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I didn’t see this in the article but I was surprised to see how many insurrectionists had their phones out streaming video while committing a crime. It struck
by iambateman 6y ago
I didn’t see this in the article but I was surprised to see how many insurrectionists had their phones out streaming video while committing a crime.
It struck me that the instinct to show off to online followers is more powerful than the instinct to hide from the consequences of the crime.
In that sense, the promise of online notoriety seemed to propel the mob as much as, or more than, any deeply held ideology.
- iambateman 6y agoIt’s not lost on me that I’m writing this comment hoping for upvotes.
- ceilingcorner 6y agoSame reason that people were streaming themselves burning down buildings and looting stores last summer: in-group morality. When your social group thinks you’re doing the right thing, you have no reason to hide your actions.
- iambateman 6y agoI think you’re right about in-group morality. I’m curious: do you see categorical similarity between the events of January 6 and the events of the summer of 2020?
- ceilingcorner 6y agoAbsolutely. Again, I’m not choosing a side here, just trying to observe phenomena. My own politics don’t fit neatly into a box. I think one could accurately describe both as explosions of long-standing resentment, legitimate reasons to be upset, and lack of trust in institutions, finally ignited by social media making it easy to construct exaggerated or outright false narratives.
- iambateman 6y agoInteresting. Thanks for your thoughts! To me, they are categorically different. One has “answerable” policy objectives, the other does not. One is mostly peaceful, the other mostly violent. One invites a broad base of support, the other is more isolated.
- eplanit 6y agoThey were acting like the BLM and antifa rioters they witnessed all last summer, who streamed their bad deeds, but faced little consequence (in fact they got media support).
- dredmorbius 6y agoA credible belief in a presidential pardon may have been part of the reckoning. Impeachment, in tying the acts specifically to an impeachable act involving the putative pardoner, may have taken that card off the table.