Trump throwing his toys out of the pram

It is just as well that his red nuclear button doesn't instantly fire missiles, but alerts those who do fire them. There is a chance that they will pause for a few seconds to find out what is really happening.

Populism:

twitter.com/smerler/status/1347089854958596098?s=21

In the past, younger Germans may have found it hard to understand how what happened to their country could have happened. We must surely now be very aware that people with similar biases and prejudices can be stirred up anywhere.

It is simple to see them in the USA as such prejudice has been festered since the Civil War with the Republican party continuously thwarting every attempt to provide a more equitable solution. States like Georgia move heaven and earth to suppress the black population as do Texas and others. It is not just the black population. There is an incredible blindness to the rights anyone other than whites should have.

Similarly, many of the backers of "BoJo" - his base - were nativists. I truly believe that if the leavers had lost we could have seen something along the lines of yesterday, here in the UK. While using every democratic lever, the Remain cohort accepted the outcome, however. Johnson and/or his base and backers have attacked the constitution, attacked our democracy and lied or mislead in ways that would appeal to such a base.

All that is required is acceptance of a democratic vote. Even though the running of the campaign was “Trump style”, it was accepted - we left the EU. That is all democracy asks. It does not ask us to suddenly agree that this is the best thing that has ever happened to the country or to praise the way it was done. All it asks is that it is allowed to be carried out.

Democracy also allows for this outcome to be changed or reversed, as long as it is done in a lawful way at a lawful time.

Similarities between Trump and Johnson? There certainly are some and they have been well-documented on this thread. We need to take heed of what happened yesterday in America. It was the culmination of people accepting and encouraging the Cult of Personality of a narcissistic wannabe fanning the flames of populism.

PippaZ

In the past, younger Germans may have found it hard to understand how what happened to their country could have happened. We must surely now be very aware that people with similar biases and prejudices can be stirred up anywhere.

It is simple to see them in the USA as such prejudice has been festered since the Civil War with the Republican party continuously thwarting every attempt to provide a more equitable solution. States like Georgia move heaven and earth to suppress the black population as do Texas and others. It is not just the black population. There is an incredible blindness to the rights anyone other than whites should have.

Similarly, many of the backers of "BoJo" - his base - were nativists. I truly believe that if the leavers had lost we could have seen something along the lines of yesterday, here in the UK. While using every democratic lever, the Remain cohort accepted the outcome, however. Johnson and/or his base and backers have attacked the constitution, attacked our democracy and lied or mislead in ways that would appeal to such a base.

All that is required is acceptance of a democratic vote. Even though the running of the campaign was “Trump style”, it was accepted - we left the EU. That is all democracy asks. It does not ask us to suddenly agree that this is the best thing that has ever happened to the country or to praise the way it was done. All it asks is that it is allowed to be carried out.

Democracy also allows for this outcome to be changed or reversed, as long as it is done in a lawful way at a lawful time.

Excellent post

Come on Grans out there....we have all seen this behaviour before. A spoilt child who is neglected and been sidelined, desperate for attention. Causing trouble is the only way he gets to stay in the limelight, at any cost. Naughty children in classrooms, toddler tantrums, babies literally throwing their toys out of the pram! Teenagers who are bullies gathering a little gang around them and stirring up unrest. Starving him of publicity and media attention might dampen the flames but he is too good a spectacle for the journalists, who are lapping up the mayhem. Bet the Chinese and the Russians are rubbing their hands with glee

I'm another who is totally appalled/confused/suspicious at the lack of security. That invasion should simply have been impossible. I follow the re-investigation of that with huge interest.

Carolpaint

I feel afraid for the inauguration of President Biden. So many weapons have now been delivered by this invasion that perhaps the Capital will be destroyed on that day by rocket launchers, machine guns, various grenades or dropped by drones. How awful, what a mass delusion.

You may not be too wide of the mark. Eerily, years ago The Simpsons portrayed Inauguration Day 2021 as Armageddon. These are the same writers who predicted a pandemic and Trump becoming President long before they happened.

Early on, when they first charged the building I thought the reporter (Sky News) said that they had asked for the Feds (I think it was the Feds) but they were not being sent. This was not repeated so she may have been unsure of the truth of this or I may have misheard.

I also heard a reporter say that Trump had ousted a lot at the top of the Department of Justice and replaced them with people of his choosing.

This is all very fluffy and unsubstantiated so should be taken with a bucket of salt but it will be interesting to see if this or similar is true. If so, it would back the already overwhelming evidence of sedition.

In view of Republicans over the years outnumbering Democrats when it comes to the US choice of president it is now up to Biden in turning the tide.

As I recall, it was the Remainers who attempted to overturn a legitimate democratic vote, for four weary years. But at no time was there any suggestion of the disgraceful behaviour on display in Washington yesterday. In London last year during a mass rally of Remainers the worst thing I saw was far too many middle-aged women sporting royal-blue berets decorated with gold stars; they really shouldn't have.
Boris Johnson is nothing like Trump, even John Bercow doesn't come close; and the Conservative party is not stuffed with white supremacists.
Some really rather silly comments.

eazybee

As I recall, it was the Remainers who attempted to overturn a legitimate democratic vote, for four weary years. But at no time was there any suggestion of the disgraceful behaviour on display in Washington yesterday. In London last year during a mass rally of Remainers the worst thing I saw was far too many middle-aged women sporting royal-blue berets decorated with gold stars; they really shouldn't have.
Boris Johnson is nothing like Trump, even John Bercow doesn't come close; and the Conservative party is not stuffed with white supremacists.
Some really rather silly comments.

Reminder.

You can’t slip a cigarette paper between Johnson and Trump

Biden.

I wonder if the invasion of the Capitol building had been by the BLM movement, how many of them would still be alive...

"Some really rather silly comments" I agree eazybee.

So many questions.

Where the hell were the police? Why did they respond to BLM protests en masses and in riot gear, yet there is film of a mob inside the Capitol being confronted by one solitary cop, who wisely ran away?

Will the insurrectionists be prosecuted? There's plenty of clear photos of them. Will people receive the long prison sentences for damaging monuments and public buildings, which Trump signed into law after the BLM protests? Why did some of the protesters wear very weird costumes?

How frantically would newspapers and politicians be raging if it was the left who had stormed the seat of government and tried to overthrow a democratic election? What would they be saying if the people pictured damaging and looting the Capitol were black?

Did Trump ever have the slightest commitment to the Republicans or was it always just about him? Would it have made a difference if his Twitter account had been suspended earlier, when he was inciting this insurrection? Should he be removed from office immediately under the 25th Amendment? Should he be impeached? What will happen at the inauguration? Is the USA becoming ungovernable?

How hard are China, Iran and North Korea laughing now?

Is Biden a great philosopher now whitewave ??
When last in Ireland he was singing along with Republican songs in a pub and no doubt was a fan of the IRA’s ideals.
He is no great supporter unfortunately of the UK and has misguided loyalties to Southern Ireland.
Even so.....he is a better candidate for the Presidency than Trump ever was ( but that isn’t saying much I suppose).

Eazybee??

The comments about Trump throwing his toys out of his pram, brings back memories of this from when he was about to visit the UK. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_baby_balloon

The police certainly handled it poorly.
If water cannon had been put in place beforehand, there would have been no storming of the Capitol buildings.
It was just fortunate that the supporters dispersed themselves
Presumably either because they had had enough or because they saw it had gone too far ( or saw riot police assembling.)

PippaZ Trump was begged to make a statement and he didn’t call the National Guard. Our Vice President, Mike Pence had to do that. I saw where the Capitol police just let the terrorists and that’s what they are, walk in through a barricade. Heads will roll today and many will be fired. There is talk of ousting Trump. It is scary to think what he will do in the next thirteen days or even after he is out of office. His niece, Mary Trump ,who is a psychologist , wrote a book about him and how he grew up. He truly is one mentally challenged man.

At least Boris Johnson called what happened disgraceful and recognized that it was.

Wouldn’t impeaching Trump take longer than waiting for Jan 20th Rhinestone?

Similarly, many of the backers of "BoJo" - his base - were nativists. I truly believe that if the leavers had lost we could have seen something along the lines of yesterday, here in the UK. While using every democratic lever, the Remain cohort accepted the outcome, however. Johnson and/or his base and backers have attacked the constitution, attacked our democracy and lied or mislead in ways that would appeal to such a base.

All that is required is acceptance of a democratic vote. Even though the running of the campaign was “Trump style”, it was accepted

Surely you jest Beau?

Leavers never expected (just hoped) for Brexit. The polls indicated several times over a win for Remain! The shock was seismic. Remember David Dimblebey’s face at 5am on the BBC news? The howls from Remainers, in and outside of the HoC, was relentless. Took more than 4 years to go through all the thwarting tactics before eventually the democratic vote was acted upon!

Some people have selective memories ...

A debacle in the USA yesterday, all is well today to them.

The base of the leave vote was made up of nativists. I don't remember seeing anyone saying they were white-supremacists although they have a lot in common.

Many argue that concerns about immigration is one of the clearest expressions of right-wing populism. Nativists who claim to represent the true people who make up the true nation and whose purity is being muddied by new entrants are easily caught up by the catch phrases of populism which is designed to underpin their cultural bias. Add to this a level of anti-establishment belief, similar to Trumps "clear the swamp" and you bring in the dislike of educators, MPs and the judiciary.

This is your base-line leave voter; suitably manipulated by those running the campaign of course.