That sure is pithy, but it doesn't make any sense unless you're suggesting that there was only one public plan for what people were going to do on the 6th, right? While I haven't looked for them, I would be very surprised if that was the case.
Yeah, sorry, pithy is me being snarky really. That was cheap of me and I apologise.
Actually that is what I'm saying. Was the average insurrectionist more planning than that in this case?
I know some bombs were found, leaving them out this seems like a mob with guns. They coordinated the date and location and just winged it from there it seems.
If someone has a complex plan, you can't be sure they'll go through with it till they've taken significant action.
If the plan is "meet in Washington on Tuesday, bring a gun so we can shoot democrats,see you there" then it seems you can arrest that plotter as soon as he has a gun and a plane ticket.
I think so many people either have public profiles or wore ID or literally spelt their name out to reporters, they can't have been actual planning, prepared criminals.
I picked the above up, it seems like 2 people Brough zip ties to take prisoners. 2 more were in possession of firearms when arrested. That's the level of planning with these people, most of them seem to have just turned up.
I'm not at all saying that excuses their actions. Quite the opposite: it brings the bar for actual conspiracy down when the crime is simple.
Some people on the right (and a very few on the left) would view being armed as the natural state of free people. Especially when discussing suggestions from righties, it seems like "bring your firearm" is right next to "don't forget your keys".
I think that's one of the issues that really worries me about all this: the cultures of the left and right are different enough that the left views behavior the right considers normal to be violently deviate, and then the right (at least on my own social feeds) reacts as though the left is targeting them personally.
My best argument that no insurrection was intended by those present is that the bombs (or bomb-making materials, or whatever) that were found weren't used, even though the mob had control of the Capitol building. Indeed, even though a significant percentage of the rioters were likely armed (see above), the only shots fired were by Capitol police. More than anything else, that confirms for me that the mob didn't arrive with the intention of taking the Capitol, or insurrection, or anything like it. They had the materials available to make things much, much worse, and instead they acted like tourists. Why? Clearly (I think!), because there was no intent by 99+% of them to do anything but show up and support legislators in finding the courage to dissent from what the Trumpists believe to be fraud.
