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I think Arjin summed it up well. Basically Alex Jones isn't a comparable example. I don't know if someone else is.
I'm not really sure on the whole original argument to begin with. Was Jan 6th instigated by intelligence agencies to create a false flag scenario? Probably not, seems like it was done too poorly. I think some actual lawmakers would have died if the FBI or CIA was really behind it and trying to sell it.
I instead think most of the hulabaloo around Jan 6th is media manufactured outrage. Most of the security footage from that day shows very boring stuff happen. There are like a few dozen tapes out of tens of thousands that show something approaching violence. One protestor was shot. 6 other people died of heart attacks. It delayed Trumps transition of power by day. It was largely a ceremonial event anyways. I know that's not the discussion you came here to have, so I only had my limited objection to the Alex Jones comparison.
Thanks for clearing it up, what edits should I make to my post to avoid giving other people the same wrong impression?
If there are no other comparable examples, then it's literally impossible to assert that Ray Epps was treated "unusually". I don't agree that there are no comparable examples, because I don't believe it's reasonable to expect the precision of a randomized controlled trial to ascertain how unusual a defendant's treatment is. So while we can't find a Ray Epps clone, it's still fair game to examine individuals who are close enough.
I looked some more and wish I found out about Ali Alexander earlier. He posted a video on January 7th saying "I did call for people to enter the US Capitol" and later during a livestream "I started a riot for the sitting president of the United States" (though he also admitted he's prone to exaggeration and hyperbole). He was never charged with a crime. A judge even examined his conduct and dismissed him from a civil lawsuit brought by Capitol Police officers because the judge ruled his speech did not rise to the level of incitement. Do you believe this guy is comparable enough to Ray Epps? Compared to Alexander, Epps was treated harshly.
There's more people who called for occupying the Capitol ahead of J6, like Matt Bracken who said "we will only be saved by millions of Americans moving to Washington, occupying the entire area—if necessary, storming right into the Capitol. You know, we know the rules of engagement: If you have enough people, you can push down any kind of a fence or a wall." I don't know if Bracken was ever on site so it's not directly comparable to Epps, but Bracken never being charged with a crime is one more data point on the comparison board.
I made a bird's eye view comparison by contrasting Epps to all other J6 defendants and nothing stood out. I then tried to make a more direct comparison to individual cases and nothing stands out there either. So overall I see no reason to believe that Ray Epps was treated with unusual anything. Do you think that's an unreasonable conclusion?
Again, I am probably the wrong person to be talking to, I don't really think Epps is an undercover agent. I don't think the FBI or CIA instigated jan 6th. I think it happened somewhat organically, and then the media blew what happened way out of proportion.
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