Among the most disingenuous reactions to the Capitol breach on Wednesday comes from Republican lawmakers who want to distance themselves from President Trump without severing every tie they have to his movement. To achieve this delicate balance — and preserve their political prospects — they have conflated two distinct events into a singular phenomenon. Here, for example, is Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, writing in The Wall Street Journal: |
Over the summer, as insurrection gripped the streets, I called to send in the troops if necessary to restore order. On Wednesday insurrectionists occupied the Capitol and disrupted the proceedings of Congress. These groups waved signs with different slogans, but our response must be the same: no quarter for insurrectionists. Those who use violence to advance their agendas must be stopped with the full force of the law. |
The events that we saw this week should sicken every single one of us. Mob violence of the kind you see in Third World countries happened not just in America, but in your Capitol. I don’t care what hat they wear or what they banner they carry, riots should be rejected by everyone, every single time. Now, are the Left hypocrites? Absolutely. I remember, what they now are calling insurrection, they were justifying just this summer as the “language of the unheard,” when rioters were burning cities. |
There is an obvious problem here, and I’m sure you see it. The riots of last summer were disruptive and destructive, although we should not take them out of the context of the aggressive, draconian response to protest that inflamed tensions and turned ordinary demonstrations into extraordinary disorder. But civil unrest — a recurring feature of American society — is not actually insurrection. |
An insurrection is a violent uprising against the government. There were no insurrections last summer. Instead, there were protests that collapsed into mayhem, none of which challenged the authority of the governments in question. Senator Cotton, in particular, may have wanted that unrest to be a kind of insurrectionary violence — so that the Trump administration would usurp the authority of state and local officials and deploy federal troops — but simply wishing something doesn’t make it true. |
By contrast, the Capitol breach by the “Stop the Steal” mob was an explicit attempt to subvert the government, because it targeted Congress itself. More important, where the violence of last summer was spontaneous and untethered to any particular political authority, the mob on Wednesday was organized by allies of the president and sent to the Capitol by Trump himself. |
To compare the riots of last summer to the siege on Wednesday is to make a category error. Of course, Senators Cotton and Rubio have every reason to make that false equivalence. |
For them to make the Capitol attack an issue of “riots” is to obscure their own roles in either humoring the president’s attack on the election or spreading his false claims about compromised election integrity. Their rhetoric right now is a diversion meant to mislead, not an honest assessment of the state of the nation. |
My Tuesday column was on the Republican Party’s weakening commitment to the basic democratic idea that political opponents who win elections are entitled to the power they confer. |
Of the many stories to tell about American politics since the end of the Cold War, one of growing significance is how the Republican Party came to believe in its singular legitimacy as a political actor. Whether it’s a hangover from the heady days of the Reagan revolution (when conservatives could claim ideological hegemony) or something downstream of America’s reactionary traditions, it’s a belief that now dominates conservative politics and has placed much of the Republican Party in opposition to republican government itself. |
And my Friday column argued for the speedy impeachment and removal of President Trump in the wake of the Capitol incident, lest Congress allow the perpetrators to escape with impunity. |
This is backward. A physical attack on Congress by violent Trump supporters egged on by the president demands a direct response from Congress itself. Impeachment and conviction is that response. To rely on the executive branch to get Trump out of the White House is to abdicate the legislature’s constitutional responsibility to check presidential lawbreaking. |
Ali Breland on the idea of “Trump Country” in Mother Jones. |
Mansa Keita on racial slurs and their impact in Arc Digital. |
Adam Gurri on the meaning of liberal democracy in Liberal Currents. |
Feedback
If you’re enjoying what you’re reading, please consider recommending it to your friends. They can sign up here. If you want to share your thoughts on an item in this week’s newsletter or on the newsletter in general, please email me at jamelle-newsletter@nytimes.com. |
A somewhat ironic flyer found on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, Va. |
A new feature! Every so often, I will provide a playlist of what I’m listening to while I write the newsletter. Sometimes there’s a theme, most of the time there isn’t. This time, you’ll notice, there is a theme. If you use Apple Music, you can click here for a link to the playlist. Otherwise, you’ll have to recreate it in Spotify or whatever music streaming service you use. Hope you enjoy. |
1. “State of the Nation” by New Order |
2. “Leaders of Men" by Joy Division |
3. “Damaged Goods” by Gang of Four |
4. “Straight to Hell” by the Clash |
5. “Rise” by Public Image Ltd. |
6. “This Damn Nation” by the Godfathers |
7. “Chain of Command” by XTC |
8. “Show of Strength” by Echo & the Bunnymen |
9. “Shock the Monkey” by Peter Gabriel |
10. “Coup” (12-inch version) by 23 Skidoo |
Now Eating: Broccoli and Cheddar Soup |
I have only a few comments on this recipe, which comes from NYT Cooking: It’s a classic soup and an excellent preparation. You should give it a try (and don’t skimp on either the broccoli or the Cheddar). |
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 pounds broccoli, florets with stems peeled and trimmed to 3 inches
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 8 ounces very sharp Cheddar, grated, plus more for the top
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
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Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. |
Add broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is bright green and slightly tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a large cooking spoon, transfer broccoli mixture to a medium bowl and set aside. |
Heat remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the same pot over medium heat (don’t worry about any remaining broccoli bits). Add flour and whisk constantly, cooking until the mixture has turned a pale golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. |
Gradually whisk in broth until no lumps remain (it’ll thicken considerably at first), followed by half-and-half. Bring to a simmer and stir in cheese, nutmeg and all but 1 cup of the reserved broccoli mixture. |
Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid has thickened and reduced by about ¼ and the broccoli is completely tender, 25 to 30 minutes. |
Using a hand blender, purée the soup to desired consistency. (Some like to leave bits of broccoli in there. It is up to you how smooth or chunky the soup is.) Alternatively, transfer to a blender and purée to desired consistency. |
Season soup with salt and pepper, and divide among bowls. Top with remaining 1 cup broccoli, more Cheddar (if you like) and lots of freshly ground pepper. |
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