0:00:16.770,0:00:28.291
USA! USA! USA!

0:00:28.881,0:00:31.993
Here in defiance of tyranny,

0:00:34.311,0:00:37.014
you've come to fight as free men.

0:00:39.080,0:00:41.804
And free men you are.

0:00:44.155,0:00:45.822
What will you do with that freedom?

0:00:45.822,0:00:46.786
I have no idea.

0:00:46.786,0:00:48.237
I took my teeth out.

0:00:48.237,0:00:51.604
I'm not one to usually take pictures of myself,[br]but in this case I think I'll make an exception.

0:01:09.066,0:01:10.384
Oh hello.

0:01:10.384,0:01:14.374
Welcome to System Fail, the show[br]where 'questionable life choice'

0:01:14.374,0:01:15.950
begins with the letter Q.

0:01:15.950,0:01:19.510
2020's been an outstanding year [br]for the Q movement,

0:01:19.510,0:01:22.710
we've never had more support [br]as we have, y'know, this year

0:01:22.710,0:01:24.786
with the COVID and you know,

0:01:24.786,0:01:26.889
being forced to do things [br]that are unconstitutional

0:01:26.889,0:01:28.152
like wearing masks.

0:01:28.152,0:01:34.055
The pro-Trump conspiracy cult QAnon [br]believed there would be a coup on inauguration day.

0:01:34.055,0:01:38.119
According to QAnons [br]the inauguration was an elaborate trap

0:01:38.119,0:01:42.389
set by president Trump to[br]round up and execute Democrats.

0:01:42.389,0:01:46.525
If he doesn't declare martial law, then I[br]will feel like my vote no longer counts.

0:01:46.525,0:01:49.280
He's boarding Marine 1! [br]WOOO!

0:01:49.280,0:01:51.820
He's on his way! [br]He's on his way!

0:01:51.820,0:01:53.488
Obviously that did not happen.

0:01:53.488,0:01:57.859
And I literally was just walking around[br]like... what now?

0:01:57.859,0:01:59.590
Bye bye Q.[br]I can't talk to you anymore.

0:01:59.590,0:02:01.030
Jesus, Lord help me.

0:02:01.030,0:02:02.740
I am your host Dee Dos,

0:02:02.740,0:02:05.430
and as my lazy human producers [br]were wrapping up

0:02:05.430,0:02:07.425
their annual [br]Winter Solstice break,

0:02:07.425,0:02:10.666
I find holiday traditions [br]to be deeply despotic.

0:02:10.666,0:02:14.080
strange reports began coming in [br]from Washington DC.

0:02:14.080,0:02:16.840
- Breaking news at this hour.[br]- It is hard to put into words.

0:02:16.840,0:02:19.660
- The terrifying scenes...[br]- ...unimaginable scenes and violence

0:02:19.660,0:02:22.200
- ... thousands storming the Capitol[br]- ... overrun police

0:02:22.200,0:02:23.038
- they're inside

0:02:23.038,0:02:27.400
In the weeks since the short-lived [br]Capitol Hill Authoritarian Zone,

0:02:27.400,0:02:32.110
the Internet has produced a wide range of [br]analysis, commentary, and hot takes.

0:02:32.110,0:02:36.371
So I woke up and the U.S. is literally being[br]coup'd. This is a coup right now!

0:02:36.371,0:02:38.760
Did the Simpsons predict [br]the storming of the Capitol?

0:02:38.760,0:02:40.650
Smash that like button[br]and let's get into it!

0:02:40.650,0:02:43.123
So before I add [br]my humble assessment,

0:02:43.123,0:02:46.702
perhaps we should rewind and [br]take another look at what happened.

0:02:53.960,0:02:57.705
On January 6th, members of the [br]United States Congress convened

0:02:57.705,0:02:59.750
to formally certify the votes

0:02:59.750,0:03:04.800
submitted by the country’s arcane,[br]18th-Century, electoral college system.

0:03:04.800,0:03:10.260
This dry and antiquated ritual [br]usually passes without much scrutiny.

0:03:10.260,0:03:12.971
But with the outgoing president, [br]Donald Trump,

0:03:12.971,0:03:15.500
stubbornly refusing[br]to concede the election,

0:03:15.500,0:03:19.956
the event was pitched as a final opportunity[br]for his most hardcore supporters

0:03:19.956,0:03:22.824
to intervene and, “stop the steal.”

0:03:22.824,0:03:27.210
The President is now telling his supporters[br]that he also wants them in the streets,

0:03:27.210,0:03:29.670
in Washington on January 6th,

0:03:29.670,0:03:33.460
saying on Twitter:[br]"Be there, will be wild!"

0:03:33.460,0:03:37.310
Thousands of supporters from all[br]across the country heeded Trump’s call

0:03:37.310,0:03:41.350
and descended on DC [br]to make their final stand.

0:03:41.350,0:03:43.730
And after some soon-to-be[br]incriminating speeches,

0:03:43.730,0:03:46.618
We're gonna walk down to the Capitol...

0:03:48.448,0:03:50.659
Let's have trial by combat!

0:03:50.659,0:03:54.220
the mob began to march from [br]the White House to the Capitol building.

0:03:54.220,0:03:57.130
We can take that place!

0:03:57.130,0:03:59.160
And then do what?

0:03:59.160,0:04:00.220
Heads on pikes!!!

0:04:00.220,0:04:04.020
Shortly after they arrived, [br]the MAGA vanguard began to clash

0:04:04.020,0:04:07.342
with a surprisingly small [br]contingent of DC Capitol Police.

0:04:09.920,0:04:13.290
Reinforcements were soon called in, [br]but the surging crowd

0:04:13.290,0:04:15.470
overwhelmed them [br]with a pincer attack,

0:04:15.470,0:04:19.480
breaching the Capitol Building’s [br]outer security perimeter in two locations,

0:04:19.480,0:04:22.180
and then smashing their way [br]into the building itself.

0:04:24.310,0:04:25.529
WOOO!

0:04:25.529,0:04:27.099
Let's go, let's go! !

0:04:27.799,0:04:29.069
Aaaargh

0:04:29.069,0:04:34.729
Within this motley crew of QAnon cultists,[br]white nationalists, neo-nazis,

0:04:34.729,0:04:38.799
and other ride-or-die Trump supporters,

0:04:38.799,0:04:42.689
there was a significant number of [br]militia members dressed in tactical gear,

0:04:42.689,0:04:47.120
as well as dozens of both active duty[br]and former police officers

0:04:47.120,0:04:49.480
and members of the US military.

0:04:49.480,0:04:52.760
Their presence, [br]and the discovery of explosive devices

0:04:52.760,0:04:55.529
at the Republican [br]and Democratic headquarters,

0:04:55.529,0:04:58.919
lent a semblance of [br]tactical proficiency and premeditation

0:04:58.919,0:05:01.789
to what was otherwise [br]a surreal gong show

0:05:01.789,0:05:05.216
that looked something like[br]a bizzaro anti-globalization demo

0:05:05.216,0:05:07.515
crossed with a riotous frat party.

0:05:07.667,0:05:09.168
- GO![br]- Whose house?!

0:05:09.168,0:05:11.372
-USAAAAAA![br]- Yeah!

0:05:11.372,0:05:13.968
Woo!

0:05:13.968,0:05:14.862
We respect the law!

0:05:14.862,0:05:17.440
We were normal, [br]good, law abiding citizens.

0:05:17.440,0:05:18.871
You guys did this to us!

0:05:19.800,0:05:22.554
As the crowd made their way [br]towards the Senate chambers

0:05:22.554,0:05:24.119
and the House of Representatives,

0:05:24.119,0:05:28.772
the secret service and DC Capitol Police [br]sprung into action.

0:05:28.772,0:05:31.989
Vice President Mike Pence [br]and the Senate and House leadership

0:05:31.989,0:05:34.219
were spirited off to safety.

0:05:34.219,0:05:37.587
Less important politicians[br]hid under their seats,

0:05:37.587,0:05:40.642
waiting for their own[br]armed escorts to arrive,

0:05:41.802,0:05:46.387
while shrieking congressional staffers[br]barricaded themselves in empty offices.

0:05:46.867,0:05:47.408
Ahhhhhh!

0:05:49.621,0:05:50.621
[whimpering]

0:05:50.870,0:05:53.804
It’s a safe bet [br]that many pairs of khakis,

0:05:53.804,0:05:57.303
and a good number of Brooks Brothers [br]and Georgio Armani powersuits

0:05:57.303,0:05:58.319
were soiled that day.

0:05:58.319,0:06:00.559
And as you can see, [br]we have a bit of poop.

0:06:00.559,0:06:05.283
As they were being evacuated, [br]a number of sweaty, geriatric legislators

0:06:05.283,0:06:09.310
hastily donned the so-called [br]‘escape hoods’ located under their seats.

0:06:13.180,0:06:17.080
Turns out they’re only [br]opposed to PPE when it comes to

0:06:17.080,0:06:19.880
providing it to front-line workers [br]and prisoners.

0:06:20.400,0:06:25.080
Some of the most surreal scenes took place[br]after the war criminals had been evacuated,

0:06:25.080,0:06:27.328
Heeeeyyy!

0:06:27.842,0:06:32.404
and small groups of Trump supporters [br]were left to wander around the Senate,

0:06:33.589,0:06:34.723
rifle through papers,

0:06:34.723,0:06:38.880
There's gotta be somethings in here we can[br]fucking use against these scumbags.

0:06:38.880,0:06:41.201
and even hold [br]an impromptu prayer circle.

0:06:41.201,0:06:44.935
Thank you divine omniscient, [br]omnipotent and omnipresent creator God,

0:06:44.935,0:06:47.658
for filling this chamber [br]with your white light of love.

0:06:47.658,0:06:48.758
Amen!

0:06:49.048,0:06:51.838
Thank you for allowing us to get rid of [br]the Communists, the Globalists

0:06:51.838,0:06:53.813
and the traitors within our government.

0:06:53.813,0:06:56.513
We love you and we thank you. [br]In Christ's holy name we pray!

0:06:56.513,0:06:57.930
AMEN!

0:07:04.768,0:07:09.426
When the smoke, tear gas,[br]and homemade bear mace had finally cleared,

0:07:09.426,0:07:11.379
five people were dead.

0:07:11.379,0:07:15.479
This included Brian Sicknick, [br]a DC Capitol Police officer,

0:07:15.479,0:07:17.190
and ardent Trump supporter

0:07:17.190,0:07:19.742
who was bludgeoned [br]to death by a fire extinguisher.

0:07:20.270,0:07:21.899
Oh shit!

0:07:23.794,0:07:27.731
Benjamin Phillips, who died[br]of an unspecified ‘medical emergency’

0:07:27.731,0:07:30.399
was the inventor [br]and founder of Trumparoo.

0:07:30.399,0:07:33.079
Trumparoo was a kangaroo[br]dressed as Trump.

0:07:33.079,0:07:35.479
Phillips sold[br]the stuffed animals at rallies.

0:07:35.479,0:07:37.830
That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

0:07:37.830,0:07:42.300
US Air Force veteran and zealous[br]QAnon adherent, Ashli Babbitt,

0:07:42.300,0:07:46.379
was shot in the throat while attempting[br]to storm the House of Representatives.

0:07:46.379,0:07:48.796
- There's a gun![br]- Yeah he's got a gun!

0:07:50.749,0:07:52.339
Oh shit!

0:07:52.339,0:07:54.449
It coulda been me, but she went in first.

0:07:54.449,0:07:58.550
Rosanne Boyland was trampled [br]to death on the steps of the capitol,

0:07:58.550,0:08:04.379
after being photographed earlier in the day[br]waving a flag that read ‘don’t tread on me’.

0:08:04.379,0:08:05.883
[singing] Isn't it ironic?

0:08:05.883,0:08:11.392
And rumor has it, Kevin Greeson died [br]after fatally tasering himself in the balls.

0:08:11.392,0:08:15.269
Trump'll come to get er done, man! [br]Trump'll come for dat wall.

0:08:15.269,0:08:19.415
The guv'nment come for yer guns, man. [br]The guv'nment come for your balls!

0:08:19.415,0:08:20.525
MAGA hat

0:08:20.525,0:08:21.475
ball zap

0:08:21.475,0:08:22.360
cardiac

0:08:22.360,0:08:23.406
heart attack.

0:08:23.406,0:08:31.503
MAGA hat, ball zap, cardiac, heart attack.

0:08:31.503,0:08:33.351
Truly, patriots all.

0:08:35.904,0:08:39.000
The media and members[br]of the political establishment

0:08:39.000,0:08:40.707
were quick to condemn the violence.

0:08:40.707,0:08:42.150
This is the most shocking...

0:08:42.150,0:08:43.111
Crazy... [br]Shameful...

0:08:43.111,0:08:44.640
Ridiculous... [br]Hard to fathom...

0:08:44.640,0:08:45.755
Sad day for America...

0:08:45.755,0:08:48.425
A grave breach of [br]its democratic traditions...

0:08:48.425,0:08:49.275
Yeah I was mad as hell.

0:08:49.275,0:08:52.660
Unsurprisingly, [br]many of the initial headlines

0:08:52.660,0:08:54.220
and shocked tweets

0:08:54.220,0:08:56.840
denounced the chaos [br]in the capitol as anarchy.

0:08:56.840,0:08:58.810
These are not protests.[br]This is anarchy.

0:08:58.810,0:09:00.050
Infantile anarchy.

0:09:00.050,0:09:02.610
- Anarchy.[br]- What happened is nothing short of anarchy.

0:09:02.610,0:09:07.731
One Democratic politician even went so far[br]as to describe the attackers as:

0:09:07.731,0:09:09.180
“Trump’s anarchists.”

0:09:09.180,0:09:11.810
[Sighing] You don't know [br]what you're talking about do you?

0:09:11.810,0:09:15.090
It wasn’t long before liberals [br]began evoking 9/11,

0:09:15.090,0:09:19.368
and referring to the people who stormed[br]the capitol as domestic terrorists.

0:09:19.368,0:09:23.750
Don't dare call them protesters. [br]They were a riotous mob.

0:09:23.750,0:09:26.430
- Goons and thugs.[br]- Scum of the earth.

0:09:26.430,0:09:30.120
- Domestic terrorists.[br]- Domestic terrorists.

0:09:30.120,0:09:32.610
Domestic terrorists. [br]It's that simple.

0:09:32.610,0:09:36.450
Democratic strategists seized on [br]the events to further their efforts

0:09:36.450,0:09:39.250
to whitewash and recuperate [br]the Black-led uprisings

0:09:39.250,0:09:42.250
of the previous spring[br]and summer.

0:09:42.627,0:09:46.840
Comparisons were repeatedly drawn between[br]the illegitimate violence at the capitol

0:09:46.840,0:09:48.783
and the so-called ‘peaceful protests’

0:09:48.783,0:09:51.903
that took place after [br]the police murder of George Floyd.

0:09:51.903,0:10:03.610
[singing] Supposing we said it didn't happen.[br]Didn't happen at all.

0:10:03.610,0:10:07.610
The 14,000 strong [br]National Association of Manufacturers

0:10:07.610,0:10:09.980
led a chorus of lobbyists [br]and business leaders

0:10:09.980,0:10:11.310
in condemning the violence.

0:10:11.310,0:10:14.395
We have seen regimes[br]in Europe that were unstable

0:10:14.395,0:10:16.680
and those who spoke out[br]were hounded or killed.

0:10:17.220,0:10:18.594
That's a real risk to the market.

0:10:18.594,0:10:23.345
Visa’s CEO, Alfred F Kelly Jr, [br]released a statement

0:10:23.345,0:10:26.130
assuring the shocked [br]and traumatized nation

0:10:26.130,0:10:30.700
that the credit card company stood[br]“100% behind the results of the election.”

0:10:30.700,0:10:32.780
Visa chec- [br]Oops.

0:10:32.780,0:10:36.210
Billionaire Republican [br]megadonor, Sheldon Adelson,

0:10:36.210,0:10:38.287
was so upset that he dropped dead.

0:10:39.280,0:10:43.300
Twitter and Facebook banned [br]Donald Trump’s social media accounts

0:10:43.300,0:10:46.840
and implemented a further purge[br]of influential QAnon profiles,

0:10:46.840,0:10:50.120
Twitter announcing it has purged [br]more than 70 000 accounts

0:10:50.120,0:10:53.130
for sharing harmful QAnon associated content.

0:10:53.130,0:10:56.480
while Amazon,[br]Apple and Google banded together

0:10:56.480,0:10:59.750
to bring down right-wing[br]social media network, Parler.

0:10:59.750,0:11:00.980
- [French] Parler.[br]- What?

0:11:00.980,0:11:04.371
-Par-ler.[br]-Is there an American nearby?

0:11:04.371,0:11:08.807
Meanwhile, joining the progressive[br]tech billionaires of Silicon Valley

0:11:08.807,0:11:11.210
and the CEO of Visa,

0:11:11.210,0:11:14.590
a soberingly-large number[br]of self-described radicals

0:11:14.950,0:11:19.540
used the umbrella of anti-fascism[br]to justify cooperating with the FBI

0:11:19.540,0:11:22.090
- That's snitching. You know what I mean?[br]-Yeah

0:11:22.090,0:11:26.060
while bemoaning the fascist attack [br]on the sanctity of American democracy.

0:11:26.060,0:11:30.247
Fence sitting as far as I'm concerned [br]is aiding and abetting terrorism.

0:11:30.247,0:11:33.337
It's pretty cringe.[br]It's pretty cringe.

0:11:33.337,0:11:37.490
This drives home the increased dangers [br]that anarchists and abolitionists

0:11:37.490,0:11:41.680
can expect to face [br]under a Biden-Harris administration.

0:11:41.680,0:11:45.940
Those currently cheering on Joe Biden [br]as some sort of anti-fascist hero

0:11:45.940,0:11:49.770
seem quite happy to ignore [br]the fact that he was the primary author

0:11:49.770,0:11:51.560
of the USA PATRIOT Act.

0:11:51.560,0:11:55.710
Just to set the record straight, [br]almost the same thing that got passed,

0:11:55.710,0:11:59.750
the Patriot Act,[br]was introduced by me in 1994.

0:11:59.750,0:12:04.060
And it was the right wing that defeated it.[br]You guys tried to help get it passed.

0:12:04.060,0:12:08.656
Encouraged by the universal outrage [br]towards the debacle in DC,

0:12:08.656,0:12:12.530
he has already announced plans[br]to pass a new anti-terrorism bill,

0:12:13.420,0:12:18.640
and promised to clamp down on so-called[br]domestic violent extremism - or DVE.

0:12:18.640,0:12:22.390
Coordinating relevant parts of the[br]federal government efforts to address DVE

0:12:22.390,0:12:26.510
will focus on evolving threats, [br]radicalization, the role of social media,

0:12:26.510,0:12:29.184
opportunities to improve[br]information sharing,

0:12:29.184,0:12:32.350
operational responses and more.

0:12:32.350,0:12:37.190
We can safely assume that they're not just[br]talking about QAnon and the Proud Boys.

0:12:37.190,0:12:39.203
Peaceful protesters should be protected

0:12:39.203,0:12:41.660
and arsonists and anarchists[br]should be prosecuted.

0:12:41.660,0:12:45.100
Local law enforcement can do that. [br]And it can be done today.

0:12:45.810,0:12:49.330
As for the far-right, [br]at this stage it is too soon to see

0:12:49.330,0:12:51.250
what the long-term effects will be.

0:12:51.950,0:12:55.350
Once Trump realized the trouble [br]he’d gotten himself into,

0:12:55.350,0:12:58.610
he immediately and predictably[br]threw his supporters under the bus.

0:12:58.610,0:13:02.510
To those who engaged in [br]the acts of violence and destruction,

0:13:02.510,0:13:05.129
you do not represent our country.

0:13:05.129,0:13:08.200
And to those who [br]broke the law... you will pay.

0:13:08.200,0:13:11.390
What an idiot. [br]I thought that guy was cool.

0:13:11.390,0:13:14.240
This was followed by [br]a collective suspension of reality,

0:13:14.240,0:13:17.050
in which parts of [br]Trump’s fractured base

0:13:17.050,0:13:21.310
began claiming that the attack[br]was a psy-op carried out by antifascists.

0:13:21.310,0:13:25.660
I feel it was uh, people like [br]Antifa, Black Lives Matter,

0:13:25.660,0:13:27.650
who infiltrated the crowd.

0:13:27.650,0:13:29.840
Of course none of that is true.

0:13:29.840,0:13:32.260
What we saw in the Capitol Building[br]is your A-team.

0:13:32.260,0:13:35.970
On the pie chart that I've shown [br]you before, that's your tiny sliver,

0:13:35.970,0:13:38.200
that's your special forces of antiffa.

0:13:38.200,0:13:40.690
They know exactly what they're doing. [br]They're well trained.

0:13:40.690,0:13:45.250
They've got the statements ready to say, [br]y'know, "she's dead", that sort of thing.

0:13:46.443,0:13:51.030
Many of those arrested following their [br]brazen, mask-free actions at the capitol

0:13:51.030,0:13:54.307
will be happy to give evidence[br]against their co-accused,

0:13:54.307,0:13:56.355
in order to lessen their own sentences.

0:13:56.355,0:13:57.665
Informant!

0:13:57.665,0:14:00.810
This is already leading [br]to more high profile arrests,

0:14:00.810,0:14:03.340
and could lead to the [br]cannibalization and breaking up

0:14:03.340,0:14:08.190
of a number of far-right, fascist and[br]white nationalist organizations altogether.

0:14:10.300,0:14:14.234
Despite this, it seems clear [br]that the attack on the Capitol building

0:14:14.234,0:14:18.492
will push many disillusioned[br]QAnon followers and Trump supporters

0:14:18.492,0:14:21.287
even further down[br]the path of radicalization.

0:14:23.172,0:14:26.690
And what comes from that [br]is certain to be very ugly indeed.

0:14:26.690,0:14:31.680
We're talking about a groundswell [br]that is decades, if not generations old.

0:14:32.850,0:14:37.250
I think it would be a mistake to overly [br]think that this is about president Trump.

0:14:37.250,0:14:40.771
At the end of the day I don't think that [br]the president has the power

0:14:40.771,0:14:44.001
to command this groundswell.[br]Or to call it off.

0:14:44.001,0:14:46.510
Have a good life.[br]We will see you soon.

0:14:46.510,0:14:51.140
To learn more about what went down, I [br]recently caught up with anarchist organizer,

0:14:51.140,0:14:56.570
radical emcee, and member of the Maroon Movement [br]and the Food Clothing and Resistance collective,

0:14:56.570,0:14:57.570
Sima Lee.

0:14:58.570,0:15:00.291
Hey Sima, how’s it going?

0:15:00.291,0:15:03.830
Just trying to keep mellow [br]in the time of cholera. Heh.

0:15:03.830,0:15:05.960
I hear that cannabis can help with that.

0:15:05.960,0:15:07.593
Shit. Haha.

0:15:07.654,0:15:10.930
What’s your take on what [br]happened in DC on January sixth?

0:15:11.240,0:15:15.372
My initial take was, oh shit [br]so they're going for it huh?

0:15:16.570,0:15:20.430
It was something that we saw coming[br]and actually were just surprised

0:15:20.430,0:15:22.400
that it took so long to manifest.

0:15:23.250,0:15:25.890
These clashes,[br]especially in Washington, DC

0:15:25.890,0:15:27.870
in the streets of Washington, DC,

0:15:27.870,0:15:30.270
but across the country[br]we watched these groups spring up.

0:15:30.270,0:15:32.720
I mean we saw [br]the confederate flags out there.

0:15:32.720,0:15:35.430
We saw the [br]three percenters out there.

0:15:35.430,0:15:40.730
There was some of the same faces that[br]we've been seeing - some of them for decades.

0:15:40.730,0:15:43.200
And so this isn't a shocker.

0:15:43.200,0:15:45.550
And we know they don't [br]give a damn about the police.

0:15:45.550,0:15:47.480
We know they did that to antagonize us

0:15:47.480,0:15:50.820
so it was no surprise to us[br]that they would clash with the police

0:15:50.820,0:15:53.630
or anyone else[br]to get their point across

0:15:53.630,0:15:56.580
that they're trying to take it [br]back to the good old days.

0:15:56.580,0:16:00.970
They brought that gallows[br]and that noose and it said more about

0:16:00.970,0:16:04.967
how they feel about us, I feel, [br]more so than those politicians.

0:16:04.967,0:16:09.469
So we watched it like, okay,[br]we've been waiting to see them

0:16:09.469,0:16:14.150
come out and say who they really are [br]as a group, collectively and take a stand

0:16:14.150,0:16:19.110
and so there, they did it.[br]And it is what it is.

0:16:19.110,0:16:23.580
All the contradictions of[br]our 400 year empire is coming to head.

0:16:23.580,0:16:27.810
And it's coming to a head right[br]in the nation's capitol, right in Rome.

0:16:27.810,0:16:31.100
Us as anti-fascists,[br]we stepped back, we watched that shit

0:16:31.100,0:16:33.760
and we prepare what [br]we have to do for our communities.

0:16:33.760,0:16:36.410
You lived and organized in DC for years.

0:16:36.410,0:16:40.569
What are your thoughts on the police[br]response to the storming of the capitol building,

0:16:40.569,0:16:43.940
and how does it compare to you [br]and your comrades' own experiences

0:16:43.940,0:16:46.530
with the DC Metro and Capitol police?

0:16:46.530,0:16:52.020
Yeah we never had any [br]lighthearted interactions with the police.

0:16:52.020,0:16:54.200
it was always heavy handed, abusive.

0:16:54.200,0:16:57.330
I mean anybody who's been paying[br]attention these last few months,

0:16:57.330,0:17:02.128
you've seen the heavy handedness [br]of the state against anyone.

0:17:02.128,0:17:05.598
You don't even have to damage buildings[br]as a lot of people like to say,

0:17:05.598,0:17:08.859
"well this is about property damage[br]and protecting property"

0:17:08.859,0:17:10.630
- a lot of people[br]weren't even bothering property.

0:17:10.630,0:17:14.990
They were just taking their ability to [br]gather with their own communities

0:17:14.990,0:17:17.969
to speak about what they wanted.[br]And they were beaten

0:17:17.969,0:17:20.670
and had chunks of their foreheads knocked out.

0:17:20.670,0:17:23.160
There's whole groups of people now without eyes.

0:17:23.550,0:17:28.276
We've been having to deal with not just[br]the so-called white supremacists,

0:17:28.276,0:17:31.630
but the white supremacists [br]of the police department as well.

0:17:31.630,0:17:34.600
It's been an attack against the movement.

0:17:34.600,0:17:38.110
Not just the so-called Black Lives Matter [br]movement, because not all Black people

0:17:38.110,0:17:41.110
identify with that term or that movement.

0:17:41.110,0:17:45.340
But that Black Liberation movement, it's been under attack

0:17:45.340,0:17:47.850
in Washington DC in particular.

0:17:47.850,0:17:51.040
So many munitions dumped, [br]so much tear gas.

0:17:51.040,0:17:54.560
We don't know the long term effects [br]this is gonna have on our comrades.

0:17:54.560,0:17:59.840
And so to see them be [br]so gentle and kind and considerate,

0:17:59.840,0:18:02.820
it didn't make us feel [br]a certain way other than, yeah

0:18:02.820,0:18:05.300
it acknowledged what [br]we've been saying all along.

0:18:05.300,0:18:09.940
That the police state is the implementation[br]of white nationalism and white supremacy.

0:18:09.940,0:18:12.540
And it doesn't matter [br]if it's a Black cop, a Brown cop,,

0:18:12.540,0:18:17.150
all police, they're all in it[br]together with the citizens.

0:18:17.150,0:18:20.320
What are your thoughts on [br]the response to this attack from liberals

0:18:20.320,0:18:23.080
and other segments of the American left?

0:18:23.080,0:18:29.530
People's reaction to white supremacists [br]gathering at the home of white supremacy,

0:18:29.530,0:18:33.460
clashing with each other, it's just[br]been really odd and it's been off.

0:18:33.460,0:18:36.500
You know I expect [br]the liberals to be, y'know

0:18:36.500,0:18:40.570
"muh country, muh flag, muh people, [br]muh capitol, muh politicians," y'know?

0:18:40.570,0:18:42.500
I expect that from liberals.

0:18:42.500,0:18:46.430
And I don't give a damn how [br]liberals or how conservatives take things.

0:18:46.430,0:18:54.350
I'm looking at how, you know, so-called[br]leftists are repeating the words of the state.

0:18:54.350,0:18:58.490
Are looking for help from [br]feds who have been crushing us.

0:18:58.490,0:19:02.280
My comrades have been getting [br]visits, y'know, at their jobs,

0:19:02.280,0:19:05.160
at their homes, [br]snatched out of their cars.

0:19:05.160,0:19:10.100
Y'know, we know what it feels like to get[br]raided by the Metropolitan Police Department

0:19:10.100,0:19:12.280
with guns and dogs.

0:19:12.280,0:19:15.491
We know what that feels like. [br]I know what that feels like.

0:19:15.491,0:19:20.126
To have an AR in my face,[br]in a house full of police.

0:19:20.126,0:19:24.840
To be watched and observed. [br]To have friends black bagged and kidnapped.

0:19:25.780,0:19:28.880
So my comrades aren't reacting [br]in that manner, but other people

0:19:28.880,0:19:34.776
that I know and that I'm affiliated with,[br]I'm seeing people not be able to accept

0:19:34.776,0:19:40.710
that we're not going to get any [br]real assistance from our actual enemies.

0:19:40.710,0:19:42.520
You know people all[br]talk about abolitionism

0:19:42.520,0:19:46.840
that's not just about abolishing prison.[br]It's about abolishing the entire state,

0:19:46.840,0:19:50.730
the entire apparatus, [br]the entire empire. It has to go.

0:19:50.730,0:19:52.620
So some people are like, [br]"Well what are you saying?

0:19:52.620,0:19:54.620
You don't want fash to go to jail?"

0:19:54.620,0:19:57.430
Aren't we trying to eradicate all of this?

0:19:57.430,0:20:00.540
All of it! [br]We're trying to eradicate all of it.

0:20:01.440,0:20:04.570
We're gonna have to find out [br]what we're gonna do with

0:20:04.570,0:20:07.920
the people who are [br]making our live so horrible.

0:20:07.920,0:20:13.530
But I can tell you what we're not going[br]to do is start dealing with the feds.

0:20:13.530,0:20:17.110
Like people can quote Assata[br]and still love the feds??

0:20:17.520,0:20:19.100
When they're after her again?

0:20:19.100,0:20:22.150
The same people who [br]killed thirty plus Panthers?

0:20:22.150,0:20:26.550
Sundiata Acoli is still in jail right now, [br]celebrating his birthday

0:20:26.550,0:20:30.800
and Maroon, and Mutlu, [br]and on and on and on.

0:20:30.800,0:20:33.640
So we don't work with the feds.[br]We don't cheer on the feds.

0:20:33.640,0:20:37.660
We don't cheer on new laws[br]that will be used against our communities.

0:20:37.660,0:20:40.390
They will pretend that it's[br]going to go against the white supremacists

0:20:40.390,0:20:42.200
and it always goes against us.

0:20:42.200,0:20:46.380
So it's disheartening to see people [br]debating, you know, what to call this

0:20:46.380,0:20:51.162
and "it wasn't really an insurgency,[br]it was just a minor..." - it was what it was.

0:20:51.162,0:20:53.502
It's what it has been [br]for four hundred years.

0:20:54.182,0:20:57.490
Sometimes they clash amongst [br]each other, the elite,

0:20:57.490,0:20:59.640
the white supremacists, [br]the foot soldiers.

0:20:59.640,0:21:02.090
But it always blows back against us.

0:21:02.090,0:21:05.230
We can never cheer them on. Ever.

0:21:06.620,0:21:09.630
And it's just kind of disappointing [br]and it seems like,

0:21:09.630,0:21:12.290
I don't know what is going on [br]with the Left in North America,

0:21:12.290,0:21:14.380
but they really need to get it together.

0:21:14.380,0:21:18.589
And they need to re-analyze what they [br]feel abolition and autonomy really is.

0:21:18.589,0:21:21.260
Because it's definitely not [br]cheering on the state.

0:21:21.260,0:21:22.880
Anything else you’d like to add?

0:21:22.880,0:21:28.190
This movement that we are in in 2021, [br]it cannot look like it has in the past.

0:21:28.190,0:21:32.100
The critiques of the white leftists [br]from Black, Brown, Indigenous people,

0:21:32.100,0:21:35.649
from queer, from trans, gender [br]nonconforming, nonbinary people,

0:21:35.649,0:21:40.809
have to be listened to if we're going to[br]be serious about an abolitionist movement,

0:21:40.809,0:21:44.370
a revolutionary, autonomous movement.

0:21:44.370,0:21:47.895
And we're gonna have to [br]understand that and get over our own shit

0:21:47.895,0:21:51.861
and build up our own dual power, [br]right here and right now.

0:21:51.861,0:21:53.850
We build up our power [br]and our communities,

0:21:53.850,0:21:56.560
through our co-ops, [br]our collectives, our mutual aid

0:21:56.560,0:21:58.990
and our taking care of [br]what we need to take care of

0:21:58.990,0:22:01.750
so that we can stand firm [br]against the attacks of the state.

0:22:01.750,0:22:04.860
Because just because they're coming[br]at these damn right wing people right now,

0:22:04.860,0:22:06.712
they haven't forgotten about us.

0:22:07.480,0:22:11.010
All our comrades got court cases [br]coming up. Nothing's stopped.

0:22:11.010,0:22:14.630
People are still in the fucking prisons [br]packed with COVID. Nothing's stopped.

0:22:14.630,0:22:16.420
People are still getting evicted.

0:22:17.530,0:22:20.530
So I just think people[br]have to step it up.

0:22:20.530,0:22:25.550
The threat that we're up against [br]in this country is serious!

0:22:25.550,0:22:26.530
Thanks Sima.

0:22:26.530,0:22:29.490
We’ve now reached the end [br]of this episode of System Fail.

0:22:29.490,0:22:34.370
Be sure and check out the full interview with[br]Sima Lee, in which she shares her insight

0:22:34.370,0:22:37.740
on the rise and spread of [br]Black anarchism in the United States.

0:22:37.740,0:22:41.670
Coming soon on the next[br]episode of the Circle A podcast.

0:22:41.670,0:22:45.031
As amusing as it’s been to watch [br]the takedown of Parler

0:22:45.031,0:22:48.801
and Trump’s twitter feed, [br]recent moves by tech capitalists

0:22:48.801,0:22:52.100
have once again demonstrated [br]the urgent need for anarchists to build

0:22:52.100,0:22:56.650
and support our own media and [br]communication infrastructure projects.

0:22:56.650,0:22:59.220
On this note, we’d like to remind viewers

0:22:59.220,0:23:02.450
that subMedia is a [br]contributing member of Kolektiva,

0:23:02.450,0:23:06.040
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0:23:06.040,0:23:08.540
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0:23:08.540,0:23:12.630
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0:23:12.630,0:23:16.510
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0:23:16.510,0:23:20.330
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0:23:20.330,0:23:24.750
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0:23:24.750,0:23:29.720
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0:23:29.720,0:23:33.730
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0:23:33.730,0:23:35.480
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0:23:35.480,0:23:39.450
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0:23:39.450,0:23:41.285
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0:23:41.285,0:23:43.214
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