Many say that the violence at the Capitol is not who we are, but sadly violence is us. White supremacy and domestic terrorism are linked to our reliance on force and domination at home and abroad. We have more guns, more people incarcerated and more military bases than any other nation. We have a military budget larger than that of the next seven highest-spending nations combined.
Were people around the world shocked to see this unruly failed coup in America? Some were, but others say that the Jan. 6 violence mimics the approach the United States often uses in other countries. Our militarized behavior — using force to dominate — also creates problems at home, as when minorities are treated as enemies by the police and when our communities lack teachers, healthcare and affordable housing because of bloated Pentagon spending.
