When it comes to domestic extremists such as those who stormed the Capitol, a longtime CIA officer argues that the U.S. should treat them as an insurgency.
That means using counterinsurgency tactics — similar in some ways to those used in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Robert Grenier served as the CIA’s station chief for Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2001. He went on to become the CIA’s Iraq mission manager and then director of the CIA Counterterrorism Center from 2004 to 2006.
“We may be witnessing the dawn of a sustained wave of violent insurgency within our own country, perpetrated by our own countrymen,” Grenier wrote in The New York Times last week. And without national action, he argues, “extremists who seek a social apocalypse … are capable of producing endemic political violence of a sort not seen in this country since Reconstruction.”
To speak this way about American citizens. Citizens who credibly believe their electoral process if wrought with fraud and that they are disenfranchised…
Attacking our fell countrymen that aren’t happy about the government is not likely to solve the problem. They can even convict Trump and that likely flames the fires.
We need to get better representation from Congress! Thus asshats represent big money and only big money. Campaign finance, term limits, age limits, … As Trump said in 2016 DRAIN THE SWAMP.
My liberal and conservative friends all agree with those three issues: campaign finance overall to block big money, term limits, and age limits. Without those, I could see this country becoming more divided. It may be time for me to buy a yacht and live on it.
If we want to unrig the system, how about Rank Choice voting to allow third party candidates to win?
Trump may have lost those, hard to say. If he did and they were stolen, it is as much the fault of local republicans not taking part in the election process as democrats cheating.
17th amendment- this normally works in favor of republicans. Repealing it may be needed to keep the senate republican leaning but I don’t think so. Things are cyclical. The fact that the democrats didn’t win more seats shows how people aren’t happy.
Term limits-yes
lobbying restrictions-yes
elections audited by secret firms- NO. Secret = less public knowledge of the process. We need more people to be part of the process not less.
Congress using same laws- yes. How about President, SC, or better yet ALL citizens?
I’m sure we can name more laws and the majority of citizens would agree on them YET congress is broken so badly that we aren’t represented.
Not secret to US. Secret to the firms. Meaning they are not allowed to know who the other firms are that got a bid. That way they can’t collude on result sets.
More proof that the election was rigged.
Now back to the 17th. It’s more than just favoring republicans. Our system was designed to have both “the people” and “the states” represented separately. If the 17th amendment was never ratified, Obamacare probably never sees the light of day because it was a program that was outrageously expensive for states due to the mandated Medicaid expansion.
Do you mean firms insuring the results aren’t rigged? Without voter IDs, I can’t imagine a real way of insuring a secure election.
Not really. Do you believe everyone votes down-ballot and since it didn’t happen in 2020, it is proof the election was rigged?
I can get on-board with some of this. Another would be that states can’t go bankrupt yet the Feds aren’t always willing to write a check when those states are failing… see Trump with blue states.
I’m saying ensuring the results of the audit aren’t rigged.
While I agree with you that this is the most effective measure we can take, I don’t believe it is the only measure. The reality is that the democrats will never pass this measure.
There are ways to forensically audit, particularly ballots, that would ensure a fair count.
“Kinetic artifact forensic audit”. If you’re not familiar, it’s a way to forensically examine a paper ballot to determine if
A real human being made the marks on the ballots as opposed to a machine.
The ballots were predesigned to cause “rejections” to force improper adjudications.
We have ways today to check if a person exists so I’m not overly concerned with that aspect. The above 2 are how this election was stolen.
Some counties in democrat heavy areas had 70%+ adjudication rates. That means for every 10 ballots cast, 7 of them were kicked out due to an “error” and then a person decided who the ballot was cast for. And in places like Detroit and Philly, they kept republicans away from the adjudication process so they couldn’t have any input or challenge the adjudicator!
Forget about “what I believe.” Forget about what you believe. Just go look at the data. Go look at 2016, 2012, 200* 19**
Show me a precedent where this many ballots were cast for the presidential race but not down ticket. Show me anything and I’ll withdraw my claim.
I’ve talk with some friends about the odd down-ballot voting for 2020. My take is that Trump didn’t help his cause yet enough people like the republican ticket that they voted against Trump and for Republicans. I’ll admit, I did just that as I believe Trump is crazy and didn’t have a path to “drain the swamp”. Thus, give me crazy Joe for 1-4 years, hoped the Republicans would hold the senate (they didn’t) and at worst, we win back the house in 2 years like most cycles.
Yes, I’m willing to let this crazy liberal run the country during a pandemic and post pandemic. The good news is that he is OLD and running for a second term against a younger republican won’t be easy. The republican’s need to regroup and move on from Trump. The sooner the better!
It’s not. At all. I WANT them to do it so I can vote for a Republican president again.
You refuse to acknowledge how damaging Trump has been to the GOP. They’re eating each other right now. And the Dems are more than happy to watch it happen.
-While I believe in programs to help those who need it, I detest dem politicians (Bernie and Warren) who want to literally give everything to people. College debt forgiveness being one of them.
-The proposal to raise the minimum wage to 15 an hour is stupid. This is simple math the Dems know about but are ignoring because it gives them votes.
-Incarcerated felons voting? Really?
Now - that being said - I also support Dem (and Catholic - GSC) positions. Helping immigrants and people less fortunate. Like abortion - I am fiercely opposed to the death penalty. I find it odd that republicans are largely pro-life when it comes to abortion - but to not respect human life when it comes to condemned inmates. I get it’s easy to distinguish the two - but we must respect all human life and let god judge. Yes?
Is that good enough? Based on what I know about you - I doubt it.
She made a verifiable public claim that was false, and could lead to some nasty consequences of people thought she was telling the truth. And under House rules, she can be expelled if they had the balls to hold members accountable: