Eric Weiner
5 min readJan 14, 2021

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illustration by Ed Emshwiller

Capital Melee — Is Something Missing?

By Eric G. Weiner

So the excitement is over… for now, until the next deadly outrage erupts. The questions, the self-righteousness, and respinning of events, of positions taken, are in full force. It wasn’t Trump supporters, it was Antifa pretending to be his supporters, It wasn’t Trump’s fault, it was all the Democrat’s doing.

Trump is no villain; he is a poor soul, valiantly trying to save America from:

a) The “deep state”, (whoever and wherever they may be), b) rabid vaccinators who, like Bill Gates, are really doing this to embed microchips in our veins to control our every move, c.) The usual world masterminds behind everything — us Jews — of course, d.) Venusian lizards who really rule the White House who Donald Trump bravely defends us from, every day, with his golf clubs, e) pedophilia Pizza Parlor owners run by Hillary Clinton and other top Democrats, f.) Mexican murderers, rapists, and the occasional judge, f) the “godless” amongst us — Thank god for that god-fearing pillar of ethics — Donald J. Trump, e) those “monstrous”, leftist, extreme radicals — such as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

But aside from these certain truths that are blithely bandied about, there are many who say that this was just “misguided patriots” who got carried away — inspired by the thought that their country was being taken over by election fraud. This sounds commendable. Yet what is missing is that none of these “Patriots” were up in arms when Trump deliberately undermined the United Postal Service so that absentee ballots would not be delivered.

None of these “Patriots” said a peep when balloting stations were closed down and eliminated only in Democratic and minority ridings. None of these erstwhile “Patriots” complained about intimidation and death threats made against poll workers, poll watchers, and officials who were just trying to do their jobs.

Where were these “Patriots” when 60 different court cases were thrown out due to no real evidence of voting fraud? (and some of these courts were presided over by judges Trump himself appointed to do his bidding.) Even these judges, and the Trump-dominated Supreme Court, couldn’t stomach such bald-faced farce.

Look at the faces of those sporting about inside the capital. Do they really look like ardent patriots? I think they look like a bunch of pseudo macho-men having the time of their lives, who know the President of the United States has their back, and they can do whatever the hell they like. And they did. These patriots defecated on the carpets, pissed on the stairs, stole computers, and terrorized and beat-up whomever they could.

But other things are missing. The President — who never knew a camera he didn’t like, except when he is meeting with his cronies and wants no witnesses, is recorded all-day, everyday. Part of this is de rigour for all presidents — they all have their continuously assigned photographers and videographers, and part is his vanity. Where are the videos of those 6 hours before the National Guard was called in?

We are told by a Republican senator that he was glued to the television and was cheering on the break-in of the Capital. Why isn’t there a video of this? Is it not our right to see our great President in action on such a glorious patriotic occasion?

Why is no one questioning the right of a President to deliberately mislead, lie, and allege “evidence” when the said evidence is nonexistent, and yet he continues to broadcast it to the people as fact — and yet this has no consequences? He has been counseling people to dishonor, and consider fraudulent, any election he does not win for years now. Is this not a direct assault on the foundations of democracy? Why was this allowed?

Why is no one questioning the power and legality, of the Presidential pardon itself, and why are people for one minute even entertaining the entirely crazy notion of a “self pardon?”

The fact that it is legal for the President to pardon people who have committed crimes on his own behalf puts a lie to the oft-stated declaration that “In the United States, no one is above the law.” Why is there absolutely no talk whatsoever of making this illegal?

If Trump can pardon Flynn who lied to the FBI on his behalf, about meeting with Russians, Roger Stone indicted on 7 felony counts, including jury tampering and witness intimidation. Judge Jackson added in her closing remarks. “He was prosecuted for covering up for the president”, (in addition to jury tampering and intimidating a witness) — but what the hell — “he’s a good buddy” said Trump. Paul Manaforte who was found guilty of obstruction of justice, witness tampering, bank fraud and conspiracy against the United State of America. If a President can have a “good buddy” commit crimes on his behalf, then pardon these same people — he basically can do anything at all that he wishes. As Trump used to claim before he was President: “I could kill someone in the middle of 5th Avenue and get away with it”. It looks as if, for once, he was telling the truth. As it stands there is no check whatsoever on the President’s power of pardon, and no one is talking about this.

And why is no one talking of the people behind Trump? How does the Koch Empire, The Heritage and Cato Institutes, the Mercers, and Rupert Murdoch and the Fox News apparatus get off Scott free and are not even mentioned in connection with what has been going on over the past 4 years, let alone what happened at the Capital?

And finally why are they just “wondering” in Georgia whether to bring charges against Trump? The evidence of him meddling, attempting to coerce, cajole, and threaten the Georgian Secretary of State into overturning the legally determined (and multiply counted) election returns is right there in Trump’s own recorded words. “Come on, Give me a break, I only need 11,780 votes.”

And finally, why is it only Arnold Schwarzenegger who is talking of the parallel with the Nazis “Kristallnacht ” and what it portends for the future. What about that fine “Patriot” at the Capital wearing the shirt that read: “6M NE” which stands for “6 million — not enough”? And the other patriot with the “Camp Auschwitz” shirt? And why is no one talking of why the armed invaders of the Michigan Statehouse were not arrested or even summarily shot, as they most certainly would have been if they had not been waving American flags and were not white. And why were not all those people milling happily around the capital after the National Guard and reinforcement finally arrived, not all arrested for treason, or curfew violations at the very least? What is going on here?

Why with all the words spoken are so many things going unsaid? Perhaps we are too scared to ask the right questions. Or perhaps too many people in media and politics know where their bread is buttered and so keep the lines of inquiry along carefully limited paths.

On the other hand, maybe it's because the Jewish/Mexican/black/gay/Moslem/Venusian lizards really are running everything behind the scenes.

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Eric Weiner

Was a psychotherapist, photographer, would-be writer for many years; musician/songwriter for very few years. Also a committed long-time vegan.