I'm not denying that they have committed a crime. They did. But a coup requires manpower, military power and very intelligent people behind. They didn't have any of that.
Just because they're incompetent doesn't change the fact that they were illegally invading the capitol, with the hopes of overturning the election (thereby installing their leader into power for 4 more years).
If you look at it that way, yes. But I don't think it was a coup as it wasn't even planned. Maybe some of them actually wanted to get in but I still don't see it as a coup but as insurrection.
> But I don't think it was a coup as it wasn't even planned
What? It just so happened to magically line up when the Senators / Congressmen were tallying the electoral votes? It was a planned march. It happened on the day of the electoral tally for a REASON. This is beyond symbolic: they wanted to overturn the election.
And they still do. The next march is Inauguration day, but this time I think people will be more prepared and better defended against it.
With luck, maybe we can knock enough wind out of their sails and prove to them that this behavior is unacceptable. But this is not the time to feign ignorance or become apologists for their cause.
They are still proud of what they accomplished (!!!). They were harassing Senator Graham just a few hours ago (https://twitter.com/iheartmindy/status/1347616155394043904). (EDIT: Twitter has removed comments. Good move, but it means you aren't seeing the planning that's going on from those crazies anymore)
Now is the time to prepare and defend. They're throwing down the gauntlet for Inauguration day, so we need to defend ourselves and our democracy. (EDIT: DC National Guard is debating M4 rifles or 9mm Berettas. They're taking this threat seriously)
> Maybe some of them actually wanted to get in
They live-streamed themselves getting in and bragged about it on Twitch and Youtube. By their own words they're trying to keep Trump as President.
Try looking at histories of successful and unsuccessful coup attempts. They require several orders of degree better planning, coordination and execution.
That was just hooligans, not different from hundreds of other riots happened in the US last year.
I'm reminded of a case my civics teacher mentioned. A lady was convicted of felony theft. She walked into a store grabbed a mink coat and tried to run out with it. Not realizing it was chained to a pole.
Appeals court ruled that just because it wasn't possible doesn't mean it's not a crime to attempt.
These guys tried to prevent congress from transferring the presidency from Trump to Biden. That's a coup attempt. Being an idiot isn't an excuse.
If some drunken man threw a TV out of the windows and shouted let's overthrow the government, that is technically a coup, and a good reason to write about it again and again in social networks and MSM.
Technically you are right. But it would be misleading at best.
Whats the difference between a group of people tresspassing the capitol versus a group of people attempting to overthrow the government? Can your explanation be falsifiable?
Given that it was done as part of a protest against the election results, and at the perceived direction of somebody trying to keep their office, I think a jury could make a reasonable interpretation.
What exactly do you think would have happened to the Congresspeople had they this mob encountered them? The mob sure looked prepared to take some of them into "custody." And some of them clearly had no qualms with beating that Capitol Police officer to death.
Clearly Congresspeople, regardless of party affiliation, were not interested in finding out.
When it was immediately preceded by a rally in which an ousted president ranted about how the election was stolen and they should march on the Capitol and prevent the election results from being certified.
I don't think the people that got there would be capable of overthrowing a unstable 3rd world government. Probably not even a small rural town.