Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
The Rule of Law
I support the rule of law, and never more than in a Presidential transition. I reject whatever violence is occurring right now.
The law was abused and broken in states that couldn’t bother themselves to manage their most important civic responsibility in a competent way. I have little doubt that, in many instances, they set us up for failure, knowing that the resulting chaos would serve one side well.
My side lost. I think we were cheated, but we were cheated in such a way that there’s no effective legal recourse.
Now we have to live with the results, and work to prevent it happening again.
I categorically condemn violent protests and attempts to disrupt the orderly transition of power. I often criticized the President for his intemperate rhetoric, and I disapprove of it now, but I’ll stop short of harsh condemnation so long as he stays within the law. I do condemn those who think their outrage gives them a justification for violence.
And I will preemptively dismiss anyone who wishes to pile on the President now for his words, but who wasn’t willing to speak out in his defense over the past four years while he was unjustly savaged by a dishonest press.
Published in General
Condemn Antifa,whose black-clad thugs infiltrated the protest and caused the damage. They have been destroying cities for nearly a year with relative impunity.
Antifa must be destroyed. Now.
It is a banner day for hyperbolic statements by media and politicians.
Amen.
(and I leave the obvious joke for someone else)
Trouble is, if the presidential election was rigged, the methods are likely to be repeated during mid-term elections. I can understand why many have given up on elections and officials for recourse. There have been many high-profile refusals (not mere failures) of due process in recent years.
The pivotal concern is how many Americans have lost all hope in rule of law. Minority groups move history. Revolutions don’t begin by majority rule. It’s of critical importance that politicians convince voters that their votes matter.
What happened in DC today resulted as much from the impulses of mad crowds as from any considered grievances or fears. It was wrong. But I am less concerned by unarmed protestors storming the Capitol to yell at politicians than I was concerned by a wave of vandalism and violence recurring throughout America while Democrats cheered.
Isn’t this how Socialist Revolutions usually start?
Not “cheated”. The other side wantonly violated the law.
Where will your voice be heard? When?
Even if these were antifa infiltrators, the likelihood of that being revealed widely is next to nil. I certainly hope it was the case, and have to point out that these acts stand in stark contrast to the behavior of Trump rally crowds. Why the anomaly here and now?
Destruction? Rightfully condemned, and a criminal act.
I agree with you!
I agree completely Henry with every point you made. This was completely disgraceful. There is nothing conservative about rioting, ever. What I will add, and I say this as a Trump supporter for the past four years, Trump’s actions and rhetoric over the past two months inspired this turmoil. He does not have the nuance to articulate a position of being cheated while still accepting the process. Nixon understood this in 1960. Trump’s words and actions led to this. He just trashed his legacy and set back for conservativism.
I agree. Unfortunately, it’s over & we need to learn our lessons and don’t “get fooled again”. The 2000, 2004, 2016, & 2020 presidential election losers all claimed they were cheated- we have a problem with, at least, perceived vote integrity & need to seriously fix it or our republic is in danger.
I don’t envision any improvement it the present situation until the rioters begin paying commensurate penalties for their disruptions, harassment and vandalism. The law must be enforced in order for any society to function.
The mantra once was, “If you don’t like the law, vote and get it changed.” Now, it seems to be, “If you don’t like the law, ignore it.”
Disagree. Anyone who commits a crime is personally responsible for that choice. Now, I will point out a recent caveat: apparently it is not so if you’re an angry leftist. But certainly, the entire conservative philosophy will be blamed for today, no matter who is responsible.
To be fair, he did say we got cheated, allowed that office to work on the transition, and called for peace.
And the Big Tech censoring and MSM spin are a big part of the problem.
But that doesn’t mean you’re wrong.
Manny, I agree that Trump wasn’t up to the challenge of dealing with what was thrown at him. Frankly, I’m impressed that he made it four years, given how he was treated. I’m even more impressed that he was a good President during that time.
I don’t know how much damage this will really do to the cause of conservatism. When the dust clears, it might not be any more consequential than any of the other civil unrest and misbehavior we’ve witnessed over the past several years. People who hated Trump will continue to hate him; most people who don’t hate him won’t start. Either way, we move on.
So where did I say the ones who did this are not responsible? They were still inspired by Trump. Leaders have a responsibility in the rhetoric they use.
Yeah, the first weeks looked like he was going to concede but as he got frustrated with not finding the legal means of challenging the results he amplified his rhetoric for the worst.
Lot of blame to go around.
The criminals are responsible, Trump is responsible for some things he botched, the MSM-Democrat-Tech alliance is responsible for all the disrespect and gaslighting and censorship, BLM rioters are responsible, Dems are (again) responsible for not calling out BLM violence, people who cheated in the election are responsible for goading Trump supporters.
And on and on.
Maybe I’m responsible for something. Who knows? I’m sure I’m guilty of something else, at least.
How?
https://ricochet.com/822533/keeping-track-of-election-fraud/#
In the election.
Probably not by any electronic theft on a grand scale, or by any centralized conspiracy.
But probably by things like illegal voting by non-citizens, illegal voting by people who’d moved out of state, illegal double-voting, illegal underage voting, illegal felon voting, illegal zombie voting, illegal work with ballot boxes late at night, illegal counting of late-arriving mail-in ballots, shenanigans to keep GOP poll observers away from the counts, and dubious rule-changes that favored Democrats.
Well said
What, an NT trying to sound reasonable ?
Still unable to get around the NT accusations?
I voted for him at least as often as you did- but I accept he can’t prove he was cheated and therefore has to give it up.
Not Antifa-
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/expert-andy-ngo-it-wasnt-antifa-at-the-capitol-riots
No, this is the mantra of the NT left. The election was stolen. Trump is upset, as I would be. The demonstrators outside the capitol were clearly Trump supporters. The rioters who broke into the capitol are yet to be identified but one, the guy in the animal skins, has been identified as Antifa. I suspect this was an op to discredit Trump and it seems to have worked.
Others claim he is QAnon from AZ (jake Angeli) – as above Andy Ngo doesn’t think it was Antifa infiltration & he is probably the best journalist on Antifa.
Many on the right are losing or have lost hope in the rule of law and equal justice under the law though the center right still professes it and to a lesser extent what’s left of the center left does as well. The Democrat party leadership and the harder Left have rejected professing the doctrine of equal justice in favor of social justice.
@manny
If leaders are responsible for the rhetoric they use, why hasn’t POTUS-44 been in Federal accommodations at Colorado Supermax since, say, 2018 already?
“Law and order” is only a noble principle when it comes with the corollary “equal justice under the law.” If there is no equal justice, then law and order is simply a ruse by a certain class of people, who are above the law, to go after the people who are not in their “in” group. -Dinesh D’sousa
Bernie Sanders wasn’t responsible for James Hodgekinson.
It’s amazing he did and was a fine president. I really liked his agenda and fighting spirit. I wanted four more years. But this really came crashing down today. I’m sorry it had to end this way.
Well, hope you’re right. Maybe the damage is limited to him personally. It probably is.