Thread by @SeanTrende

To understand the Right re J6: They believe that the reason the dividing line between J6 getting prosecuted and, say, Portland rioters not is because norms are set by liberals to protect liberal ingroups while allowing the prosecution of outgroups. 1/

This is also the dividing line between Trumpy populists and GOP establishment types; the latter says "well we should prosecute the goons in OR too" while the former says that is hopelessly naive bc, again, the lines are set by liberals to protect their ingroups. 2/

This isn't a defense of the populists at all. This is just to explain the "burn it down" mindset: "it" is a rigged game with rules set by liberals. If this sounds like left critiques of the past decade, well, it's why we're getting this horseshoe effect of, say, RFK & Trump. 3/3

Final thought: This is why the "but J6 was so much worse" argument doesn't work for them. Even conceding that is true, they will say, the point is that the dividing line between "punish" and "don't" is always magically set to excuse the left and punish the right. 4/3

And the populist Right's main deviation from the Establishment Right is a belief that they can and should use their power to set what are viewed arbitrary rules to their benefit when they have the chance. 5/3