Trump supporters storm the Capitol Building

[triggercut]

An article just posted on the charges filed mentions that the FBI believes that whatever “deal” she had for the laptop with Russian intel apparently fell through. No reason given or speculated upon.

[MikeOberly]

Russian GRU probably kicking themselves that they didn’t think of Qanon first. But social media would be god’s gift to any spy agency in recorded history.

[BloodyBattleBrain]

Maybe they did?

[mono]

Our systems may already so compromised they didn’t care about the laptop.

[MikeOberly]

I don’t think so, based on known information, but it’s not impossible.

[Clay]

@MikeOberly

I don’t think so, based on known information, but it’s not impossible.

Based on my experience working in the intel community, I think it’s extremely plausible that the Russians are behind QAnon and all of the other conspiracy garbage that Trump supporters have slurped up over the past 6 years. In fact, it may be the most likely explanation — social engineering at scale. They are exceptionally good at it.

[wisefool]

Wow, now that’s a traitor

[dionisus1122]

Jackson Proskow (JProskowGlobal)

[Timex]

@meeper

I think we can draw two good conclusions from this though:

1. The crowd is somewhere between the Park Service pre-estimate of 30,000 and the physical space cap of 90,000. I’d personally put it at the lower end of that range, but I don’t have anything concrete enough to use to back that up.
2. COVID spread is going to be a thing in this crowd. :(

*Note: In a previous job in the defense industry, I did work calculating crowd sizes like this for high-security events very similar to this (which differs from how more accurate size estimates are arrived at, but we were more interested in conservative estimates and geometries than precision).

I like this analysis, thanks.

[scottagibson]

Seems that’s a false alarm.

John Koussis (kouskousVPI)

[RichVR]

Evacuation at inaugural rehearsal due to fire, not believed to be a threat

[Timex]

@Clay

Based on my experience working in the intel community, I think it’s extremely plausible that the Russians are behind QAnon and all of the other conspiracy garbage that Trump supporters have slurped up over the past 6 years. In fact, it may be the most likely explanation — social engineering at scale. They are exceptionally good at it.

I suspect that Russia didn’t start the QAnon stuff, but at this point I am absolutely sure that they are way deep in there, exploiting it to the max.

[Wallapuctus]

@Timex

I suspect that Russia didn’t start the QAnon stuff, but at this point I am absolutely sure that they are way deep in there, exploiting it to the max.

Fredrick Brennan, the dude who started 8-chan and later repented, knows who started Q-Anon. I believe he did an interview with Vice and outed him. It’s a LARP that went way too far. Then some other people got control of the original Q’s account and realized they could monetize it and kept it going.

It’s all very public if you know where to look.

Here ya go: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/men-qanon/story?id=73046374

The two Americans most clearly associated with the author of thousands of “Q drops” dating back to October 2017 are James Arthur Watkins, 56, who gained control in 2015 of the controversial anonymous message board 8chan, and his son, Ronald Watkins, former 8chan administrator and current administrator of its successor, the Watkins-owned 8kun.

This is Q

[moss_icon]

this is a good podcast on the subject

#166 Country of Liars | Reply All

[Tman]

@Timex

I like this analysis, thanks.

Yes @meeper very well done. Thanks

[vyshka]

I don’t know that they initiated it, but they almost certainly have been trying to act as a catalyst for a lot of it trying to increase the spread and damage.

[scottagibson]

Spencer Hsu (hsu_spencer)

I can’t read the Post, sorry, but there are some details in the tweet thread.

Sounds like the two ex-military people just charged are part of this group of ten.

[Woolen_Horde]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/a-place-to-fund-hope-how-proud-boys-and-other-fringe-groups-found-refuge-on-a-christian-fundraising-website/2021/01/18/14a536ee-574b-11eb-a08b-f1381ef3d207_story.html

[KevinC]

Also arrested Sunday were Donovan Crowl, 50, a former U.S. Marine, and Army veteran Jessica Watkins, 38. A bartender, Watkins recently told the Ohio Capital Journal that she formed the “Ohio State Regular Militia” in 2019 — a unit of the Oath Keepers, the FBI said — and that the group has appeared at a dozen protests to “protect people.”

The FBI said Watkins posted to Parler a photograph of herself in uniform on Jan. 6, writing, “Me before forcing entry into the Capitol Building. #stopthesteal #stormthecapitol #oathkeepers #ohiomilitia.”

Watkins and Crowl were among about 10 individuals recorded at the U.S. Capitol wearing combat helmets, ballistic goggles, tactical vests and Oath Keepers patches who “move[d] in an organized and practiced fashion and force[d] their way to the front of the crowd” to lead the siege and break-in, FBI affidavits said.

While it’s not a surprise per se, I do find it troubling whenever they talk about ex-military people being involved in the insurrection.

[MikeOberly]

Shocking if true. /s

Jesse Damiani (JesseDamiani)