There's so much going on, so quickly, that I can't decide where to begin, so here are a couple of quick takes.
Although Donald Trump is obviously a clear and present danger to the Republic, many high-placed people are trying to block his removal. Mike Pence, for one, by refusing to invoke the Twenty-fifth Amendment; but also those in both parties who are whining that there isn't time to impeach Trump. I looked it up to be sure, and the United States declared war on Japan one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. That's at least as large and weighty an action as impeaching a would-be tyrant before he can do any more damage. Where there's a political will, there's a way. Those who pretend there isn't time are trying to obstruct justice, and should be regarded in that light.
Then there are the people arguing that Trump should just go to Mar-a-Lago, do nothing, and wait out the time until Biden is inaugurated. That assumes that Trump would go in the first place, and that he would do nothing for two weeks. Or that Trump should just "be shunned." It would be hard for me to believe that anyone could seriously make such idiotic suggestions if I hadn't seen it so many times before. In order for shunning to work, you need a cohesive community united in the resolution to shun, and the US is not such a community, to put it gently. Aside from Trump's millions of supporters, there are many rich corporatists, national GOP politicians, and others just waiting for the dust to settle so they can meet with him privately and conspire some more. Nothing improper, you understand, just a friendly discussion. Remember how many vehement Never-Trump Republicans quietly went to work for him after he took office?
And then there's the media, who'll be champing at the bit to get just one more little interview with him: "Mr. Trump, do you have any regrets? What do you think you might have done differently?" (They'd probably even call him "Mr. President" -- decorum is such a vital norm, especially in these troubled times.) That wouldn't be a break in the shunning, it would be journalism! The American people have a right to know these things! They deserve answers to these questions!
On the question of failed security at the Capitol, here's a good beginning. But someone posted this, "Cipolli's Fifth Law," as a comment. I'm not going to bother finding out who Cipolli is or what his other laws are, because I don't give a damn:
Jeez, only a really stupid person would come up with that. People who like to think they aren't stupid do tend to underestimate the danger from people they think are stupid, but that is because they are stupid. One easy example: gay people and allies who were shocked by the virulence of antigay bigots in the antigay initiatives of the 70s through the 90s: they had no idea that people could be so awful! This was echoed by the Obama administration's shock that the GOP weren't going to play nice, despite ample evidence and overt declarations. These people aren't smart. Mostly they're privileged twits who've led very sheltered lives. As in Obama's case, their stupidity does most harm to other people, the people at the bottom, whom they despise, while they coast serenely along in their $14M Martha's Vineyard mansions.
That said, it's fun to see reports of members of the Capitol mob who took selfies and videos of their antics and posted them to social media, confident of their impunity -- only to find themselves greeted by police when they returned home. Several have lost their jobs. Schadenfreude is a dangerous drug, but I'm in complete control! I can quit anytime!
More to come, but meanwhile remember: it isn't over yet.
