There are many ways the media can misinterpret what you say. They can deliberately misinterpret you. They can accidentally misinterpret you.
And then there’s Michael Flynn.
Donald Trump’s former National Security Advisor was speaking at the “For God & Country Patriot Roundup” — a three-day conference heavy on the conspiracy theories and light on other stuff like reason and sanity. Flynn was asked a simple question by a man who described himself as “a simple Marine” and immediately sent media tongues wagging from sea to sea.
The Marine asked why “what happened in Myanmar can’t happen here.”
“No reason. I mean, it should happen here,” replied the simple-minded Flynn.
Myanmar (Burma) is experiencing a convulsion of violence because on February 1, the army staged a coup d’etat against the democratically elected government. Hundreds have been killed in demonstrations that included the army and police deliberately firing live rounds into crowds of protesters.
Flynn, a retired lieutenant-general of the United States Army, never was one who handled the media very adroitly, even during his time as NSA. But was he really calling for a military coup against the United States government?
Flynn says of course not.
“For all the fake news ‘journalists’: Let me be VERY CLEAR — There is NO reason whatsoever for any coup in America, and I do not and have not at any time called for any action of that sort. Any reporting of any other belief by me is a boldface fabrication based on twisted reporting at a lively panel at a conference of Patriotic Americans who love this country, just as I do. I am no stranger to media manipulating my words and therefore let me repeat my response to a question asked at the conference: There is no reason it (a coup) should happen here (in America),” Flynn said on Parler Sunday.
An artful dodge? Or a lie only swallowed with a large glass of KoolAid?
Sidney Powell, an attorney who has represented Flynn, also said Flynn did not endorse “any act of violence or any military insurrection” and claimed the media had “grossly distorted” his comments, according to CNN.
Was it really “distorted”? You decide.
Here is the video of former national security advisor Michael Flynn saying that he thinks a coup like the coup in Myanmar should happen in the US. pic.twitter.com/7mGYjfXg18
— Mamie 😌 (@MC_Hyperbole) May 30, 2021
This is not the first time Flynn has suggested military action against the government of the United States. In December, after the election had been certified, he claimed Trump could use “military capabilities” to “rerun” elections in swing states.
During an interview with Newsmax host Greg Kelly on Thursday, the recently pardoned former White House national security adviser said the commander in chief could use the power of the U.S. military and dispelled arguments that invoking martial law to do so wouldn’t be unprecedented.
“He could immediately, on his order, seize every single one of these machines around the country,” Flynn began, referring to machines built by Dominion Voting Systems, which demanded on Thursday that his longtime attorney, Sidney Powell, retract her “baseless” election claims about the company.
“He could also order, within the swing states, if he wanted to, he could take military capabilities, and he could place them in those states and basically rerun an election in each of those states. It’s not unprecedented,” Flynn said.
We should feel uneasy when military men can’t keep a lid on their passions and allow their imagination to run away with them. Flynn may be a fool but he’s only giving voice to what too many Trump supporters already believe is necessary.
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