O/T:- ⚠️Impressed with the leadership [The UK Party Politics Thread]

[countygump]

I'm watching a few live updates, and it's beyond surreal. I know America had a civil war way back in the 1800s, but the outgoing president (and he will 100% be the outgoing president) seems hell bent on starting another one. His pressure on Mike Pence to do something that he couldn't legally do was reprehensible, but now he seems determined to sink even lower. His statements at his rally are pretty much an incitement to violence, and there are enough lunatics among his supporters to carry it out.

After he's dragged kicking and screaming out of the White House, I'm torn as to where his next residence should be. It's either a prison cell or a psychiatric ward, preferably the former.

Mad as a box of frogs, owd Trumper is.

[BigFatPie]

What do you reckon the reaction of law enforcement would be to those protesters if they were black? The same? Different?

Actually we don’t have to guess, we know.

https://twitter.com/williamlegate/status/1346904942666244109?s=21

[drillerpie]

What do you reckon the reaction of law enforcement would be to those protesters if they were black? The same? Different?

I don't know. As far as I can see the vast majority of them are milling around outside quite peacefully, actually facing away from the police. The ones inside are apparently involved in an armed standoff with police. Would they have been shot if they were black? I don't know. Maybe. The majority of the police are probably Trump supporters, which might affect how they treat other Trump supporters (it shouldn't, I know).

[drillerpie]

Mad as a box of frogs, owd Trumper is.

I think you once described him as a cnut, but you said that he was your cnut. He's fairly obviously still a cnut, is he still yours?

[jackal2]

The United States, contrary to its name, has always been a deeply divided country. The only question is how many 'parts' it actually divides into. Until now, Presidents and other senior figures have always seen it as their duty to downplay and diffuse that division in the interests of maintaining national stability. Donald Trump is doing the opposite. He hasn't created the anger, because it was always bubbling beneath the surface, and he's by no means the first political figure to try to fan the flames of such conflict, but as President he must be the highest profile and highest ranking politician (or anti-politician) ever to do so.

I don't know if this is the beginning of the endgame or just an eye-catching media moment on a long journey towards the ultimate break up of a country, but I do think the days of the United States as we know it are finite. It's such an unwieldy beast containing so many competing interests. Plenty of countries a lot smaller than the States have broken into pieces due to the strain of trying to keep huge and disparate groups of people under one essentially artificial 'flag'.

[countygump]

I think you once described him as a cnut, but you said that he was your cnut. He's fairly obviously still a cnut, is he still yours?

Did I?

I'll take your word for it Driller.

He still has entertainment value, you've gotta give him that and in few more weeks/months he'll be a forgotten cnut.

Makes you wonder what he'll get up to in his last couple of weeks in office?

[drillerpie]

I don't know. As far as I can see the vast majority of them are milling around outside quite peacefully, actually facing away from the police. The ones inside are apparently involved in an armed standoff with police. Would they have been shot if they were black? I don't know. Maybe. The majority of the police are probably Trump supporters, which might affect how they treat other Trump supporters (it shouldn't, I know).

There are also very few police there. Maybe about 1 luminous jacket for every fifty or so protestors. Not sure what they would do exactly, they look like stewards by the Kop trying to stop a pitch invasion on the last day of the season. On Al Jazeera they've just showed batons flying inside. A request to call in the National Guard has apparently been declined by the Pentagon.

[countygump]

There are also very few police there. Maybe about 1 luminous jacket for every fifty or so protestors. Not sure what they would do exactly, they look like stewards by the Kop trying to stop a pitch invasion on the last day of the season. On Al Jazeera they've just showed batons flying inside. A request to call in the National Guard has apparently been declined by the Pentagon.

The have the same as Sky now, well they do in the UK anyway.

https://www.aljazeera.com/live

[SwalePie]

Makes you wonder what he'll get up to in his last couple of weeks in office?

He needs locking up now to protect the nation. The Virginia National Guard are now on the way to support the local law enforcement. The DC National Guard have not responded as they are controlled by the President not the city's Mayor.

[jackal2]

He needs locking up now to protect the nation.

Which half? Or third or quarter?

[countygump]

Which half? Or third or quarter?

Sounds like some poor soul has been shot inside the building.

[Elite_Pie]

Which half?

The half that believes in democracy. Unfortunately, they are only around a half.

[countygump]

The half that believes in democracy. Unfortunately, they are only around a half.

It was the same in this Country, Eli.

[jackal2]

Sounds like some poor soul has been shot inside the building.

Sky saying reports of someone (possibly a woman) being shot by a member of law enforcement. All unconfirmed and pretty chaotic though. No doubt we'll find out more in due course.

[Elite_Pie]

It was the same in this Country, Eli.

Was it? I don't remember tear gas and gunshots at Westminster.