Coup in the USA?

[bubblesort]

Oh ho, whoa. Unexpected. Well, not really, not totally, but good to see *now*.



EDIT: Meant to post this here. Maybe I'm more surprised to read this than I thought...if it's true!

I wonder if McConnell is sick of this shit, so maybe he's on his way out as republican conference leader, anyway. Maybe he wants to take the Trump delegation down with him, on his way out the door? It sounds crazy, but doesn't the senate republican conference get to vote on a new leader on the 20th, when the democratic caucus takes the majority?

IDK, the rules regarding leaders and conferences and caucuses in the senate make my head spin. It wouldn't surprise me if they try to oust McConnell before the impeachment begins, though.

 

[Essence Lumin]

Please let me never to to prison. If I end up there my religion calls for lots of steak and baked potatoes with sour cream and butter.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

I think what many people are laughing about is that someone who sided against those who believe in rights for all is complaining now, and demanding special treatment, i.e. a right his types have deemed wrong for others. They’re laughing at the position he is now in, having to ask for this right and having to depend on laws Republicans aren’t known to hold dear.

Also funny, organic food is associated with soy boy liberals (according to trumpists usually).

I don’t think there are many who are thinking only those on their “side” should get rights. I may be wrong, maybe many would like to see him be denied his rights, but I don’t think it’s a majority, especially here.

Nailed it!

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

If we start going down that path, how long before anything outside of conservative Protestant denominations gets protection in red states (or even blue states where law enforcement is more conservative than the overall population)? The First Amendment requires us to give credit to the religious beliefs and practices of a person, even if cynically used, so long as it does not contradict a compelling government purpose. Some dietary requirements may be so disruptive that they can be waived (for example, prisons can prohibit slaughtering animals for food on the premises on safety and hygiene grounds), but otherwise we must take people's statements of faith at face value, especially when they are outside of mainstream religions. Otherwise it is freedom of specific religions, not freedom of religion.

I see your point, and I certainly don't disagree. But it has to be kept in check, lest it runs away into the realm of being completely preposterous.

I agree with accommodating one's religious beliefs as much as is practical. But I think my biggest problem here is that I don't see the QAnon Shaman as anything remotely religious; rather, I see a special snowflake demanding taxpayers pay to give him special treatment, who would readily deny others any kind of special treatment.

 

[Free]

Fallout.

Ted Cruz's Communications Director Resigns Amid Fallout From Deadly Capitol Riot

Lauren Blair Bianchi reportedly was "not comfortable" with the Republican senator's efforts to overturn Joe Biden's election win.

www.huffpost.com

 

[Free]

Well this is helpful.

Secret Service Officer Cheered On Trump’s Attempt To Steal Election On Facebook

A Secret Service officer posted pro-Trump content on Facebook that boosted President...

talkingpointsmemo.com

A Secret Service officer posted pro-Trump content on Facebook that boosted President Donald Trump’s attack on the election, according to the Washington Post.

The Post reported that it had obtained screenshots showing that on the day after Trump’s supporters violently mobbed the Capitol on Wednesday, the officer posted a comment accusing lawmakers of “committing treason on live tv” by certifying the results of the election.

The officer’s reported comment also seemed to cheer on the “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the siege while blaming “Antifa” (an amorphous anti-fascists movement) for the violence at the Capitol, even though the FBI has stated that there has been “no indication” that anyone supporting Antifa was involved in the siege. The conspiracy theory has been peddled by some of Trump’s closes allies for several days now and Trump himself has reportedly supported the conspiracy theory in private.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

With a lot of the arrests I was kind of concerned to see weaksauce charges like "being in a restricted building" and stuff, with very small amounts of possible jailtime, being laid against the insurrectionists. But in their court appearances yesterday, when the charges were formally filed with the court, a lot of them were substantially upgraded.

For instance, when the guy with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi's desk was busted, the press reports were talking about "a maximum of one year in prison". But as of today, he's looking at more like a maximum of ten years.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

House Majority Whip James Clyburn Believes Someone Knew About Capitol Hill Attack From Inside

House Majority Whip James Clyburn says that Wednesday's riot isn't sitting well with him since the insurrectionists knew where his unmarked office was.

www.yahoo.com

“I have an unmarked office—you got to know exactly where it is,”

Snip

He implied that his inner office was targeted by the mob: “For some reason, these people showed up at that office. But the office where my name is on the door … was not disturbed. I’m just saying, they didn’t go to where my name was—they went where I usually hang out. So That to me indicates something untoward may have been going on.”

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

How close was that.


Full thread of interest.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Ongoing thread of stitching things together:

 

[Innula Zenovka]

FBI Probes Ex-SEAL Who Boasted About ‘Breaching the Capitol’

In the video, Adam Newbold said the riots were part of a “positive revolution,” and described how rioters had to “destroy doors and windows” to gain access.

www.thedailybeast.com

In the video, Newbold said the riots were part of a “positive revolution,” and described how rioters had to “destroy doors and windows” to gain access to the Capitol building. Well, a week later, he’s not quite as bold. “I am cooperating with the FBI,” he told ABC News, confirming the bureau has asked him for a second interview. “My life now has been absolutely turned upside-down,” he told the network. Expressing regret about his actions, he said: “It accomplished nothing. What the hell was it all for?”

 

[Veritable Quandry]

I see your point, and I certainly don't disagree. But it has to be kept in check, lest it runs away into the realm of being completely preposterous.

I agree with accommodating one's religious beliefs as much as is practical. But I think my biggest problem here is that I don't see the QAnon Shaman as anything remotely religious; rather, I see a special snowflake demanding taxpayers pay to give him special treatment, who would readily deny others any kind of special treatment.

Bad cases make bad law.

If we start to pick and choose, then before long only mainstream religions will be recognized. We have to take people's statements of faith at face value even if they are made in bad faith or we have no effective freedom of religuon. This is an all or nothing situation.

As I pointed out in the post that you quoted, there are recognized limits on accommodations if they disrupt a legitimate government function. Courts look at the nature of the requested accommodation, the government's interests, and if there is a discriminatory purpose for the policy. Denying an otherwise reasonable request because "he is not really a shaman" is evidence of discrimination. Denying a self proclaimed shaman an otherwise reasonable request while allowing Jewish, Muslim, or Adventist prisoners religious diets is evidence of discrimination. As long as the request does not disrupt the prison operations, it should be accommodated.

That does not change the fact that he is a whiny snowflake. But we can't take away his rights just because he has a naturally punchable face.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Her analysis seems pretty spot-on


ETA

Threads

 

[Veritable Quandry]

What if he believed himself to be Jesus Christ? Should the prison make special accommodations for him based on that?
...
I think there's a line that has to be drawn somewhere, especially when the use of my tax dollars is involved.

First, there is a different kind of institution if they are clinically delusional.

Second, there is a long case history establishing that there is a line.

Is the rule, law, or policy a legitimate public interest?
Is the accommodation disruptive to that interest?
Is the law discriminatory in its application or intent?

Organic food, kosher diets, no meat can all be achieved without disruption. Lots of steak and butter significantly adds to the cost of operating a prison and disrupts the legitimate government function.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I think what many people are laughing about is that someone who sided against those who believe in rights for all is complaining now, and demanding special treatment, i.e. a right his types have deemed wrong for others. They’re laughing at the position he is now in, having to ask for this right and having to depend on laws Republicans aren’t known to hold dear.

Also funny, organic food is associated with soy boy liberals (according to trumpists usually).

I don’t think there are many who are thinking only those on their “side” should get rights. I may be wrong, maybe many would like to see him be denied his rights, but I don’t think it’s a majority, especially here.

I'm afraid I have to disagree about organic food and the right -- the origins and history of the organic farming movement are apparently very much associated with fascism and the far right

Organic Farming's Political History

Organic farming has far-right roots. While the movement has grown beyond those, its history shows why we must examine our theories of social change.

edgeeffects.net

The roots of organic farming lie in fascism

Organic farming has roots in 20th century fascism, challenging the assumption that environmentalism and progressive politics are symbiotic.

theconversation.com

The Right-Wing Organic Farmers of Germany

Most Germans simply assume that their pesticide-free carrots and still-dirty locally-grown potatoes come from ideologically progressive left-leaning farms.…

www.newyorker.com

And, while I'm hardly an expert in these matters, don't Alex Jones and those like him peddle no end of magic organic vitamin supplements and the like, just as more up-market hucksters like Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop?

All the "wellness" products Americans love to buy are sold on both Infowars and Goop

The US is deeply divided—except when it comes to choosing their next pseudoscientific "wellness" product.

qz.com

ETA: I should make it clear that, of course, the Soil Association and the organic movement as a whole have outgrown their origins, but my point is that many of their ideas, like those of the Green movement, are as attractive to the extreme right as they are to the left.

 

[Free]

More shenanigans reporting.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Thread

 

[Innula Zenovka]

 

[Free]

 

[Innula Zenovka]

More shenanigans reporting.

The full article

Evernote link because paywall