Attempted Coup
Last year might have gone down in history as the worst year in recent memory due to the whole global pandemic situation were it not for the fucking insurrection that kicked off 2021. (Oh, and the pandemic rages on. Cool!)
On Jan. 6, a mob of right-wing extremists goaded by then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in Washington, DC, in an attempt to overturn the free and fair election their candidate lost. Many of us watched CNN or refreshed Twitter in stunned silence as the rioters violently forced their way into the Capitol. After the hours-long siege ended in five deaths, it was clear that this was no mere protest: This was a violent attempt to overthrow American democracy.
The aftermath—arrests, trials, verdicts, sentencings, and now a Congressional undertaking to figure out who exactly was behind the attempted coup—is still unfolding. Most of the planning happened online, so the paper trail is extensive, to say the least. And while it is now obvious that the U.S. political system, once a foregone conclusion, is actually fragile, the outcome of Trump’s seemingly inevitable 2024 candidacy will prove if we actually learned a lesson this year. Early returns—from the rise of MAGA grifting to Republicans curtailing voting rights—indicate the answer is deeply, depressingly clear: No, not really.
