Hacker News Reader

Comment by mongmong | Hacker News Reader

Inconsequential event? This is the aftermath of an attempted coup on our democracy. I would like to know what is consequential in your book.

View on HN

No 'attempted coup' is inconsequential, but if you want to compare these events to coups and their attempts historically, go right ahead[0].

Looking down that staggeringly long list, I can say with some confidence that this was one of the more inconsequential attempts historically.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_coups_and_coup_attempt...

If the mob that invaded the Capitol building had managed to get to the senators and representatives before they were evacuated, what do you think the mob would have done to them? I think its clear that a substantial number of them would have been murdered.

From here in Europe it looked like an improvised coup attempt. Not a coup as in taking over the country, but a coup as in decapitating part of the government.

A coup means taking over the country. Decapitating part of the government is assassination. /pedantry

> A coup means taking over the country. Decapitating part of the government is assassination. /pedantry

"Definition of coup d'état

: a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics

especially : the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group"

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coup%20d'%C3%A9ta...

I'm not sure pedantry contributes much in the circumstances.

Riiiight... "IF" So you mean, like IF there wasn't a gargantuan 'security' apparatus in place just waiting to nip anything like that that was even remotely a _serious_ threat in the bud? (yawn..your ridiculous) hypotheticals don't work.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com