Massive raids across Germany, arrests of far-right coup plotters including ex-Bundeswehr officers. Qanon influence appears to have played a role in their thinking...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63885028
Germany arrests 25 accused of plotting coup

A far-right group is suspected of planning to storm parliament and install an aristocrat as leader.

BBC News

"The group was prepared to use violence and accepted that deaths would happen... Its central “council” was headed by an individual named as Heinrich XIII P.R., who had reached out to Russian representatives inside Germany — although the prosecutor stated that there were no indications so far that there had been a positive response to his overtures."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/12/07/germany-coup-arrests-reichsbuerger-heinrich/

German police arrest 25 over far-right plot to overthrow government

The group subscribed to conspiracy theories including QAnon and the Reichsbürger movement, which denies the existence of the modern German state, authorities said.

The Washington Post
@anneapplebaum wish we had a force at the Capitol we could trust to prevent something like that here.

@anneapplebaum

Remarkable how Germany proactively disrupts a domestic terrorist cell and the U.S. waits for thousands of them to attack and kill first.

@Jedigal007 @anneapplebaum Germany doesn’t have a 2nd amendment and their 1st A equivalent was strictly rewritten after WWII. That’s what happens when you actually renew and refresh your constitution to reflect the times you live in and the history that occurred. You be can actually protect your form of government

@mona @anneapplebaum

Such a good point. White collar crime is one Achilles heel that has gone excused for far too long. It may be the death of us!

@mona @Jedigal007 @anneapplebaum I'm glad to see Qanon get rounded up, but don't cheer too hard for government repression, you may find it turned on you one day.

@SocialistStan @mona @anneapplebaum

All the more reason perhaps to qualify it and quantify it.

@Jedigal007 @anneapplebaum
Not really when you consider the administration. Plus, Jan 6 put the free world on alert like 9/11 did.

We're leading again!...in domestic terrorism. 😏

@RadicalWoman111

Good point about J6 and free world. Grateful Jack Smith here to get some sense of justice on the rails. Our systemic failures are so deeply hard wired. We’ve excused “white collar crime” for decades. It is white collar crime that will destroy us.

@Jedigal007
Definitely.

Fortunately, we've been adding more and more Progressives to Congress, and they've been hard-hitting against white-collar crime.

That's a trajectory we need to ramp up.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/09/democrats-progressive-candidates-races-wins-midterms-congress

Progressive candidates score crucial wins in midterm elections

Support from Bernie Sanders and other pols and key turnout by Gen Z voters led to victories in Texas, Florida and other states

The Guardian
Progressive candidates score crucial wins in midterm elections

Support from Bernie Sanders and other pols and key turnout by Gen Z voters led to victories in Texas, Florida and other states

The Guardian

@RadicalWoman111

No doubt progressives bring new ideas, good ideas, and will be instrumental in shaping our futures

@Jedigal007
I have to say Merrick Garland's wizardry in bringing Jack Smith in as special prosecutor blew me away. I've expected him to kick Trump's butt all along, but I didn't expect that move.

Genius.

I love it. 😁

@RadicalWoman111

Totally agreed, I would not want to change places with TFG!

@Jedigal007 @anneapplebaum My thoughts exactly. There should have been A boatload of arrests immediately after #Jan6, but instead a only few have trickled out over two years now.

@PeteF @anneapplebaum

Over 900 arrests, starting with the lowest hanging branch on the tree. Perhaps by Christmas we’ll have pecked away a few more branches, including some of the higher ups. Jack Smith seems dogged.

@Jedigal007 @anneapplebaum Makes it harder when the authorities who would disrupt a terrorist organised event, and the organising terrorist, are the same people :(
@Jedigal007 @anneapplebaum
I read there are about 21K members in that cult. They went to other countries to get them...

@GatekeepKen @anneapplebaum

This made me think of Matthew Whitaker, the mobbed up goon TFG named as temporary AG before Barr. He flew to Kosovo to undermine their elections. He was to speak at the “Korea Conservative PAC.” Seems everyone in everyone else’s business these days. An international crime org

@anneapplebaum Also among the plotters: a former MP.

No prizes for guessing which party she belongs to.

@anneapplebaum These people are living in a fantasy world where an insane plot like this ends with them being hailed as heroes and actually being in charge of Germany. Incredible.
@theloneapple @anneapplebaum exactly as do our own #Qvlt45 #domesticterrorist groups who remain free to wreak havoc such as we see this week in #moorecounty with #proudboys somehow still free becuz muh 1st Amendment rites.
@daisydog @anneapplebaum The US has too many people who believe in those fairy tales. They read terrible self-published novels about revolution and think they're inside of a giant video game.
@theloneapple @anneapplebaum where can I find such literature? I have a weird kink for megacringe.
@daisydog @anneapplebaum Amazon is full of that crap along with bare-chested space Aryan romance novels.
@anneapplebaum it seems Qanon has expanded everywhere. So disturbing.
@Melzpetpals @anneapplebaum what is so bizarre to me is that no one has developed a far-fetched conspiracy theory about how there has been a global rise in the fascist right spurred by rich global oligarchs - all of whom would seem to be the most likely to benefit from such a rise, especially if the US stops policing the world’s bad actors.
@eunger @Melzpetpals @anneapplebaum The US IS one of the world's bad actors, and an oligarchy.
@SocialistStan @Melzpetpals @anneapplebaum so you agree it’s a more viable conspiracy theory than what’s currently being pandered?
@eunger @Melzpetpals @anneapplebaum Global oligarchs, especially those in the US, are quite open about wanting fascism. No conspiracy needed.
@anneapplebaum we need the same in Starting with Congress and Senate! Get the GQP out!!!!!.
@otownKim @anneapplebaum
Hopefully Jack Smith has begun that process.
🤞🙂🤞

@anneapplebaum

Is Qanon real or just a fun little way to white supremacy and total power?

@anneapplebaum can't help but think that inaction in the US to pursue top-level organizers of #Jan6 insurrection contributes to embolden similar disregard for law and gov elsewhere.

Inspires a "Hey we can try that and do it better," attitude, expecting minimal repercussions.

Der Generalbundesanwalt - Homepage - Festnahmen von 25 mutmaßlichen Mitgliedern und Unterstützern einer terroristischen Vereinigung sowie Durchsuchungsmaßnahmen in elf Bundesländern bei insgesamt 52 Beschuldigten

Festnahmen von 25 mutmaßlichen Mitgliedern und Unterstützern einer terroristischen Vereinigung sowie Durchsuchungsmaßnahmen in elf Bundesländern bei insgesamt 52 Beschuldigten

@anneapplebaum
from the article: "We don't yet have a name for this group."
Nazis. They are called Nazis.
@anneapplebaum when will we wake up and see that this can happen here.
@Pomba @anneapplebaum I woke up midday on a Sunday a couple years ago to the #Jan6Coup. Sure as hell wish the damned FBI had woken up to it on Jan 5.
@daisydog @anneapplebaum I hope that has now changed. The FBI needs to be more vigilant with so many crazy ideologies spreading across the country.
@Pomba @anneapplebaum hard to judge from layman’s perspective but they didn’t prevent this #moorecounty #domesticterrorism event from transpiring and no arrests have been made, even of public malefactors with a rap sheet like Emily Grace Raines.
@anneapplebaum
Notice how swiftly and decisively Germany deals with far-right insurrectionists compared to America.
@anneapplebaum I have an episode of my podcast about QAnon in Germany. Before I interviewed my guest, I didn’t realize how prominent Q thinking was there. Shocking, actually.
@godlessmom @anneapplebaum - what is the origin story? It’s hard to understand how so many people get sucked down the rabbit hole.
@LPSurge @godlessmom @anneapplebaum Most of these people have been dabbling with fascism from the beginning, QAnon, AFD, spreading Russian propaganda etc. Once they find an Idiot who can fund their crazy, they just fall in line and form an Union.
@anneapplebaum
I'm betting Steve Bannon was linked to this group.
@anneapplebaum Going to guess racism played the biggest role in their thinking.
@anneapplebaum Many parallels to the US insurrectionist party, with many former military and law enforcement, rich wackos who fancy themselves kings, and many gaslit crazies willing to die for fascism. Too bad Merrick Garland dallied for so long. It’s a global network now, and growing.
@anneapplebaum THIS is the appropriate response.
@anneapplebaum If only we were hearing of mass raids of the American coup planners…