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This was not Brazil’s January 6 Indulging in national trauma will only benefit Bolsonaro

This was not a coup. Credit: Joedson Alves/Anadolu Agency/Getty

This was not a coup. Credit: Joedson Alves/Anadolu Agency/Getty


January 10, 2023   5 mins

Will Brazil have its own “January 6? The question has been posed repeatedly over the past year in speculation as to what might happen should Bolsonaro lose the October 2022 election. Brazil’s moment finally arrived: two days late and two dollars short.

On Sunday, a few thousand supporters of the ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, stormed the Three Powers’ Plaza, invading the (mostly empty) buildings of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Presidential Palace in Brasília. A great deal of vandalism took place, but government is in summer recess and the recently inaugurated President Lula was also away, tending to floods in São Paulo state. Within some hours, the invaders had been cleared.

Was this a credible coup attempt? As shocking as the images of Bolsonaro supporters rampaging through the halls of power are, just as symbolically loaded is the sight of authoritarian militarists seizing the seat of power ­— and then having no idea of how to actually seize power. They shat the bed – almost literally.

There is something deeply adolescent about the whole affair. Sore losers who refuse to accept the election result and then protest by destroying daddy’s belongings. Even the invasion of the Three Powers had something of the teenage tryst to it: they managed to penetrate the sacred site of government but their performance was a mess.

At least since the events of 7 September 2021, when Bolsonaristas threatened to storm the Supreme Court on Brazil’s independence day (but caused chaos a day early leading forces to intervene), there has been widespread concern about a coup. As the October 2022 election drew nearer, these worries grew stronger — though perhaps in inverse proportion to such an event’s likely success. Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters, both institutional and grassroots, might desire a coup, but that doesn’t mean they would take the plunge – whatever they might claim about a “stolen election”.

In the event, a coup was not even attempted. What we got was a series of illegitimate, anti-democratic but ultimately blunt adventures. On election day, the federal highways police mounted a mass vote-suppression operation by detaining buses in Lula-favouring regions. For a few weeks after the election, Bolsonaro supporters, including truckers, blockaded highways while observers wondered which arm of the security forces would clear them away, given the highway police’s manifest sympathies. But cleared they were. The next phase saw encampments set up around army bases where Bolsonaristas would petition the armed forces to intervene. It was from one such encampment in Brasília that Sunday’s would-be putschists departed for the Three Powers’ Plaza.

None of these points on the way to Sunday’s events was threatening enough on its own. Had they taken place almost simultaneously around the election — or at least prior to the January 1 inauguration — they might have signalled not just serious intent but coordinative capacity.

But the Bolsonarista ultras lack leadership, while institutional support is more circumspect. The clearing of encampments before Sunday’s invasion, led to some pathetic scenes. These are the hardcore of Bolsonaro’s support, infused with messianic and apocalyptic ideas. For them, the Workers’ Party’s return to office is not a mere alternation of government, but a cataclysm. Their behaviour does not testify to a capacity for carefully balanced strategy or tactical nuance.

Bolsonaro-aligned military generals, mostly reservists, have a comfortable arrangement and lack sufficient pull among the active troops. That meant they were not willing to take the risks a coup would imply. Elsewhere in the state — police or politicians — a similar calculus obtained. And of course, Bolsonaro himself absconded to Florida before the inauguration and has now been taken ill. The only other relevant force are the businessmen who fund the operation — including the 100 buses that carried the rioters to the Three Powers. Drawn from agriculture or retail, they probably lack sufficient knowledge of political power and how the Brazilian state works to perform the necessary articulating function a coup would require.

As a consequence, all these intimations of a coup turned out piecemeal and reactive. There were more emotional outbursts than strategic manoeuvres.

Crucial, then, will be the new government’s reaction. In the US, where the Capitol is already absurdly sacralised, the Democrats’ response to January 6 was to mythologise it. For two years, the party and its media satellites have self-servingly turned the riot into a national trauma. And worse, used it as motive to launch a domestic war on terror.

What is the likelihood the Workers’ Party does the same? Lula’s campaign last year was explicitly constructed as a broad front to save democracy and return the country to a more orderly politics. Throughout, there was a hint of nostalgia for the consensus politics of the 2000s, when one’s bitter rivals supposedly still played by the rules of the game. The temptation to use January 8 as the basis to excise Bolsonarismo from the body politic will be strong. 

But as Bolsonaro’s narrow defeat showed, that is easier said than done. Moreover, the danger is that this gives the Bolsonaristas the narrative of victimhood they crave, while further empowering the judiciary.

We should be clear here: the vandals, hundreds of whom were arrested, should be punished in accordance with the law; the funders should be investigated and prosecuted; and institutional accomplices should be rooted out. Already, the Federal District’s security secretary, an ex-minister of Bolsonaro’s, has been sacked. The governor, himself a Bolsonaro ally, no doubt did so in a move to protect himself, but Governor Rocha has, in turn, been removed from his post for 90 days by the Supreme Court. Both were seemingly complicit in allowing the invasion to happen.

The risk, then, is that this becomes a judicial crusade rather than a political struggle. Lula’s justice minister, Flavio Dino of the centre-Left Socialist Party of Brazil, had already announced in his inauguration speech on January 2 that “terrorist acts, crimes against the democratic rule of law, incitement of animosity between the armed forces and constitutional powers and civil institutions are very serious political crimes… [and] will permanently be on the table of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.” The fear is that a new anti-extremism law is brought in, a move that would parallel one of the final acts in the last Workers’ Party administration, when Dilma Rousseff signed in a widely criticised anti-terrorism law.

With these riots coming within a week of his inauguration, they may now prove a crucial pivoting point. Lula has, after all, pledged to reconstruct and transform Brazil. But is the aim to transform a rotten state whose constitutional settlement locks in oligarchy and military oversight just as much as it promises social rights? Or is it to defend the limited gains of the past?

Here we can glimpse the vice much of the Left has wedged itself into – not just in Brazil, but across Latin America and beyond. Continually on the defensive in the face of a rebellious and populist Right, the Left has abrogated itself the role of defender of civilisation. Suddenly, it finds itself not far removed from the concerns of the Tony Blair Institute, which has celebrated the decline in the number of “populist” leaders. A recent report commends a new wave of Latin American leaders for having “disavowed populist rhetoric and focused on progressive economic and social rights rather than the populist Left’s historic focus on industrial nationalisation”.

In Brazil, this was reflected in a Lula-led campaign that emphasised consensual deal-making and political nous over maximalist claims, and inclusion over polarisation. Meanwhile, if you squint hard enough, Bolsonarista rhetoric about how the state is not really impartial, and how the only true authority is the people, ends up sounding awfully Leftist, revolutionary even.

How to avoid cementing this political inversion of roles? After all, nothing good will come by allowing the Right to capture the spirit of revolt, given its declared anti-democratic and repressive goals.

But should Lula’s party follow the US Democrats’ lead in trying to make this early January insurrection into a national trauma, to be overcome through a defence of existing institutions, the only “transformation” the President will achieve is to definitively convert his side into the Party of Order.


Alex Hochuli is a writer based in São Paulo. He hosts the Aufhebunga Bunga podcast and is co-author of The End of the End of History: Politics in the 21st Century.

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Jim Jam
Jim Jam
1 year ago

The near unhinged hyperbole exhibited by most of the media concerning the events of January 6 – the way it was lept upon with ill-disguised glee by the narrative-setters; how the words used to describe it – ‘coup’, ‘insurrection’ – bore little if any relation to their true meanings, the way that outright lies were told about police deaths and beatings, the way endless reruns of those few short hours were played again and again and again, the way show trials were scheduled and orcastrated only then to be played by TV companies as desperate for ratings as they are to distort the minds of their viewers, and to form footsoldiers loyal to a political party they have long since dropped any pretence of working for – all this has conspired to shatter any trust whatsoever I had in those outlets now reporting on the events in Brazil.

As one might expect, the coverage has taken much the same tone; the exact same words – sometimes even whole sentences – re-used; their meanings translated, in my mind at least to now read ‘lies’.

However, this doesn’t neccasarily mean that whats happening / happened over there is as insignificant as a crowd of idiots letting themselves into a government building to parade around the place taking selfies. Maybe it is serious. Maybe the ‘threat to democracy’ is (for once) genuine. Or maybe, as this article would suggest, theres not a great deal of cause for concern. The fact is I have no idea. All I know is that I’m tired of consuming two polar accounts of reality, only to find the truth to lie somewhere in the middle, and with every day that passes for it to be further and further away from the account given by the legacy / MS media.

Last edited 1 year ago by Jim Jam
Samir Iker
Samir Iker
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Jam

In short, even the original, American Jan 6th was not really a January 6th, so to speak.

A bunch of “rioters” and “insurrectionists” with no guns, no major property damage and nobody killed – despite one of their own being shot down in cold blood, the crowd did not react violently.

Wish the BLM “protests” were as “violent” as those people.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago
Reply to  Samir Iker

Tell that to Officer Brian Sicknick’s family. He was kicked in the head, suffered multiple strokes, and died from an attack by these non-violent protesters. Or Officer Michael Fanone who had heart attack and traumatic brain injury after being assaulted on January 6th. Where do you get your “facts”?

Paul Hendricks
Paul Hendricks
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Officer Sicknick died of natural causes. Even NPR had to admit it.

Perhaps Officer Fanone’s “traumatic brain injury” is what led to his new career as a media personality?

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul Hendricks

He was kicked in the head which lead to his strokes. Get real. What a completely dishonest answer.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

The medical examiner said he died of strokes caused by blood clots in an artery. He ruled it was natural. The autopsy found no evidence of internal or external injuries, or of an allergic reaction to any chemical substance.

Rob N
Rob N
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

Blood clots? Now people get those all the time don’t they. But seem to be more for the last couple of years for some reason.

Rob N
Rob N
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

Blood clots? Now people get those all the time don’t they. But seem to be more for the last couple of years for some reason.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

The medical examiner said he died of strokes caused by blood clots in an artery. He ruled it was natural. The autopsy found no evidence of internal or external injuries, or of an allergic reaction to any chemical substance.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul Hendricks

You are thinking of Officer Kevin Greeson who had a heart attack, not Sicknick. Sicknick’s family is suing because his death was caused by his brutal attack. Get your facts straight before you argue.

Rob N
Rob N
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

You had better stop and check all the facts. Greeson wasn’t a police officer. He was a pro-Trump protestor who died of a medical emergency.

Rob N
Rob N
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

You had better stop and check all the facts. Greeson wasn’t a police officer. He was a pro-Trump protestor who died of a medical emergency.

Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul Hendricks

Did he get attacked or not? He did, that is not ‘non-violent’ protest. As did several others. Conservatives supporting people who attack the police, or even trash the Capitol building?
Most Republicans would like to move on as they know trying to defend Jan 6th is not at all helpful to them politically. However it seems we can always rely on a few UnHerd commentators to keep banging on about it. This was in any case an article about Brazil.
But I almost despair. Many on the Right are utterly clueless about any sort of political strategy.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul Hendricks

He was kicked in the head which lead to his strokes. Get real. What a completely dishonest answer.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul Hendricks

You are thinking of Officer Kevin Greeson who had a heart attack, not Sicknick. Sicknick’s family is suing because his death was caused by his brutal attack. Get your facts straight before you argue.

Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul Hendricks

Did he get attacked or not? He did, that is not ‘non-violent’ protest. As did several others. Conservatives supporting people who attack the police, or even trash the Capitol building?
Most Republicans would like to move on as they know trying to defend Jan 6th is not at all helpful to them politically. However it seems we can always rely on a few UnHerd commentators to keep banging on about it. This was in any case an article about Brazil.
But I almost despair. Many on the Right are utterly clueless about any sort of political strategy.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

You were lucky Prince Harry wasn’t there!
He’d have probably ‘wasted’ 25 or more!

Rob N
Rob N
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Newsweek reports regards Sicknick “The medical examiner for Washington, D.C. said Sicknick, who suffered two strokes, died of natural causes.
So at least get your facts right.

Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
1 year ago
Reply to  Rob N

Big picture. I know you probably don’t trust Reuters, but this is what policemen said
Police officers recount horrors from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol | Reuters
Supposed conservatives defending these thuggish rioters (ok many of them dupes, but what the hell did they think they were doing) is a disgrace.
Trump was the worst culprit, because he undoubtedly incited the protest / invasion / riot / whatever it was. It would have been so much better not to have done so, even for the future of conservatism.

Last edited 1 year ago by Andrew Fisher
Samir Iker
Samir Iker
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew Fisher

Oh please.
Did you even read the “evidence” that you linked to?
And just for a laugh, do a Google search for some of those “victims” of Jan 6th prominently mentioned in your piece.
Lied under oath, made up his stories, almost certainly commited perjury.

Those couple of names mentioned earlier supposedly killed on that day?
Both were false.

Don’t know what’s worse, the brazenness with which the likes of NYT lie or the stupidity of people who actually believe those lies without a bit of common sense or cross checking.

Samir Iker
Samir Iker
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew Fisher

Oh please.
Did you even read the “evidence” that you linked to?
And just for a laugh, do a Google search for some of those “victims” of Jan 6th prominently mentioned in your piece.
Lied under oath, made up his stories, almost certainly commited perjury.

Those couple of names mentioned earlier supposedly killed on that day?
Both were false.

Don’t know what’s worse, the brazenness with which the likes of NYT lie or the stupidity of people who actually believe those lies without a bit of common sense or cross checking.

Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
1 year ago
Reply to  Rob N

Big picture. I know you probably don’t trust Reuters, but this is what policemen said
Police officers recount horrors from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol | Reuters
Supposed conservatives defending these thuggish rioters (ok many of them dupes, but what the hell did they think they were doing) is a disgrace.
Trump was the worst culprit, because he undoubtedly incited the protest / invasion / riot / whatever it was. It would have been so much better not to have done so, even for the future of conservatism.

Last edited 1 year ago by Andrew Fisher
Samir Iker
Samir Iker
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall
Paul Hendricks
Paul Hendricks
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Officer Sicknick died of natural causes. Even NPR had to admit it.

Perhaps Officer Fanone’s “traumatic brain injury” is what led to his new career as a media personality?

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

You were lucky Prince Harry wasn’t there!
He’d have probably ‘wasted’ 25 or more!

Rob N
Rob N
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Newsweek reports regards Sicknick “The medical examiner for Washington, D.C. said Sicknick, who suffered two strokes, died of natural causes.
So at least get your facts right.

Samir Iker
Samir Iker
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall
Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
1 year ago
Reply to  Samir Iker

‘In cold blood’. Scared policemen faced by a mob invading the seat of government, of huge symbolic importance and at that time, practical governance in confirming the election result, screaming ‘Pelosi, where are you?’. What were the ‘protestors’ doing exactly? Perhaps they had no real idea, but certainly at least trying to intimidate. In some ways you can feel sorry for many of them, as they had been totally whipped up by Trump. But some of them seemed pretty scary to me. I thought conservatives were supposed to oppose trashing public property? Double standards here among some on the Right – police killing unarmed black criminals – fine – Trump supporters, not so much.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago
Reply to  Samir Iker

Tell that to Officer Brian Sicknick’s family. He was kicked in the head, suffered multiple strokes, and died from an attack by these non-violent protesters. Or Officer Michael Fanone who had heart attack and traumatic brain injury after being assaulted on January 6th. Where do you get your “facts”?

Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
1 year ago
Reply to  Samir Iker

‘In cold blood’. Scared policemen faced by a mob invading the seat of government, of huge symbolic importance and at that time, practical governance in confirming the election result, screaming ‘Pelosi, where are you?’. What were the ‘protestors’ doing exactly? Perhaps they had no real idea, but certainly at least trying to intimidate. In some ways you can feel sorry for many of them, as they had been totally whipped up by Trump. But some of them seemed pretty scary to me. I thought conservatives were supposed to oppose trashing public property? Double standards here among some on the Right – police killing unarmed black criminals – fine – Trump supporters, not so much.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Jam

Tell that to Officer Brian Sicknick’s family. He was kicked in the head, suffered multiple strokes, and died from an attack by these non-violent protesters. Or Officer Michael Fanone who had heart attack and traumatic brain injury after being assaulted on January 6th. Where do you get your “facts”?

Jim Jam
Jim Jam
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

I could just as well ask where you get yours.

Feel free to provide actual (not editorialised) evidence for those claims.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Jam
Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall
CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Washington’s medical examiner found that Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick*died a natural death on Jan. 7.

Do you seriously dispute this?
Although not mentioned I would also assume he was suffering from atherosclerosis. I wonder if he was having an ECG every six months, as he should have been.

(* Without meaning an iota of disrespect to SICKNICK’s family, it is the most extraordinary name under the circumstances, is it not?)

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Sudden stress can indeed cause a stroke and Sicknick took several punches to the head. He died 8 hours after the riots, and even the medical examiner said the attack on him likely played a role in his death. And no, I don’t find the dead man’s name funny. And it is disrespectful, despite your half-hearted disclaimer.

Andrew Dalton
Andrew Dalton
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Not as disrespectful as using a man’s death for political gain.

Andrew Dalton
Andrew Dalton
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Not as disrespectful as using a man’s death for political gain.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Sudden stress can indeed cause a stroke and Sicknick took several punches to the head. He died 8 hours after the riots, and even the medical examiner said the attack on him likely played a role in his death. And no, I don’t find the dead man’s name funny. And it is disrespectful, despite your half-hearted disclaimer.

Mae West MacHale
Mae West MacHale
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

The NYT? Really?
That said… Only RAY EPPS knows the truth. He was there – rallying the crowd to go to the Capital. “Go inside, go inside the capital!” Provoking the crowd. Get your facts straight.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall
CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Washington’s medical examiner found that Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick*died a natural death on Jan. 7.

Do you seriously dispute this?
Although not mentioned I would also assume he was suffering from atherosclerosis. I wonder if he was having an ECG every six months, as he should have been.

(* Without meaning an iota of disrespect to SICKNICK’s family, it is the most extraordinary name under the circumstances, is it not?)

Mae West MacHale
Mae West MacHale
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

The NYT? Really?
That said… Only RAY EPPS knows the truth. He was there – rallying the crowd to go to the Capital. “Go inside, go inside the capital!” Provoking the crowd. Get your facts straight.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Jam
Jim Jam
Jim Jam
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

I could just as well ask where you get yours.

Feel free to provide actual (not editorialised) evidence for those claims.

Richard Pearse
Richard Pearse
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Jam

The bottom line is that this is article is excellent reporting from a Brazilian journalist! I’ve lived in southern Brazil for 5 years (since before Bolsonaro was elected in 2018) and am watching in real-time what unfolded and is unfolding.

My wife (uma brasileira) and one of her sisters (of 5) are anti-Bolsonaro- for the same reason that Suburban US women were Anti-Trump (boorish and unpresidential). They both became hysterical about the storming of the empty government buildings – my wife claiming that Brazil’s “experiment” with self-government was under threat by the half of the country that voted for Bolsonaro.

However, the other 3 sisters and their husbands are pro-Bolsonaro and were sort of cheering about the storming of the empty buildings, though I’m confident they are calming down as they realize how stupid it was, and what the ramifications might be.

The mainline news in Brazil and government spokesmen (including Lula himself) are talking about the event as an invasion, terrorism, fascism, an attempted coup (“golpistas”).

Incredibly, the only rational and balanced reporting and realistic perspective I have seen is this article in English on UnHerd! I think I’ll seek out the author’s podcast “aufgehebunga bunga” – I presume based on Hegel’s aufgeheben -clever!

Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Jam

January 6th did actually happen, and I don’t think CNN arranged it! It is true the Democrats have milked the event for all it is worth, though it hasn’t done them a lot of good among the American electorate. It was also largely a shambolic farce – though no doubt pretty scary to the few policemen on duty. But Trump endlessly not accept the election result; he had tried the courts, which he was entitled to do, but they rejected his claims. He should have then conceded.
He at least encouraged a mass assembly / protest, which apart from anything else was a politically stupid thing to do. Trashing the Capitol, even if that was all it was, is really not a very good look for a supposedly ‘conservative’ political leader, but then again, in no meaningful sense is Trump a conservative. Trump is always ‘his’ side’s worst enemy, as he showed just recently (Ron ‘Sanctimonious’ – funny but showing all he cares about is himself) and helping to prevent the expected ‘red wave’ in the mid-terms.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew Fisher

Geez, you can dispute that an officer was killed and still think it was a disgrace. You can dispute that it was an insurrection and still believe it was a violent mob.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew Fisher

Geez, you can dispute that an officer was killed and still think it was a disgrace. You can dispute that it was an insurrection and still believe it was a violent mob.

Samir Iker
Samir Iker
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Jam

In short, even the original, American Jan 6th was not really a January 6th, so to speak.

A bunch of “rioters” and “insurrectionists” with no guns, no major property damage and nobody killed – despite one of their own being shot down in cold blood, the crowd did not react violently.

Wish the BLM “protests” were as “violent” as those people.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Jam

Tell that to Officer Brian Sicknick’s family. He was kicked in the head, suffered multiple strokes, and died from an attack by these non-violent protesters. Or Officer Michael Fanone who had heart attack and traumatic brain injury after being assaulted on January 6th. Where do you get your “facts”?

Richard Pearse
Richard Pearse
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Jam

The bottom line is that this is article is excellent reporting from a Brazilian journalist! I’ve lived in southern Brazil for 5 years (since before Bolsonaro was elected in 2018) and am watching in real-time what unfolded and is unfolding.

My wife (uma brasileira) and one of her sisters (of 5) are anti-Bolsonaro- for the same reason that Suburban US women were Anti-Trump (boorish and unpresidential). They both became hysterical about the storming of the empty government buildings – my wife claiming that Brazil’s “experiment” with self-government was under threat by the half of the country that voted for Bolsonaro.

However, the other 3 sisters and their husbands are pro-Bolsonaro and were sort of cheering about the storming of the empty buildings, though I’m confident they are calming down as they realize how stupid it was, and what the ramifications might be.

The mainline news in Brazil and government spokesmen (including Lula himself) are talking about the event as an invasion, terrorism, fascism, an attempted coup (“golpistas”).

Incredibly, the only rational and balanced reporting and realistic perspective I have seen is this article in English on UnHerd! I think I’ll seek out the author’s podcast “aufgehebunga bunga” – I presume based on Hegel’s aufgeheben -clever!

Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Jam

January 6th did actually happen, and I don’t think CNN arranged it! It is true the Democrats have milked the event for all it is worth, though it hasn’t done them a lot of good among the American electorate. It was also largely a shambolic farce – though no doubt pretty scary to the few policemen on duty. But Trump endlessly not accept the election result; he had tried the courts, which he was entitled to do, but they rejected his claims. He should have then conceded.
He at least encouraged a mass assembly / protest, which apart from anything else was a politically stupid thing to do. Trashing the Capitol, even if that was all it was, is really not a very good look for a supposedly ‘conservative’ political leader, but then again, in no meaningful sense is Trump a conservative. Trump is always ‘his’ side’s worst enemy, as he showed just recently (Ron ‘Sanctimonious’ – funny but showing all he cares about is himself) and helping to prevent the expected ‘red wave’ in the mid-terms.

Jim Jam
Jim Jam
1 year ago

The near unhinged hyperbole exhibited by most of the media concerning the events of January 6 – the way it was lept upon with ill-disguised glee by the narrative-setters; how the words used to describe it – ‘coup’, ‘insurrection’ – bore little if any relation to their true meanings, the way that outright lies were told about police deaths and beatings, the way endless reruns of those few short hours were played again and again and again, the way show trials were scheduled and orcastrated only then to be played by TV companies as desperate for ratings as they are to distort the minds of their viewers, and to form footsoldiers loyal to a political party they have long since dropped any pretence of working for – all this has conspired to shatter any trust whatsoever I had in those outlets now reporting on the events in Brazil.

As one might expect, the coverage has taken much the same tone; the exact same words – sometimes even whole sentences – re-used; their meanings translated, in my mind at least to now read ‘lies’.

However, this doesn’t neccasarily mean that whats happening / happened over there is as insignificant as a crowd of idiots letting themselves into a government building to parade around the place taking selfies. Maybe it is serious. Maybe the ‘threat to democracy’ is (for once) genuine. Or maybe, as this article would suggest, theres not a great deal of cause for concern. The fact is I have no idea. All I know is that I’m tired of consuming two polar accounts of reality, only to find the truth to lie somewhere in the middle, and with every day that passes for it to be further and further away from the account given by the legacy / MS media.

Last edited 1 year ago by Jim Jam
Allison Barrows
Allison Barrows
1 year ago

January 6 wasn’t “January 6!”, either. People lead protest marches in DC all the time. The difference is, most of them aren’t seeded with FBI malefactors and abetted by capitol police to create a political narrative for the media to hyperventilate about ad nauseam. When Trump was inaugurated, there was a massive riot on the parade route (and in other large US cities). The media dubbed it . . . a festival of resistance.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Tell that to Officer Brian Sicknick’s family. He was kicked in the head, suffered multiple strokes, and died from an attack by these non-violent protesters. Or Officer Michael Fanone who had heart attack and traumatic brain injury after being assaulted on January 6th. Do the lives of those police officers not matter to you? How can all of the commenters on here so easily dismiss January 6th? I thought this website was about honesty, but I just see people wedging narratives to suit their views.

Allison Barrows
Allison Barrows
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Posting this absurd lie on repeat isn’t an argument. Does Ashli Babbitt, actually murdered in cold blood by capitol police officer Michael Byrd, matter to you? You don’t say.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago

Michael Byrd should be tried for murder.

It is an absolute disgrace to the whole concept of US Justice that he is still a free man.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago

Michael Byrd should be tried for murder.

It is an absolute disgrace to the whole concept of US Justice that he is still a free man.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Stop repeating yourself you tiresome woman.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Had to throw the woman part in, huh?

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Don’t tell me, but you are really Mr Hall or perhaps even Ms Trans Hall?

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

You know you’ve lost the argument when …

Samir Iker
Samir Iker
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

I think the relevant bit was the word before woman

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Don’t tell me, but you are really Mr Hall or perhaps even Ms Trans Hall?

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

You know you’ve lost the argument when …

Samir Iker
Samir Iker
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

I think the relevant bit was the word before woman

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Had to throw the woman part in, huh?

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Honestly, this is getting weird. I may be wrong, but I would posit most people on this website agree that Jan. 6 was violent and a disgrace.

But it wasn’t an insurrection or attempted coup. The Jan. 6 committee was an act of partisan political theatre that had no interest in finding out the truth.

Rob N
Rob N
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Newsweek reports regards Sicknick “The medical examiner for Washington, D.C. said Sicknick, who suffered two strokes, died of natural causes.
So at least get your facts right.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Rob N

I couldn’t read the NYT article because it’s paywalled, but I can accurately guess what it said;

“Sicknick did die as a result of a blood clot, but it was induced or aggravated by the stress of Jan. 6.”

Sad, sad state of affairs at the NYT.

Samir Iker
Samir Iker
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

“induced or aggravated by the stress of Jan. 6.”
And yet Mr BLM’s death somehow had no linkage to the amount of drugs he had in his blood, or his struggling and refusing to cooperate with the police.

Samir Iker
Samir Iker
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

“induced or aggravated by the stress of Jan. 6.”
And yet Mr BLM’s death somehow had no linkage to the amount of drugs he had in his blood, or his struggling and refusing to cooperate with the police.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Rob N

I couldn’t read the NYT article because it’s paywalled, but I can accurately guess what it said;

“Sicknick did die as a result of a blood clot, but it was induced or aggravated by the stress of Jan. 6.”

Sad, sad state of affairs at the NYT.

Allison Barrows
Allison Barrows
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Posting this absurd lie on repeat isn’t an argument. Does Ashli Babbitt, actually murdered in cold blood by capitol police officer Michael Byrd, matter to you? You don’t say.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Stop repeating yourself you tiresome woman.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Honestly, this is getting weird. I may be wrong, but I would posit most people on this website agree that Jan. 6 was violent and a disgrace.

But it wasn’t an insurrection or attempted coup. The Jan. 6 committee was an act of partisan political theatre that had no interest in finding out the truth.

Rob N
Rob N
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Newsweek reports regards Sicknick “The medical examiner for Washington, D.C. said Sicknick, who suffered two strokes, died of natural causes.
So at least get your facts right.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Tell that to Officer Brian Sicknick’s family. He was kicked in the head, suffered multiple strokes, and died from an attack by these non-violent protesters. Or Officer Michael Fanone who had heart attack and traumatic brain injury after being assaulted on January 6th. Do the lives of those police officers not matter to you? How can all of the commenters on here so easily dismiss January 6th? I thought this website was about honesty, but I just see people wedging narratives to suit their views.

Allison Barrows
Allison Barrows
1 year ago

January 6 wasn’t “January 6!”, either. People lead protest marches in DC all the time. The difference is, most of them aren’t seeded with FBI malefactors and abetted by capitol police to create a political narrative for the media to hyperventilate about ad nauseam. When Trump was inaugurated, there was a massive riot on the parade route (and in other large US cities). The media dubbed it . . . a festival of resistance.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago

What happened in Brazil seems much more serious than the American experience. It looks like there was some actual planning, even if it was only bringing in 100 buses, and there was some financial backing from business leaders.

Still, it doesn’t seem like an existential threat to democracy. Prosecute the crap out of the perpetrators and set an example.

It didn’t take long, of course, to blame it on Trump. I’m sure the Washington Post will soon reveal from anonymous sources that Trump was masterminding the whole operation.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

Quite so, the American thing was no more than a “fart in a windstorm” as we would say.

The only scandalous thing about it was that a Black Policeman shot and killed a White Woman and got away with it!

AC Harper
AC Harper
1 year ago

Plus the people that were arrested for 6 Jan have been held for two years in poor conditions, mostly without a trial so far…

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  AC Harper

Really!
Don’t they have Habeas corpus in the US?
If NOT how barbaric!

Last edited 1 year ago by CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  AC Harper

Thank you.
Not a good report!

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  AC Harper

Thank you.
Not a good report!

E. L. Herndon
E. L. Herndon
1 year ago

Agreed, it is a scandal that in the very capital of the USA we have political prisoners held in inhumane conditions and without access to legal remedies. (The fact that more is not being made of this is almost the worst part of this farce.) It is, indeed, barbaric, and amounts to willfully ignoring the Constitution. To have the writ, and to ignore it is scarier than not having it at all.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  E. L. Herndon

One might have thought that after the abomination that was ABU GHRAIB and all that nonsense about ‘water-boarding’, things might have got better.

Now it seems they only get worse.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  E. L. Herndon

One might have thought that after the abomination that was ABU GHRAIB and all that nonsense about ‘water-boarding’, things might have got better.

Now it seems they only get worse.

E. L. Herndon
E. L. Herndon
1 year ago

Agreed, it is a scandal that in the very capital of the USA we have political prisoners held in inhumane conditions and without access to legal remedies. (The fact that more is not being made of this is almost the worst part of this farce.) It is, indeed, barbaric, and amounts to willfully ignoring the Constitution. To have the writ, and to ignore it is scarier than not having it at all.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  AC Harper

Really!
Don’t they have Habeas corpus in the US?
If NOT how barbaric!

Last edited 1 year ago by CHARLES STANHOPE
Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Tell that to Officer Brian Sicknick’s family. He was kicked in the head, suffered multiple strokes, and died from an attack by these non-violent protesters. Or Officer Michael Fanone who had heart attack and traumatic brain injury after being assaulted on January 6th. Where do you get your “facts”?

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

What are you blathering about?
Sicknick, as you well know died of NATURAL causes.

Fanone has made a full recovery from his injuries, unlike Ms Babbitt who will have to wait until Judgment Day for Justice.

Presumably you ‘make up’ your facts as you trot along?

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Um, no, Gleeson died of a heart attack, deemed natural causes, not Sicknick – he was kicked into a stroke.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

You’ve been watching too much Dr Kildare!

You do NOT get “kicked into a stroke”!

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

You’ve been watching too much Dr Kildare!

You do NOT get “kicked into a stroke”!

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Fanone has not made a full recovery, and even if he had, does that make January 6th non-violent?

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Um, no, Gleeson died of a heart attack, deemed natural causes, not Sicknick – he was kicked into a stroke.

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Fanone has not made a full recovery, and even if he had, does that make January 6th non-violent?

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

What are you blathering about?
Sicknick, as you well know died of NATURAL causes.

Fanone has made a full recovery from his injuries, unlike Ms Babbitt who will have to wait until Judgment Day for Justice.

Presumably you ‘make up’ your facts as you trot along?

AC Harper
AC Harper
1 year ago

Plus the people that were arrested for 6 Jan have been held for two years in poor conditions, mostly without a trial so far…

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Tell that to Officer Brian Sicknick’s family. He was kicked in the head, suffered multiple strokes, and died from an attack by these non-violent protesters. Or Officer Michael Fanone who had heart attack and traumatic brain injury after being assaulted on January 6th. Where do you get your “facts”?

monicasilva999
monicasilva999
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

I find the opposite, being, as we Brazilians are, thick-skinned from previous anti-democratic experiences. The system in place, good or bad as it may be, takes this possibility into account and is organized accordingly. In the US I see people shocked because politicians decide to not honour gentlemen’s agreements while there’s very little in place to actually enforce rules (the release of tax returns is but a small example).
As for Trump, I don’t believe he has the cognitive abilities to mastermind something like this. Not that Bolsonaro wouldn’t have loved it, mind you, since he counts himself as a Trump ally and had long been advised by Bannon and his ilk. It’s just that they’re bad at it.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

Quite so, the American thing was no more than a “fart in a windstorm” as we would say.

The only scandalous thing about it was that a Black Policeman shot and killed a White Woman and got away with it!

monicasilva999
monicasilva999
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

I find the opposite, being, as we Brazilians are, thick-skinned from previous anti-democratic experiences. The system in place, good or bad as it may be, takes this possibility into account and is organized accordingly. In the US I see people shocked because politicians decide to not honour gentlemen’s agreements while there’s very little in place to actually enforce rules (the release of tax returns is but a small example).
As for Trump, I don’t believe he has the cognitive abilities to mastermind something like this. Not that Bolsonaro wouldn’t have loved it, mind you, since he counts himself as a Trump ally and had long been advised by Bannon and his ilk. It’s just that they’re bad at it.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago

What happened in Brazil seems much more serious than the American experience. It looks like there was some actual planning, even if it was only bringing in 100 buses, and there was some financial backing from business leaders.

Still, it doesn’t seem like an existential threat to democracy. Prosecute the crap out of the perpetrators and set an example.

It didn’t take long, of course, to blame it on Trump. I’m sure the Washington Post will soon reveal from anonymous sources that Trump was masterminding the whole operation.

Rob N
Rob N
1 year ago

Interesting that there is little discussion about whether the Brazil election was fair or not. The votes cast might have been as reported (a very narrow win for Lula) BUT we know that the media (not just Twitter) in Brazil and overseas was almost universally very biased against Bolsonaro in what reporting/commentary it allowed etc.
Also almost certain that the Supreme Court, or at least some of the Justices, were also very biased.
So fair election. No.
I am sure that Brazil, like the US, has learnt a lot from the last failed coup in Turkey which was used as a pretext for huge restrictions on liberty, sacking of anti-President figures etc. Many commentators believe that the Turkish coup was instigated by Erdogan and fair to report that many think the same about Jan 6th. I wonder how long it will be till there is evidence that Lula was behind the Brazil demonstration/incursions.
Imagine branding a non mask, Covid vaccine mandating President Bolsonaro as a dictator!

Rob N
Rob N
1 year ago

Interesting that there is little discussion about whether the Brazil election was fair or not. The votes cast might have been as reported (a very narrow win for Lula) BUT we know that the media (not just Twitter) in Brazil and overseas was almost universally very biased against Bolsonaro in what reporting/commentary it allowed etc.
Also almost certain that the Supreme Court, or at least some of the Justices, were also very biased.
So fair election. No.
I am sure that Brazil, like the US, has learnt a lot from the last failed coup in Turkey which was used as a pretext for huge restrictions on liberty, sacking of anti-President figures etc. Many commentators believe that the Turkish coup was instigated by Erdogan and fair to report that many think the same about Jan 6th. I wonder how long it will be till there is evidence that Lula was behind the Brazil demonstration/incursions.
Imagine branding a non mask, Covid vaccine mandating President Bolsonaro as a dictator!

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Well, I have read some excellent articles on this site, and thought it was supposed to be a hallowed middle ground where facts and common sense had a home. But the comments on this article are no different than Fox News – all downplaying January 6th as a dustup. Those rioters wanted to hang Mike Pence, and do God knows what to Nancy Pelosi. They attacked police officers, defecated all over the Capitol, and destroyed tons of property. Some had zip ties and weapons. It was revolting, and why anyone would want to defend such thugs is beyond me.
I am all for finding a middle ground, but not at the expense of reason. Brian Sicknick had 2 strokes and died, after being sprayed with chemicals and punched (if not kicked) in the head. It’s not unreasonable to presume there is a connection between his attack and his strokes. Michael Fanone sustained permanent injury by his own testimony. Their suffering should be dismissed by people who I am sure have never served in either the service or as officers of the law. I come from a military family.
I too am tired of the extremes of the left and the right. The center is nonexistent, but I guess I won’t find it here. For disagreeing, I was accused of not even being a woman, but being a trans man? Bizarre. How is that even relevant? And for the record, I am a woman, a mother, and a teacher, and my children and students behave far better than the person who said that.
And the NY Times is a decent news source. Is it biased? Yes. But there is a difference between bias and credibility. Bias is what you cover. Credibility is whether your facts are correct. The facts in the time are correct, even if the spin skews left. For the record this site is rated as right biased, but credible. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/unherd-bias/
Maybe I will have better luck with another article. A few written by women on here have been excellent.

Last edited 1 year ago by Eileen Hall
CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

What utter nonsense, the British Army did far more damage in 1814, thank God!

So really this is just a feminist whinge, the same old stuff, how very boring!

The sixth of January was virtually NOTHING, a mere ‘storm in a teacup’, bar for the senseless murder of Ms Babbitt.
It’s about time you acknowledged this and got on with your own miserable life!

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Feminist whinge? You have an issue with women. I am allowed to disagree with you. I don’t agree with you. And your all CAPS yelling won’t change that, nor your insults or conjecturing about my body parts. Very strange debating tactics.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

You need help Ms Hall, seek it while you still can.

By the way, what is this fantasy about ‘body parts’?

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

You accused me of being a trans man. You may have deleted it, but I wasn’t the only one who saw it.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Lots of stuff was deleted by the mods for some reason. I had some comments deleted that were not offensive.

For the record, calling trans was out of line for so many reasons.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

If I may ask why?
I thought it was all the ‘rage’ in these decadent days.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago

I actually disagreed with much of what Eileen said in her threads and expressed that. I don’t think you win arguments though using ad hominems, even if they are really harmless.

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago

I actually disagreed with much of what Eileen said in her threads and expressed that. I don’t think you win arguments though using ad hominems, even if they are really harmless.

Andrew Dalton
Andrew Dalton
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

Heavily downvoted posts often get deleted (possibly automatically). Sometimes they reappear, possibly from human intervention.
Any comments responding to a deleted one will also go.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

If I may ask why?
I thought it was all the ‘rage’ in these decadent days.

Andrew Dalton
Andrew Dalton
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

Heavily downvoted posts often get deleted (possibly automatically). Sometimes they reappear, possibly from human intervention.
Any comments responding to a deleted one will also go.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

I queried whether you were a “trans man”, but did not accuse you! You need to pick your words more carefully.

More to the point, why my query! Well there has to be some rational explanation for your extraordinary behaviour does there not?

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

So you disagree with my opinion and sources, and that makes me trans? Bizarre logic. And you’re still celebrating the 1814 attack on the Capital? And I’m the irrational one?

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

So you disagree with my opinion and sources, and that makes me trans? Bizarre logic. And you’re still celebrating the 1814 attack on the Capital? And I’m the irrational one?

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

Lots of stuff was deleted by the mods for some reason. I had some comments deleted that were not offensive.

For the record, calling trans was out of line for so many reasons.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

I queried whether you were a “trans man”, but did not accuse you! You need to pick your words more carefully.

More to the point, why my query! Well there has to be some rational explanation for your extraordinary behaviour does there not?

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

You accused me of being a trans man. You may have deleted it, but I wasn’t the only one who saw it.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

How can we debate when you don’t even know the FACTS?

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

You need help Ms Hall, seek it while you still can.

By the way, what is this fantasy about ‘body parts’?

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

How can we debate when you don’t even know the FACTS?

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Feminist whinge? You have an issue with women. I am allowed to disagree with you. I don’t agree with you. And your all CAPS yelling won’t change that, nor your insults or conjecturing about my body parts. Very strange debating tactics.

CHARLES STANHOPE
CHARLES STANHOPE
1 year ago
Reply to  Eileen Hall

What utter nonsense, the British Army did far more damage in 1814, thank God!

So really this is just a feminist whinge, the same old stuff, how very boring!

The sixth of January was virtually NOTHING, a mere ‘storm in a teacup’, bar for the senseless murder of Ms Babbitt.
It’s about time you acknowledged this and got on with your own miserable life!

Eileen Hall
Eileen Hall
1 year ago

Well, I have read some excellent articles on this site, and thought it was supposed to be a hallowed middle ground where facts and common sense had a home. But the comments on this article are no different than Fox News – all downplaying January 6th as a dustup. Those rioters wanted to hang Mike Pence, and do God knows what to Nancy Pelosi. They attacked police officers, defecated all over the Capitol, and destroyed tons of property. Some had zip ties and weapons. It was revolting, and why anyone would want to defend such thugs is beyond me.
I am all for finding a middle ground, but not at the expense of reason. Brian Sicknick had 2 strokes and died, after being sprayed with chemicals and punched (if not kicked) in the head. It’s not unreasonable to presume there is a connection between his attack and his strokes. Michael Fanone sustained permanent injury by his own testimony. Their suffering should be dismissed by people who I am sure have never served in either the service or as officers of the law. I come from a military family.
I too am tired of the extremes of the left and the right. The center is nonexistent, but I guess I won’t find it here. For disagreeing, I was accused of not even being a woman, but being a trans man? Bizarre. How is that even relevant? And for the record, I am a woman, a mother, and a teacher, and my children and students behave far better than the person who said that.
And the NY Times is a decent news source. Is it biased? Yes. But there is a difference between bias and credibility. Bias is what you cover. Credibility is whether your facts are correct. The facts in the time are correct, even if the spin skews left. For the record this site is rated as right biased, but credible. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/unherd-bias/
Maybe I will have better luck with another article. A few written by women on here have been excellent.

Last edited 1 year ago by Eileen Hall