I’ve been watching the live coverage unfold.

I’ve never seen it, the actual live broadcast feed- I was working that day.

I have to say the commentary is absolutely extraordinary.

I was stunned at the real time assessment of the commentators who knew right away what they were seeing: the potential end of Democracy in America.

This is how authoritarian regimes work, they said. It remained to be seen whether the Republic would survive the day.

This was pretty much at the beginning of it
and it was absolutely obvious how immediate the danger was. Even the first milling around of the crowd and the first incursion of insurgents strolling through the Rotunda posed a potential threat.

One commentator noted in the first hour that the President had long prepared the ground with recent violent tweets and public statements – even noting that the violence had been stoked by Trump since his very first speech.

All noted that the President of the United States had just tweeted about Pence, and that the vice president now “had a target on his back”.

No one had yet seen the actual footage of violence that ensued, with one exception: the battering of the Capitol door.

But you didn’t need to see the violence.

The violence was the very presence of that crowd. The danger was immense.

No security in sight. The lawmakers in lockdown. The Capitol, said one commentator, “appears to be besieged.”

That was by 2:30 that day.

I was at work so we only saw moments. Our jaw dropped when we saw even isolated moments.

And it just got worse.

Remember: no crowd was to be allowed anywhere near the Capitol that day. Not on the steps, not on the grounds, not anywhere near. And Covid protocols were all in effect.

Seeing the footage of the day tells me so much.

I can see how people who watched images could have mistaken an authoritarian putsch as simply a bunch of people walking around. Until you see them attempt to batter the Capitol door down.

The “security” protocol was simple- for the government to flee the Capitol. Through underground exits etc.

You know things are bad when a joint session of Congress has to consider fleeing the Capitol.