I'll play for a little while. The English "insurrectionists" left the country, the House of Commons, based on my research, has never been attacked by English citizens in history. As I said originally, people are numb to the insurrection. You apparently are one of these people. There is no amount of time that allows citizens of a democracy to try and violently overthrow the government.

@lerlo - Well, like I said, it is my opinion. I don't know if having a grasp on the long view of history makes me "numb" to what happened on 1/6/2021; I doubt it. I provided but one example only because there is only so much time and text-space. Crack most world history books and we can point to dozens of far worse examples than what we are experiencing now; I'm certain the survivors of Lodz could school us quite a bit on both rampant disease and shitty authoritarian governments.

If anyone wants to live in fear of a seething dark tide of anarchy, idiocy and plagues swallowing the country, they are welcome to it. It just feels like histrionics to me. I disagree with the framing of the question - not the vast deleterious effects either have produced.

@lerlo - "based on my research, has never been attacked by English citizens in history". Quite right, sure enough. But England did have their own civil wars. Almost a dozen of them, I believe. England against England, if I understand my history correctly. Like we're talking America versus America. And, yet from 1088 to 1651, England endured and they (like we) now read about this in their history books.

I believe what is going on in Afghanistan right now is far more dire than what America is experiencing. And yet still I think that a hundred years from now, it will just be paragraphs in history books. The long view, as it were.

Face it, the question "Where were you on November 22nd, 1963" is becoming less and less relevant with the passage of time, don't you agree? We're twenty years on with 9/11 shortly... and how important is that now, on a global scale?

I just can't get behind the shirt-tearing and the chest-beating and the hairpulling-angst.

@LatentumCattus Like I said, you don't get the importance, impact and disgrace of the insurrection.

@lerlo - I disagree. I am neither a Pollyanna nor a Cassandra on the matter. You ascribe a gravity to this that simply doesn't jibe with a long view on history. At no point did I say the riot and insurrection was unimportant or inconsequential. You are inferring that and needlesssly labeling my opinion on your own bias. Maybe it makes you comfortable. That's OK.

Logic dictates that the "American way of life" will eventually disintegrate and fall, like every empire in history. "... a republic, if you can keep it", was the quote I believe.

Honestly, I'd be OK with evacuating to the mountains and screaming "Wolverines!!" every now and then... I know how to hunt, how to farm and how to brew beer and make cheese. I will be a "key-cat" in a post-apocalyptic world after the QAnons and Woke Left needlessly tear each other to pieces.

I am a privateer at heart and "frankly, my darling, I don't give a damn..."

@Lauren Help me with "success of the insurrection."

@lerlo Sure. To me, there have (so far) been very few repercussions except for a small percentage of the insurrectionists, and none to those in political office. Of those prosecuted, the charges have not equated what they should for people who stormed our capital with the intent of doing harm/killing the people within.

In the minds of his supporters, this has reinforced their loyalty and belief that he can get away with anything because he has. A lot of these people are - at his request - anti-vaxxers. There are some who are vaccine hesitate for whatever reason, but 45s followers are rabidly anti-vax.

@Lauren got it

@Lauren I like that term "rabidly" anti-vax

@TimeOutForMe Thank you!