering Digital Hate. Registrations by Aug. 9 at $10 general public, $5 seniors and students, $25 lawyers for Minnesota CLE elimination of bias credits (pending).
Ellen J. Kennedy, Ph.D., is the executive director of World Without Genocide at Mitchell Hamline School of Law and an adjunct professor of law.
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“WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Americans continued to lean more Democratic than Republican in their party preferences in 2019, the ideological balance of the country remained center-right, with 37% of Americans, on average, identifying as conservative during the year, 35% as moderate and 24% as liberal.”
I think these numbers over state the right side of things given the past 2 years, but:
37% * 34% = 12%
As many 12% of US Adults are irrational lunatics.
Leaving 88% or more with having their political wits about them.
Seems a reasonable estimate to me…
It will not be a true investigation into 1/6 if it does not penetrate into FBI involvement. Several media outlets have reported that in the conspiracy to kidnapp the governor of Michigan, 13 people were arrested, and there were 12 FBI informants and agents involved from the very beginning, embedded throughout. Which begs the question, who led whom?
The arrests were made two weeks before the election, while the lead FBI agent in charge of that investigation was transferred to lead the coveted DC FBI branch. That seems curious. If the FBI claims ignorance about 1/6, no one should believe it.
Who led whom?
Oh boy.
“Several media outlets have reported that some defendants charged with the conspiracy to kidnap the governor of Michigan have alleged that there were 12 FBI informants and agents involved from the very beginning, embedded throughout.” FIFY.
A defendant’s allegations are proof of nothing except the fact that the defendant made them.
What happens is you have a traitorous insurrectionist shot and killed for her treason, and even though she is an enemy of the state, she is somehow lionized by an unthinking un-American political party. You also get that same group who believe their form of patriotism is somehow more meaningful or powerful than the true Americans, those who were repulsed by the actions of so many hell bent on being arrested and jailed for their failed insurrection.
Were it up to me, everyone of those traitors would have been held without bail until their trial, and regardless of outcome, they would be forced to wear a scarlet letter – I for insurrectionist, or maybe T for traitor. That might make those “patriots” ruminate on how they might become better citizens.
The reality is clear. And recognizing and admitting a problem exists is the first step. But then action is required. Many are speaking up and taking action. Unfortunately about equal numbers have decided to denounce reality and choose instead to believe the obvious lies and exist in an alternate world. And therein lies the biggest obstacle. If the majority agreed on the problem eventually we could collectively reach mutually satisfying resolutions. But so long as about half of us resist, throw up roadblocks and continue to support those driving the lies only divisiveness will persist. This means those of us dealing with reality have a much harder road ahead as we persist in calling out the lies and face continuous disingenuous cover ups and collusion. It is stressful, frustrating, time consuming and exhausting, to say the least. But caving in or allowing the bad actors to succeed comes with too high of a price: the loss of our cherished democracy and replacement of it with fascism. So we fight on…because we must. Our children’s and grandchildren’s futures and the continuation of our country depend upon it. The stakes could not be higher!!
Being that an article here only is pointing towards the ‘saving of democracy’ by pointing the tragic day of Jan 6 only and that it is from those on the far right. What about the left? What about the constant cries of violence to others who do not follow their lead? What about the persistent crazy of everything being racist for not following them? What about the constant drumbeat of moving our society further and further towards socialism – which has never ever worked in the history of our planet? What about the one-sided Big Brother social media constantly allows for the benefit only for those of liberal thought and ideas? The calls by those on the left for silencing anything they deem to not agree with them? For those that constantly try to change the workings of our government? Those that believe the Constitution should be a living document and needs to be changed? Which side of the aisle allowed for the active spying of a political campaign? Which side of the aisle initiated and collaborated others in one of the biggest hoaxes in mankind with the whole Russia benefit (remember we had many people including our own Amy Klobochar who said they had proof but never did)? Which administration weaponized the whole FISA intelligence court based on all lies? Who lied and pushed through the biggest change in health care only for it to cause everyone, including the poor, a skyrocketed costly system?
People are consistently being arrested, charged, and now tried for their involvement on Jan 6. That shows that part of our democracy is working – though how many of the left consistently undermine law enforcement? What about what people are doing within our government??? We have a large swath of people that supports more and more government when we need to be leery of it because that is the threat to democracy. Those elected people that constantly lie to us are the threat.
Are you on any social media? Have you been cancelled because of any posts you’ve written? Yeah, didn’t think so. I guess nuance is lost on some.
Had the ignorant racist followed the rules set forth by Twitter/Facebook he’d still be Tweeting his unique form of gibberish and lies today, but he didn’t and got booted. Not censorship, only the gubmint can censor, but, their house ,their rules.
” Those elected people that constantly lie to us are the threat.” You’re lucky the pussy grabber in chief is not on social media anymore, cause this sort of dissent would have in the past put you in the cross hairs of his unstable minions, and you might find yourself getting death threats, or whatever those people like to do when the dear leader was criticized.
The number of outright falsehoods in that comment is simply staggering.
The only hoax with regard to Russian involvement in the 2016 election is the constant lying about the fact there is overwhelming evidence of Russian involvement. Even the Republicans in the Senate committee acknowledged as such. The danger to democracy is actually people engaging in bald-faced lies and calling it a hoax in the face of overwhelming evidence.
Conservatives aren’t being banned on social media. Only liars. People claiming the election was stolen and making false claims about Covid aren’t conservatives. They are just liars. I would like to believe that conservative does not mean liar. But lots of people now seem to think lying is a conservative value.
I would also add that the socialism that most of these people are talking about works quite well in much of Europe. No one there is dying or going bankrupt because they can’t afford healthcare.
I realize that Fox News likes to scare people with authoritarian disasters like Cuba and Venezuela, but that’s not the goal for anyone but a handful of nuts.
If Sean Hannity’s life were to flash before his eyes, this comment is what he would see.
All you’ve given us is a dutiful recitation of the last decade of right-wing talking points in a feeble attempt to deflect attention from what happened on January 6. You don’t answer the questions of what happened on a day when the outgoing President of the United States encouraged a mob that tried to use violent means to disrupt Congress’s constitutional function.
Whatever evils Mark Zuckerberg and BLM have perpetrated, they did not storm the Capitol to stop the certification of an election. Sure, Facebook – a private company, last I checked – has opted not to allow itself to be used to spread certain messages. Sure, BLM has told people of color that they shouldn’t be victims of police brutality. I’m sure you are indignant about both of these things. As bad as you think they may have been, however, it is abject moral blindness to try to say they are worse than what Trump and his acolytes hath wrought.
Thanks for pointing out the problem is coming from both sides of the lunatic fringe. As far as saving our democracy goes, I think we survived Jan 6 OK. The votes were counted. There was a transition of power. The people who invaded the Capitol are being prosecuted.
What we don’t need is more hysteria about the world coming to an end, or more needless investigations that are purely designed to incite more political battles. Everyone knows what happened. It’s time to move on and fix the many problems that we have in the country. How about starting my passing a budget for the 1st time in 20+ years?
What about the constant cries of violence to others who do not follow their lead?
I suppose the rhetoric gets a little heated sometimes. And I do recall in the days after Trump’s inauguration where there was a women’s march on Washington. And once in every decade or so, a community voices piece appears in MinnPost lauding the Republicans, not in ones in Congress but the ones who fought the Spanish Civil War. Will the result be riots this weekend?
We have just gotten through a difficult four year period in our history. We had a president during that time, was unfit for office in many different ways, one of them being was in being incompetent. He was a bad guy, a self absorbed political opportunist, who sought political advantage by dividing us, by turning Americans against each other ways in ways that all too easily turned to violence. He was a president who exacerbated hatred wherever he could identify it. No wonder there were riots in the street.
Despite the troubles we’ve been having, I think the attempted analogy with the Spanish Civil War a bit histrionic.
When the facts are on your side, argue the facts. When the law is on your side, argue the law. When you have neither, pound the table. What we had on January 6th was a case of mass trespassing, and the resulting “criminal” charges show that. Any attempts to make more of those events are cause for universal eye-rolling.
That is just false. People died in the attack. Survivors have committed suicide as a result of the trauma they experienced. Any many people have been charged with crimes more serious than trespassing.
This was a terrorist attack. Traitors and enemies of the United States attacked the capitol.
The comparison with the Spanish Civil War is odd certainly. Usually, the analogy people select when making the case against backing down from a confrontation with tyranny, is Chamberlain’s capitulation to Hitler at Munich. What happened in Spain is less clear cut, more ambiguous in that while the nationalists were supported by Hitler, the Republican were supported by Stalin. The issues get messier still when one remembers that the immediate cause of World War II, was the Soviet Union’s de facto alliance with Nazi Germany. The lesson, I draw from the Spanish Civil War is that when leaders are stupid and incompetent, and once in a while actively, evil, it’s the people who suffer.
Santayana famously observed that “those who don’t remember history are condemned to repeat it”, to which I often add, “and so are those who do.” The history of the 20th century is complex, compelling and immensely tragic. Nothing is easier than isolating particular events, and using them to justify just about anything. Contradictions are good for that, and the history of the 20th century is full of contradictions.