Helicopter Ben said:

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Bonfire.1996 said:

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Your in laws, are in fact, idiots.

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One is an electrical engineer and the other is a professor. The other two are college educated with well paying jobs. They are not idiots. We can't just reduce this down to the most shallow of components. If they were just stupid, it would be easier to dismiss. Propaganda and whatever else drives these people to believe/trust government is far more powerful than we'd like to admit.

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One could argue that if they're that easily influenced, the. Mauve they're not as intelligent as you think.

A college degree does not equate to intelligence.

Helicopter Ben said:

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American Hardwood said:

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think the answer is simpler than it seems. Some time in their past, probably when they were young and stupid, they heard the mantra that the right-wingers were fascists and nazis by someone close to them. Someone who likely experienced the same thing.

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I appreciate the thoughtful response. However, they were fairly conservative before the Obama years, mostly voting republican. Something switched and now I don't think they'd ever support any R candidate no matter who it was or how bad the dem candidate was.

I think it has more to do with the social aspect and feelings of moral superiority they get. That plus a huge dose of naivety and they think they're the party of caring.

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And I can totally understand that. How can murdering babies and mutilating children not be considered moral and just?! And denying children the innocence of childhood by ramming sexual messages down their throats? Censoring and jailing dissenters? Creating crimes to charge enemies with? Forcing people out of work for refusing to believe your delusion? Eliminating gasoline engines to take away people's freedom of movement? Causing food and fuel to skyrocket to force people to become more dependent on the government?

All extremely moral and righteous! Your in-laws must be proud of themselves for being so much better than the rest of us commoners.



There is no helping those types of people. They refuse to see what is in front of their eyes and are willing to subjugate everyone else to live out their own fantasies.

Sad.

Quote:

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I'm starting to think the only reason the left hasn't completely won is because they've gone completely BSC insane on things like the trans crap.

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Of course. You know what we need more of? More Mitt Romneys and Mitch McConnells and John McCains and Bob Doles and John Cornyns.

Surely your in-laws would vote for virtuous people like those, right? We have all seen just how much support men who stand for nothing garner nationally. I mean, we were promised the left would vote for McCain and Romney.

BigRobSA said:

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Helicopter Ben said:

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Bonfire.1996 said:

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Your in laws, are in fact, idiots.

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One is an electrical engineer and the other is a professor. The other two are college educated with well paying jobs. They are not idiots. We can't just reduce this down to the most shallow of components. If they were just stupid, it would be easier to dismiss. Propaganda and whatever else drives these people to believe/trust government is far more powerful than we'd like to admit.

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Book smart and life dumb.

Happens a LOT!

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I have a two golf buddies that are part of my annual Myrtle Beach golf trip and they firmly believe it was an insurrection. These guys are not unintelligent. On the contrary, they are both smarter and more successful than me. They are really good guys.

But they don't ever hear any serious challenges to their views. One of them couldn't believe it when I told him that no police officers were killed on J6. He looked at me like I was crazy. I told him to look it up but he just rolled his eyes at me. It's very easy to stay ignorant when you're a liberal no matter how smart you are.

Helicopter Ben said:

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ts5641 said:

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Never confuse intelligence with ideology. There are plenty of smart people on the left, and in fact they've outsmarted us for the last 50 years. Their ideology on the other hand is evil.

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This was exactly the point I was trying to make. If we want to keep dismissing them as dumb idiots we'll keep losing. I'm not so sure their whole ideology is evil, perhaps just extremely naive. This is where I think my in-laws land. Does that lead to evil things? Why yes, it most certainly does.

By all other measures they are really great people. They're some of the happiest I know with a large tight-knit and close family. They have raised three successful children. They go to church and have a very strong social circle. They're not even "life dumb" as one poster said. For the life of me, I can't figure out how they can believe the way they do. I can't just dismiss that as book smart, life dumb or whatever.

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They may not be dumb but they have massive holes in their knowledge of how the world actually works and human nature.

I have deployed to the Middle East and Africa as a young man and seen unspeakable evil. I then spent over a decade in law enforcement

I'm sure they believe man's nature is fundamentally good and their errors on how the world works just compound from that initial erroneous assumption.

The problem is without horrendous things happening to them individually there is very little chance to pull the veil from over their eyes.

As Reagan said: the problem with our well meaning liberal friends is that they know so much that just isn't so. Paraphrasing. I'm driving.

GenericAggie said:

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Helicopter Ben said:

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Bonfire.1996 said:

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Your in laws, are in fact, idiots.

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One is an electrical engineer and the other is a professor. The other two are college educated with well paying jobs. They are not idiots. We can't just reduce this down to the most shallow of components. If they were just stupid, it would be easier to dismiss. Propaganda and whatever else drives these people to believe/trust government is far more powerful than we'd like to admit.

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One could argue that if they're that easily influenced, the. Mauve they're not as intelligent as you think.

A college degree does not equate to intelligence.

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A college degree doesn't normally, but have a guy in our fantasy football league that's got a PHD in physics from Yale… very much liberal and probably the most intelligent person I know.

Sometimes the most intelligent people, especially those rooted in science, go off the reservation over social issues. Look historically at some of the greatest scientific minds in the country and abroad. The Manhattan Project was plagued with full blown communists.

American Hardwood said:

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Helicopter Ben said:

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ts5641 said:

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Never confuse intelligence with ideology. There are plenty of smart people on the left, and in fact they've outsmarted us for the last 50 years. Their ideology on the other hand is evil.

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This was exactly the point I was trying to make. If we want to keep dismissing them as dumb idiots we'll keep losing. I'm not so sure their whole ideology is evil, perhaps just extremely naive. This is where I think my in-laws land. Does that lead to evil things? Why yes, it most certainly does.

By all other measures they are really great people. They're some of the happiest I know with a large tight-knit and close family. They have raised three successful children. They go to church and have a very strong social circle. They're not even "life dumb" as one poster said. For the life of me, I can't figure out how they can believe the way they do. I can't just dismiss that as book smart, life dumb or whatever.

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I think the answer is simpler than it seems. Some time in their past, probably when they were young and stupid, they heard the mantra that the right-wingers were fascists and nazis by someone close to them. Someone who likely experienced the same thing.

That lie stuck with them unquestioned, and they likely hear the same shallow line often enough from people in their sphere as well as the talking heads of the MSM.

At the same time, they don't challenge their own position. I believe it is human nature to look outward for threats to our wellbeing far more often than looking inward.

Combine these two things and you have a powerful incentive to just accept your political position without challenge or critical inspection. The longer you have ingrained yourself with these beliefs, the more resistant you become to changing your mind.

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The definition of "right wingers" is meaningless ar this point. The Democratic Party leadership, their bureacatic minions and the MSM has changed the definition. "right wingers" to them often includes conservatives and citizens that believe in The Constitution, rule of law and justice.

We have a lot of anecdotes here about why "smart" people are so dumb. I think the consensus opinion I hear is that the allure of feeling superior either by joining in with those that fabricate the false dichotomy or shying from those who are the targets of the false dichotomy.

Either way, it amounts to shallow thinking and an overly emotive response makeup in these people. That's the one true universal advantage the left has over the right. It's easy to sell evil with false compassion and bumper sticker philosophy. It is also enshrined in short-sighted selfishness which appeals to impulsive, emotive people.

The conservative ideology can be easily made to sound cruel and unsympathetic as the benefits are not as readily apparent compared to an ideology that offers candy to everyone without ever revealing the cost until it's too late.

I still think, however, that many people are conditioned to this behavior from a young age and never challenge themselves to think differently regardless of their otherwise intelligence.

"Right winger" is such a confused term, and it doesn't help that the historical European definition is different than the modern American definition. I don't think most people even think about it those terms, they have just been taught that it is a pejorative aimed at anyone who doesn't support the Marxist takeover.

93MarineHorn said:

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BigRobSA said:

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Helicopter Ben said:

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Bonfire.1996 said:

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Your in laws, are in fact, idiots.

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One is an electrical engineer and the other is a professor. The other two are college educated with well paying jobs. They are not idiots. We can't just reduce this down to the most shallow of components. If they were just stupid, it would be easier to dismiss. Propaganda and whatever else drives these people to believe/trust government is far more powerful than we'd like to admit.

---

Book smart and life dumb.

Happens a LOT!

---

I have a two golf buddies that are part of my annual Myrtle Beach golf trip and they firmly believe it was an insurrection. These guys are not unintelligent. On the contrary, they are both smarter and more successful than me. They are really good guys.

But they don't ever hear any serious challenges to their views. One of them couldn't believe it when I told him that no police officers were killed on J6. He looked at me like I was crazy. I told him to look it up but he just rolled his eyes at me. It's very easy to stay ignorant when you're a liberal no matter how smart you are.

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This crap has been going on for a very very long time.

What people believe prevails over truth

• Sophocles

93MarineHorn said:

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BigRobSA said:

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Helicopter Ben said:

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Bonfire.1996 said:

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Your in laws, are in fact, idiots.

---

One is an electrical engineer and the other is a professor. The other two are college educated with well paying jobs. They are not idiots. We can't just reduce this down to the most shallow of components. If they were just stupid, it would be easier to dismiss. Propaganda and whatever else drives these people to believe/trust government is far more powerful than we'd like to admit.

---

Book smart and life dumb.

Happens a LOT!

---

I have a two golf buddies that are part of my annual Myrtle Beach golf trip and they firmly believe it was an insurrection. These guys are not unintelligent. On the contrary, they are both smarter and more successful than me. They are really good guys.

But they don't ever hear any serious challenges to their views. One of them couldn't believe it when I told him that no police officers were killed on J6. He looked at me like I was crazy. I told him to look it up but he just rolled his eyes at me. It's very easy to stay ignorant when you're a liberal no matter how smart you are.

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I would bet that they get their media from a steady diet of their local paper, CNN, NYT, NPR, if not MSNBC, and the big 3. Their wives probably also watch The View. I have similar friends who think the same. One is a big hunter, a hiker/camper who grew up in Arkansas and is proud of it. But he thinks that we almost had our country taken over and that the Capitol police should have used .50 caliber weapons against the "insurrectionists". If all you hear is one side,...
As a side note, I think Fox News is also propaganda and not news. But I realize that it is.

Quote:

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The conservative ideology can be easily made to sound cruel and unsympathetic as the benefits are not as readily apparent compared to an ideology that offers candy to everyone without ever revealing the cost until it's too late.

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The recent dolly Parton uproar is a great example. Her opinions "sound good" to the ill-informed, and she comes from a loving place. But they are theologically incorrect. When people pointed that out, the truth-teller got attacked.

American Hardwood said:

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We have a lot of anecdotes here about why "smart" people are so dumb. I think the consensus opinion I hear is that the allure of feeling superior either by joining in with those that fabricate the false dichotomy or shying from those who are the targets of the false dichotomy.

Either way, it amounts to shallow thinking and an overly emotive response makeup in these people. That's the one true universal advantage the left has over the right. It's easy to sell evil with false compassion and bumper sticker philosophy. It is also enshrined in short-sighted selfishness which appeals to impulsive, emotive people.

The conservative ideology can be easily made to sound cruel and unsympathetic as the benefits are not as readily apparent compared to an ideology that offers candy to everyone without ever revealing the cost until it's too late.

I still think, however, that many people are conditioned to this behavior from a young age and never challenge themselves to think differently regardless of their otherwise intelligence.

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Well stated in bold.

Ellis Wyatt said:

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Helicopter Ben said:

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American Hardwood said:

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think the answer is simpler than it seems. Some time in their past, probably when they were young and stupid, they heard the mantra that the right-wingers were fascists and nazis by someone close to them. Someone who likely experienced the same thing.

---

I appreciate the thoughtful response. However, they were fairly conservative before the Obama years, mostly voting republican. Something switched and now I don't think they'd ever support any R candidate no matter who it was or how bad the dem candidate was.

I think it has more to do with the social aspect and feelings of moral superiority they get. That plus a huge dose of naivety and they think they're the party of caring.

---

And I can totally understand that. How can murdering babies and mutilating children not be considered moral and just?! And denying children the innocence of childhood by ramming sexual messages down their throats? Censoring and jailing dissenters? Creating crimes to charge enemies with? Forcing people out of work for refusing to believe your delusion? Eliminating gasoline engines to take away people's freedom of movement? Causing food and fuel to skyrocket to force people to become more dependent on the government?

All extremely moral and righteous! Your in-laws must be proud of themselves for being so much better than the rest of us commoners.



There is no helping those types of people. They refuse to see what is in front of their eyes and are willing to subjugate everyone else to live out their own fantasies.

Sad.

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That may be, but they always twist the narrative to be the party of compassion.

Killing babies = freedom of choice and helping women out / safety.

Trans = not excluding anyone, even at the expense of women (ironically).

Covid = we have to be doing something, even if statistically things like masks make no difference

climate change = ugh, don't even get me started.

It's always the mantra of having to be doing something, and trust in the government that they are here to help and make it better. Democrats have empathy for some of the lowest scum and laziest people. They lack personal responsibility in their vocabulary. Everything will always be spun as helping others out or in the name of safety.

In reality, all of their policies reduce the average middle class American's pocket books.

So this guy was dressed in tactical gear and was carrying flexicuffs. Sounds like his intentions must have been pure going in to this.

MiamiHopper said:

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So this guy was dressed in tactical gear

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Link?

CanyonAg77 said:

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MiamiHopper said:

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So this guy was dressed in tactical gear

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Link?

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brown shirt fbi propaganda

https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/texas-man-sentenced-felony-and-misdemeanor-charges-related-capitol-breach

Defendant Spent 37 Minutes Inside Capitol Building, Rifled Through Papers on Senators' Desks

WASHINGTON - A Texas man was sentenced today in the District of Columbia for felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Larry Brock, 55, of Grapevine, Texas, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for the felony count of obstruction of an official proceeding. He was sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison for five misdemeanor counts including: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol Building; entering and remaining on the floor of Congress; disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building. All sentences to run concurrently.

Brock was found guilty, on November 16, 2022, following a bench trial. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates ordered $2,000 in restitution.

According to the government's evidence, Brock a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force was among rioters in a mob that illegally entered the Capitol grounds and Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021. Brock was wearing a tactical vest and had a helmet. He entered the Capitol at approximately 2:24 p.m. through the Senate Wing Doors. He moved through various areas of the building, including the Crypt and Rotunda. While in an area near the Rotunda Doors, he picked up a discarded pair of plastic flex-cuffs and kept them while in the building.

Brock entered the balcony of the Senate at approximately 2:43 p.m. He then moved downstairs and entered the Senate Chamber about five minutes later. He walked around the Senate Chamber for about eight minutes and, during that time, he rifled through paperwork on Senators' desks. He then exited the Capitol at approximately 3:01 p.m., 37 minutes after he entered.

In the weeks leading to Jan. 6, Brock posted messages on social media, including one on Dec. 27, 2020, in which he stated, "I prefer insurrection at this point," and another on Jan. 5, in which he declared, "our second American Revolution begins in less than two days."

Brock was arrested on Jan. 10, 2021, in Texas.

This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, and the Department of Justice's Criminal Division.

The case was investigated by the FBI's Dallas Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI's Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 26 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 999 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Updated March 17, 2023

Kool said:

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93MarineHorn said:

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BigRobSA said:

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Helicopter Ben said:

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Bonfire.1996 said:

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Your in laws, are in fact, idiots.

---

One is an electrical engineer and the other is a professor. The other two are college educated with well paying jobs. They are not idiots. We can't just reduce this down to the most shallow of components. If they were just stupid, it would be easier to dismiss. Propaganda and whatever else drives these people to believe/trust government is far more powerful than we'd like to admit.

---

Book smart and life dumb.

Happens a LOT!

---

I have a two golf buddies that are part of my annual Myrtle Beach golf trip and they firmly believe it was an insurrection. These guys are not unintelligent. On the contrary, they are both smarter and more successful than me. They are really good guys.

But they don't ever hear any serious challenges to their views. One of them couldn't believe it when I told him that no police officers were killed on J6. He looked at me like I was crazy. I told him to look it up but he just rolled his eyes at me. It's very easy to stay ignorant when you're a liberal no matter how smart you are.

---

I would bet that they get their media from a steady diet of their local paper, CNN, NYT, NPR, if not MSNBC, and the big 3. Their wives probably also watch The View. I have similar friends who think the same. One is a big hunter, a hiker/camper who grew up in Arkansas and is proud of it. But he thinks that we almost had our country taken over and that the Capitol police should have used .50 caliber weapons against the "insurrectiosts". If all you hear is one side,...
As a side note, I think Fox News is also propaganda and not news. But I realize that it is.

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Definitely, also including leftist versions of TexAgs.

CanyonAg77 said:

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MiamiHopper said:

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So this guy was dressed in tactical gear

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Link?

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Pics in link

https://lawandcrime.com/crime/letters-from-the-gulag-feds-say-jailed-air-force-vet-seeking-release-is-urging-loyalty-to-trump-by-jan-6-political-prisoners/amp/

"We need to execute the traitors that are trying to steal the election," he wrote in the November 2020 post. "And that includes the leaders of the media and social media aiding and abetting the coup plotters."

the left has a true passion for hating vets

I like vets that don't wish to execute their political opponents.

MiamiHopper said:

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CanyonAg77 said:

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MiamiHopper said:

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So this guy was dressed in tactical gear

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Link?

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Pics in link

https://lawandcrime.com/crime/letters-from-the-gulag-feds-say-jailed-air-force-vet-seeking-release-is-urging-loyalty-to-trump-by-jan-6-political-prisoners/amp/

"We need to execute the traitors that are trying to steal the election," he wrote in the November 2020 post. "And that includes the leaders of the media and social media aiding and abetting the coup plotters."

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Get back to me when he executes some traitors. In the meantime, what he says and what he wears are irrelevant. He has a right to say and wear what he likes.

Sort of off-topic.

🚨 Since January 6, 2021, Nancy Pelosi spent 3+ years and nearly $20 million creating a narrative to blame Donald Trump.

NEW FOOTAGE shows on January 6, Pelosi ADMITTED:

"I take responsibility."

WATCH: pic.twitter.com/95a0totTWB

— Oversight Subcommittee (@OversightAdmn) June 10, 2024

Anyone who supports what was done to this man hates the Constitution the most.

Tom Fox said:

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I'm sure they believe man's nature is fundamentally good and their errors on how the world works just compound from that initial erroneous assumption.

The problem is without horrendous things happening to them individually there is very little chance to pull the veil from over their eyes.

As Reagan said: the problem with our well meaning liberal friends is that they know so much that just isn't so. Paraphrasing. I'm driving.

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Completely agree and that's what I was getting at with the naivety aspect. They truly believe people like HRC, FJB, Fauci, etc are all well meaning people. But it's truly bizarre and illogical when you dig down to why they think the government should have so much control over us. The reason they have is that humans are inherently untrustworthy, so they must be governed to be good. Then when you point out that humans run the government….they simply can't make the connection.