Victor Davis Hanson
Here is what we do not understand about the January 6th Committee—if it truly was intended to appear as a disinterested investigatory body.
1. Why for the first time in memory did Speaker Pelosi forbid the House Minority Leader’s pro forma nominees to a special House committee? Fairly or not, the result was that the only two Republicans who did serve shared two embarrassing requisites: they would likely be out office, and not by their own volition, in January 2023; and two, they despised Donald Trump and voted for the second Trump impeachment.
So, what were the Democrats afraid of to make them break all precedents with past hearings? Pelosi, in other words, ensured that there would be no cross-examinations of any witnesses, no disagreements about witness lists, no contrasting interviews to the media about the work of the committee, and no diversity in staff interrogatories.
2. Why did not the Committee investigate whether the FBI had numerous agents and informants present on January 6th? Matthew Rosenberg, the New York Times assigned reporter to the demonstration, claimed they were ubiquitous. Were they?
3. Why did not the Committee review the circumstances in detail of the deaths of Officer Brian Sicknick and the fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt. These were the two most high-profile and controversial deaths on January 6th, and Babbitt’s perhaps was the only violent death at the direct hand of a known other?
4. Why did not the Committee investigate and release all the communications between the House leadership and the Capitol police to learn why the Capitol was virtually open and unsecured on a day that everyone knew would be the scene of mass protests there?
5. Why did not the Committee investigate all incendiary speech by major elected officials at iconic Washington buildings, deemed inflammatory and allegedly resulting in violence at a subsequent time? For example, in 2020 then Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer screamed to a large demonstration massed at the doors of the Supreme Court:
I want to tell you Gorsuch, I want to tell you Kavanaugh—you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
“You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price”? “Hit you”? Did Trump say to supporting demonstrators on January 6th anything like, “Pelosi and Biden, you released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
Had he said that, would he now be in jail?
Note that not too long after Schumer’s threats, protestors appeared to swarm the homes of conservative Supreme Court justices, including a would-be assassin.
Why did not the Committee investigate all organized rioting by activist groups that also damaged federal properties, such as in 2020 a federal courthouse that was torched and attempts to storm the White House grounds to endanger a president?
6. Why did not the Committee release all the full transcripts of all those it interrogated, and why not all the arrangements and conditions with witnesses it finalized to make them appear?
Discussion (25)
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Log In to CommentThere is sufficient evidence "out there" now that certainly indicates that there was a massive collusion of governmental and private entities to effect a "lure" of hotheaded and just plain angry patriots towards and into the Capitol Building. If the FBI wasn't one of the "entities" we would be experiencing the revelation of a conspiracy never before seen in American history. Yet, Truth will win out sooner or later.
Holding people so long without any charges is a stain on our culture and our Constitution. Unconstitutional in the finest sense of the word. Something must be done but who is going to do it. Marjorie Taylor Green started an initiative months ago bringing the travesty to light but it seems to have died. Roger.... How can the highest levels of our government be participating in these illegal behaviors? Conservative America should be raising hell!
Thank you Mr. Hanson once again for erudite, concise and accurate commentary. In respectful response to Mr. Reynolds above: The country needs a new government. Sincerely, Brown Beezer North Carolina
exactly!! thank you for that timely scripture🙏 and is the main reason in my view why almost everything has going wrong in this country....the wrath of God is unleashed...
Because it's dirty politics... plain and simple. Until that ends on both sides of the aisle (especially on the Democratic side as they are the worst), not much real governing will get done.
Why, one asks? If you have read Rules For Radicals by Saul Alinsky, which happens to be the Bible for most on the left, it makes perfect sense. One of their primary principals is if the end is good, then any means are justified and deemed good as well. As an aside, guess who did her senior thesis at Wellesley College? Hint: Her initials are HC and she ran for President in 2016 and lost, thank God. Also, which past President was know as a Community Organizer? BHO.. They all use the same playbook, although some are more skilled than others. I would place Speaker Pelosi at the low end of the scale. She has always been rather blunt and obvious. But a big Thank You to VDH. Such a skilled artist with words and an unparalleled depth of knowledge.
Very true and many forget that another woman died that day; Rosanne Borland was beaten by a Capitol Police Officer and as the crowd was forced out of the tunnel a couple of protesters were prevented from giving her medical aid. In another part of the building another woman was beaten viciously by a Capitol police officer until a fellow officer pulled her back. None of these abuses have resulted in disiplinary actions to Byrd or the other two officers and there is clear video of the abuses.
Bilkye, the appropriate discription of our times, written by the One to whom we are accountable.
I see the motivations of the Left to push their narrative of 1/6 as: 1. To destroy any chance of President Trump, or any supporter from running again. 2. To deflate any chance of a populist movement. 3. To project away from the real insurrection that was false "Russian collusion" and the real destruction that was Antifa.. 4. To return to the good old days when Republicans did not represent ordinary people. 5. To pin blame by association on any politician or that may have supported Trump. 6. To distract from the real damage that they are doing to the Country and the real issues with the last presidential elections. Republicans better grow a pair and use their brains to really dive into 1/6 with their own investigations, otherwise Many will just sit out the next election which has become pretty much just a vote harvesting exercise anyway.
Because they are very smart and politically savvy. I think it is more important to be smart, insightful, and wise. We should learn from them and their tactics about how to Achieve political success. We should learn to out smart them and surpass them in the use of tactics (Early voting, ballot harvesting, manipulation of state legislatures voting rules to the very limit of legality)and political Maneuvering (Nancy Pelosi’s ability to strong-arm the votes into line)to achieve conservative goals and political success. The same tactics they use to destroy our culture and our society can be used to accomplish conservative goals and create a conservative, moral, just society and culture.
And--maybe you plan to discuss this--Why did the committee not force the DOJ to release the 840+ from 1/6 who were arrested and jailed unjustly, and to either sentence or release the 650+ who are still held without formal charges? How can the highest levels of our government be participating in these illegal behaviors? And who will do anything about it? As you often say--Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
A question that remains in my mind.... How can you have an "Insurrection" when there were no guns found in the crowd that were present at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2020? FBI -- https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/fbi-no-firearms-were-found-in-the-capitol-during-the-january-6-capitol-riot/
Good questions all. I think this so-called investigation had the feel of a made-for-tv event. I predict we will see highlight reels on the MSM news for many January 6ths to come.
I think we all know why.
Great questions for an investigative committee in 2023.
Point 3 implies that both Asli Babbitt and Brian Sicknick died on Jan 6, but Brian died the next day and his cause of death was ruled unrelated to the previous day's activities.
Superb, as usual, Victor. Let's hope the threadbare GOP House can draw some of these issues into the light. The mainstream media may ignore or suppress them, but they will be out there for citizens to find, and Twitter will no longer be a censorship shop. Paul Ranalli Toronto
Suffice to say the Left is magnatude times more corrupt than the Right. During a recent meeting one of the participants stated that the Left truly believe their side is correct and if we do not realize this we will never win the battle. I'm not sure I concur as it would be obvious to me they are well aware of what they are doing as they violate moral norms. Pelosi making millions with basically insider trading, unrestricted abortions, Biden storing TS-SCI documents in a garage, etc. Even Schumer has to know the hypocracy of his comments yet fails to even hint at an apology. No, those of the Left are not stupid, they know exactly that what they are doing is just plain wrong!
I think we all know why not, Professor Hanson. It is because the Elitists which rule our country did not want it investigated. "These same good folk had struck the first blow at the Republic by appointing the old Field Marshal Hindenburg its President in the 1925 February election. Under cover of this former national glory, the enemies of the Republic were able to install themselves in most of the key positions". Jacques Delarue, The Gestapo, A History of Horror pg 8.
We need a new committee that asks and gets answers to all of the above. Plus, subpoena all the members of the unselect committee and ask them pertinent questions and demand answers. We all knew that their activities were absolutely corrupt. Let’s prove it. We need payback. Democrats did not think this moment would come so quickly. If it does not happen then I, and millions of others, will be disappointed.
Excellent questions!
Steller. This is another post that is, very, very useful. (I confess, I'm a VDH groupie.)
All I can think is that their minds have been riined: they are deranged. Romans 1:28-32 AMP And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive, [29] until they were filled (permeated, saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice and mean-spiritedness. They are gossips [spreading rumors], [30] slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors [of new forms] of evil, disobedient and disrespectful to parents, [31] without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful [without pity]. [32] Although they know God's righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and tolerate others who practice them.
Correction: It was Matthew Rosenberg of the NYT, not Michael.
Because they are all so crooked they could open a bottle of wine.