That he won the election.
This is so fundamental a lie, that when pressed, as Trump has done, & married to a demagoguery, as he had utilized to enflame his believers, you get
When you boil Trump (& the consequent Trumpism) down to its essentials at root it is Lying.
Trump has made a life of being a liar.
It is "Trump Rule#1" expressed years ago "Trump is a liar. He does not simply tell lies, he IS a liar. Thus what he does is quintessentially a lie".
That he won the election.
This is so fundamental a lie, that when pressed, as Trump has done, & married to a demagoguery, as he had utilized to enflame his believers, you get
All because of a Lie. Propounded by a liar.
Here then is the first brick in the edifice that is the newly submerged & subjugated Republican Party:
Renounce the Founding Lie.
If they will not, then nothing else matters.
But by the dint and opportunity allowed the structure of the impeachment process, to avoid all and any facts by the simple tactic of embracing, and advancing, a lie.
The Republicans as a Party have accepted as their functional premise for governance and leadership a Liar.
Until these cornerstones of what unifies the Republicans, devoted to their party, and not the country,
You cannot unite with a lie. Or a liar at this level.
Practically, the Senate should be made to declare a simple fact: Trump Lost The Election.
Until then, all the facts in the world are categorically dismissed as irrelevant.
The reason this is possible to be done with
To support & accept Trump & his defense you have to be willing to adopt the Lie as axiomatic premise.
Do that, and you can sit and read the paper while the
But we have not come to the end of it yet.
If this lie, and this liar, is allowed to continue, unchecked, it will be tantamount to validating the
This does not disturb those who profit from the lie.
It is said that the reason so many Republican Senators are afraid to vote as they would if the vote were private is because
a) they are afraid of the trumpian mob/backlash. A threat to
This is not an idle fear, as has been demonstrated many times. Trump, and his brownshirts, are quite willing to use threats, and acts, of violence to intimidate. (this should be part of the larger impeachment of Trump, but like so much, has to be left off)
c) They need to remain in good standing with the Party.
It is clear that any deviation from this partisan line comes w swift consequences. Far more swift than opposing the dissolution of the republic by Trump & his
It is hard to stand up against that.
and etc.
The vote is not, in fact, about the doings of Trump and the consequent insurrection, trying to invalidate an election, and trying to retain power by
They are voting for the lie.
They will instantiate the lie as the new founding fact of the Republican Party.
The discussion is not happening in the context of trying to work out ideas & compromises around complex issues that have multiple angles & considerations
It makes discussion any given detail or issue difficult, because in the end one side is devoted to the Lie.
Anything, and that means Any-thing, that would even threaten to expose & undermine the Lie has to be
It is simple Machiavellian principles of survival & power.
Break the back of the Lie. First.
Then the matrix of Lies that the chief Liar has inculcated in the system, and the Repubican's have sworn to defend.
Then you can get to the Liar himself.
we might be able to save the country.
It does not seem it will happen in this battle that is the Impeachment Trial.
But convicting Trump was never going to happen.
Not with these acolytes.
What is important about this trial, and the one before is
There will be a time where this lie, like all lies, will lose its power to coalesce a group of believers.
Even this one.
What has to be done now is establish the record, so that when the foggery is lifted, and the dark incentives to sustain
More from Michael Beaton
The assertion & question of unity, unifying the country, wondering what the hell the problem is, and why is all this happening is taking center stage. Dramatically.
As is the corollary question being tossed about, "How to heal the Nation?".
There is a #systems principle
that is a powerful insight into these, & related, questions.
"You cannot solve a problem at the same level it was created."
If the problem we were solving for were some detail, 'where to place a road; what $ to allocate to this or that project' sort of thing, then the way to
think about the problem, the impasse, is to appeal first to the functions of prior planning, history - meaning what did we do the last time, maybe pragmatics...Eventually, if the organization (whether business, community, or governance) may make a decision and that becomes the
decision. Often, typically, the decision is some sort of amalgam of the various ideas and 'camps' in the room. Rarely, but sometimes, the decision is made out of pure hierarchy..."What the boss says goes, I don't care what you think..." sort of thing. Largely that is old school
and is not the normal way of conflict resolution. Especially in the context of solving a problem.
But a decision is made, and typically people, and the various factions, come together and get to work in the context of the decision. Sometimes called 'teamwork'.
As is the corollary question being tossed about, "How to heal the Nation?".
There is a #systems principle
An excellent piece that raises a key question going forward:
— Bob Geiger (@GeigerNews) January 16, 2021
Should we ever "unify" with the worst among us?
"Unifying with those seeking white supremacy, voter suppression, and government overthrow seems like the very definition of madness."https://t.co/UgmPQfy05F
that is a powerful insight into these, & related, questions.
"You cannot solve a problem at the same level it was created."
If the problem we were solving for were some detail, 'where to place a road; what $ to allocate to this or that project' sort of thing, then the way to
think about the problem, the impasse, is to appeal first to the functions of prior planning, history - meaning what did we do the last time, maybe pragmatics...Eventually, if the organization (whether business, community, or governance) may make a decision and that becomes the
decision. Often, typically, the decision is some sort of amalgam of the various ideas and 'camps' in the room. Rarely, but sometimes, the decision is made out of pure hierarchy..."What the boss says goes, I don't care what you think..." sort of thing. Largely that is old school
and is not the normal way of conflict resolution. Especially in the context of solving a problem.
But a decision is made, and typically people, and the various factions, come together and get to work in the context of the decision. Sometimes called 'teamwork'.
Yes. This is the problem.
Irrational anger & outrage which is easily manipulated, as we see being done, into tribal affiliation. Predicated not on some devotion to core ideals & principles of the country, but something else.
Notice what ea side appeals how they express it.
One side largely is moved by wanting a system, a society, a government that is responsive to the situation and needs of the public. This has a number of aspects, from infrastructure, taking care of the environment, BLM, taking care of the 'least among us' &etc.
These folks...
These folks on "the other side"... Not sure what to call this other side. It is a collection of right wing people, some who are simply "members" by affiliation, by tradition, by location in the country...others by reasoned choice.
However they get there, a large % are like this.
Lets call this the Trumpian side, Trumper Cohort, since that is the current center around which these "73M" are organized.
Within this cohort, there are many who are simply "Republicans" by inertia. Their family has been so forever, and so they are too. In actual fact they
do not like what is being done in their name, wonder what happened to the party, but cannot imagine voting for a "Democrat", no more than the feud over Ford vs Chevy would resolve in welcoming in the other 'team'.
These don't really know or und what a "Democrat" is these days,
Irrational anger & outrage which is easily manipulated, as we see being done, into tribal affiliation. Predicated not on some devotion to core ideals & principles of the country, but something else.
Notice what ea side appeals how they express it.
Wait for it, we\u2019re about to unleash 73 MILLION of this guy! https://t.co/34x0rTzC77
— President-Elect Lynn \u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f\u2b50\ufe0f (@lynnemiles01) November 20, 2020
One side largely is moved by wanting a system, a society, a government that is responsive to the situation and needs of the public. This has a number of aspects, from infrastructure, taking care of the environment, BLM, taking care of the 'least among us' &etc.
These folks...
These folks on "the other side"... Not sure what to call this other side. It is a collection of right wing people, some who are simply "members" by affiliation, by tradition, by location in the country...others by reasoned choice.
However they get there, a large % are like this.
Lets call this the Trumpian side, Trumper Cohort, since that is the current center around which these "73M" are organized.
Within this cohort, there are many who are simply "Republicans" by inertia. Their family has been so forever, and so they are too. In actual fact they
do not like what is being done in their name, wonder what happened to the party, but cannot imagine voting for a "Democrat", no more than the feud over Ford vs Chevy would resolve in welcoming in the other 'team'.
These don't really know or und what a "Democrat" is these days,
