Lego Capitol as preparation for Jan 6 riot
Last week the MSM was full of reports that a Capitol Hill rioter who was arrested had a fully assembled Lego Capitol model seized in his home as proof of a carefully planned attack.
This week the FBI admitted the toy had not even been taken from the box.
As stupid as that is, it is stupider still to think a Lego toy has sufficient internal detail to be of any use in attacking the building.
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
The word insurrection has always been weirdly overblown. I suspect that the insurrection is a lot like the Mueller report, Russian collusion, the impeachment charges, and the rest.
By the way, something I’ve been wondering. There should be more than a tiny number of people in Tidewater interested in your forum. Is this part of America so sleepy? Or is it that extreme lefties drive everyone away?
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There are too many sites that have little debate, just cheerleading.
If that is what you are looking for, I might have some recommendations.
In response, insurrection is probably not precise. “Autogolpe” is of South American extraction and means that a sitting president attempts to stay in office past his term or losing an election. It often involves stacking courts with friends or sympathetic judges, some attempts at decree ruling, then violence either through the military or street gangs supporting and encouraged by president the ex-president.
Two out of three is not too bad, is it? Although executive orders by the pound might be decrees in another country.
Terrorism might also be an alternative. It is often define as violence to effect a political end. Kinda fits too, no?
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There are no extreme lefties here. The positions we promote are all very widely shared usually by clear majority of our fellow citizens.
You people are the extremists. Just own it.
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Really?
You wouldn’t be in the moderate middle in Berkely.
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Yes, really.
Your comment simply illustrates out out of touch with political reality you are. “Leftist” policies and proposals have won the argument which is why the GOP is so obsessed with blocking the voters and is so busy scratching around for new fronts in the so-called “Culture wars.”
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I’m sure if we could do a proper survey, we would find that I am Center-Right. And you are Left-Left.
For example, more than 75% think that photo ID is a good thing. Common sense, practical people.
You are the minority. Doctrinaire, rarely exhibiting common sense.
.
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You are welcome to your opinion and, in your case, it would carry more weight if you had not established yourself as a purveyor of just about every right wing conspiracy out there including, of course, the Birtherism which, as of recently, you still have not stopped spreading.
It is part of the delusion that motivates you people that YOU are the mainstream and almost everybody agrees with you. They don’t. And when that is demonstrated in the best managed election in decades you simply cannot believe it and become easy marks for Trump’s Big Lie. Suddenly there is another massive but well-hidden conspiracy involving not just Democrats but Republicans and the Courts. You believe this stuff, spread it and some of you act on it.
As for photo IDs, you are misstating the issue. The real issue in play is . . . “Should it be easier or should it be harder to vote.” Polling shows that most people favor easier, but not you people because deep in your hearts you know that the people do not agree with you.
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/02/1012302107/poll-more-americans-are-concerned-about-voting-access-than-fraud-prevention
https://www.vox.com/2021/5/3/22406391/hr1-poll-for-the-people-act
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People want it to be easier to vote, but harder to cheat.
But I am having a great time watching Democrats tell Blacks they are too stupid to get IDs.
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“People want it to be easier to vote”…
Too bad the GOP led legislatures in the several states don’t feel that way.
And don’t get me started on nullification which is buried in these “voting integrity laws”.
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You left out the harder to cheat part.
What is so hard for Democrats about obeying the laws?
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It is already hard to cheat. A million dollar bounty offered by Abbott of Texas, which he reneged on when he found out the 3 cheaters were Trump voters, turned up just those.
Other states have not been able to uncover more than handfuls of questionable ballots. And often, after the required checks, some were just clerical errors.
The cheating attempts that were most egregious was Trump attempting to extort and actively threatening state officials, Republicans too, to “find” more votes. Want to prevent that? Then make an example out of Trump.
A Black Texan is jailed with $100,000 bond for mistakenly voting a few weeks before his 14 year parole expired. He waited 6 hours and went to work at 1:30 in the morning right after voting. He had two jobs and has probably lost both of them now.
Based on a form of proportional justice, extortion and interfering a state election to get 11,000 more votes, Trump should be in prison for life.
He already lost his job anyway.
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What is so hard about NOT nullifying legally cast ballots because the GOP doesn’t like to lose?
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“But I am having a great time watching Democrats tell Blacks they are too stupid to get IDs.”
If that is what you see, then that says an awful lot about you. What Democrats are actually saying to everyone is that it ought to be easier, not harder to vote. And that nobody of any color should have to spend money, time and effort to solve a non-existent problem.
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But that isn’t what Democrats are saying.
They are saying that requiring ID is racist because it disproportionately affects Blacks, and Blacks are smart enough to decode that.
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You do not like to be thought of as some sort of unreformed Louisiana good old boy racist but you keep posting racist theories?
“They are saying that requiring ID is racist because it disproportionately affects Blacks, and Blacks are smart enough to decode that”
No decoding is required. “Disproportionately affects blacks” says it all. It is the intent of these laws that is racist – to make it harder for black communities to vote because more of them will be required to jump through pointless hoops than will their white neighbors who are already likely to have the kinds of IDs required.
That you are constantly and nonsensically looking for “real racists” or “reverse racism” is a tell. You should think twice.
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“What is so hard for Democrats about obeying the laws?”
Who are you trying to fool? Your compadres don’t need it and we “lefties” know that you are full of shit.
Election laws have been broken over the years by both parties, but recently there has been a spate of Republican criminality with two notorious cases in this part of the country alone. No need to mention the egregious criminal behavior of Mr. Trump and his “lawyers” seeking to find votes in various jurisdictions by pressuring officials when he got his ass handed to him. You haven’t forgotten that, have you?
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No, the Constitution requires that election laws be made by the State legislatures, In more than a dozen states, governors, Sects of State and even local officials made substantial changes in the manner of the election absent the consent of their legislatures.
It is debatable how much harm might have been done, but in very clear, black and white terms, the laws were broken.
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“It is debatable how much harm might have been done, but in very clear, black and white terms, the laws were broken”
That is not clear at all. I understand that such is your opinion. I say you are wrong. Nothing significant happened anywhere that was not within the authority of those trying to both run an election without loss of life in a shattering pandemic.
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“You are the minority”
EVERY poll conducted has shown the right and the GOP to be a shrinking constituency. You one again throw fertilizer on the ground hoping something productive grows. All that is growing is your delusional idiocy.
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As Reagan said, “I didn’t leave the Democratic party, the Democratic Party left me.”
Millions of working class Democrats are feeling that way right now.
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Realistic Republicans (there are a few left) are starting to feel the same way about the TOP.
And as a working class Democrat, as well as numerous family friends, we say you are a bit delusional. Or at least wishful in your thinking.
And remember your predictions lately have been way off.
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“Millions of working class Democrats are feeling that way right now.”
I grant you that was the case and allowed Trump to win in 2016. But if you think Biden’s steady, calm leadership and his obvious efforts to benefit the working people of this country have not won them back, you are out of touch with what is going on. Approval ratings that Trump NEVER came close to achieving tell the story.
Trump gave the GOP a historic chance to permanently win such people but, when the GOP showed what it was really about – tax cuts for billionaires and Trump failed to even try on some of his magical promises that opportunity was gone. IMHO.
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…” we would find that I am Center-Right.”
You have way too much self-esteem to admit that you are as far to the right as you can be without falling off the bench. Laughable. Completely laughable to categorize yourself as Center Right. Adam Kinzinger is Center Right.
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The funny part is Paul, being a narcissistic sociopath, has no idea how much he resembles Trump. Donald Murphy..haha ha
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He he he ha ha ha HA HA HA SNOOOORRRTTTT. Now that was almost funny enough to make one wet their pants. ROTFLMAO..TOO MUCH, what a putz…ha ha ha
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At last, the final word from the “conservative” brain trust!
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Well, it really was a ludicrous claim.
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Im going to name a new toy after you. Hello Terrorist!! Its fat, has your face, oozes puss and babbles Trump, Trump, Trump, Fox, Fox, Fox. Sure to sell for laughs…
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Let’s not sink to the level of the Democratic caucus
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He lives in that sewer and you don’t say anything except to compare it to Democrats?
That is what is ludicrous.
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“Well, it really was a ludicrous claim”
Actually, it was not. And that is why you people are so bitter.
But let’s see you prove your support for what you say – what have I supported that qualifies as “extreme left.” I say, you have no idea what you are talking about. Prove me wrong. What extremist positions have I taken?
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“Let’s not sink to the level of the Democratic caucus”
Uh, are you unable to pull this childish jackass up short without mixing in an egregious and baseless insult? He disrespects me and others with his continuing violation of the civility standards you set, he disrespects you even more.
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They make Depends for men. You should buy some.
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RE: “By the way, something I’ve been wondering. There should be more than a tiny number of people in Tidewater interested in your forum. Is this part of America so sleepy? Or is it that extreme lefties drive everyone away?”
Several people I have invited to participate here have told me they don’t like the “extreme lefties.” The invitees have made extremely derogatory observations and named names I won’t repeat. To a person they have said they don’t think that joining this venue would be pleasant or fruitful.
As a moderator, I wish I knew how to change that perception or build traffic.
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Well, first of all those invitees should have more character, more toughness.
Meanwhile, you can edit the site any way you want. Twitter does..
The question for me is whether people are being sincere in their questions and answers. Quite often, I don’t see that. I see people automatically and reflexively giving the CNN/ New York Times thinking on everything. We already know what that is. We don’t want to see it here.
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RE: “Well, first of all those invitees should have more character, more toughness.”
Maybe so, but I’m not inclined to blame them. An analogy might be: Real teachers pick the students they can help, not the other way around.
RE: “Meanwhile, you can edit the site any way you want.”
That’s true. Dr. Tabor is the site owner. There are two moderators, Mr. Rothman and me.
In my experience, strong moderation presents a dilemma. While it might be desirable to delete disruptive participants (my preference), replacing them also would require recruiting better participants. Catch 22.
RE: “The question for me is whether people are being sincere in their questions and answers. Quite often, I don’t see that.”
I see that as a problem, too, but I attribute it to participants here commenting outside their own areas of expertise. A carpenter, for example, could write brilliantly about carpentry, but is bound to stumble writing about, say, politics.
I have never asked Dr. Tabor what he wants this web site to be or become, but my sense is he wants the users to take responsibility for that. If we take that responsibility seriously, others will join in.
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If you want Don’s site to be just another right wing echo chamber where opinions and ideas are all bouncing around in a like-minded silo, then have at it.
This seems to the trend. Americans used to debate vigorously but now it appears we have devolved into conspiracies and angry tweets. And if there are any doubters, get rid of them.
Liz Cheney is the poster child of what the Trump party is leading us into.
I guess that is the ultimate “safe place”.
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Surely you aren’t claiming I have engaged in any partisan moderation.
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Heaven forbid. I must have toked too much.😇
On the blood clots and other rare complications, if that information were withheld to not panic anyone, it would have become another brick in the conspiracy wall. It would have come out either way.
Interestingly enough, a site like this, limited in size, is one of the few that have pretty heated debates. Not just debate, but links and corroborated positions in multiple places.
Think about that. Compare that to other sites which are all too often just red or blue cheerleading.
No wonder we can’t talk to each other. We never meet.
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Actually, I misread your short post. It was in reply to the effort by two others to “cleanse” the site of the unclean, uniformed, non-expert opinions that are at odds with their posts. Keeping people way who might otherwise provide a range of opinions in agreement with the hard right.
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“…but I attribute it to participants here commenting outside their own areas of expertise.”
Interesting observation.
My expertise is photography, so I guess any political, economic, science opinions I have must not be worthy for this site.
My favorite line from a world renowned photojournalist when asked a technical question in a seminar regarding what exposure he used for a particular image he was showing:
“f8 and be there, son.”
Well my friend, here I am.
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““…but I attribute it to participants here commenting outside their own areas of expertise.””
Todd’s version of “shut up and dribble”?
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I was going to suggest that I am an expert on everything, but I am sure there are a few minor issues I might not be up to speed on.
Sanskrit comes to mind. Formal writing is not too bad, but conversational skills are lacking. It is really hard to find a Sanskrit club locally.
But other than that…😇
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Hebrew is my blind spot. I can do the prayer book Hebrew, but conversation or listening to Bibi, not so much.
I’m with you on the reset. Gosh, aren’t we smart?😇
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“While it might be desirable to delete disruptive participants (my preference)”
If that were truly the case, you would edit or delete about 90% of the posts from Mr. Smith. But because he attacks those who disagree with you, you let it go. And if Len were to do it, he would be accused of silencing those who disagree with him.
It falls to you and Don to curb the worst of the lot. But you don’t. Things that make you go “hmmmm”.
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If I were to start censoring insulting posts, I would not discriminate on the basis of writing skill.
While Mr Smith might tend to be blunt, he cannot hold a candle to Mr Murphy on baseless accusations and mischaracterizations. He might couch the accusations more skillfully, but if I were to censor one I would also have to censor the other.
I prefer to censor neither
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“While Mr Smith might tend to be blunt, he cannot hold a candle to Mr Murphy on baseless accusations and mischaracterizations”
You call his accusations and mischaracterizations baseless, but they are his OPINION. He often backs his statements with facts. Facts you ay not like, but they are facts, not ALTERNATIVE facts.
Mr. Smith resorts to name calling, which is not factual, but many times just childish.
It think yours is a bull shit characterization, (And that is MY opinion.) but it is your forum.
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So, when Mr Murphy cites a source he trusts, that is a fact, but if I cite a source I trust, that is a lie?
Mr Murphy’s insults are more carefully couched, but they are insults all the same.
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“While Mr. Smith might tend to be blunt, he cannot hold a candle to Mr. Murphy on baseless accusations and mischaracterizations. ”
You seem unable – or more likely – unwilling to distinguish between extremely personal incivility and reasoned – and sometimes sharp – reactions to egregious lies, bullshit and nonsense. I challenge you to cite one of the “baseless accusations” or “mischaracterizations” that you are referring to. It should not be difficult – you can access the history for as far back as you need to go.
Your own rhetoric directed at Democrats and me personally is very frequently filled with “baseless accusations” and “mischaracterizations” so perhaps you are projecting.
BTW, I again give you credit for being a master of euphemisms to disguise ugly truths. Calling the ugly personal attacks that frequently come out of the blue from Mr. Smith as “blunt” is another fine example.
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“We don’t want to see it here.”
Who is “we”?
You and others on the right present your sources and others on the left present theirs. Opinions abound and debate ensues.
You have just stated that you don’t want opposing views.
Why?
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I actually make a point to try and avoid CNN and NYT posts because I know how the extreme righties on this forum feel about them. I have found sites like The Bulwark and The Hill and use them quite a bit. Unlike places like FPM and UNZ, they deal in FACTS and HONESTY. Unlike the BS sites that others use.
Calling an idiot an idiot is just being honest. If you don’t want to be called an idiot, don’t act like one. And deal in honesty and actual facts, not alternative ones. (I am talking about facts, not opinions.)
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I would like to slightly rephrase this post.
What I SHOULD have said is “Calling an idiotic opinion an idiotic opinion is just being honest.”
Mea Culpa for calling Mr. Price an idiot.
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“I suspect that the insurrection is a lot like the Mueller report, Russian collusion, the impeachment charges,”
I suspect you have no earthly idea about the truth.
1) The Mueller Report was downgraded and downplayed prior to its release by sitting Bull, I mean Bill Barr. There wasn’t sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges, but Mueller’s report was clear that 45 obstructed justice and that there were meetings that were questionable between Russia and the campaign
2) Russian collusion addressed in my comment above.
3) The impeachments proved that the GOP has no backbone what do ever and is a completely owned subsidiary to the T**** Organization. It was then, twice, and it still is no. Even more so.
Your comments once again parrot the Kool-Aid drinking commentators who believes the sun and moon rises in the pants of the Mar-a-Lago Don. And they fear him more than the undertaker in The Godfather eared Vito.
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At least the man was not shot by police when arrested.
Allegedly when he was handcuffed he “resisted” by shouting “Lego, lego…”.😇
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Don, did you read your link. It was based on a “report” of the arrest by “Smoking Gun” an internet site that looks less than reliable. Then this was passed on to Daily Beast for dissemination. . I got the impression that the feds saw the article and said “whoa, what is this about an assembled Lego model”. And issued a correction quickly.
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I picked that one because it was the funniest.
The MSM was all over it last week.
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Funny.
And so important. Some individual included the fact of a “model” in an indictment. Maybe if they didn’t have so many hundreds of blood-thirsty insurrectionists to process they could catch such silly mistakes. Oh, well. On to the next murderous thug.
Did they catch the “conservative” who planted pipe bombs at the DNC and RNC yet.
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What makes you think it was a conservative.
The bombs didn’t work, so I’m guessing it was a liberal.
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Not funny. But nice try.
Please put “conservative” in quotes when discussing Trump supporters or insurrection. Violent overthrow of the government is the opposite of what actual conservatives would try to pull off.
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…”think a Lego toy has sufficient internal detail to be of any use in attacking the building.”
Internal detail is NOT required to assign positioning outside of the building to prepare for an assault on it.
It is a silly story, but your assessment was off base a tad.
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And yet you deny that the T**** DOJ was politicized to a level of corruption never seen before. Except maybe Nixon and Meese.
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