What is the best way for the US government, and the new Biden administration, to respond to the insurrection of January 6, 2021? Is a full-court press the best approach to strengthen US democracy? For example, the US government could
- Impeach Trump and push for conviction (or a resolution censuring Trump is a lesser option)
- Charge as many of the Capitol insurrectionists as possible with crimes
- Censure members of Congress who supported the voter fraud fraud even after the Capitol was attacked
- Disbar Trump’s lawyers who pushed baseless voter fraud cases in tens of cases in November/December 2020
- Step up Department of Homeland Security and FBI (and others) activity versus white supremacists
- With linkage to improving voting rights protection as well as addressing structural racism
Talking with Fareed Zakaria, Anne Applebaum said the Biden administration will need to pursue accountability *and* move forward on general needs (e.g. bolstering the US economy, fighting Covid19) at the same time. Is she correct?
More generally, what’s the right mix of coercion and co-optation for a democrat battling on behalf of a democratic system? What approach is most likely to weaken violent, pro-Trump, anti-democratic US actors as opposed to embolden them? Will a crackdown and harsh political measures lead the anti-democratic movement to escalate or de-escalate?
What historical examples, in the United States or elsewhere, are useful to think about? Perhaps Reconstruction (and its end) in the United States?
I don’t have answers. I’m just thinking out loud here.
