Capitol Siege

What took place at the Capitol building this week was nothing short of a disgrace. But what exactly did take place? It has been called many things; a protest, a riot, an insurrection, a raid, etc. What do I believe it was? I would say insurrection isn't taking it too far. My reasoning being the English language. While it was not a successful insurrection, obviously the electoral votes were counted and the outcome of the election was not changed, the goal was still to undermine the democratic decision of the nation.

The people who committed this act and those who defend them have been throwing a lot of rhetoric around in their attempts at justification but they all fall flat due to one crucial factor: they can claim injustice all they want, they can cry fraud, rigging, and foul play to their hearts content, but without proof, none of those words contain any merit, leaving the act of ransacking the Capitol building as more accurately described as retaliation.

That's how I see it, to be perfectly blunt. It was payback. It was a bunch of angry little people throwing a tantrum over an election that this administrations own security claimed was secure. It was a whole lot of people who were suddenly confronted with reality and just couldn't accept it. But that's not all it was.

This insurrection wasn't spontaneous. It didn't manifest out of thin air. This was backlash that has been building for a long time. The people who burst into the Capitol building and marauded through this symbol of American civility, have, in my opinion, grown to detest the very traits the building represents. I think they have grown to detest decorum, order, democracy, and taking into account voices that differ from their own.

I don't believe those who ambushed the Capitol building actually believe that their voices aren't heard, I think they just believe theirs are the only voices that matter. On some level I think they know that the election wasn't rigged, and that what they did was simply an act of rage directed at the democratic system but they will never admit it, and that's a central element of the larger problem in this nation.

We have so many people who for so long have chosen to follow a deviation of reality. They see the world for what it is, but reject it in favor of their own fevered delusions. With conspiracy theories more popular than ever, and so many people having a media diet that's nothing but an echo chamber of madness, this sort of thing was bound to happen. The bigger problem is that it's not a sustainable model for a society. Having this many people who so willingly cast objectivity to the wind is truly a threat to the very social structure we have. The most frightening aspect of the whole situation is that I'm not sure how it can be fixed. I've had the opportunity to speak with some of the individuals who ascribe to such notions as Qanon, and the simple truth is that a great swath of them are plainly beyond reason. It doesn't matter how many facts you throw at them, how urgently you plead for them to see reason, they just won't have it. Some of them can be rehabilitated I'm sure, but such cases are few and far between, leaving a daunting presence in our political landscape. A presence marked by a ferocious appetite for the bizarre, the unhinged, and anything besides sanity.

This was the presence that ransacked our Capitol building and they have made a few things very clear since their presence has risen to prominence over the course of this erratic administration: first, they don't want reason. Second, they are more than numerous enough to threaten the very fabric of society. And third: that they believe ardently in their supremacy. It doesn't matter if they would never use those exact words, it is clear as day in their tone and their actions, they believe anyone who disagrees with them does not deserve to have their voices heard.

While this presence is arguably the greatest threat our society faces, as long as we treat it as such, I believe it can be combatted. As long as enough people in our nation and world will stand against madness, and cling to rationality with steadfast determination, I think this menace can be fought. While I'm not sure it can ever be eliminated, I do think it can be contained. I believe this unhinged demographic can be splintered and lowered in stature to the point when it is not an active threat. However right now, they are possibly the most potent they will ever be, so it's absolutely imperative that we do anything and everything necessary to stop this menace from forcing our society into a spiral of madness.