Thread by @juliettekayyem

On this 6 month anniversary of 1/6/2021 insurrection, it is important we take an account of where we are. Lots of bad news and worrying for our democracy. But, through the dismay, I'll do the good news part lest the hard work be viewed as totally futile. Thread. 1/

A week after 1/6, I wrote this @TheAtlantic about how viewing Trump as the leader of a terror organization was now the correct framework. It was viewed by many in my field as paranoid, too extreme, the wrong framing. We now know much more about 1/6. 2/
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

I had long viewed Trump has inciting terror, and used words like "stochastic terrorism" to describe his brand of inciting, without owning, violence. It was too benign. Violence is his north star, the GOP knows it. The Big Lie isn't some political rally; it is a call to arms. 3/

The Big Lie, with its related voter suppression efforts that threaten criminal penalties against voters -- and lets be real here, brown and black voters -- in swing states, is their justification to take back, through any means, what they have been deprived by democracy. 4/

What to do? Only Trump's isolation, the prosecution of those involved in 1/6, and the continuing shaming of those who would utilize violence are the way forward. I am less interested in changing minds, in understanding hate. Many spend time musing about the "why." We know why. 5/

Terror groups only survive with convincing others they are winners. Don't look for perfect. Isolate Trump. De-platform him. Prosecute those involved with 1/6, impacting recruitment and organizing. Have terrorists turn against each other. Shame them. Isolate 6/

with loss of jobs and communities. Do not nurture it, as it had been done for years under Trump. Something horrible festers in this country, but this country has never been free of heinousness. We can, though, hope to minimize the terror. 7/

And there are plenty of signs we can do that, with all the signs we still have a long way to go. Trump struggles for oxygen. The terror groups struggle for money and recruits. They are turning on each other in court cases. Communities are rising up against the hate. 8/

I describe those 3 signs again here: "decapitate" (figuratively) the terror leader; prosecute violent extremism with 100s of cases; shame and isolate them through community and social media efforts. @CNN @Boris_Sanchez 9/

https://twitter.com/juliettekayyem/status/1412111025101488135

In PA this weekend, white supremacists put their hoods back on; compare to Charlottesville and 1/6 when they thought they were immune to consequences, when the Oval Office was their defender. They are hiding from the law and our norms. Is that progress? Take the win.
10/

Trust me, I am well aware of the ifs, ands, and buts. One can worry themselves about America's future without looking too hard. But, despair can make us not see some of the progress. It is worth doing that every once in a while, if only as incentive to continue the fight 🇺🇸11/11