Brown's Disciples

[Nikki]

It's been quite a while since Ed and Elaine family:Insane have been shipped off to prison and since their closest acolytes hae begun their prison terms.

Where, then, are all the posters who used to support family:Evasion and the friends and families of Danny, Reno, et al?

Have they finally seen the light and purged them koolaid from their blood or -- more likely -- are they too busy trying to reassemble their lives out of the rubble left for them to take any more time to defend theri friends and family?

Could reality finally have slapped some of them in the face?

[Judge Roy Bean]

It's been quite a while since Ed and Elaine family:Insane have been shipped off to prison and since their closest acolytes hae begun their prison terms.

Where, then, are all the posters who used to support family:Evasion and the friends and families of Danny, Reno, et al?

Have they finally seen the light and purged them koolaid from their blood or -- more likely -- are they too busy trying to reassemble their lives out of the rubble left for them to take any more time to defend theri friends and family?

Could reality finally have slapped some of them in the face?

Nikki, in my experience such things are more like slowly creeping adjustments to reality than a quick slap. Very few people have a sudden epiphany.

[Lambkin]

Could reality finally have slapped some of them in the face?

Not a chance. They are doing what defeated wingnuts do: lick their wounds and contemplate their hatred of the system.

[TheSaint]

Ed Brown's internet fan club never cared in the first place. In part, because Ed was an insufferable jerk who alienated even his supporters. But mostly because these people are internet patriots, eager to sit back and let other people take all the risks that need to be taken to achieve their desired ends. If his standoff had won the day, they'd have crowded him off the victory podium.

[notorial dissent]

Or equally, egging the fools on to see how big a train wreck they could engender, and Ed Family:really stupid was more than happy to oblige, talk about a new class of voyeur.

[ErsatzAnatchist]

Ed Brown's internet fan club never cared in the first place. In part, because Ed was an insufferable jerk who alienated even his supporters. But mostly because these people are internet patriots, eager to sit back and let other people take all the risks that need to be taken to achieve their desired ends. If his standoff had won the day, they'd have crowded him off the victory podium.

Much easier to support the martyr than to be the martyr.

[fortinbras]

Ed Brown's admirers on the internet were the usual brave-on-beer types. They'd cheer him on in his folly, maybe even send him encouraging letters and e-mails, even when law enforcement was closing in on him. As if they were hoping for a spectacular ending to this story. And if, by some strange chance, Ed had won, they'd be cheering - and each one giving himself a little pat on the back for encouraging him.

But he lost and they all realize that much the same will happen to them if they emulate his behavior. One of the nastier ironies is that these people who gave him words of encouragement will not kick in a single dollar to help him pay the fines, even the fines for the antics they expressly encouraged.

I might say that there is a certain similarity or at least analogy to the success celebrations by Obama supporters. Most of them had not actually lifted a finger or contributed a dime for him, apart from pulling the lever on Election Day. Most are extremely vague about his policies and plans. But they not only celebrate his successes, they also carry on as if they had helped him.