Hate is “love.” Violation is “peace.” Pro-Donald Trump attackers were patriots.
Trump and his associates are taking revisionism to a new, dangerous place. They’re bringing this revisionism into the hands of warlike heroes and martyrs, months after former president Donald Trump stormed Capitol on that winter day. This is a place where “blue lives matter” has become “f—ing the blue.”
Trump’s latest “big lie” inversion regarding the siege is the latest. The most specious is that the election was stolen from Trump, which it wasn’t.
It has its roots in the formula for powerful propaganda throughout the ages: Speak loudly, often, use the weight of political power behind it, and people will believe. The result was once spread via posters, word of mouth and pamphlets. Now it is spread through a swipe of a finger. It’s a passionate, unquestioning follower.
Since World War I, techniques of demonizing and glorifying one’s side with biased information, if any, have been used. The posters that depicted the German soldier as an ape human with a maiden-like American girl in his clutches, were created by the U.S. government to stir support for the cause. This was a far cry from the horrors of Nazi Germany’s use of propaganda to subjugate and slaughter millions of people.
The deception can feed warmongering, or simply a defeated president’s ego. However, certain methods are the exact same. It is like repeating the same lie over and over until it sticks.
Trump masterfully used repetition to his advantage — about the election hoax, the rigged election and voter fraud. None of these accusations were substantiated by the dozens of court cases or official post-election audits, but they were still ingrained in his support.
Trump made the comment four years ago that white supremacists were synonymous with racial justice protesters at Charlottesville, Virginia. He said that there were “very good people on both sides”.
In this story, the very fine people of Jan. 6 were only one side: his.
Trump has an in-your face question for the other side, the police who were overwhelmed and bloodied during the insurrection. It’s a four-word conspiracy theory.
These words have become a viral slogan to raise Babbitt to the status of a martyr for liberty. While they ricochet about the mainline social networking platforms, Trump’s misinformation spreading is prohibited, his followers continue to commiserate. The bullet that struck the woman was fired by a police officer as she attempted to climb through the broken glass of the window towards the House chamber during the riot.
Babbitt has been made the face of the insurrection. He is seen wearing T-shirts and being cheered in basement bars at hotels across the country, where conspiracy theorists vent. Flyers advertising a Babbitt statue in Alexandria, Virginia are being displayed on facades and street lamps in Washington’s Georgetown.
Trump, many Republicans have gone through several characterizations of the insurrection. Each one is completely different from the last. They were allegedly leftist antifa supporters disguised as attackers. They were then said to have been leftist antifa followers disguised. Now, they are heralded by the freedom fighters.
Each iteration required Americans to ignore their anger and some lawmakers to forget that they were the victims of the attackers that day. The hunters are now praised by the hunted.
Together, the revisionists are “swimming” in a sea of nonsense, according to Brendan Buck, an ex-top aide to Paul Ryan, R.Wis.
History scholars who study the persuasiveness of conspiracy theories and propaganda are well-acquainted with the sea’s currents.
Dolores Albarracin is a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. She co-authored a forthcoming book called “Creating Conspiracy Believes: How our Thoughts Are Shaped”.
Albarracin stated that despite the factual facts of Jan. 6, believers dismiss anyone who attempts to correct them by saying they are either deceived or part in the conspiracy.
She said, “The belief contains an instrument that protects it.” “Nothing can discredit the conspiracy theory. Refuting the theory is a proof of the theory, and you are considered a conspirator.
DJ Peterson is an authority on authoritarianism, propaganda and is the president of Longview Global Advisors in Los Angeles. He was also a former director at the Eurasia group and RAND Corporation. He stated that “in an online world saturated with information and a world riven in polarization, you can choose what to believe, even sticking your head in sand.”
Peterson stated that Trump excels in amplifying claims to galvanize his core supporters, and turning them against other Americans.
He said, “That’s where Trump’s power is.” “He is good at picking up these threads…that lower the trust level and create division.”
Recent polls show that the country is divided over Trump’s post-election antics. Two-thirds are against Trump, while two-thirds support him. Quinnipiac reported that 66% of Republicans believe President Joe Biden was illegitimately reelected.
This number, and many others in multiple polls, represents tens to millions of people who believed allegations of fraud. These claims have been thoroughly investigated, refuted by William Barr, Trump’s attorney general. Trump’s lies have remained and are now the basis for his and those close to him trying to glorify Jan. 6 mob.
Jill Lepore, Harvard historian, said that lying can lead to you never being able to go back to the place you were before. Her podcast, “The Last Archive”, explores hoaxes, deceptions, and what has become of truth. “That’s the pernicious thing about our particular moment.”
She said of Trump: “His method generally is to just create chaos, so that people really don’t know which direction to look.”
His followers turned away from the insurrection. It seems that an aggressive amnesia has taken root over the ugly scenes, even though they were streamed live and broadcast in real-time.
After a rally in which Trump encouraged them to “fight as hell,” and promised, falsely that he would join them, attackers beat out the overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers, injuring many more. One particularly horrible case saw an officer being crushed against a door, his mouth bleeding from the pressure of the glass.
The mob surrounded Congress halls, holding Trump flags. Lawmakers ran for their lives. The assailants demanded the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Trump’s vice president. They chanted “Hang Mike Penne!”
Babbitt was part the group that attempted to knock down the House chamber’s doors as Capitol Police officers were cleaning out the House floor. Some members were still stuck in the upper gallery. To stop the attackers who were smashing glass with flagpoles and fists, the officers used furniture to barricade glass doors that separated the hallway from Speaker’s Lobby.
As at least 20 attackers attempted to gain entry, at least three officers stood guard on the doors. One smashes the glass near an officer’s head, while another warns officers that they will be hurt if they don’t get out.
The gun was pointed by a Capitol Police officer. As the panic grew, the attackers shouted “Gun!” They began to lift Babbitt up to allow him to climb through the window. One round was fired by the officer.
Babbitt was injured in the shoulder. Later, she died. He was later declared innocent of any wrongdoing.
Trump now falsely states, and continues to repeat it with increasing frequency, that she was shot “right at the head.”
He told Fox News that they were there to witness the “rigged election” a week earlier. They felt that the election was rigged. They believed the election was rigged. That’s why were they there. They were peaceful people. They were wonderful people. It was amazing to see the crowd. And I used the word “love” I have never seen love like it.
