I'm embarrassed. In 1957 my first high school speech was about how much better off Cuba would be after Castro replaced Batista. An exasperated traditional friend is tired of hearing about the January 6th insurrection and wants continued investigation of Trump's attempted coup to end. Life experience makes it impossible for me to agree.
The historical record makes it clear Castro, Chavez, Hitler, Lenin, Mao and a myriad of other dictators used lessons learned from first coup attempt failures to successfully launch second coup takeovers of what were often democratically governed nations.
In 1955 my favorite Uncle married a beautiful charming Cuban Pediatrician. All of us were enthralled with everything Cuban from flan to extended family gatherings that included animated political conversations. Discussions about Cuba often devolved into stories of family members constantly shaken down by Batista's corrupt police and sleazy government officials. We were convinced Castro would be better than Batista. Decades later Cuba remains a Castro caused poor despotic mess. I was a true-believer.
It certainly appears a second coup attempt is being fomented. Trump is repeating his Big Lie at a rally of true-believers in Prescott, Arizona months after the insurrection and just prior to 2022 mid-term elections. True believers have taken over leadership of Republican Party Organizations across the nation and are shunning anyone who does not embrace Trump's Big Lie that the election was stolen from him. It appears true-believers plan to install sycophants in local and state positions so they can control 2022 mid-term and later elections.
One January 6th Investigation revelation is that the attempted coup involved coordination of multiple nationalist, white supremacists and militia members who truly believe the Big Lie. It is also well-proven many of them were taking direction from Donald Trump's tweets during the insurrection. Details of how this was done are being provided by convicted insurrectionists hoping to lessen their prison sentences.
Initial details of elected official and "hangers-on" support of the insurrection was provided by idealistic junior staff who felt Trump betrayed them and their nation . Once these young idealists pierced the wall of secrecy a few middle-aged staff, who appear to have been shamed into honoring their oaths of office, began cooperating with investigators as well.
But given continued promotion of the Big Lie by Trump and true-believers it is possible a second more likely to succeed coup is being fomented. This is why it is important the Secret Service be investigated.
Government officials appointed by elected officials and civil servants, like those in the Secret Service, all take an oath of loyalty to The Constitution of the United States, not to any individual. Secret Service employees work for us and it is important they are competent, apolitical and perceived as such.
In addition to protecting the Whitehouse and executives therein the Secret Service is responsible for protecting the national treasury. The United States of America is leading an economic boycott of Russia and enforcing sanctions against rogue nations while fending off ongoing massive currency forgery and cyber-attacks at the same time they are protecting the Whitehouse and our chief executives.
Deletion of all Secret Service electronic communications sent and received during the attempted coup, by a Trump appointed official eleven days after the records were subpoenaed by investigators, casts suspicion on loyalty of Secret Service political appointees and civil servant staff to The Constitution of the United States which is a shame.
Many performed heroically. The insurrection could well have succeeded if a Secret Service Driver had not refused Trump's demand he be driven to the Capital so he could triumphantly lead insurrectionists into the chambers where the electoral count was being conducted. Secret Service staff evacuated, and may well have prevented assassination, of The Vice President and several other elected officials.
Unfortunately deliberate deletion of records that must legally be archived, eleven days after they were subpoenaed by congressional investigators makes it appear someone decided punishment for the crime of deletion of official records was likely to be less severe than punishment for crimes the records would have revealed. Criminal investigations of Secret Service Staff are underway.
An old-fashioned conservative myself I am very aware of how well our protestant work ethic based democratic republic has worked. In the words of my exasperated old-school traditional friend "We have it pretty darned good". On the other hand I also know this democratic republic form of governance exists hardly anywhere else across earth, that we came within a few minutes of losing it during a coup and that a second better executed coup is a definite possibility.
September 18, 1787 a lady asked Ben Franklin "Well Doctor what have we got a republic or a monarchy" "A republic" replied the Doctor, "if you can keep it."
2206-JLB