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From: cross@spitfire.i.gajendra.net (Dan Cross)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: [OT] What is happening in/to the US ?
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2024 22:09:25 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
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References: <0deacdee3af55f25007e4493e3d24d54e6b7a13f.camel@munted.eu> <memo.20240717000723.14216W@jgd.cix.co.uk> <v7973n$1voo2$4@dont-email.me>
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In article <v7973n$1voo2$4@dont-email.me>,
Simon Clubley  <clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> wrote:
>On 2024-07-16, John Dallman <jgd@cix.co.uk> wrote:
>> In article <0deacdee3af55f25007e4493e3d24d54e6b7a13f.camel@munted.eu>,
>> alex.buell@munted.eu (Single Stage to Orbit) wrote:
>>> On Tue, 2024-07-16 at 09:17 +0100, John Dallman wrote:
>>> > This has now been debunked: someone else of the same name, living 
>>> > in the same county, was the donor. The investigation is apparently
>>> > puzzled about the shooter's motive. 
>>> 
>>> The ony explanation and most likely is that he sacrificed himself to
>>> boost votes for Trump in November.
>>
>> Trying to hit a person giving a speech, and thus moving a bit, in the ear
>> without doing significant harm is the act of a fool with a greatly
>> exaggerated idea of his own marksmanship. He was much more likely to kill
>> the target than get the result that eventuated. 
>>
>> I'm really not convinced by the self-sacrifice idea. 
>
>I guess Alex was been a bit too subtle. :-)
>
>As a Brit, I interpreted his statement as not exactly been serious. :-)
>
>On a more serious note, remember that if Mr Trump had not turned his
>head at the exact moment he did, he would now be dead (and the US would
>now be in the middle of a civil war).

While the former may well be true, the latter almost certainly
is not.  _If_ Trump's would-be assassin had been successful, the
country would have been plunged into widespread political
turmoil, for sure, but I found it doubtful that it would have
been sufficient catalyst to kick off a full-on civil war.

As a former US Marine, and 4 time Expert Rifleman, I can tell
you that headshots are very hard to make.  That's why in the
military you are trained to fire at center-of-mass.  Had the
shooter done so, it's far more likely that Trump would have been
killed or seriously wounded.

As an American who despises Trump and all he stands for, but who
also abhores political violence, it's hard to see how the
attempt did anything other than benefit the former president's
election bid.  Had it been successful, it would have just turned
Trump into a martyr and mythologized his ideology.  As it
failed, it just seems to have generated sympathy for him.

	- Dan C.