Much of America is having a difficult time coming to grips with reality.

[kentuck]

It is hard for many to grasp the idea that there was an attempted coup to overthrow our elected government. It has to be an exaggeration. Some sort of fabricated hyperbole, they tell themselves.

The attack upon our Capitol was only a protest march that got out of hand. There is no way it was planned.

Certainly, it was not planned at the highest levels of government.

Just as FOX News has said, it is all a creation of the liberal, "fake" news networks. That is the only logical explanation for many Americans.

Because they are not prepared to confront the facts. That there was a power-hungry narcissist in charge who created the Big Lie and whipped up the anger amongst his supporters that the election had been stolen from them. He was not mentally-equipped to handle the fact that he actually lost the election. And he was so beloved by his supporters that they believed him.

So long as there were right-wing "news" outlets willing to spread the lie and to pretend that the election was stolen, they were torn by the contradictions. These folks were unable to accept the facts and the truth. It was very much a mob mentality.

Now, as the Committee is putting people under oath to get them to tell the truth, much of America is still in deep denial.

It will take time to "de-program" these folks.

[Walleye]

1. The main stream media is also culpable for constantly treating Trump like a normal candidate

[kentuck]

2. Absolutely!

They have also been in denial.

They have continued to pretend there was something "normal" about what was happening all around them.

[bahboo]

3. all they would have to do...

is watch the video from the first hearing. But of course they won't...

[Johnny2X2X]

4. This country is drowning in misinformation

The voters who supported the coup attempt don't understand what happens when a Democracy falls. They think their side being in control would be great for them, but what the end of Democracy means is that eventually that side now in control no longer feels a need to answer to them at all either.

It's not a zero sum game, when our Democracy falls we will all lose. You end up with a government that doesn't execute the will of the people in any meaningful way. The things they hold dear would eventually fall too if the ruling class decided they were inconvenient for them. Of course, the key to taking back a fallen democracy is the free press, which will be the first thing the new ruling party gets rid of. After that, it's just decades of the government feeding the masses a shit sandwich with a media that tells them it's fillet mignon.

[Baggies]

5. There's all sorts of info out there about it

What individuals decide about what happened is beyond your control. What individuals decide are facts and are not facts are beyond your control. What individuals decide is important and isn’t important is beyond your control.

Better the Party focus on how to make citizen’s lives better. That holds real meaning. That wins elections.

[House of Roberts]

6. He was not mentally-equipped to handle the fact...

that McDonald's had shorted him on an order of fries, much less that he actually lost the election.

[Caliman73]

7. Many Americans have been fed mythology, not history. That is part of the problem.

We have not, as a nation, come to grips with the ACTUAL history of this country. Many of us have bought into the myths of "Horatio Alger" "The Shining City on a Hill", "Manifest Destiny", and others.

I went to a pretty progressive high school (funny that it was Catholic). I did some study into the more controversial aspects of American History in my classes, which were honors and Advanced Placement. Still, we did not stray that far from the standard US History education which barely covers treatment of African and American slaves, treatment of Native Americans, the Civil Rights struggles, and other major issues in American society.

The concept of American Exceptionalism has stunted the actual growth of American citizens into mature, civic minded people.

Here is a video that encapsulates the problem with our education as Americans well. It is long but worth it in my opinion.

[BlueTsunami2018]

8. I remember saying this during the W years.

“When these people realize they’ve been duped, there will be hell to pay.”

But they never realized it, they got worse. There is no deprogramming these people. It’s never going to happen.

Hell, people my parents’ age still talk about how Nixon was railroaded. Forget about it.

[Irish_Dem]

9. I think many are trying to cope with all the realities hitting us now.

White male christian minority rule is being forced upon us.
Our children are being slaughtered sitting in school.
Basic rights are being taken away from us.

A sociopath narcissist was installed as POTUS and went on a four year crime spree while in the WH.

Angry white men want to destroy the US government by violent means. And a big chunk of the American public agree with this.

American's voting system is being rigged in favor of the GOP.

The US Supreme Court is now a ruling junta, devoid of rule of law or legal precedent.

The list of shocks goes on and on.

When the men came home from WWII, they wanted peace and tranquillity to raise their children. They were done with fighting. But that period of Americana apparently was only temporary, it is gone now.

I think most of the US is grappling with reality right now.