Protest events in Russia are a warning to Trumpists updated March 1.2021 and April 6, 2021

So, lovers of autocracy and anti-Constitutionalist, haters of peaceful transfers of power in government, here is what happens when the economy cools, disillusionment sets in and there is no way to oust a dictator/autocrat. except to take to the streets. Protest events in Russia are a warning. Careful what you wish, aiders and abetters of Trumpism. What you support now, may come back and bite you where it hurts later This is kind of regime change attempts we see in Russia is particularly difficult to accomplish when the dictator controls media and lies through his teeth about election outcomes, Trump wanted to take us there.

Even in April, 51% of Republicans were sure the Jan.6 riots in DC were mostly peaceful. Their attitudes represent the greatest threat to democracy. Half of Republicans believe false narratives about the Capitol riot, poll says | Business Insider India

Update March 1, 2021

Here is what happens in an autocracy. today.. when the dear leader controls the press, judiciary, legislature, and power. This is a message to devotees of Trumpism and those excusing Jan 6, a power takeover attempt by Trump and his militia/domestic terrorists of the government to remain in power in spite of a popular vote against him. Those who have a beef against the autocrat for whatever reason, in this case, leaders of corruption charges against Putin, get either poisoned or sent to a gulag. In Navalny's case: both. In olden days, we called such leaders fascists if they came from the right-wing of the political spectrum and communist dictators if they came from the far left. In any case, once the autocrat consolidates power, they are nearly impossible to unseat peacefully. Trump wanted a second term to complete his consolidation of power in the judiciary, legislative, and law enforcement power centers...he began it in his first term, but he had not yet finished the task of setting up the kind of government he advocated and so admired, one which more resembled Putin's. The followers to which he appealed shared his goals are equally responsible for an attempt to replace government by the people and the rule of law with rule by a person, Trump, who thumbed his nose at the Constitution and the popular vote.

THEDAILYBEAST.COM

Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Sent to Notorious Prison Camp

Alexei Navalny was sent to a “red zone” detention camp about 60 miles from Moscow known for its harsh conditions and brutal manual labor punishment.

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Trump made a beginning down that path with lies about election fraud and convincing a major part of the country that all reports except FOX and Murdoch funded media were fake news. His and his attorney's stated goal post-November 3 was to overturn the election so he could have a second term. He tried to reverse the election first through court action (losing all but one court case), and then through violent intimidation with the help of what the FBI called domestic terrorists, organizations which he had often called "patriots" and "some fine people". He urged those actors on January 6 to march on the Capitol and" fight" at the very moment Congress was voting on validating certification of the election. His election fraud lies gave fuel, rationale, or pretense to " stop the steal" for the violent insurgents to act as they did. Letting him off the hook without any significant repercussions will only encourage future, more clever wannabe dictators to try it again. Democracy just survived a close call. If we have learned anything from January 6 and the Russian experience, we cannot just assume it will go on automatically forever. Once lost, it is hard to get back.

The protests in Russia are more than about "free Navalny", but wider issues are also sparking the demonstrators. Russia’s Economic Slump Erodes Consensus That Shielded Putin - The New York Times (nytimes.com  While the Russian constitution permits peaceful protests, and it appears this was, the police crackdown on them was violent. Without an independent judiciary to enforce the provisions of a constitution, rights have little meaning in a dictatorship. Without investigative reporters and a media controlled by Putin and friends, Navalny assumed that role of investigation and exposed epic corruption. The Putin palace was documented on film by Navalny's associates. That is the kind of sin that nearly got him killed by poison and now has landed him in jail, sparking the demonstrations. Demonstrators waved toilet bowl brushes as a symbol of Putin's corruption since Navalny's expose of the extravagant lifestyle of oligarchs and Putin per Navalny was the ultra-expensive brushes Navalny pictured. ..  Without the Navalny's in this world, the absolute power of a dictator corrupts absolutely and the people governed would have no idea. 

Russia | Country Page | World | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)

The Inside Story of How Alexey Navalny Uncovered Putin's $1.3 Billion Palace (msn.com)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, After 20 Years of Rule (foreignpolicy.com)

Protests in Russia - United States Department of State

Navalny protests: Kremlin meets Russian demonstrators with fiercest crackdown in years - CNN

What truths could be laid bare to the public by the impeachment trial?

  What truths could be laid bare to the otherwise unaware public by a Senate trial? Such truths could be a part of a kind of truth and reconciliation commission..  

As the impeachment trial process begins today, where does public opinion stand on whether Trump was responsible for inciting the insurrection of January 6? The most comprehensive analysis of a variety of polling is below. What is clear, 57% blame Trump and that includes 20% of registered Republicans per the ABC poll.. That GOP Senators seem to be falling in line for acquittal is probably due to their acknowledgment that 80% of GOP voters are still supportive of Trump. It will be interesting to see how that changes at the end of the impeachment trial when Trump's culpability and defense are aired more fully.

Disapproval of Trump soars in wake of insurrection attempt - The Washington Post

WASHINGTONPOST.COM

Analysis | Disapproval of Trump soars in wake of insurrection attempt

Even among Republicans, Trump's position has eroded.

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 What truths could be laid bare to the otherwise unaware public by a Senate trial? A recounting of the failed efforts to prove there was widespread fraud in the elections. and the chances Trump supporters were given to provide proof and evidence. Included in that would be failed attempts of Trump to cajole George election officials to lie about the state vote totals and to get the DOJ to do likewise. Bill Barr's assessment and resignation is part of that., too 

 https://www.kctv5.com/wall-street-journal-trump-pressured-doj-to-file-case-with-supreme-court-to-overturn-election/article_cbba8e6d-9d01-5521-8981-972352ab4a7d.html   Trump weighed firing of acting AG Rosen to pursue vote fraud claims (usatoday.com). 

A tracking of Trump's incitement to violence in the past fours was  heavily visited on this blog and the links to these appear to the right of this blog 

Aside from evidence Trump knew the nature of those he inspired and what their purposes were, here is what could be brought to the attention of the public itself that might not have been covered by Fox and Murdoch friends:

Strange bedfellows: There is a segment of Trump supporters who cheered on the insurrection on TV at the time. No doubt many who did so were sincere, swallowing the lie that the vote was stolen by fraud so it was justified in taking the vote back by violence. They may not have thought they were supporting some racists and cop killers, but they were. The cast of awful characters who were in the forefront of the mob action was documented by journalists who snapped pictures of identifying shirt patches of those leading the mob and then did a snapshot paragraph about each one of the groups. I have cited this frequently, but it may be worth your time to get a grasp of what bedfellows some were cheering. It is horrifying.

Far-right symbols seen at the U.S. Capitol riot: What they mean and where they come from - Washington Post

Report: Hate groups in decline, migrate to online networks (msn.com): Article carries tally of affiliation of those arrested for violent acts Jan 6. QAnon leads.

WASHINGTONPOST.COM

Identifying far-right symbols that appeared at the U.S. Capitol riot

The Post deconstructs the symbols found among the crowd that are connected with right-wing groups, including militias and online conspiracists.

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The impeachment trial can serve as our own Truth and Reconciliation Commission

 At the end of apartheid in South Africa,  a court-like commission was established to bring peace and greater unity to that country. There was no reconciliation without exposing the truth as an inherent part of the process and truth could be told without retribution. We have nothing like that in the US, but the impeachment trial of Donald Trump may serve that purpose, whether or not he is acquitted of inciting the insurrection of January 6 and attempting to force state officials to lie about the presidential vote tally.  Reconciliation would have been useless without both sides of the conflict in South Africa having a chance to air their version of the truth and the truth was aired in a courtroom setting where the public could hear the parties present their cases.   Not all minds were changed or was reconciliation total, but it was still effective enough for the country to heal sufficiently and to move on.  The lesson learned: without the truth being exposed in a trial-like setting where both sides were fairly heard, a critical degree of reconciliation would not have happened. The impeachment trial in the Senate will give us that same opportunity

 It probably is a good thing the trial is delayed until early February for several reasons: It will give a chance for the Biden administration to get its cabinet in place through the Senate process (avoiding the "acting" appointee practice Trump favored. The Consitution had given the Senate the power of advice and consent in cabinet appointments,). It will give time for more evidence on either side to come forward. The evidence will be presented under oath and in sworn testimony.  It will give a sense of fairness, permitting Trump forces to plan and mount their defense.  If there is no fairness in the proceedings, its value would be virtually useless in shaping public perception of what the truth is. 

 What is at stake is not life and death or financial deprivation or prison for Donald Trump.  It is whether he can be a candidate for federal office again. That is as far as retribution goes.   If he is acquitted on a partisan vote ( 2/3 of the Senate is required for conviction), he would not lose that ability to be a candidate in 2024.  If he is convicted, a simple majority could vote on his eligibility to run again,, but he would have to be convicted in the trial first. He was already voted out of office through electoral college certification by each of the 50 states and the House, so removal is no longer an issue. The balance of power of the three branches would also not be affected.  This is the GOP's only chance to diminish his power over them in the future by reducing his bully pulpit advantage he could get as a candidate. It is a chance for Biden to convince more that he was elected in a free and fair election and to accept the legitimacy of his power to govern.    It is also a chance for all to hear from the Democrats:  how close we came to having a dictatorship, the rule of a person, instead of the rule of law,  and the end of democracy as we have known it.  The impeachment trial will shape the future of both the GOP and the Democratic party,   as well as to provide the truth element necessary for reconciliation.

Why is finding and exposing truth so important? It is because of our bifurcated media,  and social media platforms, that too often see themselves as an advocate, a vehicle to shape opinions, not an impartial reporting of the facts, all of them, good or warts and all. Half of the country hears only half of the news, and the half they want to hear reinforces their beliefs without contradiction. They will now be confronted with evidence to which they had not been exposed before by their preferred media. Both sides of our political divide will be forced to hear the inconvenient truths. about this one issue,  whether Trump tried to overturn an election by inciting an insurrection and threatening state officials to lie on his behalf.

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Of course, the coverage of the impeachment trial by Fox and Murdoch media depends upon their followers' version of the truth and hopefully, it will be 
fair and balanced...(their old slogan).   If you want to follow the impeachment trial unvarnished by any media pundits, follow it on C-Span.

Update 1/25/21 moved to new blog posting: what truths could be laid bare in an impeachment trial in the Senate. from my Facebook posting:follows_________________________________________________________________________________ 

Aside from the constitutional arguments, here are some practical impacts of why the impeachment trial has value even beyond a truth and reconciliation function. ..

Now that the GOP has lost the White House, tied and in effect lost the Senate, and failed to turn the House red, they are the ones calling for unity and saying the impeachment trial will make the country more divisive.  The answer is: exposing the truth in a fair court-like setting under oath with both sides having a chance to make their case...and where the results of conviction are not prison or losing office, it is still is necessary for reconciliation. Otherwise, the light shed on what really happened will be a slow leak from the anti-Trump forces...a political death by many cuts with tell-alls in books, and cable interviews over a long,  agonizing time. One bloodletting and then just move on has its values. It becomes ".just get over it" as the shock value of further evidence becomes "what else is new."  What if Trump is acquitted? He can make that point just as he did in the Ukrainian impeachment trial.  Unlike the Ukrainian impeachment,  voters and public knowledge of what was exposed will have a more profound impact on public opinion because the insurrection was so visual and frightening. The other objection? Why do this exercise when criminal prosecutions could do the job? Criminal action is not precluded; both criminal prosecution and impeachment can happen, but unlike an impeachment trial, the arguments and counter-arguments would most likely not get a full public airing.. Criminal prosecution will happen anyway but the proof needed for a conviction is "beyond a reasonable doubt", not""" probable cause" as in a civil suit case,  and the guilty would face prison.  Impeachment standards for conviction do not need to be either of those.  It is a political judgment and the burden of proof in whatever each Senator thinks it is..  Usually, the penalty is removal from office, but voters already did that. The penalty is to keep Trump from being a candidate again.